Night without Day

by depressedchildren

Sasuke never expected to have the children he dreamed of as a genin, nor would he have expected the peace he felt. Yet all good things must come to an end. Hardship after hardship and the family he built in Middle Earth is quickly sucked into the struggles between the free peoples and the Eye in the East. It will be a long Night without Day. Sequel to "The Tale of Day and Night"

4. Chapter 4: In the House of Healing

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or Naruto; both works belong to their respective creators and publishers. I gain nothing but writing and editing experiences from this fanfic.

Full Summary: Sasuke never expected to have the children he had dreamed of as a genin, nor would he have expected the peace he felt, with her of all people. But there they were; the happy, "perfect" family. Yet all good things must come to an end. Hardship after hardship befell them, and the family he built in Middle Earth was breaking apart. At his wit's end, Sasuke has no choice but to be sucked into the struggles of the free peoples against the Power in the East. The sun has set, and night has taken over indefinitely. Warnings: OC's, gender-bending.

A/N: I'm finally updating, though I apologize for the huge delay, I just couldn't find the words for what I wanted to write, and then when I did have a break-through I was stuck on the other sequel. Thank you to those who have reviewed, put this on alert or favorite ~ with love, depressedchildren

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Chapitre Quatre: In the House of Healing

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3017, October 11

Dawn looked over at her sister, possibly only remaining sister—No! She couldn't think like that! She couldn't fall down that path, that steep and slippery slope. But she could have prevented all of this if she had just-just done something. If she had returned from helping Ojisan sooner, if she had just been faster, anything that could have prevented them from following the company of hobbits.

Dawn could see her uncle shared similar thoughts; his expression was dark and drawn as he blamed himself for what happened. But it was her fault, not his, he shouldn't blame himself. And neither should Tinnu, who had hardly smiled since their father left with Minuial in tow. Were they at Rivendell yet?

Merry and Pippin were whistling a tune as they drove their ponies on, and she knew soon they would begin singing. She wasn't entirely sure if this singing and whistling was some sort of default setting for them. Perhaps this was how they coped with their worries, or perhaps they were just relieved there were no riders on their backs, but there were riders…she knew they were back there, leagues behind them.

Dawn hugged her body and peered off into the distances. She couldn't see as far as she used to; she noticed that immediately after she had deactivated her sharingan for the first time after the attack under Weathertop. She vaguely remembered her father saying something about her having to transplant eyes with her sisters someday, though he hoped she never would have to. Was this what he had been referring to?

Tousan had talked some about their eyes, he had even hinted that there was a second and third level to their bloodline, but he didn't talk about how… He had hoped his daughters would never obtain the other levels. He would look haunted when they pestered him about how to obtain the second and third level of the sharingan, and then Kaasan would ask them to help her with some chore.

Had Dawn unwittingly unlocked the second level? How? Why? She first unlocked the bloodline when she had nearly been killed by that wolf all those years ago, and she saw Minuial unlock her own sharingan when she was fighting that wraith…that Nazgûl. Then, when Dawn thought her baby sister had died…that technique, she didn't know how it happened but it did. Was it part of the second level? Gods, she had thought she had killed her sister, and she still yet may die; all because Dawn hadn't done as she should have.

"Miss Dawn," she looked to the side where Sam was riding his pony with a frown marring his features, "I'm sure Mister Frodo and Miss Minuial will be alright. Gandalf's nearly at Rivendell, and Mister Dû's probably there already. The elves will help them…" the hobbit seemed to be comforting himself more than her, as if he had to reassure himself that all would be fine. She gave a thin smile before looking forward once more.

Squinting her eyes, Dawn thought she saw a lone figure off by the horizon. The sloping plains were coming to an end and they were close to the Last Bridge, the Bridge of Mitheithel. She was tempted to activate her sharingan but with a glance at Tinnu she could tell the girl could observe the figure better than her.

"I'm going to scout ahead, I see someone," Tinnu stated, her eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

"I'll join you," Dawn called as she removed her bow from her shoulder and notched an arrow. Tinnu pulled out a kunai and twirled it in her hand before gripping it like she was prepared to throw the knife.

"What did you see?" Ojisan asked in a thick voice.

"There is a very tall figure off in the distance, do you see it?" Tinnu asked as she pointed the smudge on the horizon.

"That should be about where the Bridge of Mitheithel is. It may be an ally," though Ojisan's tone was not as hopefully as his words—almost as if he did not dare to hope for good at this point.

"We'll be careful," Tinnu stated with a slightly playful smile on her face. With that they took off.

Tinnu had noticed her sister could not see as far as she used to, which was troubling. Dawn had always had eyes like a hawk, but it seemed she was having a harder time discerning the looming figure than Tinnu was. If they ever caught back up with their father, they would have to ask what this meant. Could it have something to do with the strange wind monster that formed around her sister?

With chakra imbued strides they flew across the rolling hills and grew closer and closer to the ancient bridge. It was an elf, a blond male elf with a beautiful horse standing beside him. He was waiting it seemed. Waiting for who? Them?

Tinnu asked her sister through signs what course of action they should take. After a few more bounds, she received her answer. Take the cautious route. Tinnu wasn't sure if the elf had seen them yet and so she picked up her speed so that she seemingly flickered out of existence as they drew closer. They would appear out of nowhere, and Tinnu would appear behind the elf while Dawn did the talking. Should the elf, on the off chance, be hostile, Tinnu would take him out from behind.

Plan figured out, they soon were in position. Tinnu landed quietly behind the elf with her kunai drawn and repositioned so that she could easily slit his throat. He was substantially taller than her, but that did not deter her. Dawn landed at the far end of the bridge with her bow drawn and the arrow targeting the elf in the head.

"Who do you wait for?" Dawn asked coldly in sindarin. The elf's body shifted and tensed slightly in shock and surprise.

"A human girl speaks our tongue and has the most peculiar accent too."

"What brings you here?" Dawn asked in an even colder and harder voice. Tinnu knew she would not hesitate to loose the arrow at the elf.

"Lord Elrond sent me to be of aid to travelers hunted by dark creatures. I have come across Mithrandir and he has asked me to wait for a company of hobbits, who are guarded by a Ranger and two peculiar human girls," the elf then looked behind his shoulder and a slight, almost indulgent smile came to his lips when his eyes made contact with Tinnu.

Tinnu raced at him and in the blink of an eye held the kunai to his throat, "Who is this Mithrandir?"

The elf was tense for a moment, though he still managed to give off a calm air as he raised an eyebrow in question, "Mithrandir: the Grey Pilgrim, or as you may know him, Gandalf the Grey, the Istar of many names."

Tinnu briefly shifted her gaze over to Dawn who nodded her head minutely. They both lowered their weapons. "Mithrandir did not lie, you are very peculiar girls," the elf stated with clear intrigue and amusement in his voice.

"And why do you wait for us?" Dawn asked as she hopped down from the bridge railing. Tinnu signed to her sister that she would report back to their Ojisan, but Dawn held up her hand and signed that she would go in her stead.

"In duty to Lord Elrond and in a favor for Mithrandir. I am Glorfindel, at your service," he nodded his head and once he straightened, he looked at them questioningly.

"I am called Dawn, and I will be returning to our company; however, Tinnu will keep you company." More like watch out for danger and gut the elf if he proved to be a liar.

Tinnu nodded her head to the elf who returned the greeting. Dawn left then in what would seem, to the untrained eye, like a flicker. Tinnu turned to the elf but did not stow her kunai away.

"Tinnu is elvish, how came you to that name?"

"My uncle named my sister, Minuial, and I," Tinnu replied calmly as she continued to examine the elf. Something about his gaze said he was very old. She had never met an elf before and she now wondered if they all had the same look in their eyes. Had all elves seen many woes and many lives, was every event to them some passing thing that inspired a touch of amusement? In a way, it reminded Tinnu of her uncle, something in his eyes always told her he was so much older than he appeared.

"There are indeed many humans who speak sindarin, though in recent years less and less choose to learn our language," Glorfindel eyed her like one does a puzzle, as if she was something to figure out. "And yet your accent suggests you were taught by a man of Numenor, though you also speak several other tongues."

Tinnu fidgeted slightly under his scrutiny, and she was just about to say that Stirder was her uncle, but she recalled that Ojisan did not like people knowing who he was. So she held her tongue because Ojisan was always so secretive and wary of others, like he suspected something bad from them. No, she just had to withstand his dissecting gaze.

"You neither appear to be from the line of the Numenor, nor are your skills from this world," she glared at him but he ignored the look and continued speaking, "but then you travel with a ranger, one whom is most secretive and reserved." His eyes widened marginally, as if the pieces had come together, "So how is it that you have come into his company, especially on so dire a quest—unless," the elf began with a knowing smile, "he is this uncle you speak of. Though how came this relationship, for I know this ranger has no living kin. And for that matter, what must have happened to allow him to consent to letting so dear of kin on such a quest?"

Tinnu just glared harder at the elf—secretly hoping he'd shut up or catch fire—but otherwise did not respond. His behavior was annoying, how much longer would she be stuck with him?!

He just smiled in an overly-pleased-with-himself manner. Great.

…

Sasuke followed the road through the Trollshaw past the Ford of Bruinen and now was at the mouth of a vast valley. At first he was reminded of the Valley of the End in a chilling sort of way—and thinking of that battle always made him shudder; how much like their ancestors had they been, and all the components of that first battle were there again: an Uchiha, a Senju decedent, and the Kyuubi. History circled over and over, and they played the roles already determined. It disgusted him.

However, as Sasuke moved further into the waterfall valley, its resemblance to the Valley of the End became less and less substantial. Perhaps he had never imagined such delicate and ornate buildings lying in the mists of a waterfall, where stone courtyards were broken up by the most beautiful trees he had seen in some time. Perhaps the natural beauty of the place was hard to imagine or take in at first, and so his mind supplied the first similar image it could: the Valley of the End. There were stone structures in both places, yes, but here, stone terraces over looked the roaring Bruinen as ornate arches connected the terrace railings to the main building.

The dobe would love this place, what with the way nature and humanity—or technically elfdom—blended together seamlessly. It would fascinate her, and he was sure the place pulsated with natural energy.

Within a few seconds he landed in the stone courtyard he had seen from above. He had seen the scouts traveling below him as he had raced toward Rivendell and he was sure there was a long string of elves following his trail, but he did not care.

He needed to get his daughter help for whatever it was that was ailing her. Her breath was faint against his neck and though he had stopped for several hours already that day to steep Athelas, it had done her little good. Her health was failing, and fast despite doing as Kabuto had once instructed him when it came to comatose patients and there were no IV drips available. There was a risky jutsu Kabuto had taught him, but until Sasuke had to resort to that measure he had been making a soupy paste out of the few rations he had left as that sadistic medic once taught him. Sasuke had then carefully gotten his daughter to swallow the paste over the past several days. It wasn't enough to keep her healthy but she was hydrated. However, he feared that once Dawn and Tinnu arrived, they would have resort to using said risky jutsu—which essentially directly transferred nutrients into the patient—on their sister.

Sasuke saw several elves hide behind the pillars surrounding the courtyard he had landed in, they had bows drawn. Sasuke backed up so that Minuial was guarded by the tree and himself. He crouched low and eyed each of the elves trying to stay hidden in shadows.

One rather tall and regale elf came forward into the courtyard. His hair was dark and far too long to be practical—that was one thing he would never understand about the men of middle earth, they had no jutsu that would warrant long hair, but then Itachi also had long hair and he had no defensive hair jutsu either…but that was beside the point! Middle Earthlings were just impractical, and Sasuke had a feeling his fatigue was beginning to impair his thinking.

"Who are you and what brings you to my city?" the elf asked in a cold voice. Sasuke reached into his holster and retrieved the ring and paper, though his action caused several bows to be removed from quivers and fitted into strings.

"A friend told me my daughter could find healing here," he tossed the items toward the man, for he did not dare move from his place lest they attack his daughter—he knew he had already presented her as a prime target since he was clearly guarding her from them.

The elf's eyes narrowed at the ring and Sasuke saw the elf's fingers twitch in what could have very well been a ready signal, for Sasuke heard the faint sound of at least twelve bows drawing back.

"How did you come across this ring?" he asked as he moved to pick up the letter and ring.

"Just read the fucking letter," the whole point behind Aragorn writing the letter was so that he didn't have to speak. The elf's gaze narrowed further but once he began reading his body language suggested he relaxed. His free hand twitched again, likely a stand-down signal.

"She is the one then?" he asked once he finished reading the letter. "The one to best a Nazgûl?"

Sasuke heard gasps from all around him, though he nodded rather than give the gasps more attention, "Where's your healer?"

"That is I, come with me," the elf turned on his heel and folded his arms within his sleeves. He then took long strides forward, though Sasuke easily matched him. It seemed the elf was hurrying based on the way servants pulled out of their path, and this simple fact was the only thing that kept Sasuke from hissing at the elf to move faster.

"Aragorn writes that her will was nearly destroyed by a far greater one. Is this an accurate description?"

Sasuke debated whether or not to explain the impossibility of her being alive when her chakra was seemingly sucked out of her. He glanced at the man for a long moment, but said nothing.

"I see," the elf smiled wryly, "Aragorn hinted that you were not like other mortal men, but it is more than that, is it not? Yes…" the man looked away, a far off look came into his gaze, "You have a strange energy about you, not an energy I have come across in this world."

So the elf could sense energies. Sasuke glared at him but relented at last, "That energy means we're alive, but all of my daughter's energy has been depleted and when I try to transfuse energy into her it's sucked away. She should be dead," and he was so relieved that was not the case.

The elf hummed and paused at a door. He opened it and held it for him; Sasuke cautiously entered the room and carefully began to contort himself so that his daughter could lie down on the bed. The elf helped him and untied her wrists for Sasuke.

He looked over at Sasuke and glanced at his arm, "You have sustained a similar wound but what she still suffers from has been healed from you."

What the hell was he talking about? "I shoved my hand through a Nazgûl, and she killed one. How does that give us the same injury?"

The elf looked unamused, and his mouth was drawn into a thin line, "Your arm should not be retaining energy yet it does, am I correct?" Sasuke nodded slowly and the elf looked back down at Sasuke's daughter, "That is the similarity in your injury, yet you have been healed. Granted, however you were healed will not necessarily work for your daughter since her injury is on a much greater scale."

"Then quit talking and heal her already." Yes, Sasuke had been given some treatment from Gandalf, but that did not matter right now!

The elf turned on him sharply, "I am the lord of this elven city—"

"And that's my daughter dying, can you sympathize with that, elf lord?" Sasuke snapped and restrained himself from activating his sharingan. He was on thin ice with the elf to begin with.

The elf had pulled back slightly at Sasuke's retort, but then he glanced back down at Minuial. Sasuke noted he bowed his head for a moment before raising it back up and turning on Sasuke. "I will excuse your behavior this once, but you must leave the room while I heal your daughter." Sasuke narrowed his gaze at the elf but things were already taking far too long for his tastes.

Looking back down at Minuial, he closed his eyes and nodded his head. He then left the room so that the elf could heal his daughter.

…

"Glorfindel," Aragorn greeted as he clasped arms with the blonde elf. It was well after mid-day when they came upon the bridge and the anxiously waiting Tinnu—the girl had never been very good at waiting, especially when worried, though she looked more annoyed than anxious. Perhaps Glorfindel had been questioning her; she was very similar to her father in that she too barely tolerated questions.

"Lord Elrond has sent you then?" Argorn asked in the common tongue for the hobbits' benefit, while he watched the two sisters begin speaking in their mélange of languages.

"He sent me out to be of aid when he heard news of the wraiths chasing after your company—"

"Sorry to interrupt, but we should keep moving," Dawn stated as she gazed back over her shoulder as if looking for any signs of said wraiths. Aragorn smiled slightly; she was so much like her father. She may have grown up in Middle Earth, but she and her sisters often shared their father's sentiment that Middle-Earthlings talked far too much.

Glorfindel looked slightly offended but then understanding came to him, "Yes of course, Lady Dawn."

He mounted Asfaloth and began to trot beside Aragorn, "As I had begun to say, Lord Elrond had sent me, but then I came upon Gandalf and an injured hobbit. He requested I accompany the rest of you lest the wraiths overtake you."

"It is much appreciated," Aragorn nodded his head slightly. He did feel relief at having another warrior's company. He had failed once already at keeping his charges safe…he had failed so horribly.

"You came across Gandalf and Mister Frodo?" Sam asked impatiently, Pippin was right alongside the stout hobbit in terms of eagerness to hear about Frodo.

"Yes, just this morning I passed them. They should reach Rivendell within another day or two."

"And he was well?" Pippin asked for clarification.

"He was faint and darkness clouded his gaze but he was still strong enough, surprisingly so," Glorfindel seemed slightly puzzled at this and Aragorn laughed slightly.

"My friend, there is much for you to learn about the sturdiness of hobbits."

"Is there truly?" he asked as he glanced back at the hobbits with a new light in his eyes. Aragorn supposed the ancient elf would continue the rest of the ride to Rivendell by questioning the hobbits about their ways and lifestyles, as well as their adventures up to this point. It would keep them occupied and give them less time to worry about their friend, but one glance at his nieces and Aragorn knew the hobbits attempts at diversion would not ease their minds. He was in the same boat as them, but perhaps Glorfindel could entertain them all with elvish songs—the girls always looked forward to learning knew lays in sindarin.

Aragorn glanced behind him at the horizon, there was nothing there yet, but he feared it was only a matter of time before the Nazgûl caught up with them again. There were many small farmsteads scattered out west where they likely landed; they could have found new horses to ride and it would only be a matter of time until they caught up with them.

…

Sasuke sat upon the railing of the terrace like hallway with one knee to his chest as he leaned against a pillar. His lame arm was cradled against his stomach as his other wrapped around his bent leg.

The sun had set and stars were beginning to come out. He saw the moon cast light onto the door in front of him, and he could smell food being prepared. People had passed by all day, and some short hairy things—that at first Sasuke had mistaken for hobbits that wore chainmail—had even tried to speak with him, but he paid them no mind. All that interested Sasuke was the door behind which his daughter was lying comatose.

The elf lord had been in there for nearly the whole day. Sasuke could faintly hear the man chanting in that language the girls and Aragorn spoke.

How much longer would it take?

His stomach felt hollow, which was understandable since he had not eaten since that morning, but he knew he would not be able to even think about food until that elf lord came out and told him his daughter was well.

Sasuke heard light footsteps approach him, but he paid the passerby no attention, at least until he heard the rustle of fabrics and felt a presence sit beside him. He glanced over and saw a female elf with long dark hair sitting beside him. He glanced away and back to the door. He did not care to talk, and this elf seemed to be no threat, though her flowing robes could easily conceal many hidden weapons.

"You worry too much, Sasuke," he glanced back over at the elf and his eyes flashed red with his sharingan. He had given no one his name, and he did not believe Aragorn would put down his real name in the letter. She looked marginally shocked at the change in his eyes but she got over her shock far too quickly—as if she had been forewarned of his abilities.

In the blink of an eye, Sasuke held a kunai to the elf's throat. Her eyes widened and she tried to pull back slightly. "Ah, please, Sasuke do not be alarmed. Aragorn has told me of his nieces and brother like friend." She swallowed thickly against the knife.

Sasuke saw no hint that she was lying, and so he retracted the knife and stowed it in his holster. Only the elf lord knew Aragorn was the friend he had mentioned, and so he was inclined to believe the female elf. Though it pissed Sasuke off that his friend—"brother like friend" to use the elf's own words—would disclose his family to some elf.

"Do not be angry with Aragorn," she asked gently, as if worried the ranger would incur Sasuke's wrath. "I made him feel guilty for keeping away from his Arwen for so long, so he explained that he was with his nieces in Bree. I am eager to meet all of you, the family which has occupied my ranger."

So this was the woman his daughters kept pestering Aragorn about, the mysterious lover of his. Sasuke could just imagine how the dobe would have reacted, she would have pounced on the poor elf and begun to gush about how happy she was Aragorn had someone—she would also probably begin explaining sex positions to the elf and which ones she preferred the most. Sasuke shuddered at the mental images, but then…the dobe was not here and Minuial…

"Do not worry so much for your daughter, my father is a great healer," Arwen tried to catch his gaze but he continued to look at the door his daughter was hidden behind. So the elf lord had a daughter, which explained his reaction earlier when Sasuke questioned if he could sympathize with a dying daughter. That elf lord probably had the same fears Sasuke did and likely out of compassion and sympathy he would do all he could to help Minuial.

"Until she's awake and healthy, that does me little good," he looked at her out of the corner of his eye; she was frowning but seemed to understand.

"Of course," she stood up gracefully, "I shall send servants with food for you. My father should not be much longer." Sasuke would have told her it was pointless to bring him food, but he had talked enough to her already. Besides, she had already nodded her head to him in goodbye and was now gliding off down the hall.

Not ten minutes later a servant came with plate of food for Sasuke. It was fresh and far better quality than what he could have hoped to procure in Bree, but his stomach roiled uncomfortably. When Sasuke did not respond to the elf servant, he set it upon the railing and then left.

As the moon passed along its orbit and slipped higher and higher into the sky, Sasuke heard the unmistakable sound of a hobbit walking. They were surprisingly light on their large feet, but there was the distinct sound of a bare skin thudding against stone. Had Aragorn already caught up with them? Perhaps the old wizard? That seemed impossible.

Sasuke turned his head toward the sound, and in the moonlit terrace-like corridor, an extremely old looking hobbit was walking through the archways with a pipe in his mouth. Sasuke's nose scrunched up in distaste, he had only recently convinced Aragorn to not smoke around his family for health reasons, but even then it had been a long and hard battle to explain lung cancer to a Middle Earthling—and his friend still smoked on occasion.

The hobbit seemed to start when he saw Sasuke sitting on the railing, though he removed his pipe to greet him: "Oh, hello there!" the elderly hobbit wheezed in a cheerful though tired tone, "Eating alone? Well that's never a good thing," he coughed slightly before sucking on his pipe again. His eyes were bright though, and flashed with a light that said he was far more clever than his wizened visage would suggest.

Sasuke turned away from the hobbit and gazed back at the door, though Sasuke's blatant act of ignoring the hobbit did not deter the creature. He leaned against the railing and looked at the door Sasuke was staring at, "It's not often that men come to elvish cities, what brings you here, friend."

"I'm not your friend," it was strange for a hobbit to be out of the Shire, or Bree for that matter. At the back of his mind, he recalled that there was one hobbit who had traveled quite some ways from Bree and the Shire, and perhaps this wizened creature was that hobbit: Bilbo Baggins.

"Oh well…" the hobbit coughed again, "Must be someone important to you that Lord Elrond's healing." So that was the elf lord's name, good to know he supposed, though, had someone told him that before? If so he did not care and was not surprised that he could not remember.

"Hn."

"Well you needn't worry too much, Lord Elrond is one of the best healers," the old hobbit continued trying to generate conversation, as if he did not understand that Sasuke did not want to speak with him. Even the hairy not-hobbits got the picture after he ignored them initially.

Sasuke also felt a tick forming under his eye because everyone seemed to want to reassure him that this elf lord was the greatest healer in all of Middle Earth, but Sasuke knew he couldn't possibly compare to that idiotic, alcoholic sanin. Not even that fangirl, Sakura, could compare to the old drunk Senju. Sasuke almost wished that medic was here to heal his daughter, but then…perhaps Minuial needed more mystical healing than chakra based healing.

There was silence for a long moment, then the hobbit hummed and looked at the plate of food on the railing, "Well you shouldn't let good food go to waste, I always say," the hobbit laughed lightly as he eyed the plate. "I can take that off your hands," Sasuke scoffed despite himself—that was so like a hobbit.

"Help yourself," he stated as he looked again at the door. He had certainly never fit in in the Shire, the dobe could with her bottomless pit for a stomach, but he never could.

Damn it….he missed her, he missed their time in Crick Hollow, and their slowly growing family…he had so hoped…they had so hoped that his time they'd have another child. But then it was a stillbirth and the dobe…would he ever get to see her again? Would he ever get to reminisce with her about their wedding off the shores of the Brandywine River, or how the old Took had conducted the service for them but nearly fell asleep halfway through. And their garden…the dobe had loved that garden behind Crick Hollow.

But she was gone now, and Minuial could very well be following her. He used to tell her stories, he used to tell all his girls stories of the shire—of his and the dobe's first home together, but now he couldn't do that ever again for Minuial. Hell, in the past few years Minuial and Tinnu had felt too "grown-up" for silly bed-time stories.

Sasuke left his spiraling thoughts at the sound of the door opening. Elrond stepped out looking haggard. "She is stable for now, Dû," so Aragorn had indeed given the elf his alias, but he had confided to his lover Sasuke's real name. "Her condition will not worsen though it will take several more sessions before her energy returns, and even then, she must wake herself up. Your daughter will have to overcome the will that has nearly destroyed her."

Sasuke nodded as he stood up, his knees buckled under him for a moment, but he caught himself. He hurried into the room and collapsed into a chair beside the bed.

In the candle light and moonlight she looked so pale, but he could see her breathing more clearly now. He brushed hair from her face, and consequently felt that her skin was still chilled. "Oh Minu," he whispered and dropped his hand. "Minuial…"

She was stable now, she was breathing deeper, but she still looked like she was dying. His baby was dying. He felt a knot forming in his throat as he clasped her icy cold hand, "Do you remember the stories I'd tell you girls," he whispered against the tightness in his throat. He couldn't break down now, not after the days he had endure stoically through his fear.

"Do you remember the Long Expected Party? Oh…your mother wished we had moved to the Shire in time to attend that. Dwarves had sent cartload after cartload of things up to the burrow on Bag End for weeks…" Sasuke's voice was trembling and he brought his daughter's hand to his mouth to press a kiss against it, "Please, sweetheart, wake up. Please don't die Minuial…" tears slipped down his face despite his efforts to remain stoic. He had hoped this struggle was over, but his daughter was still not safe from death yet.

He didn't want to leave until she woke up, but then what about his other daughters, they were being chased by the remaining Nazgûl! But then, even if he did leave Minuial alone in this place he did not fully trust—especially after the elf lord had said quite loudly that Minuial had killed a Nazgûl—he didn't know where to begin looking for his girls. He couldn't sense energies over a long range like the dobe, and Aragorn would likely take them on winding ranger pathways. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

All he could do was wait here, it seemed, and he wasn't sure what exactly frightened him most about that. Was it that he would be waiting with less and less hope for Minuial to wake up, or knowing that his daughters were being hunted by the same creatures which put Minuial into this state, and he could do nothing about it. Gods, he wouldn't know if they were fine or dead until they showed up here, if they ever even did!

"Please baby, wake up," he murmured to as tears continued to slip down his face. What could he do?

---

3017, October 13

For the past two days, Elrond would enter Minuial's room and do his chants while Sasuke waited outside of the room He waited anxiously for his daughter to wake up from the elf lord's mystical mutterings, and in his anxiety Sasuke had neither ate, nor had he really slept.

His wife was possibly dead, if not she was trapped in that cursed place. His youngest child was suffering from some magical evil that he could do nothing about, and his other children were in the wilds, where Nazgûl were quite possibly chasing them. There were too many concerns, too many uncertainties revolving around his family to even think about taking care of himself. But even when he did try to eat the food tasted and felt like ash in his mouth, and when he did nod off, he would wake from a nightmare of the Nazgûl killing his daughters.

It was mid-day, and another plate of food was forgotten beside him on the railing. Sasuke could hear the faint sindarin mutterings, mutterings he was close to memorizing at this point. Since he was so familiar with the elf's chants, Sasuke knew the elf lord was winding down his chant and would soon be finishing the healing session. A few more minutes and he would leave the room to likely inform Sasuke that his daughter was still unconscious, but he desperately wished the man was coming out so soon to tell him that she woke up.

Sasuke could hear hurried footsteps with the unmistakable thump of a walking stick while large, bare feet hurried behind the long strides of the former. "Please Mithrandir," Sasuke heard a light voice implore, probably an elf based on the accent, "Lord Elrond is currently in a healing session with—"

"This hobbit has been stabbed by a Morgûl blade, the longer we tarry the more difficult it will be to heal him." Sasuke recognized the gruff and booming voice. He turned his head as the three turned onto the healing terrace-corridor—Sasuke had noted the injured came to this section of Rivendell to be healed.

One harried servant was trying to keep Gandalf from admitting himself into the wing, while the hobbit Frodo looked around anxiously. He was panting and his eyes were glassy with fever, while his skin was pale as a corpse.

"Really?" Frodo asked in a strained voice.

"Already the taint is spreading through your veins like a poison," Gandalf responded in a softer voice, though remorse and worry coated his words.

They were coming to his daughter's door, but Sasuke stood up in a flash—despite the head rush he received from the action—and barred the way. "You can wait a few more minutes; he's not done healing my daughter."

Gandalf pulled back slightly in surprise at Sasuke's appearance. Had the old wizard really been so focused on his own charge that he did not notice or sense Sasuke in the corridor?

"Dû!" the old man, or whatever he was, looked at Sasuke closely and frowned, "You haven't slept a wink, have you?"

Sasuke just stared at the man before looking over at the hobbit who was rocking slightly in place, as if his head was spinning and as consequence so too was his body. "You'll wait until he's done with his session," Gandalf looked like he would protest but then he seemed to understand just how much it was taking Sasuke to let them have the healer before his own daughter was completely healed.

As Sasuke looked between the healthy wizard and the injured hobbit, the part of him who was trained by Kabuto noticed the signs of poisoning and he was quite amazed at the hobbit's resilience. This part of him and the fact that his daughter's condition was not changing, allowed him to even consider letting them have the elf lord for a few hours—at this point it seemed the elf had done all he could, and what was the point of forcing him to continue administering aid when it did no good; from experience he knew forcing a medic to continue administering aid could be detrimental to the patient's health.

Though Gandalf understood the effort it took Sasuke to concede to them waiting a few minutes, he was still more worried about this own charge. Sasuke could tell he would try to come up with an excuse to get Frodo help sooner. It was so clear to the former nuke-nin, Sasuke could clearly see the regret in the old man's eyes.

"I was trained by healers too, I'll look at him until elf El.-something—" Sasuke was too anxious, stressed, and fatigued to care that he got the name wrong. Sasuke waved his good hand dismissively and continued speaking, "until he's ready."

"Lord Elrond," the elf servant-person supplied for him in a miffed tone. Sasuke just turned his deadpan expression on the elf, and perhaps the deep circles under his eyes scared the elf into making a hasty exit. So Sasuke got the elf lord's name wrong, he was allowed to make such mistakes.

"Perhaps if you had sleep—" Gandalf began uncertainly but Sasuke shifted his gaze back to the wizard.

"He's still working with my daughter, and if you're so fucking worried you shouldn't be picky." Gandalf and Frodo reared back at his language but Sasuke was beyond the point of caring. "I can still make an assessment which will save the healer time."

Gandalf pursed his lips in displeasure but conceded and gestured for Frodo to reveal the wound.

Sasuke could see corrupted veins moving out from the wound and there was puss beginning to form around the edges. He activated his sharingan, hoping to see inside the wound more clearly. Once he activated his bloodline, he hissed and shut his eyes. There was a bright source of energy inside the wound and it had been shaped like the point of the sword, however there were veins reaching out from it. The sharingan was no bakuygan but it could see chakra which helped in copying jutsu, though seeing individual tenketsu points was not its strong suit thus Sasuke could really only see the flow of energy in a general sense. Also, there had been a strange, almost translucent quality to the hobbit's left arm—it briefly reminded him of the wriaths.

Deactivating his bloodline, he looked over at Gandalf, "Would the blades he was stabbed with be filled with energy?"

"They are poisonous, yes."

"Like spider or snake venom poison or some…" Sasuke waved his hand, "Middle Earth magical poison."

Gandalf looked at him for a moment before he responded, "The latter." Was he seriously not familiar with poisons, or was it just Sasuke's choice of words?

"Then part of the sword is stuck in the wound and is spreading its "poison."" Gandalf ignored his sarcasm in favor of horror at what he had been told, "I'm amazed he hasn't died from gangrene yet either. The blood is infected as is the wound."

Frodo looked startled at the extent of his injuries, which was surprising for Sasuke since the hobbit clearly was not feeling too great; surely Frodo knew he was in dire straits?

"What's gangrene?" Frodo asked in a tight voice. Gandalf seemed to still be processing what Sasuke had first said.

"Blood cells that have died become toxic to the body, infection can cause this and if circulation—" Sasuke cut himself off, the hobbit looked confused, likely unfamiliar with what exactly he was talking about. Sasuke closed his eyes in frustration, "Your wound is infected already, if healthy blood is not circulated back in—oh never mind."

"Oh, very well then…" Frodo sounded faint at his vague, partial description and even stumbled slightly into Gandalf who came out of his worried train of thought.

"I am sorry Dû, but your observations are most troubling, Lord Elrond must attend to Frodo immediately before…" he trailed off and looked down at the hobbit with a grim expression.

Sasuke could hear the last bit of the elf lord's chanting take place, it would only be a few more seconds before the elf could tend to the hobbit. "You can wait," Sasuke stated as he folded his good arm over his chest and gave the old man a challenging look.

He bristled in response, "Every minute that passes spreads the Morgûl taint further and—"

"Mithrandir," Elrond stepped out from the room at this moment and the old man cut himself off mid-sentence. Sasuke simply raised an eyebrow at the now silent wizard, which only made the old man bristle more and purse his lips. "I will be with you and Mr. Baggins in a moment," the elf lord then turned to Sasuke.

"I have done all I can, it now rests on her to recover fully," he had his hands folded in his robes and his voice was far too calm to be telling Sasuke that his daughter was stuck in a coma.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" he hoped he was misunderstanding the elf.

"Her energy is coming back to her but her will was very nearly destroyed by a much more powerful will. That alone is what keeps her unconscious. She must restore her own will, or overcome the other will—so to speak—before she may wake again." A coma then, but worse than any normal coma for it was a Middle Earth magical coma, or at least that was what Sasuke was telling himself—even with normal comas there was so little one could do.

Sasuke nodded, "Anything to help her?" With normal comas there was practically nothing one could do, he just hoped things might be different with this sort of coma.

Elrond pressed his lips together tightly before he spoke again, "The scent of Athelas is known to revive one's will, and gives the weary heart. My healing sessions will do little good though until she has begun to restore her own will."

So it was basically the same as in the Elemental Lands. Sasuke nodded and moved into the room. He sat down heavily in the chair and stared at his daughter's pale form. He activated his sharingan and could see her chakra slowly pooling in her stomach. It was such a miniscule amount though…

He faintly heard Gandalf explaining the situation to Elrond before they all hurried further down the corridor.

Minuial… he moved forward and brushed back some of her hair. Her skin was still chilled, but there the slightest hint of warmth to it now. He dropped his head forward and closed his eyes tightly. Would she wake up, was she strong enough to do so?

…

Aragorn looked forward with a neutral expression. He had a bad feeling about their traveling; something in his gut told him trouble would soon find them again. As they moved deeper and deeper into the Trollshaw, Aragorn could not help but feel something was closing in on them. He shook his head and focused back in on the conversation.

"Your sister killed a Nazgûl?" Glorfindel asked in surprise. The girls did not respond, overcome with their own grief at the turn of events.

Pippin, who had begun the conversation, nodded adamantly, "Yes, Miss Minuial saved my life and took it out. It made the most terrible noise and her swords just burst! Burst into a million pieces. It was amazing."

"I have always known that the Witch King of Agmar cannot be killed by any living man, but his fellow wraiths I was not certain of, but now it seems that at least they can be killed even if their leader cannot be. But to think, a young girl…" he shook his head in disbelief.

Aragorn turned sharply on Glorfindel, "And she should not have had to!" he snapped angry with himself and angry at the thought that anyone might to try influence his nieces into thinking only they could kill the Nazgûl. "My niece nearly died, Glorfindel—may yet die! I should never wish them to face another Nazgûl in their lives. They should be at Bree, safe from all of this," Aragorn looked away once he said those words. They had slipped out; he had not meant to say them.

"I'm going to scout ahead," Dawn stated in a trembling voice. Aragorn closed his eyes tiredly, he shouldn't have said anything. Both girls flitted out of existence up into the trees surrounding them.

"I did not mean to imply they should become further involved. I agree with you, Friend, they should be safe in their village, perhaps seeking husbands—most humans do marry young, yes?"

"They do, they should." Aragorn sighed as they continued on their way. The bad feeling had not gone yet despite the emotional mess he made with his nieces.

Aragorn looked at all of the hobbits and Glorfindel, "I do not want any of you mentioning what Minuial has done, I do not want my nieces any more involved with this mess than they already are."

"Of course," Glorfindel responded sympathetically while the hobbits just nodded, not trusting to speak when Aragorn was so clearly angry.

Aragorn nodded his head and hurried on; he felt that trouble was truly not very far behind them. Hopefully they would reach Rivendell before it struck.

…

"And so they sat there arguing over how they were going to eat us. Whether they were going to slow roast us over a spit, or sit on us and squash us into jelly!"

Sasuke had no clue how his dream shifted into a discussion on cannibalism. He was fairly certain he had been dreaming about when Minuial tricked her first suitor and then accidently set him on fire. That was a good dream-memory but now… he wasn't even certain when he nodded off but had been thankful it was not a dream about his daughters being killed, but then the dream had taken a disturbing turn, more so than usual.

"Well, they were so busy arguing over how they were going to cook us that the night slipped away, and the first rays of sunlight spilled over the trees; then Poof! They all turned to stone."

Sasuke opened his eyes and immediately noted the old hobbit was sitting in the chair opposite him. In a flash, Sasuke's sharingan was activated and he had a kunai pressed to the old hobbit's throat.

The creature gave a cry of surprise and fear, "Why are you in here?" Sasuke hissed, his sharingan morphing into the eternal sharingan. Blood slowly dripped down his face which only seemed to frighten the hobbit further.

There was a cough behind Sasuke and he reflexively threw the weapon at the newcomer before once more pressing his good hand against the hobbit's windpipe—not hard enough to crush it but enough to show he was a threat, and to keep the newcomer from entering the room further if they weren't already dead.

Of course, when Sasuke took the time to look at the newcomer, he observed that it was Gandalf and he did not look amused at the knife embedded in the door by his head. The man should be dead, but he must have moved just in time. "Dû, perhaps you should let poor Bilbo go, he meant no harm."

So this hobbit was Bilbo Baggins. Sasuke looked down at the wide-eyed shriveled creature, and pulled back as he shifted out of the eternal sharingan and back to the three tomoe form.

The hobbit coughed a few times and rubbed at his tender throat. Gandalf busied himself with working the kunai out of the door while he spoke to the old hobbit, "I told you, my old friend, you should not have come in here without permission."

"I didn't want to believe you at first, Gandalf," the hobbit coughed again before looking back over at Sasuke, "He wasn't kidding, you must have gone through many wars to be so jumpy." He was not jumpy; Sasuke glared at the hobbit and was half tempted to strangle him again.

"Not jumpy, Bilbo, just very aware and cautious, I should say," Gandalf cleared his voice and found another chair in the room. He pulled it next to the one Bilbo was occupying.

Sasuke glared at the wizard as he sat down. Why were they in here, they should leave and do whatever it was that old hobbits and wizards did in Rivendell.

"Hmm," the hobbit nodded his head sagely and continued eying Sasuke, "Strange eyes he has. You sure he wasn't one of your order? Perhaps one of the Blues you've forgotten about?"

Sasuke felt a tick forming under his eye, he was right here. They could talk to him and he could ignore them that way, rather than this indirect shit.

"Hmm, no, no he is not a wizard like me. Just a world-weary war veteran," Gandalf stated tiredly, as he began to pull out a pipe from his robes. Oh no, they were not going to start smoking in his daughter's recovery room!

"A little young to be that," the old hobbit replied as he too took out a pipe.

"Oh I do believe so too, but most humans do not live for very long so what seems young to us is really quite—"

"I will break your pipes," Sasuke spoke up at last, since the two old males were not getting his hint to leave—meaning spinning sharingan glare. They were in the middle of stuffing their lung cancer instruments with tobacco leaves, and they had the nerve to look up at him in shock, as if they had forgotten he was even in the room! He should have never fallen asleep.

"Smoke somewhere else," he ordered and the old males looked at each other before laughing deeply.

"He's a lot like an elf in that way," Bilbo joked and continued stuffing those deadly leaves into the bowl of his pipe.

"My daughter does not need poisonous smoke filling her lungs and neither do I. So leave if you want to smoke, and smoke downwind from the room. "

"Poisonous!" Bilbo exclaimed, affronted, "Why this is Long Bottom leaf, the best pipe-weed in the whole South Farthing."

"It still is filled with nicotine and other toxins, now get out," Sasuke gestured to the door with his good arm.

"Nico-what?" Bilbo asked in confusion. Gandalf chuckled and was preparing to light his bowl.

In a flash, Sasuke had both pipes in his hands, "Nicotine is a chemical within these weeds," he stated as he moved toward the door with the gaping old males behind him, "that sends signals to your brain that falsely tells you, you need it.

"But you see," Sasuke continued as he held the pipes out of the door, "there are many other chemicals, a lot like tar, that can be found in the smoke. My daughter will be breathing in that smoke too, which means those chemicals will enter her system too and they will hurt her if exposed long enough." The hobbit was at his hip trying to reach up for his pipe, while Gandalf regarded him with a displeased yet pensive look.

"So, no smoking near my daughter," Sasuke hissed at the two old males of their respective species.

"Oh very well then!" Bilbo sighed and trudged back to his chair with his arms folded over his chest. Gandalf followed him though he seemed slightly more amused than his hobbit counterpart—perhaps at Sasuke's expense, since the former nuke-nin had hoped they would leave when they couldn't smoke in the room.

Sighing next to the door, Sasuke let his pride slide this once, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Excuse me!?" Bilbo asked affronted, while Gandalf glared at Sasuke's choice of words.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke repeated in a shorter tone. His eyes flickered over to his daughter's unconscious form.

"For my part Dû, I came to see how your daughter was doing and to check on you. Concerned fathers often forget their own needs when worrying about their children," Gandalf gave him a pointed look, and of course Sasuke's stomach chose this most inopportune moment to rumble with hunger.

True, Sasuke's head did feel light, but he honestly did not think he could swallow anything until all of his daughters were reunited with him…there were three Nazgûl still out there. Besides he had gone without food before, mostly when he was with Taka and they were low on food and had no leads—it saved him from the headache Suigetsu and Karin would give him when they were hungry. He could handle this…

"Your daughters will just worry for you if they arrive and see you in such a condition," Gandalf gestured to Sasuke's person, who probably looked paler than usual with hollow cheeks, and deep bags under his eyes. "You are a warrior, Dû, and it is…saddening to see one of your caliber wasting away like this," the dobe came to his mind at these words. He could see her skeletal frame on their bed in Bree, all the warmth gone from her face…

Sasuke fell back against the wall heavily; he was becoming like the dobe, and it really had been so painful seeing her in such a condition. But the dobe, and Minuial… Sasuke tipped his head back and looked up at the ceiling. He was too fatigued, too stressed, and too worried about his family to hold back the tears slipping down his face. He girls may have lost their mother forever, and he was following her path acting like this. Yes he was worried and frustrated with the whole situation, but…he had to be stronger than this.

He had to be stronger. Two, three tears slipped past his eyes before he could control himself. He took deep controlled breaths and nodded his head slightly. Gandalf was right; Sasuke had to take better care of himself, especially for his daughters. Even if food did not sound appealing, and his sleep was haunted by nightmares—how he could have that nice memory-dream puzzled him still.

"Come, you must see the halls of Lord Elrond. Imladris is the last homely house in the west, and there are many guests here at this time." Gandalf rose and held his arm out, as if he would guide Sasuke through the halls like some child.

Sasuke looked over at Minuial and shook his head.

"It may do you some good to get out of the room," Bilbo piped in, "I'll continue telling your daughter about my adventures," the hobbit even had the gall to make a shooing motion with his hand.

Gandalf was next to him now and he looked at Sasuke like Sasuke often did when his girls were being stubborn in a counter-productive way. It might do him some good to walk around, but there was no one here that could distract him from his daughter's condition or the possible condition of his traveling daughters.

In an attempt to stave off his exit from the room, for it was abundantly clear that Sasuke had caved to their suggestions, he turned to the hobbit and asked, "Why were you even in here to begin with?"

The hobbit blinked in surprise, "Well I heard you begin telling the story of my eleventy-first birthday, which was what, seventeen years ago or so?" Bilbo directed his question toward Gandalf. The hobbit then waved his hand in a dismissive manner, "Now I do have some questions about how a big-folk like yourself came to live in the Shire. But I figured I could pass the time until you're ready to tell me that story, by sharing my adventures with your daughter," the hobbit smiled kindly and Sasuke just sighed. He didn't want to and would not answer the hobbit's questions, but at the moment there was little he could seemingly do to get the hobbit to leave.

Gandalf's arm was hovering behind Sasuke, as if he was ready to guide him away from the room. "Are there any good meditation spots?" Sasuke asked as he took his first step out of the room.

"Hmm… I know a few, but food first," Sasuke rolled his eyes at the wizard's response. Gandalf walked beside him though he was certainly acting like a shepherd.

Once they were at the end of the corridor, Gandalf spoke again, "May I have my pipe back now?"

Sasuke handed over both pipes, "I'd prefer you didn't smoke around me," he stated tiredly and the wizard chuckled.

"Of course, Dû," the wizard paused before he spoke again, "Though you must tell me where you came upon such fascinating knowledge of the body?"

"Where I come from is much more technologically advanced," an understatement of the age, "and my predecessors had dissected many humans to learn what they now know about our bodies," Sasuke glanced over at Gandalf who had blanched at the dissecting bit. That picked up Sasuke mood, and the rest of the way to the dining area he had a smirk on his lips as he debated whether or not to discuss some of Kabuto and Orochimaru's experiments.

---

3017, October 17

They had broken camp perhaps an hour ago when they heard the first screams. Aragorn's stomach sank at the sound along with his traveling companions'. He knew something terrible was not that far behind them and the shrill screams renting the air told him he was right.

Glorfindel grabbed Aragorn's arm and helped him onto his horse. "We make for the Ford as quickly as possible!" Aragorn cried to the frightened hobbits and his frozen nieces.

"Lord Elrond has dominion of the lands past the Ford of Bruinen, the wraiths will not find welcome there," Glorfindel stated as he urged Asfaloth forward faster.

The hobbits kicked their feet against their ponies' sides while the girls shook themselves from their momentary fear. Aragorn noticed determination flash in his nieces' eyes, and he knew just what they were thinking, for he too wished it badly. Minuial had been proven—at such a steep cost—that the Nazgûl could perish, with the exception of possibly the Witch King. He could see in his nieces' eyes the desire to fight, to avenge their sister, and now they knew it was plausible to do so.

The girls could just fall behind and take care of the wraiths, for they could not be too far ahead of the Nazgûl, which likely found new mounts in the scattered farmlands. However, their company was still ahead of them, and if they could move quickly enough, they could possibly make it to shelter and none of them would be tempted to test fate with the Ring Wraiths.

"Nee-san, shall we set up a trap?" Tinnu asked her sister something, though Aragorn could have sworn he heard the elvish word for trap…

"I will not let you two risk your lives like your sister—"

"Ojisan," Dawn cut in, "We can set up wire across the path to knock them off their horses; this will slow them down and buy us more time."

"We could also rig it with um…paper seals, neh, what's the word for explosive?" Tinnu asked her sister something to which Dawn quickly responded.

"I don't think there's one."

"Their plan has merit, my friend," Glorfindel stated as he looked behind them as if to gauge where their pursuers were.

Aragorn sighed and nodded his head. The ponies were slower than Asfaloth, even when the horse had two fully grown riders; they would need any extra time they could get.

Tinnu pulled out their storage device and smeared blood onto the parchment. Once done, a pack appeared in a puff of smoke. She slung the arms of the pack over her shoulders and began to dig into the side pocket before she pulled out a coiled wheel of razor thin wire—he only knew it was wire due to the gleam of the sun off of the material.

She threw it toward her sister who began to unravel it as they continued running toward the Ford. Tinnu fished around for a little longer before she pulled out slips of paper with a design Aragorn had made sure to memorize after witnessing first-hand Arad using one of them on a wolf den. Of course, this design was slightly different, but he could recognize it for what it was.

Aragorn's eyes widened in alarm, "You could start a forest fire!" He hadn't known they meant those slips of paper. In his mind's eye he could see the crater that took place of the cave the wolf's den had been in. He could see the dismembered and chard bits of wolf scattered around the clearing, as well as several badly burned trees and evidence of a forest fire hastily put out—and seeing that had been frightening on its own, for Arad had used some sort of wind spell that sucked the air out of the flames, and should she wish, she could take the air away from anyone just as easily.

No… his nieces could not do what their mother had done that day!

"These are the lowest grade we have, the radius is no more than a yard, and it is mostly concussive, uh, sound," Tinnu grimaced when she could not find the westron or sindarin word for the term she wished to use.

Aragorn looked at the innocent slip of paper, how much damage could sound do, he wondered? He was well aware that Glorfindel and the hobbits were a giving him a strange look at his response to so simple a slip of paper.

Glorfindel had not seen their protective seals, thus he could not fathom in the least how not innocent the paper was. As for the hobbits, they had only seen his nieces' protective seals, which they were thankful for but had doubts over the effectiveness of them. They likely had no clue that the paper could be used to level caves, or clear a forest.

The Nazgûl shrieked again, far closer now than they were before, "Very well, hurry and rejoin us as soon as possible."

Dawn sighed in relief once they got consent for their plan. She quickly jumped to the side of the road and began to wrap the thin wire around a tree before racing to the other side. Tinnu followed her and began to attach the exploding tags to the wire. They would be triggered when they heard the Nazgûl were close enough; then they would have a ten second fuse.

Dawn continued to weave the wire across the path; however, as she worked, she listened to the screeches of the wraiths. They were not too far off now. Tinnu added a third seal to the wire and jumped back a ways before nodding to her sister.

Dawn ran through the hand signs for a minor illusion. She was not sure if the riders could really see anything, but the horses could, so to make sure the Nazgûl did run into the wire she concealed it from sight. She then hurried over to her sister and they made their way back to Aragorn and the others.

The company was fifteen yards ahead of them, and the last Nazgûl cry had sounded like it was forty yards behind. As they ran they listened closely to the cries, trying to gauge how far away the enemy was. Tinnu had her hands together in the trigger sign, just waiting to put energy into the formation.

They had gone perhaps another fifteen yards when the Nazgûl cried again, only thirty-five yards away. Dawn nodded to Tinnu who triggered the tags. Nine seconds later, there were frustrated and angry screams from the Nazgûl which were then followed by a deafening boom and several crashes from trees falling over. A large dust cloud rose up behind them as birds fled the surrounding area and the ground trembled with the force of the explosion.

The horse and ponies went up on their hind legs, while he hobbits cried in pain at the assault on their ears; however they dared not lift their hands from the reins.

Despite the ringing in their ears, Tinnu and Dawn helped the ponies move forward, though they stumbled due to their equilibrium being unbalanced. The wraiths were not that far behind them! They could not stop like this.

Both of them grabbed a pony's reins in each hand and began to pull them forward before they could throw off their riders. Their Ojisan and Glorfindel got the horse to behave and they road onward in the painful, ringing silence caused by the explosion.

Faster and faster, they had to move more quickly, or else they might not reach the ford in time!

They had possibly bought a few minutes, perhaps more, but who knew how much?

As minutes slipped by, the ringing lessened, and bit by bit sound returned to each of them, but it wasn't until nearly a half hour of galloping and sprinting, that they could hear again well enough to talk.

"That was all sound?!" Ojisan shouted, partially because his hearing was still impaired.

"Yeah, a lot more boom than fire!" Tinnu responded just as loudly.

"What magic was that?!" Glorfindel asked; he was perhaps the loudest of them all.

"Later!" Dawn stated and began to move faster. With a little more time, their hearing would return to normal.

…

Sasuke looked over at his daughter as the hobbit droned on about his adventure to the Misty Mountain and his encounter with a dragon. The hobbit was only in here because Elrond was currently in a healing session with Frodo. Sasuke had been relieved when the hobbit had started spending every second with the other hobbit, but during healing sessions he would come down to Minuial's room and begin telling her stories.

Sasuke had tried time and again to intimidate the creature out of the room, but at last he just gave up and let the hobbit do as he wished—except smoking of course.

Sasuke perked up when he felt a slight tremble run through the place along with a dull boom. He quickly got up and left the room as he tried to discern where that came from. It was an explosion, he was certain of it; however, Middle Earthlings had few explosives that he was aware of. Yet, a normal exploding tag seldom made that much noise, unless it was one of the dobe's special concussive low-grade seals…

Gandalf was hurrying down the hall; his brow was set in a grim line.

"Dû, walk with me," he called as he passed by him. Sasuke would have flat out declined if not for the wizard's following words, and Sasuke's own fear at what it meant for his daughters' to use such seals, "What did your daughters use? How effective could it be on the Nazgûl?"

Sasuke fell right in step with the old man, "Basically a sound blast. It should stun them; perhaps knock them out for a while."

They continued down the corridor, though Sasuke would have rather gone out after his daughters. What held him back was the look in Gandalf's eyes. "They were buying time then," Gandalf stated and nodded his head to himself. "They should not be very far from the Ford which gives us a chance to disperse them back to their master."

"How so?" Sasuke would have gone out by now, but he knew the benefit of coordinating, rather than having two forces working separately and consequently counter-productively. No, he would get an idea what they were planning before he ran off there, for his daughters' safety. Also, due to the fact that he could not make a clone, he had to bide his time.

Gandalf and Sasuke finally stopped at the chamber in which Frodo rested. He was currently in a healing session with Elrond; however, the wizard rapped at the door. "From the Ford on is the territory of Lord Elrond. The Ford is his waters and he may command them as he wishes." So they would wash them out, good to know they had their own natural defenses; Sasuke had simply bounded across the Ford so he had not experienced any of their defenses.

There was rustling behind the door before the elf lord left the room, "There are Nazgûl approaching my boarders, yes?" was this elf psychic? Sasuke glared at the elf lord while Gandalf explained the situation.

The wizard nodded and the two of them began to hurry through the corridors; however, Gandalf beckoned Sasuke over. "Thank you for not running off right away. But now is the time that you should run ahead, see if there are any more injured, but you need not confront the Nazgûl unless some escape our trap."

Sasuke nodded his head and began to look for the way he came in, "I would follow the Bruinen waters down to where the road crosses," Elrond stated as he gestured down to the river flowing out of the valley.

A short-cut then, good to know. Sasuke jumped down from the terrace and landed atop the water before he began running. "I would get out of the waters when you reach the crossing!" Gandalf called after him, not showing the least bit of surprise at Sasuke's feat.

Sasuke continued running down the Bruinen, his good arm was thrown back behind him while the other was cradled to his chest in a sling. The minutes passed quickly and soon he came upon the road.

"Tousan!" Sasuke saw his daughters leading ponies by the reigns toward him; however on the horizon were the remaining three Nazgûl. Sasuke jumped onto the shore of the Bruinen and with a few more bounds, he caught up with his children, who had left their horses to race toward him.

"Hurry across the Ford," he ordered as he scanned over each person while he gave his daughters brief one-armed hugs. He was so relieved they were fine.

Other than the company looking travel worn, and disoriented from the explosion, Sasuke could see no injuries. However, the wraiths were quickly coming up on them all. Sasuke could easily set them on fire, but he saw the merit in the elf lord's plan—or at least what he assumed would be the plan.

If Sasuke dispersed the riders they could easily come back to this place, but if the natural defenses of Rivendell defeated the Nazgûl they would be less inclined to try again, which would give them all some level of protection. Sasuke was not sure how quickly the wraiths or Minuial would recover. For all he knew, the wraiths could be back at Rivendell's doors while his daughter was still trying to recover.

He would follow the plan, but how to ensure the Nazgûl walked into it? Sasuke supposed he could create a fire wall with his blaze release…

Sasuke tried to urge the ponies on with his daughters but they were already moving as quickly as they could. With each passing second the wraiths were coming closer and closer. Sasuke could see the waters of the Ford slowly beginning to rise and he was all the more resolved to follow this plan.

Aragorn looked over the blonde elf's shoulder anxiously. They were closer now to the Ford, though the ponies seemed skittish of the rising waters. Looking behind him at the Nazgûl's shrieking, Sasuke noted they were only thirty meters behind them now. The shriek had caused the ponies to stall in fear but he began helping his daughters to move them across the rising waters as the hobbits desperately kicked their heels into the ponies' sides.

Once everyone had crossed, Sasuke remained on the banks of the Ford, though Aragorn hopped off the horse he was being carried by. Similarly, his daughters had stopped pulling the ponies toward Rivendell and the hobbits looked unsure at what they should do—their ponies were too afraid to move forward.

"All of you continue on!" Sasuke snapped at the company. The hobbits anxiously tried to spur their terrified ponies on.

"I will not leave you alone to face—"

"Look at the water level," Sasuke interrupted the ranger before he could give some heroic spiel like the dobe would often do. His words may have stopped Aragorn's rebuttal, but the ranger did not move away. "The elf lord has a trap set, and I'll make sure it happens," he then pointed toward Rivendell, "Now go!"

"Dû," Aragorn began, Sasuke saw remorse in his gaze, and the former nuke-nin just knew his friend had been beating himself up for Minuial's condition.

"Leave before you're washed away."

Gritting his teeth, Aragorn nodded and jogged over to the company and began to urge the terrified ponies forward along with his nieces. He was muttering in that elvish language and his daughters began to mimic him. The ponies calmed within a minute and they easily moved forward.

The power of that language still confused yet amazed Sasuke—that was the biggest difference between their worlds, words had power, more power than he could have ever imagined. But now was not the time for such thoughts, they did him little good against what was coming.

Sasuke stood, unarmed, waiting for the riders to approach. The insects and birds were eerily quiet while the Bruinen grew louder and louder as the water-level gradually rose.

The three riders stood across the Ford from him now. One Nazgûl pulled his horse before the others, designating him as the leader. Sasuke activated his eternal sharingan. The lead wraith shrieked and withdrew its sword, as if he was going to charge at Sasuke, but the horse reared back from the rising waters.

The other wraiths looked uncertainly about them and in slow motion he could see that these ghostly figures were going to back off. Sasuke smirked as he activated ameteratsu and created a wall of black fames surrounding the three so that they could only move forward.

The water-level grew higher as the roar of the ford became near deafening. The waters began to lap at Sasuke's legs and swirl around his boots—they were going to be ruined when he left this damn place. The wraiths and horses both cried with what Sasuke could have sworn was fear. He pressed the black flames closer around them, and caught between fire and water the Nazgûl chose the latter.

Their horses—pathetic looking farm hands rather than actual riding horses—froze in the middle of the rising waters. It was up to the horses' breasts and up to Sasuke's legs. He used chakra to keep his feet planted to the ground as the waters whipped at his breeches just as they did the riders' cloaks. Then the flood came. There was the grinding sound of boulders and if Sasuke was not mistaken there were…there were horses in the raging waters. It wasn't as ferocious looking as a dragon but it had the same force.

The horses cried and reared up on their hind legs but they got caught in the waves and the Nazgûl were overwhelmed by the force of the crashing waters and boulders. Sasuke used a chakra powered jump to escape the flood and land on an overseeing tree—it shook with the force of the waves lashing against its trunk.

He saw the horses drifting further and further down the ford, and over the roar of the flood and the grinding of the boulders he could hear the rattling screams of the Nazgûl before they were silenced and their cloaks drifted down the Bruinen; three cloaks, three Nazgûl dispersed back to their master.

Sasuke deactivated his sharingan and proceeded on his way toward where his daughters were likely traveling with their uncle.

He landed beside his girls and they looked to him in concern. Sasuke did his best to ignore the water leaking out of his boots and the squelching sound they made as he walked forward. He was cold, which was to be expected when the waters came from a mountain source, but he could ignore it.

"How's Minu?" Tinnu asked immediately, and came over to walk beside him.

"How is Minuail?" Aragorn unwittingly asked the same question, worry was clear in his voice and expression. Part of Sasuke was irrationally angry at the ranger; why hadn't he protected his girls better?! But…his daughters were so much like their parents that it didn't feel right to fault anyone but himself and the stubbornness of his girls.

Sasuke pulled Tinnu to his side and brushed at some of her hair as she wrapped her arms around his side while they continued walking forward. Sasuke ducked his head down and pressed a kiss into her hair before making a beckoning gesture for Dawn to come over.

She looked up at him nervously as she stood at his other side. He wanted to hug her but he still could not feel his arm let alone move it. She seemed to understand his intention and wrapped her arms around his middle as he rested his cheek against her head.

His girls were with him again, and though they were not all safe from death, they were with him once more. He wasn't alone, he wasn't abandoned by them.

"Tousan?" Tinnu asked weakly, her voice trembled like she was going to cry.

"Minuial is in a coma," he didn't know the westron name for that, but he continued on and elaborated in a way that he hoped would allow Aragorn to understand Minuial's condition, "and there's nothing the elf lord can do to wake her. She has to," Sasuke paused and took a deep breath before he continued on, "wake up on her own," he exhaled as he said this and tried to get the knot out of his throat.

He pressed a kiss against Dawn's hair as he felt her hold him tighten, "I love you girls, please don't do that to me again…"he whispered as he pressed another kiss into Tinnu's hair before kissing Dawn's hair again, "You're all I have left." Sasuke ducked his head and swallowed against the knot in his throat, he had to be strong for them, but for the past two weeks he had been worried he lost them.

"Tousan!" their voices were tight and as they pressed their faces against his chest, he could feel them crying. But Sasuke held it together as they continued walking toward Rivendell.

He was well aware that Aragorn looked at him guiltily, as if the ranger believed he should have done something more for his nieces. The hobbits were trying to ignore him while the elf looked off in the distance, seemingly contemplating something. Sasuke just held onto Tinnu tightly while he pressed his cheek against Dawn's head. For now he had his daughters again, he should be happy, not close to breaking down.

The walk back to Rivendell was tense and quiet.

…

Aragorn looked across from him at his friend, practically brother. He looked thinner, especially in the face, as if Sasuke had not been eating. It reminded Aragorn of Arad's condition, but Aragorn could understand why his friend looked so deplorable. He was afraid for his family and with Arad gone…she was like a light in his friend's life, someone to bring down his walls and make him warmer toward others.

His friends might have a peculiar relationship, but Aragorn did not doubt that Sasuke loved his wife, in their own strange, at-each-other's-throats sort of way. But now that stabilizing person was gone from his friend's life and for weeks he had been without his daughters, the other great light in his life. And it was all because Aragorn should have spent more time with his nieces, taken them on more hunting trips around Bree—anything to have reduced their wanderlust, their desire for adventure.

Tinnu lay beside her twin with an arm wrapped around Minuial's middle. Dawn sat beside her father, just staring with such regret and remorse at her little sisters. And Sasuke, the poor man, he seemed relieved yet lost. He had his daughters with him once more but one of them might never wake up.

Aragorn never wanted this family to be affected by the war, affected because of Aragorn's past. He wanted to keep them safe from this heartache, from this pain, but he failed. He failed at so much, especially at leading—how could he become the king Middle Earth needed?!

Evening came on and Aragorn could hear servants flitting about as they prepared some sort of feast. He had gathered that Frodo had awoken and recovered as best he could from the Morgûl blade, though the hobbit would always bear that wound and as Gandalf described, there was a translucent aspect to his left arm that only those who could see both worlds saw.

He would have sighed but he heard footfalls coming down the hallway and stopping at their door. He knew they belonged to a female elf, but who exactly, he was not sure. But when Aragorn looked up at the door, his heart skipped a beat. He had not been expecting Arwen… She peered in at them from the partly opened doorway. Her expression was contemplative and lamenting. He looked away from her beauty even as his friend looked at her with a narrowed gaze.

"Yes?" Sasuke asked in a scratchy voice, likely hoarse from disuse.

"I came to inform you all that the feast has begun," to hear her calm, clear voice again, after so long, was like a balm on his worries. Aragorn noted his nieces had perked up at her entrance and looked at her with scrutinizing gazes.

Sasuke, however, scoffed. "What's there to celebrate?" he shook his head and sighed as if he knew that was an underhanded and selfish response to make. "Aragorn, you don't have to stay," Sasuke tilted his head toward Arwen and Aragorn was not sure whether he was being dismissed because he had failed his friend, or if Sasuke knew about his relationship with Arwen.

Aragorn looked down at Minuial and shook his head, "I'll stay."

He could hear his friend make a low annoyed noise and he glanced up at Sasuke, consequently catching sight of Arwen with her head tilted down dejectedly. Regret and shame stung him again; he never wanted Arwen to feel that way.

"Who knows how long you'll stay here before you're off on another mission, make the most of your time," Sasuke gave Aragorn a pointed look before jerking his head back at Arwen. His nieces' eyes widened and Aragorn had a sinking feeling they understood Aragorn was in a relationship with the elf in the doorway.

"Just go, spend every moment you can," Sasuke looked away, his voice had become tight and it clicked for Aragorn. His friend…he was thinking of Arad, perhaps wishing he had spent more time with her before...before she faded away and had to leave to get better. And if the darkness in the East spread any further, Aragorn would have to say goodbye to Arwen for good as she and her people left Middle Earth from the Grey Havens. If anyone could relate with him and tell Aragorn what he could be missing, it was Sasuke.

Though doubt still wriggled around in his mind. Was Sasuke just encouraging him to spend every moment he could with his love, or was it that his friend was sick of his presence because he had endangered Sasuke's daughters.

"Ah!" Tinnu sat up on the bed and pointed at Arwen in wonder, much to Aragorn's mortification. Dawn looked equally amazed and excited as her sister, though it was her sister who continued speaking, "You're Ojisan's Tinúviel?"

Arwen looked away, a blush spread across her pale cheeks and she smiled in embarrassment.

"Tinnu," Sasuke's voice was neutral but there was a chiding quality to it nonetheless and for that Aragorn was thankful. Both girls looked down abashed and mumbled apologies, though Dawn got up from her seat and took a few steps forward.

"You can come in, if you like?" Aragorn felt a smile tug at his lips at Dawn's polite invitation.

Arwen ducked her head slightly and smiled softly. She was so much like her ancestor Tinúviel. Beautiful and enchanting, but so brave and loving…she was her people's evening star. How could he take her from her people, but she had agreed hadn't she? So much like her ancestor…

"I am expected at the feast," Arwen replied after a moment, "Though thank you, Dawn, yes?" she asked for clarification that she had called Dawn by the right name.

"Yes," Dawn looked over at Aragorn and smiled slyly, "I see Ojisan told you about us?" Arwen laughed lightly and nodded her head to Dawn's question but this reaction made Tinnu sit up straighter and vibrate slightly with ill-contained excitement.

"Does this make you Obasan?" Tinnu asked excitedly in an almost childish manner.

"Tinnu!" Sasuke chided with more force and the girl ducked her head as she bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Let Arwen-hime make her decision without you pressuring her."

Arwen looked between the father and daughter in slight surprise. Perhaps she had heard her name? "Excuse me, but I do not know what that means, what language is it?"

"It's our home language," Sasuke replied curtly before either girl could divulge too much information. Aragorn was slightly mortified at all that was transpiring for he had been pestered countless times by the girls and their mother about his lover, or rather, his nieces' "obasan." "And Obasan mean's aunt or middle-aged woman, which regardless you fall under," Sasuke continued with an amused smirk on his face, "Though you needn't feel pressured into accepting the endearment." Sasuke but an almost sarcastic lilt to endearment…

Perhaps it was a common way to address people in his home land, but regardless Aragorn looked at his friend in mortification and alarm. Did he just imply that Arwen was an old woman? Yes middle-aged was not exactly old but it was not young either, and to many humans Arwen would appear quite young.

Though Arwen just laughed, like clear bells, and shook her head playfully, "If Aragorn has no qualms, I will gladly be Obasan," Aragorn felt his face heat up and he had to look away from the amused look Sasuke was directing him. "But I really must attend the feast, though I hope to talk with you all in depth."

"Very well, Obasan," the girls stated in unison and Arwen nodded her head as she left.

"You should join her," Sasuke stated quietly once Arwen left.

Again, doubts made Aragorn second guess his friend's motives. Aragorn coughed slightly and shifted in his seat., "I will my friend, but I am not much for feasts."

Their somber mood from before fell over them again as they settled back down into their previous positions, each hoping Minuial might miraculously wake up, though it was faint.

"Tousan? How is she going to eat?" Tinnu asked from where she hugged her twin. Dawn looked over at her father as well, and though Aragorn knew not what they were saying he could feel their concern over the answer.

"There's a jutsu used on coma patients that will transfer nutrients into their system. Of course, this jutsu is for when you're stuck on the field, without the ideal IV drip, but…" the girls nodded to what their father said.

"We'll have to perform it, won't we?" Dawn asked as she looked from her sister to her father's arm. Perhaps they were talking about some healing spell that Sasuke could not perform due to his lame arm, it seem plausible to Aragorn, though not for the first time did he wish he knew their language.

Sasuke would have spoken again, but like Aragorn, he too heard the approaching hurried footsteps. The girls caught on not long after, and though none of them drew their weapons, Aragorn could see his friend and nieces had their hands on one of their concealed weapons.

Aragorn stood up and moved toward the door so that whoever was approaching the healing wing at such speeds did not end up with three knives in their chest.

Not a minute later did the door swing open and Aragorn was greeted by his surrogate brothers, "Dúnadan, you must come with us."Elrohir rushed out his words as Elladan stood behind his twin and looked into the room with a curious gleam to his eyes.

"What is it?"

"We have come back from scouting, and there is much to discuss, brother," Elladan's eyes were drawn to Minuial and instinctively Aragorn moved into the open doorway and closed the door behind him. "Who was that sleeping girl?" he asked, glancing at the closed door.

Aragorn looked between his surrogate brothers coldly. Both seemed intrigued by his nieces but most particularly Minuial. Perhaps out of shame of failing to protect her, or some other sense of protectiveness, he did not want the twins poking around his mending niece. For one, Sasuke would kill them; and two, he didn't want his niece treated like some unique puzzle to solve. Considering that his surrogate brothers were intrigued also meant they would do all they could to learn everything about his niece and her sisters.

"You said there was much to discuss about your scouting mission, then let us discuss," Aragorn began to move down the hallway and the twins followed after him as they began to inform him on what they had learned.

…

Dawn couldn't stay in the room any longer. It felt like a heavy weight was on her, and just looking at Minuial lying so still on that bed made the weight grow more and more oppressive. She had failed, she knew that, but having to see her baby sister like this was just too much—it felt like her shame was suffocating her. She couldn't be like Tinnu and hug her sister and hope that would help.

"Dawn," her father addressed her and she turned to look at him in surprise.

He looked horrible, and she knew he had been worrying himself excessively over his daughters' safety. She had seen relief in his eyes when he first came upon them, but there was still fear in his eyes—fear for Minuial's life. The oppressive feeling mounted.

"We're all to blame, and it won't do any of us good to beat ourselves up over it," he wasn't looking at her as he spoke, for his eyes were trained solely on Minuial's still form.

Hypocrite, she could tell he was blaming himself the harshest, but why would he? He had done nothing, other than happen to be away at the time.

Tousan looked away from Minuial and turned toward the window—why wasn't he looking at her, had she failed him that much? He took a deep breath, as if steadying himself, "Was it just for adventure that you all left?" he took another deep breath, seemingly to prepare himself for what he said next, "Or did I drive you girls away?" Tousan's voice was tight and there was a tremor to it. Dawn wanted to interject and scream that that wasn't the case, but he continued on, "Is it because your mother left me too?"

"She didn't leave, you sent her away so she could get help," Dawn finally found her voice and it was the first thing she could say. Tousan turned to her, and though his expression was neutral, his eyes told her he was in much turmoil over them leaving. Dawn flung her arms around her father's neck and hugged him tightly. Why hadn't she thought of how he would react to them suddenly leaving?

"I'm sorry Tousan, I'm sorry!" her eyes were burning and she let the tears come as he hugged her back with his good arm. "We just wanted adventure, to be something more. It's nothing to do with you or Kaasan."

Tousan just held her tighter and didn't respond. Out of the corner of Dawn's eye she saw Tinnu crying into her twin's shoulder.

"You're mad at us, aren't you?" she asked in a trembling voice like a small scared child.

Dawn heard her father swallow before taking a ragged breath. "Yes and no…" Tinnu peeked out from behind her sister and slowly began to sit up as Tousan continued speaking "I never want you girls to do that again…" he took another deep breath, "Gods…I thought I was going to lose all of you" Kaasan included, Dawn thought.

Tinnu launched herself at Tousan, and fortunately Dawn pulled back in time so that she wouldn't be elbowed in the face by her sister. "I'm sorry Tousan, I'm sorry! It was stupid and selfish and reckless!" Tinnu gasped against her sobs, "And we didn't think about you and it was bad, all bad!" She was curled against Tousan's chest like when she was a little girl and had had a nightmare.

Tousan ducked his head and pressed his face into her hair. Dawn moved closer and hugged both of them as she rested her head against her father's shoulder.

"It…it just, Bree felt like a cage, Tousan. And we're supposed to be warriors," Tinnu began in shaking broken bursts of speech. "I just…it was selfish, I'm sorry."

Tousan remained silent but he held onto Dawn tightly and rested his cheek against Tinnu's head. Even though they were horrible brats, he still loved them, but then…he always said he'd love them no matter what.

"We're sorry," Dawn repeated, and gods was that an understatement.

…

Aragorn did his best to remain stoic after Frodo caught sight of him with Arwen. She was smiling teasingly at him for his embarrassment as they walked along the terraces. He was not sure why he felt so embarrassed when people saw him with her, perhaps because they were not officially married, and would not be until he took on the mantel of his forefathers and became king of both Arnor and Gondor. He knew why he felt embarrassed when his nieces learned of Arwen, and that was simply because they would likely pester her for information about him and possibly about their courting. He would have been more embarrassed if Arad had been here—he shuddered slightly at the thought.

"What is it?"

"Part of me wishes that you and Arad might never meet," Arwen laughed lightly at his words.

"I would very much like to meet her though. She is a skilled warrior, is she not?"

"Very, but she acts very unbecoming of a woman," though that might in part be due to her not originally being a woman—no! he did not think about that, it was far too confusing and disturbing, it was just best to think of her as Arad and not someone who had changed genders…

"I still would like to meet her someday, if only to see you so nervous," she teased as she walked further ahead, "She seems to be the only woman to draw that out of you. What does she talk of that makes my brave ranger so…" she searched for the word she wished to use, but Aragorn interjected before she could continue on.

"She speaks of improper subject matters, and…" Aragorn looked down at the stone terrace. He felt childish at what he would confide, "and she teases me about you."

"In good way, though, yes?"

"Yes…" he felt like a child when Arad did tease him though. His friends were very much like family to him, and though he was closer to Sasuke, Arad was like a sister to him too. Of course, instead of being a kind, demure sort of sister she was more like, well, she sometimes acted like Elladan and Elrohir.

Aragorn sighed as he rested his arms against the railing of the terrace and looked down into the misty valley. They were silent and the sounds of people in the room behind them and elsewhere on the terrace drifted to Aragorn's ears.

"What is this?" he heard an elf with a Mirkwood accent asking some other elves further down along the terrace, "A human child killed one of the Nazgûl?" Aragorn's blood ran cold and he turned back toward the ones speaking. Arwen turned as well, a frown marred her features.

"Yes, we heard Lord Elrond say so to the child's father, though we do not know how she accomplished such a feat."

Arwen regarded Aragorn with concern and looked prepared to hold him back but he hurried past her toward the gossiping group.

"That is enough!" he hissed at them and was not surprised to see his surrogate brothers in the cluster of elves, as well as Prince Legolas—then again, the Prince was the only elf in Imlardris currently from Mirkwood.

"The girl from before, she is the one then to have—" Elrohir began but Aragorn was quick to cut him off, though part of him wanted to grab his brother and shake him.

"She nearly died, and her family does not need to be dragged into this more than they have been." Minuial could still die, and they were treating her like a secret weapon.

The twins were taken aback, whereas Legolas attempted a placating gesture but Aragorn shrugged off his hand.

"Why does this matter concern you so much?" Elladan asked. Perhaps he was being genuine, or perhaps he wanted more information to figure out the puzzle Aragorn's nieces presented him.

"I promised to keep their family away from the war in the east, to not see them dragged into it." And he had already failed at that, but they would not be part of it any further.

The twins immediately bristled at his response; perhaps revenge clouded their minds and gave them no scruples against young girls being thrown into war against such terrible evil.

"And why would you make such a promise?" Elrohir asked with his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He seemed tempted to bring up his mother and guilt Aragorn into changing his opinion.

"Because they are his nieces," it was not Aragorn who interrupted Elrohir from bringing up such horrible memories, bur Arwen. She was beside him and she set her hand onto his forearm. Aragorn relaxed slightly at the touch. "He has trained them and seen them grow into young women,"

"I will not see them destroyed by the evil in the east, and if they are dragged into this war that will be the case," Aragorn looked at each of the elves and saw the understanding in their faces, though the twins were reluctant to let such an "opportunity" go. "I do not want word of what my niece has done to spread any further." Aragorn saw that his message was understood and his shoulders lowered in relief.

"We are off to scout the immediate borders before the Council is to occur," Elladan stated as professionally as he could after such a tense moment. He was still displeased, much like his twin, at what Aragorn had decided for his nieces, but he would not let it interfere with his duties.

The group dispersed after that and Aragorn sighed as he turned to face Arwen. She was looking at him with a soft yet serious expression—as if she was trying to figure out what he worried about.

"Let us walk in the gardens," she suggested and it was a welcome suggestion. He hoped the council could be put off a little longer. For despite Aragorn's wishes, Sasuke had been requested to attend in the hope that his family would participate in the war. Fortunately, Sasuke was to decide on the behalf of his family whether or not they would enter into the war efforts, and Aragorn knew exactly what the blacksmith's response would be.

Aragorn just hoped the rumors of what his niece had accomplished did not spread any further.

This hope desperately increased when they were entering the gardens and a man riding a horse entered through the main gates escorted by several scouts. By his look and garb, he was a man of Gondor. Aragorn looked up at the sky and prayed that this newcomer would hear nothing about his nieces.

---

A suivre

---

Naruto smiled broadly at the teme. He made a very thin hobbit but she supposed she did too. The old Took was going through the service and everything he said reflected their relationship—at least their amnesic relationship. They would love each other through drought and wilting crops. They would support each other through hardhsips and sickness. The would love each other always. They were simple vows that they kept to, and then they kissed and the feast began, and oh was it delicious!

The breads practically melted in her mouth and the meat fell right off the bone. She ate so much, she could hardly move, but then the teme was there to help her stand up, and he even danced the opening song with her. Oh, she had never been happier in all her life—at least until they had their girls—and she knew the amnesic teme had never been happier either.

When they finally got home, the teme practically tore off her borrowed dress and the consummate their marriage several times, not that they hadn't confirmed their relationship many times before, but his time it was different! They were legally each other's. Admittedly, the next day it had been embarrassing to return the dress to Mrs. Proudfoot due to the fact that it had been trapped on the bed throughout the whole night.

Naruto's eyes fluttered open and she smiled softly at the memory of her dream, though there was a stiff reminder that she was no longer a woman. It was embarrassing but remembering her current situation softened her problem.

It had been another week. She had been gone from Middle Earth for at least half a month and she missed her family terribly. Gods, she had been married with a family, something she never thought she would get to have—either because of Kurama or dying prematurely. And, she missed them, terribly. While she was here, her vows could not be met fully. She knew the teme needed her for support right now, but she was stuck here in this stupid male body!

And that was another thing, Naruto still could not believe she was a man again, and in her mind she continued to deny it despite the obvious physical facts stating otherwise. She was a mother and wife—she had accepted this role and loved it despite the pain pregnancy and childbirth was. She missed her family badly, but she knew she wasn't well enough to go back to them. Not to mention she feared that becoming biologically male again would stunt her future endeavors as a mother. Would she be able to have children again if they let her go back to Middle-Earth—but then they had to right, they would let her go, or at least she hoped so…

Could her having been originally, biologically male be why she had lost the last two babies? And though it hurt, in ways she could not explain, to think about the miscarriage and stillbirth, she was admittedly feeling calmer about it—perhaps because her hormones were leveling out? But how could she be a male again? Why was that the case? She didn't want to be a male; she was a woman and mother, she wanted to be with her girls and that bastard husband of hers. She didn't want to be here, but she had to get better first…she had to for her family.

The teme needed her and admittedly she needed him too. They restrained each other, they comforted each other—hell, they were each other's support and strength when things looked bleak. And if a war truly was coming to Middle Earth, and the teme was in the crossfire, he would need her there. Like their vows said, she would support and "love" him through it all, even the hard times.

And what was that weird dream with the fiery eye about? Was Minuial dead? No…the teme wouldn't have been traveling away from Bree with her if that was the case, and it was abundantly clear he was traveling away from Bree. Maybe he was trying to find a healer, a good healer? Was another one of her babies dying? No! That couldn't be it, for her mental health, that couldn't be it!

"Yes," Naruto stiffened at Kurama's sudden input.

"You've been quiet," she remarked mentally, and in her mind's eye she could see the fox grinning at her. She wouldn't believe him, she couldn't. Besides, she didn't even know if that dream was a real or not. After all, how could it be real?

"Because that world works differently and like your precious Uchiha, you were supposed to have that dream."Kurama replied to her unspoken thoughts and smiled maliciously at her in her mind, though every expression the fox made ended up looking malicious and like he was barring his teeth.

"There is a delicious evil there, did you know that? Over the years I have felt,"Kurama practically purred the word "it growing way off in the east. And just like your dream said, there's going to be a war there, and you won't get to participate!" the fox practically cackled this, "And if they ever let you return, your family is going to be dead."

"Shut up! Shut up!" Naruto clutched at her head, wishing the damn fox would be quiet, would not say such terrible things!

"Is Kyuubi talking to you?" Naruto looked abruptly to her side to see Kakashi-sensei just entering the room. He looked stressed, and tired. He moved to the side of the room closest to the window and sat down.

"Yes…" Naruto murmured and looked away from her former teacher.

He hadn't been visiting much the last week, though she supposed there wasn't much for him to learn about where she had been because Tsunade-baachan and Naruto had been working on dealing with her stillbirth and being a man again. Obviously she couldn't accept the sex change, since Naruto was referring to herself as a woman instead of a man, but Baachan hadn't given up yet—though, man, did Naruto wish she would.

"What about?" Kakashi-sensei asked, clearly fishing for information, "Your family?"

Naruto didn't respond and tried to take calming breaths. The fox was laughing at her cruelly. "Shut up," she mumbled to the fox as she closed her eyes.

"I'm assuming you're talking to the Kyuubi?"

"He says they're going to die with me gone, and that when I'm better you won't let me return" Naruto's voice sounded far too deep to be hers, but it also sounded weak, like a scared child.

"I thought you two were friends, or at least had a truce?" Naruto looked up at her former sensei and gave a bitter laugh which Kurama mimicked. The man wasn't answering her question, so maybe it was true…?

"Our mutual threat is gone, and though I have the fox's respect," Kurama hummed in her mind as if debating the validity of that statement, "whether or not he'll admit it," Naruto glared at the fox in her mind as she gritted out those words, "it doesn't mean we're buddy-buddy."

"Damn straight." Naruto rolled her eyes at the fox's response.

"I see…" Kakashi did not look too relieved to hear that.

"But he isn't right about you not letting me leave, right?" Naruto asked and Kakashi-sensei looked around for a moment before speaking again.

"You've made some good progress, and you look healthier. Tsunade-hime has informed me we will know how the anti-depressants are working by the end of the month." Naruto nodded her head.

"You're avoiding my question," Naruto commented, her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed slightly at her former teacher.

"If you were in my situation, Naruto-kun, what would you do?" his words came out fast and hard.

"What situation?"

"Konoha secrets are being let out in some world where, for all we know, an army of sharingan users are being bred!"

Naruto's stomach felt like it fell through the floor. "Chakra doesn't exist there, no secrets would be divulged."

There was a brief, tense silence before Kakashi-sensei spoke again. "So only your children have chakra, is that what you're telling me?"

Naruto looked away and nodded slowly, Kakashi hummed in thought, though it seemed mocking to Naruto. "And your husband, what's stopping Sasuke from sending hordes of sharingan users here to finish what he started? Hmm?" Naruto froze at his words, "You saw what Obito did, what Mandara did!"

Naruto stared at her former sensei in shock and slowly shook her head, "He wouldn't! He doesn't care about the Elemental Lands anymore. All he cares about is his family—a-and he's not my husband!" her lie sounded weak to her own ears.

Kakashi-sensei scoffed, "I heard you cry out his name, and there wasn't hate in it. How could you—"

"Shut up!" Naruto screeched, who was this paranoid person? Where was the sensei she could rely on, whom she could tease? "Yes we had children together but only because we couldn't remember who we were! And he doesn't care about the Elemental Lands anymore; he just cares about our children.

"We have a family now, for the first time in our lives we had a happy family." Naruto couldn't hold back her frustrated tears "He just wants to see our girls grow up and get married and give us grandchildren. He doesn't care about revenge anymore, he doesn't." Naruto didn't feel like her words were getting through to him.

Kakashi was still silent, and stared at her in disbelief. Naruto licked her lips and tried a different perspective, "Sensei, when you die what are you going to do about your eye?"

He looked at her for a moment before he responded, "It will be destroyed."

"Exactly!" Finally she could drive home what she was saying, "Because the Elemental Lands don't need the sharnigan or rennigan ever again. And we agree! That's why we're going to stay there forever and never come back there."

"And what about how you came back here?"

Naruto licked her lips and looked down, "It required Kurama's chakra, that was the only way, and…I have a plan—I've been thinking about it since I began traveling with Ero-senin."

Naruto bit her lip and cautiously looked up at her former sensei, " When I'm going to die…I'm going to seal all of Kurama in the shinigami so no one can ever have access to him again, so no one can ever try to summon the juubi again."

"What?!" Kakashi-sensei stood up appalled.

Why didn't he see it the way Naruto did? Though the Biju were a great asset to their nations, they were also a threat and danger, and Naruto never wanted another child to go through what she had gone through—the hate she was directed and the loneliness she dealt with. And if she did the sealing technique, she'd be with her father and together they would keep anyone from ever trying to take Kurama and using him again.

Kakashi stared at Naruto for a long moment in disgust, who was this skeletal man? He wasn't the student Kakashi remembered. He couldn't stand to be in the same room with the blonde anymore. Why didn't Naruto see the severity of the situation, understand the treason of his actions and suggestions?

Kakashi left the room quickly and without a second look. He was too angry to use shunshin, so he just walked quickly and everyone he passed understood they were to keep away from him. He didn't want to mark Naruto with treason, for though the blonde was not who Kakashi remembered, he was still his sensei's kid and Konoha owed Naruto so much, but how could he say such things and suggest such things—how could he defend that psychopathic Uchiha!

Kakashi entered his office, ignoring whatever his secretary was prepared to tell him, though when he closed the door after him and saw the figure waiting for him, and wished he had waited.

"Kazekage-sama," Kakashi greeted curtly as he moved to his desk and did his best to appear calm and collected. The mask he wore aided in accomplishing his goal.

"Hokage-sama," Garra returned the greeting, before he signed for privacy. With a narrowed gaze, Kakashi consented and signed for his guards to leave, Garra did the same. Kakashi then erected the secrecy seals Naruto-kun had made for the office after the Pein attack.

Satisfied that they were in complete privacy, Garra spoke, "When were you going to tell me that Naruto-kun is back?" Kakashi gave nothing away.

"Naruto-kun is missing, I don't know where you—"

"You've gotten lazy from a decade of peace," Garra commented dryly, "you didn't even notice my sand eye spying on you and Naruto-kun from the window."

Kakashi shut his eye heavily, he couldn't lie then. He stood up and began to pace around the room. "Naruto-kun appeared suddenly several weeks ago in the same location he and Sasuke had fought in. He was…a shadow of himself. He apparently hadn't been eating and based on a hormone tests it appeared he was suffering from depression." Kakashi swallowed thickly as he stopped pacing and faced Gaara.

"When you were spying, did you read Naruto's lips?"

Garra nodded, "He said he had children with someone and his partner wouldn't do something. I'm still trying to understand that, but Naruto-kun also stated that he was going to seal the Kyuubi away when he died."

"Yes…" Kakashi sighed, and was not pleased to hear the approval in Garra's voice when it concerned sealing the Kyuubi. "It appears that Naruto had been a woman wherever he went, and Sasuke was Naruto's partner. They have daughters from what I've inferred, though I'm not sure how many. Where they traveled to also has no chakra which to Naruto means they aren't divulging Konoha secrets."

Gaara's eyes widened marginally as the gravity of the situation sunk in, "So he's there, and you suspect he's building up his own army to destroy our world but Naruto-kun is too naïve to suspect it? So that was what Naruto-kun was responding to when he said what he did about only caring about his family?"

"I suspect so, and I don't buy it. Though I also fear that…" Kakashi sighed and rubbed his face, "I fear that since the Kyuubi's chakra is the only way to return to the Elemental Lands, Sasuke may betray Naruto and perhaps…," he couldn't finish the thought. He knew the blonde wouldn't let Sasuke use him to send over an army of sharingan users, but that didn't mean Sasuke didn't have his own plans to take the Kyuubi.

"But because it's their family, Naruto-kun is protecting him and won't believe that Sasuke is planning anything."

"Exactly, and until Naruto-kun's loyalties are confirmed, which at this point it looks doubtful, it would be best if people thought he was still missing," Kakashi sat heavily in his seat after saying all of this.

"I still would like to meet with him." Kakashi was expecting this and he sighed loudly.

"He's changed," Kakashi warned, "He doesn't want to be Hokage anymore." Gaara looked at him surprised but then he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I will kill Sasuke with my own hands if…" the redhead couldn't finish his sentence and just shook his head again.

"I know. I haven't tested to see if Naruto-kun is being controlled by him since his psyche is still fragile, but soon I will."

Gaara nodded his head and looked away for a moment, "Shall we discuss what we're supposed to?"

"Yes," Kakashi shuffled through his documents. Perhaps it would be best for both of them if they focused on something else.

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A/N: So I have all the logistics figured out, at last, for how the rest of this fanfic will proceed. The only issue will be finding the words, which I clearly have been having problems with lately. Next chapter will be the Council of Elrond, plus some extra stuff. Hope you enjoyed ~ much love, depressedchildren