AN:
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Kakashi was awakened from his not so peaceful slumber by a slobbery lick up the back of his head. The Hatake turned over and was rewarded with another lick to the face.
"Rise 'n shine, sleeping beauty!" chirped Anko. "We have to clean up the mess we made before breakfast can be served, and you know how hungry people get in the morning!"
The chūnin slowly sat up and opened his dark eyes. He was promptly greeted by a faceful of warg breath. The speckled Cookie stood mere inches from his face, wagging her strange tail. His warg, (dubbed Rocky by Anko) was sniffing Obito's face as the Uchiha snored. Kakashi scowled and gently kicked his teammate in the back. With a yelp, the black-haired boy was awake.
"Get up, tardy. We have to clean up the mess we made last night," he said flatly, getting out of bed. The masked boy could hear Obito's grumbling as he washed up (cleaning his spiky hair) and pulled on a newish shirt. Making sure that the Uchiha didn't fall back to sleep, Kakashi removed the covers from his possession before heading to the hall. The chūnin's thoughts wandered to his dream. It had been the first time he dreamt about his father for months. He was surprised that it was Minato-sensei's achingly familiar goodnight that had triggered the dream; Unlike Hoshi's grievous insult and prediction in the Golden Wood, which made him sleep quite peacefully that night. That reminded him to ask the oddball where he received his information, because next to nobody put two and two together to figure out that he was the White Fang's son.
"Oh, good, someone who can polish the floor,"
Kakashi was jolted out of his thoughts upon his unconscience arrival in the hall and subsequent greeting by Susano'o. He looked around to see Kuro, Susano'o, Minato-sensei, Anko and Eowyn literally scrubbing the formally wreaked room clean. Sensei was arranging new tables along the hall while Kuro and Susano'o were sweeping and mopping the floor. Anko was assisting Eowyn with cleaning the banners and tapestries that lined the hall. The faint scent of cinnimon and ginger hung in the air, confusing Kakashi.
"I thought we agreed not to polish the floor," said Kuro, who paused to wring out his mop in a bucket. "Mostly because that would make them too slippery,"
Susano'o frowned but chose not to argue. Instead, the copper-skinned boy waltzed over to the mop bucket and peered in to see the murky water. He sniffed and looked up at his teammate.
"What soap did you put in here?" he inquired. The long-haired Uchiha gave him a wide grin.
"It's this top notch dog shampoo that Inuzuka Tsume recommended," he said with a hint of pride in his voice. "I offered it to Strider, but he didn't seem to be to keen on the offer. Which is a shame, 'cause he really could use it,"
"You use dog shampoo?" Kakashi couldn't prevent the mocking incredulity from dripping off his words. Kuro shot him a haughty look.
"I wouldn't be talking if my dog tended to use ladies' shampoo," he said with a sniff, returning to his work. The masked chūnin stifled a sigh and walked toward the door. Minato-sensei flashed a smile at him as he passed the jōnin. Opening the door, Kakashi briefly stopped at the top of the many steps to gaze upon the city of Edoras and its surroundings. While it was not an ideal environment shinobi, the plains and the surrounding mountains were beautiful in the morning light. Indeed, Middle Earth was a very beautiful place, not quite like their home world. "Everything is very different here than from the Hidden Nations," he thought as he walked down the steps and strolled through the dirt streets. The silver-haired shinobi was content to let his feet carry him aimlessly around until he spotted a familiar figure sitting by a barn. Kakashi cautiously approached the tall man and sat down beside him.
"You really shouldn't smoke," he said flatly. "It ruins your lungs,"
Aragorn removed the pipe from his mouth and slowly turned to face the young boy. The thought that the well-meaning comment might have been rude hadn'd crossed his mind until now, causing his face to redden slightly in embarressment. But instead of berating him, the grey-eyed man chuckled.
"Arwen doesn't like smoking, either," he said quietly, a far-away look in his eyes.
Kakashi had heard that name before. If he remembered correctly, she was Hoshi's mother.
"Who is Arwen?" he asked quietly. The ranger leaned back against the barn wall, a wistful look upon his face.
"She is the fairest of the elves, and holds the key to my heart," he said, clearly smitten.
"Ah," murmured the Hatake, who decided to cut the man off before he could go off on a tangent about her. Despite Aragorn's seriousness, the ranger seemed have a very romantic view of love. "How long have you been together?" he asked. When the tall man gave him a blank look, the shinobi clarified. "Like courting or betrothal,"
His companion inhaled deeply through his nose. "We have been betrothed for thirty four years,"
Kakashi could feel his eyes jumping out of their sockets. "What!" he cried in shock. "Why haven't you been married yet?"
The ranger's normal meloncoly countenance returned. "I am only permitted to marry her when I take up my birthright and ascend to the throne of Gondor," he said softly.
The masked shinobi never thought that he would feel sorry for the tall man, but miracles do occur. "Wow. That must suck,"
His uncharacteristic comment made Aragorn laugh. "Indeed, it is not very agreeable," he concurred, before sinking back into his depressed state again.
Kakashi blinked. "If something is eating away at you, it helps to share it," he said, feeling like a hypocrite as he uttered the advice. Aragorn turned his head and gave him a sorrowful look.
"You know about the differances between elves and men, right?" started the ranger. "Elves are immortal, unless they are killed or grief takes them. They go to a different place than men when they die. Many of them are going west across the seas to escape the pain of Middle Earth. Men and other mortals are not premitted to follow them. Arwen has moral blood in her veins, so she is given a choice; to stay with me and become mortal, or go over the seas and remain an elf. She has family in the West, and her father wishes for her to go west. Although I wish for her to stay, it is rather selfish of me to ask that of her. Before I left to go on this quest, I told her to take the ships west at her father's urging. I fear that she has taken my words to heart and has left these shores,"
The poor man seemed to be disraught, as his grey eyes became glassy with emotion. Kakashi frowned.
"I highly doubt that she would leave you behind," he said. "I know next to nothing about her, but she seems to love you quite a bit, and sounds like someone who is loyal to death. You both are in a rather upsetting situation, but I bet on Hoshi's arm guards that she will chose to stay with you. Hell, I bet on my teammate himself!"
Aragorn gave him an unsure look. "You truely believe so?" he asked, hope sneaking into his voice.
The Hatake nodded. " Ask any of the other shinobi. They will give you the same exact answer,"
A small smile appeared on the ranger's face as they both sat in a comfortable silence, gazing at the mountains. But something caught the masked chūnin's eye.
"Is that fire on the mountain?" he asked, pointing it out to his companion. Aragorn stood up, narrowing his eyes to get a better look. The grey orbs suddenly widened, and he immediately took off. Confused, Kakashi ran after him, up the stairs and through to doors into Meduseld.
"The Beacons of Minas Tirith!" cried Aragorn as he ran up to Thèoden and his advisors causing everyone present to look up. "The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid,"
As they waited with bated breath for the king's reply, Kakashi walked over to Minato-sensei and the other shinobi, who were sitting at a table with a peregrin falcon, reading a message.
*"Hoshi's new summon,"* muttered Obito. *"The message says that it would be a good idea for some of us to go south as soon as possible,"*
Minato-sensei gently hushed his student, making the hall perfectly silent. Thèoden shot a small smile at the anxious Aragorn, who was almost on his tiptoes with impatience.
"And Rohan will answer," he declared, much to the ranger's apparent relief. "Muster the Rohirrim!"
With those words, Sensei turned to Susano'o and Kuro. "I want you two to fly down to Minas Tirith as soon as you pack your bags," the two nodded and immediately took off. Minato-sensei then turned to the rest of the students. "Go pack your bags, too. We will be out of here by midday,"
"Where are we going?" asked Anko, confused. Before Minato could say anything, Eowyn answered for him.
"We are headed to Dunharrow," she said warmly, while walking toward the stables. "The army is being mustered there,"
The kunoichi nodded and gave the White Lady a smile of gratitude. "Well, I'm off to pack," she declared to the male members of Team Minato. "See ya later!"
Kakashi nodded his goodbye, watching Obito scrawl something onto a piece of paper and tuck it into a colorfully embroidered pouch on the falcon's back. He let the raptor perch on his arm and carried it outside. The chūnin followed his teammate, curious.
*"Fly swiftly, my friend,"* murmured the Uchiha, sending the bird off. *"Tell my brother that help is on the way,"*
Two pairs of dark eyes watched the summon until it was nothing more than a speck, hoping that its prescense ment that their teammate was safe.
Rin was jolted out of her nightmare by a shriek that struck fear into her bones. She looked around the makeshift hospital. The spartan room was completely empty, save for the cots and a table of surgical instruments. Scared, the medic stood up from her stool and slowly walked to the doorway. Suddenly, a person skidded into the threshold, causing her to give a short scream. Rin nearly sighed in relief when she saw it was Hoshi, but his terrified expression kept her from feeling true relief. Her teammate looked horrible; the dark-haired boy sported several bleeding wounds on his face and chest and he was clearly exhausted. The shinobi grabbed her upper arm and proceeded to pull her out of the building.
"Come, we have to get out of here," he said calmly, breaking into a run.
The brunette stumbled over her feet as she attempted to keep up with her rather panicked teammate. Despite the inconveniance, Rin was glad that Hoshi was dragging her along. Killing intent hung in the air, and the chill it created threatened to freeze her legs. Rangers and soldiers alike flooded to the edge of the city as more bloodcurdling crys rent the air.
"Faramir!" screamed Hoshi. A tall, dark blonde man turned around, a look of relief in his light eyes.
"Hoshi!" he cried as they approached him. "I was afraid that you were trapped with Susano'o,"
Confused, the medic turned to her companion. "Trapped with Susano'o?" she asked.
"I'll tell you later," he said quietly, before turning to the man. "Could Rin ride with you?" he asked.
Faramir nodded, lifting her onto the large horse before mounting it himself. A large group of the men were already riding across the plain, followed by a nightmare-invoking beast. Hoshi had disappeared, causing Rin to begin panic. Trying to swallow her fear, the medic decided to sate her curiosity.
"What is that...creature? The one with bat wings," she asked Faramir as they started to follow the last wave of the retreating garrison.
"A Fell Beast," he said shortly as it dove down toward them, along with two others, screaming as it went. Rin shrank against the horse as they snatched at the horses and riders around them. Another cry pierced the air, this one belonging to a falcon. She looked up, just in time to see a Fell Beast get thrown towards Osgiliath. Dark blood rained down upon them as a different beast was torn to shreads above their heads. But one beast was still attacking the retreating garrison, and wasn't likely to stop.
"The White Rider!" cried a soldier near them, prompting the petite brunette to lift her head. Much to her relief and delight, Gandalf-jiisama was riding out to meet the creatures. He held his staff aloft, and a bright light shone from its head. The light drove the creature away, allowing the remaining men to get into the city. Only when the horse finally passed through the gates did Rin breath a sigh of relief.
"Mithrandir!" called Faramir, urging their mount towards the Wizard, who turned toward them. "They broke through our defenses. They took the bridge and the west bank. Battalions of orcs are crossing the river,"
"It is as the Lord Denethor predicted," declared a blond, important-looking man. "Long has he foreseen this doom,"
"Foreseen and done nothing!" grumbled Gandalf, clearly peeved. Pippin, who was sitting in front of the Istari, smiled at Rin.
"I see that you made it out alive," he said cheerfully. "Where are your companions?"
Right on cue, Hoshi dropped out of the sky and gracefully landed on the statue behind her. The medic looked back up at hI'm and grinned. *"Did you get to use Thousand Years of Death?"* she asked innocently. The elf-like boy blushed and quickly dropped down from his perch.
*"Methinks Kublai tore them apart before I could do anything,"* he muttered, before giving Pippin a large grin. The halfling gave him an equally large smile, which was slightly tempered by Faramir's intense gaze on him.
"This isn't the first halfling to have crossed your path," murmured Gandalf, reading the man's stare.
Faramir nodded, causing the young hobbit's face to light up. "You've seen Frodo and Sam!" he cried with joy.
Rin turned to Hoshi, somewhat troubled. *"Did we ever tell them that Minato saw them to Mordor's border?"* she said.
Her teammate ran his grimy fingers through his dark hair. *"I don't think we told Gandalf"* he said. *"But Ad-Aragorn and Legolas know,"*
"Is there something you are not telling me?" said the White wizard with a concerned look in his eyes.
Hoshi flushed pink, rubbing the tips of his ears with embarressment. "Minato-sensei encountered them in Osgiliath when Sam ended up throwing one of Sensei's knives that I gave him. Captain Faramir allowed Sensei to escort them to an entrance to Mordor on the back of a friendly Fell Beast. Minato-sensei made a kage bunshin to take them so he could return back to us,"
The Istari turned to the Gondorian, who nodded in affirmation. "He is a good man. However, he was convinced to leave the Ringbearer and his companion at a passage of Cirith Ungol by their guide,"
"Oh no," whispered Gandalf, a vexed look on his wrinkled face.
"Wreched Smèagol!" Hoshi cursed venemously. "My you boil in Mount Doom!"
"Who's Smèagol?" asked Rin, utterly confused.
"And what so bad about this passage?" added Pippin, who looked as out of the loop as she was.
The White wizard exchanged a look with Faramir, before glancing at the the lanky shinobi. "I am sure your teammate here can enlighten you as we head up to the Citidal," said the Istari, urging Shadowfax forward. Hoshi nodded enthusiastically and walked in between the two horses, starting with his explanation when they entered the Second Circle.
"Smèagol was the owner of the Ring before Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's uncle. The Ring corrupted him both physically and mentally. He practically has two personalities; a dark one called Gollum and his original one, Smèagol. He still longs for his precious (his name for the Ring), and hopes to get it back by killing Frodo," The brunette could hear Pippin gasp in anger and horror upon hearing that. The grey-eyed boy continued with his explanation, ignoring the looks Gandalf-jiisama and Faramir were giving him. "He won't succeed because of Sam, but Cirith Ungol is the perfect place to try. Smèagol will lead them into the lair of a giant spider named Shelob,"
"Is Shelob summon size?" Rin asked. She barely could supress a shudder of disgust when Hoshi nodded yes.
Pippin closed his eyes briefly. "So this Smèagol was Sam and Frodo's guide to Mordor, but after they get through Cirith Ungol, Smèagol won't be guiding them anymore," he concluded. "So how are they going to get to Mt. Doom?"
The tall shinobi shrugged as they entered the Citidal. He seemed ready to say something, but the thought was promptly forgotten. Hoshi's grey eyes shone with an inner light and he seemed to be more confident.
"That's right," thought Rin as she dismounted after Faramir. "He's the prince of Gondor, so he was raised here,"
"It's surreal to see the White Tree dead," he murmured as he approached it. "For all my life it was healthy,"
Faramir, who was watching the elf-like boy intently, seemed to relax at his words. The man chuckled slightly, apparently amused at his own thoughts.
"It seems there is yet some hope left in this darkness," he murmured.
Hoshi laughed, still gazing at the tree. "As long as Frodo perseveres, we may yet triumph," he replied.
Gandalf cleared his throat, urging the two to make their audiance with the Steward. Rapidly sombering, the two Gondorians headed into the hall.