A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated this story in forever, but I had something unexpected happen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Lord of the Rings.
Chapter 10:
The Woods of Lothlórien
The Partnership ran out of the rear side of the chamber into a hall with lots of high, ornate pillars. They were being closely pursued by an army of Orcs. Other Orcs sprang from the floor or crawled down the pillars from the ceiling, like spiders. They surrounded the Partnership, who drew their weapons outward in a circle. The Partnership was way outnumbered, and they knew it. Suddenly, a fiery light appeared at the end of an adjoining hall followed by a loud rumble, like a growl. The Orcs suddenly turned panic-stricken, and ran off in all directions. "What was that?" asked Irvinmir. "A Balrog…" said Mondalf, who had a look of fear on his face "…a demon of the ancient world." The Balrog growled again, still hidden behind the corner of the vast hall. "This foe is beyond any of you. Run!" Mondalf said, turning and running the direction opposite of the Balrog. The Partnership then ran through a small doorway, with the Balrog following them. Then, they ran down flights of stairs, and came to a large gap leading straight down into a fiery chasm. Mondalf and Baljolas jumped across; then, Irvinmir picked up Carl and Beckham and leapt across with both of them in his arms. Jeragorn then tossed Ferb across the gap, where he was caught by Irvinmir. Jeragorn reached down to pick up Bufli, but the dwarf simply said "Nobody tosses a dwarf!" and jumped across, barely making it. Then, the Balrog started to get closer, making rocks fall from the ceiling. A particularly large boulder smashed the steps behind Jeragorn and Phindo, making the stairs' foundation weaker. "Lean forward!" shouted Jeragorn. They both shifted their weight forward, causing the segment of stairs to topple forward, smashing into the stairs where the rest of the Partnership was. Jeragorn and Phindo leaped to safety and the Partnership ran on, watching the stone structures collapse behind them.
The Partnership turned a corner with the Balrog hot on their heels. "Over the bridge! Fly!" shouted Mondalf, as the rest of the Partnership fled across a long, thin, stone bridge. Mondalf ran out onto the bridge and turned to face the Balrog. It was a figure with a bull-like head, completely covered by a wall of flame. "You cannot pass!" said Mondalf, holding up his, now brightly lit, staff. "Mondalf!" said Phindo, watching from the other side of the bridge. The Balrog unfurled its wings and two flaming whips formed in its hands. "YOU…SHALL NOT…PASS!" shouted Mondalf as he drove his staff into the bridge, causing a blue flash of light to illuminate the chamber. Then, from out of nowhere, a giant floating baby head appeared and started approaching the Balrog. The Balrog backed away, its hand in front of its face, clearly frightened by the baby head. "Man, that is one scary giant floating baby head." said Ferb from the other side of the bridge. "Where did that thing come from, anyway?" asked Jeragorn. "Search me." said Bufli. Then, the bridge gave way from underneath the Balrog and the beast fell into the chasm, still holding the two flaming whips. Mondalf looked around and saw that the giant floating baby head had somehow disappeared. Suddenly, as Mondalf started to follow the others, the Balrog's whip lashed up and wrapped itself around Mondalf's ankle, pulling him down towards the chasm. Phindo tried to run out to Mondalf, but Irvinmir held him back. "Mondalf!" shouted Phindo, as Mondalf struggled to hang onto the edge of the bridge. Mondalf looked into Phindo's eyes and Phindo stopped struggling against Irvinmir. "Fly, you fools!" Mondalf breathed out before letting go of the bridge and plummeting into the blackness of the chasm. "Nooooooooo!" shouted Phindo, as Irvinmir pulled him up the flight of stairs, heading after the others.
When the Partnership emerged from the mine, they were all grieving over the loss of Mondalf. The hobbits were slightly crying, for they had known Mondalf the best. "Baljolas, get them up." said Jeragorn, wiping his sword clean and re-sheathing it. "Give them a moment, for Pete's sake!" said Irvinmir pleadingly. Jeragorn turned to Irvinmir and said "By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlórien." One by one, the Partnership moved out.
The woods of Lothlórien were filled with towering golden trees and plants the likes of which are not found anywhere else in Middle-Earth. The Partnership stood along the edge of those woods, for they were unsure of how to enter without attracting attention. "Stay close, young hobbits!" said Bufli "They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf-witch, of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell…" Then, a voice echoed through Phindo's head. "Phindo…" it whispered. "…And are never seen again." finished Bufli. But Phindo was no longer listening to Bufli. The voice whispered "…Your coming to us is as the footsteps of doom. You bring great evil here, Ring-bearer!" "Well," said Bufli, turning his head towards the hobbits "here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" Bufli turned his head forward again to see a notched arrow pointed directly at his face. Then, several other bows at the ready were pointed at the Partnership. Baljolas also had his bow out pointing it at the owners of the other bows. The Partnership looked around, alarmed, as a tall, golden-haired Elf appeared. "The dwarf breaths so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." said the Elf, with Bufli growling in response. "Follow me." Said the Elf, looking much less than happy.
The Elves led the Partnership into the woods to a place in the heart of the forest, a place with a large moonlit platform with a curved stairway leading up to it. "Caras Galadhon…" said the golden-haired Elf, whose name turned out to be Haldir "…the heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galindriel, Lady of Light." They climbed the stairs to find two figures standing on the platform, waiting to meet them. The Partnership halted so that the figures, Galindriel and Celeborn, were looking down at them. Galindriel's eyes rested on Phindo, but it was Celeborn who said "The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone." Then, he examined the group, and said "Eight are here, yet nine set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Mondalf?" Galindriel looked into Jeragorn's eyes and could tell from the look in them. "Mondalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land." She said in sorrow "He has fallen into shadow." Baljolas spoke up and said "He was taken by both Shadow and Flame: a Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria." The Partnership all looked depressed by the recap of the event. Celeborn said "What now becomes of this Partnership? Without Mondalf, hope is lost." Galindriel said "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail…to the ruin of all." Then, she turned to Ferb and said "Yet hope remains while the company is true." Ferb continued to stare at her, while Irvinmir looked away in sadness. Galindriel smiled and said "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep in peace." Then, she turned to Phindo again and said, in his mind, "Welcome, Phindo of the Shire…one who has seen the Eye!" Suddenly Phindo's mind began flashing images of the Eye of Sauron, causing him to wince in pain.
Later, as the Partnership was sleeping, Phindo woke up, as though he had been shaken awake. He turned his head and saw Galindriel floating down the stone road. He got up and followed her, as though he was being beckoned. Then, she stopped at a river, filled up a ladle with the water, and went over to a shallow, silver bowl on top of an ornate pedestal. She turned to Phindo, who she had known was following her the whole time, and said "Will you look into the mirror?" "What will I see?" asked Phindo. "Even the wisest cannot tell." Said Galindriel "For the mirror…shows many things…" She began to pour the water into the silver mirror. Then, Phindo went to look into it. At first, he saw his own reflection; but then, the image changed. It showed Carl, Beckham, and Baljolas from the platform in the woods, and it changed to show the Green Dragon Inn back in the Shire, just as cheery as ever. Suddenly, fires filled the picture, and Orcs lashed whips. Phindo gasped as he saw the image of the Shire in ruins and lines of Hobbits being whipped by Orcs to do work in a mill. Then, the Eye of Sauron filled the pool of water, and Phindo and the ring around his neck were pulled toward the water. Phindo jerked the ring back from the mirror and landed on his back in the grass. He looked up at Galindriel, who said to him "I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind. It is what will come to pass if you should fail. The Partnership is breaking: it has already begun. One by one, the ring will destroy them all." Phindo stood up and said silently "If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring." holding out the ring in his hand. Galindriel's eyes widened as she stared at the ring. "You offer it to me freely." She said in surprise "I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this." Her hand wavered over the ring, hesitating and quavering. Suddenly, her form began to change into a dark creature; her cloak ragged, her eyes hollowed out, her hair billowed out around her, and the glow around her changed to black and murky green. "In place of a Dark Lord, YOU WOULD HAVE A QUEEN!" she shouted, causing Phindo to back away in fear "NOT DARK, BUT BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN! TREACHEROUS AS THE SEA! STRONGER THAN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH! ALL SHALL LOVE ME, AND DESPAIR!" She lowered her voice as her form changed back to normal. "I pass the test!" she said joyfully "I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain Galindriel." As she began to walk away, Phindo said "I can't do this alone." She turned back to him and said "You are a Ring-bearer, Phindo. To bear a Ring of power is to be alone. This task was appointed to you, and if you don't find a way, no one will." Phindo looked into her eyes and said "Then I know what I must do. It's just…I'm afraid to do it." Galindriel looked down at Phindo and said "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."
*Doofenman Evil Dark To-ower*
Over at Isengard, Doofenman's tower rose through the plumes of dark, black smoke. Inside, Doofenman was talking with an Uruk-Hai leader. "Do you know how Orcs first came into being?" asked Doofenman, to the fully armored Uruk-Hai "They were Elves once, taken by the dark powers. Tortured and mutilated…a ruined and terrible form of life. And now…perfected: my fighting Uruk-Hai." He stopped pacing and turned to face his creation. "Whom do you serve?" he asked, undoubtedly knowing what his answer would be. "Doofenman!" the Uruk-Hai leader said with dignity and fierceness. Then, the Uruk-Hai were all fitted with armor and given weapons. Lastly, they received white handprints on their helmets and faces, signifying them as Doofenman's army. They were then assembled into a large cavern beneath a high balcony. Doofenman came out onto the balcony and shouted to the troops "Hunt them down! Do not stop until they are found. You do not know pain, you do not know fear. You will taste man-flesh!" The Uruk-Hai raised their weapons, shaking them, with a roar. Then, Doofenman turned to the Uruk-Hai leader and said "One of the Halflings carries something of great value. Bring them to me alive and unharmed. Kill the others!" The Uruk-Hai leader nodded in agreement, and then led a troop of Uruk-Hai out of Isengard in a long column. As Doofenman watched them go, he said to himself "Yeah…those Uruk-Hai…they're fierce and all, but…they don't travel real fast." He looked around at his empty chamber and said "Yeah…I've got some time."
I hope this long chapter made up for how long I've been gone.
Please R and, until next time,
Cronuts!
