I wrote part of this chapter in my mom's office. Free desk and free food? How could I pass up an opportunity like this?

ShoutOuts ~

xXChaoticOrderXx: If you want a shirtless Haldir, you will have one! Estimated shipping time varies between ten to fourteen days. Glad you enjoyed the fight scene with the Watcher! And Boromadi, what? Psh! :P

Same (Awesome) Guest: I added another part to your name. Oh man, I'm so happy you enjoyed the Watcher scene! And I'm excited you're reading the other stories. Let me know what you think of them? With Boromir, there was this quotation I read about how "Boromir was portrayed as men are, and Aragorn as men must be," (no idea who said it, but props to them) and I guess I can agree with that at some points, but Boromir always strove to be better, and he did have redeeming qualities. He trained Merry and Pippin, died protecting them, and deeply regretted going after Frodo for the ring. I mean, the ring is supposed to be manipulative, and Boromir had a lot of weakness, but I feel like a lot of them were out of his control. I mean, can you imagine him dealing with his dad? Sorry for the long response, just… Boromir feels, though.

thecrownlessagainshallbeking: I don't quite recall your name (I'd remember it, it's pretty cool), but welcome regardless! First of all, thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it! And… I don't know what you mean with Boromir. Nope. Not at all. Also, Madi's never been able to time travel, but she's going to meet someone very soon who can. Hope you like this chapter!

trollalalala: That totally counts as a comment, thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this fight scene!

Random Person 94: I don't know if the bite will give her anything, I mean, yeah, where has that mouth been? Even Madi doesn't know why the side-effects from kicking some kraken-ass didn't take over, she thinks it's because she died, and got brought back to life.

Kyoki no Megami: Uh… thank you? Sorry for the typos, I'm trying to write chapters, edit, and then post them as fast as I can because I usually don't have time to post at all. And Madi can't really do a lot to change anything, since that would ruin the plot of the story, so I understand how it seems like she's clueless. Can't win 'em all, I guess.

~ THEMESONGS ~

Dance Apocalyptic ~ Janelle Monaé

My Songs Know What You did in the Dark ~ Fall Out Boy

.M.I.W.

14. You Shall Not Pass

The cave troll was huge, clawing at anyone or anything in sight. It drug along a huge hammer behind it, sending Orcs sprawling whenever it didn't land a hit on anyone in the Fellowship.

An Orc came straight for me. I swept forward and clipped its side, letting Boromir follow through and decapitate it. I heard the sound of a Hobbit screaming, and looked up just as the cave troll cornered Sam, and tried to squish him under its massive foot.

"Sam!" I shouted, diving forward.

Aragorn looked up in time, and grabbed one of the chains used to guide the beast. He jerked it back, reeling the monster away. I rolled underneath the troll's legs, reaching out to defend Sam, but the troll already started for Aragorn.

One Orc scrambled towards us, licking its vicious teeth with a black, leathery tongue. He spat on my seraph blades, and a sneer curled the corners of his mouth.

I was taken aback.

I paused, straightening up from my battle position to look at my blades. Dark green saliva mixed with black Orc blood and dripped down my blades like they were water proof. Their light pulsed from bright to brighter. I then looked back up at the goblin, arching an eyebrow.

"Did you just spit on my swords?" I demanded.

The sneer started to fall.

I looked back at Sam, whose eyes were wide and frightened when he looked up at me. "Did he?"

Despite all the chaos rolling around us, Sam quirked a smile. "I think he did, Lady Madi."

"Yeah," I replied, focusing on the Orc again. "I think so too."

I started in on him, throwing out Metatron to defend the slash of his rusted sword and knock it out of the way. I stabbed into him with Sandalphon, twisting the blade and joining it with Metatron. The Orc let out a squeal of anguish, and I pulled out my swords and chopped off its head.

I glanced at Sam, flipping my swords the way I would for the kids in Ingary who used to call me the Light Fighter. "It's that easy," I told Sam.

He grinned at me and nodded, then went after Orcs with a renewed vigor.

I found the cave troll lumbering towards Aragorn, swinging its massive club about wildly, content with hitting anything that moved. He probably needed some assistance.

I raced for him, slinging my swords across another Orc's neck, and looked up just as Boromir got struck by the cave troll's club.

"No!" I shouted, just as the knight went sailing through the air, and crashed into a wall. I ran for him –

THUD!

An Orc toppled me over right next to the stone tomb, and I slammed into the hard dusty ground. I let out a guttural shout as it scrambled over me, the spikes of its armor poking into my arms and stomach and legs as it reached for its weapon.

"Dude, I'm flattered, really," I growled as I grabbed for my own swords. "But, really, can I get a hell no?"

I wriggled under its heavy stinking flesh, trying to get into a good position to stab it. The Orc made loud snorting noises, scratched the leathers against my arms –

Slink.

A metallic noise grated across the stone floor, and the Orc seemed to go even more ballistic. Oh God, it found a blade. I pushed harder against it, realizing how trapped I was. I went incredibly quiet as the Orc reared up with a rusty dirk in hand. It had my upper body pinned down, and I couldn't move.

CRASH!

I looked over just as the cave troll slammed its hammer into Balin's tomb as it tried to hit Gimli. A chunk of stone flew towards the Orc, landing heavily against its head. The Orc screeched in surprise and pain and faltered as it tipped to the side, giving me enough leverage to wrench Sandalphon out and into the Orc's chest. It dropped to the side, and I pulled myself up –

Only to be face-to-snout with a huge cave troll.

It puffed heavy breaths into my face, each one smelling fouler than the last. A mixture of saliva and blood dripped out of its mouth, and I found my body freezing in surprise.

"Well, now I'm at a loss for words," I finally said. "How did you not get the part for Thor?"

The cave troll roared at me, a nasty boarish-bearish sound, which made me realize I probably should start moving.

Two black arrows cut right into the beast's neck. It startled and pulled back, and I shot forward, landing a clean cut with both of my swords against its stomach. The troll howled in rage as I skidded between its tree-trunk legs and to the other side, sinking my blades into the neck of an Orc who lost balance.

It gave me time to look up and see something completely crazy.

The cave troll got smart, using its chain to whip against the higher ledges of the tomb, trying to strike down a tall, blond figure. Legolas jerked back from the chain's first hit, then looked up, an electric gleam in his eyes.

The troll struck again and again, missing the nimble elf as he dodged behind stone pillars. The troll let out an enraged snarl, and struck out again, this time wrapping the chain around a pillar.

Oh my God, Legolas was about to do the thing.

An Orc tried to bowl me over again, but I was far too gone to even try combat, letting the beast come to me so I could close-line it with my sword. I decapitated it with ease, my focus barely leaving Legolas's form.

The elf shot up the chain like a rat on a wire, gripping the troll's collar so he could get into a more stable position. He stood on the creature's shoulders, finding some sense of balance, and strung two arrows back. He fired right into the troll's head.

Of course, the arrow splintered and didn't penetrate the troll's armored head. Legolas dropped off of the troll's shoulders with the deftness of a cat, rising to his feet just in time to see me staring at him in total awe.

I grinned at him, and he sent me a smirk in return before shooting back into the fray.

"Frodo!" Aragorn called, his voice ringing out over the chaos of battle. I jerked around as if pulled on a string, focusing on Frodo hiding behind a pillar, staying out of the cave troll's sight.

I ran for him, finding Boromir hacking up Orcs close by like he was chopping vegetables for dinner. Just as he dispatched the closest one, I grabbed the sleeve of his tunic.

"Mind giving me a boost?" I asked, nodding to the troll.

Frodo suddenly screamed, and I looked up just as the beast had him pinned.

Boromir and I charged, stopping just behind the troll. It was too preoccupied to notice us, hefting its hammer like it was about to use it. I sheathed my swords just as Boromir dropped his shield and clasped his hands together, palms up. I stepped into them, and he hefted me up, giving me magnificent air. I clawed a grip onto the troll's scaly shoulders, making the creature give a howl of surprise. It reeled back, giving me enough leverage to climb up onto its neck and wrap my legs as best I could around it. I then pulled out Metatron, and swept out, tearing a fine line into its throat.

The troll bellowed again, reaching up to swat me off. A heavy weight slammed into my back, knocking the wind out of me, and clutched around my torso. I didn't even have a chance to scream as it threw me across the room like I was a rag doll.

I slammed into the ground, knocking my head against Balin's tomb.

SLAM!

The vibrating earth, something akin to a miniature earthquake, startled me awake. A huge, gray spinning mottled mess greeted me, as well as the sounds of someone shouting. I blinked past it, shaking my head in an attempt to clear it, and found the mess configured into the shape of a dead cave troll lying to my right. Dark blood pooled out on the floor around its neck, where a light colored arrow stuck out. I frowned, squinting to get a better look –

"Madi? Madi!"

Warm hands brushed against my shoulders and arms, and I looked to the left, finding a strawberry blond grinning down at me. His dark green eyes, though tired, shone in relief, and a small smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

"I swear," I mumbled, "I thought it was a good idea."

Boromir chuckled warmly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me to sit up, letting me lean against him. I struggled to wake up, knowing how much we still had to do, forcing myself to sit up on my own –

"Frodo!" Aragorn hissed, his voice echoing across the empty chamber.

I tried to pull myself up, but my head thrummed in agony, making tears prick at my eyes. Boromir tightened his hold on me, and through all the minor cuts and aches, it felt pretty good.

But Frodo wasn't pretty good, and that mattered a little bit more than Boromir at the moment.

I pulled myself up to my feet, my legs unsteady and my stomach swirling. I felt like I had a concussion. Great, third fight out and I already had my first major injury? Not cool. Not cool.

My legs began to give out on me, and I leaned against Boromir, who still knelt on the ground. He let me, not saying a word, as he focused on Aragorn rolling Frodo onto his back.

For a split-second, the Hobbit looked dead. Fear and dread hit me hard and fast before anything else, and I gripped Boromir's shoulder for support. The knight reached up and held my hand to him, squeezing it with his much larger one.

A sharp, wheezing gasp cut through the thick silence, bringing a startled laugh out of Gandalf. I heard a relieved cry (which I later realized was me) as I lurched forward. I ended up losing balance, and let myself drop down on my knees, not even caring about the pain shooting through my legs at the impact. I shoved my fingers through my disheveled hair and pressed them into my scalp, trying to focus on a moment of clarity. I didn't get him killed. He was all right.

Boromir came up beside me, resting gentle hands on my shoulders as he whispered things my hearing was too muddled to register.

"I'm… I'm all right," Frodo said as I watched him pull himself up. "I'm not hurt."

Not hurt. He was all right.

Aragorn pulled away from Frodo as though he were diseased. "You should be dead," he said. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar!"

"I believe there's more to this than what meets the eye," Gandalf interceded, shuffling up to Frodo.

The Hobbit slowly unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled it aside to reveal pearly, shining chest armor. Realization hit me immediately. Of course he wasn't dead, he was wearing –

"Mithril," Gimli exclaimed. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins."

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The deep drums echoed through the Mines of Moria once more. I straightened myself up, using Boromir's arm to stay upright. The dizziness started subsiding, but my head still ached. I could fight through that, though, easy. I had this. I totally had this.

I reached down to pick up Metatron, and sheathed him. I gently pulled my hair out of its ponytail and redid it. Having my hair fully out of my face cleared a few things up a bit, and I looked at Gandalf.

"We must make for the bridge of Khazad-dum," he ordered.

.M.I.W.

We tore through the pitch black caverns of Moria once again, my swords and Gandalf's staff lighting the way. The screeches, yips, and howls of Orcs proved they were hot on our trail, and everyone seemed gravely determined to get out of this alive.

I, on the other hand, was practically vibrating in excitement. I could hardly contain myself! This was what I was here for! Middle Earth, kicking ass, taking names, slaying a Balrog! My life was coming full circle! This was the best decision I'd ever made in my life –

"Something amusing you, Miss Verdantia?" Legolas asked as he kept pace beside me.

I tried to hide the smile on my face. "Um… No, of course not –"

An Orc tried to fight through our small patrol, and I quickly cut it off with a smart flick of my swords. I pointed my swords towards the darkness beside us, finding an army swarming around us and above us, their creepy dark forms crawling across the ceiling. How the hell could they do that?

Then they closed in around us.

I was too distracted by the way these Orcs were moving to even realize it, and I skidded to a stop a little too late, slamming right into Legolas. My head jarred at the impact, buzzing through my ears as the elf forced me still. I whirled on the Orcs, finding us completely isolated in a sea of evil, yellow-eyed demons.

The Fellowship made quick work of forcing the Hobbits inside of a defensive circle, and squeezed me right between Legolas and Gimli. The dwarf barred his axes in front of him with a throaty snarl, while Legolas looked on with an icy calm expression on his face. An Orc a few feet away and closing in barked at me, while I glared at it.

"All right, you take the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right, and I'll shoot straight down the middle," I said, flipping my swords. The dwarf and elf didn't say a word to acknowledge me, but when I glanced at Gimli, I saw determination in his eyes that hadn't been there a few seconds before.

The things chortled and whinnied in our faces, and I wanted to swipe out hard and fast just to get the suspense over with.

And then it happened.

A low, barreling, deep, deafening roar seemed to rise up out of the ground. I felt my breath hitch in my throat as powerful fiery sparks licked up and down my back as excitement unfurled in my stomach and stretched outward, making me want to shoot through the mess of Orcs and find whatever made that noise.

The silence that followed that roar was deafening.

The Orcs then started making confused, chattering noises as low growling continued. I gripped my swords tighter, and saw bright, orange flickering lights dancing at the end of the huge hall we'd just raced down.

Another roar rolled down the hall, turning the confused chatter into cries of panic. The Orcs scattered like they were cockroaches and someone turned a light on, sprinting back into the darkness or crawling up the pillars. Gimli, confused, watched the scene with thick eyebrows drawn almost over his eyes.

The light at the end of the hall grew brighter, and a tremendous snarl accompanied it. "What's all this then?" The dwarf demanded.

Legloas strung an arrow to his bow and set it for the end of the hall, and I jumped right up at his side, holding my swords steady.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked, breaking the silence in a low voice. I glanced back to see him close to Gandalf, his question hanging in the air as the snarling continued.

Gandalf closed his eyes and bowed his head, as if in great sorrow.

"A demon," I answered. All heads of the Fellowship (save for Gandalf's) turned to me as if yanked by a string. I looked nervously between them all, then back down the hall. "You asked me what I've fought before. This… this is it."

A broken growl echoed through Moria, hitting me deep in my bones. The light grew brighter and longer as it started to stretch down the hall, bringing a dry, stiff breeze with it.

"The Balrog. It is of the ancient world," Gandalf said, his voice just as low and grave as the Balrog's growl. "This foe is beyond any of you, even master hunters such as yourself, Miss Verdantia. Run!"

The Fellowship turned tail and ran. I spared one last look at the end of the hall, seeing it grow brighter and brighter, but ended up turning around and following everyone else.

We passed through a narrow doorway, Gandalf waiting by its entrance to make sure everyone made it through. I skidded to a stop, my boots sliding on the dusty ground just as Aragorn made it through. I stopped in front of Gandalf, peering up at him experimentally.

"How do you know I'm a hunter?" I shouted above the Balrog's snarls. More hot air buffeted past us, causing me to break a sweat. The wizard looked down at me with an ancient weariness in his eyes, looking both physically and mentally worn. I gripped my swords tighter. "Answer me!"

"Gandalf! Madi!" Aragorn called, stepping between us. His slate gray eyes flickered between us, brows drawing together in concern.

"Lead them on, Aragorn," Gandalf commanded, his leathery voice cracking under strain. "The bridge is near."

Aragorn took a step closer to us, but Gandalf grabbed his arm and shoved him away roughly. "Do as I say!" He ordered, stumbling down the steps. "Swords are of no more use here."

I followed Gandalf down some of the steps, but followed Legolas's lead in flipping over the flight in order to scout ahead. I realized I would never get an answer from Gandalf the Gray, and soldiered on.

We started running down a spiraling, steep stone staircase. There weren't any handrails, and the rock felt like it would crumble underneath us any second. I tried not to look down as my stomach leapt around in furious flips.

Then I noticed the huge chunk that got taken out of the stairway, and I groaned at the fact we were going to have to jump that distance. I shoved my swords into their scabbards as Legolas made the first leap over.

He landed with the same deftness expected from a deer in the woods. He spun around, quick blue eyes scanning the group. Then focused on me. "Madi," he decided.

I glared at him, but waved my hand behind me. "Get out of the way," I commanded, just as Aragorn tried to put his hands on my shoulders. "I've got it."

I nearly tripped down the small set of stairs that led me to a very long, long fall, and leapt. I jumped over the chasm (which yes, was bigger than it seemed), and any swear or epic scream I had was lodged into my throat as zero-gravity kicked in –

Two warm, nimble hands snatched me right out of the air, and I slammed into a lithely muscular body. I clung to Legolas's shoulders as he made sure my feet touched the ground. By God, that dude still smelled like the forest even though we spent four days in freaking caves. His hands were hard on my waist until he had to pull away, blue eyes giving me a quick onceover.

A loud rumble shook the earth, followed by a dark growl. I looked up in surprise to see the doorway we passed through to get to the stairwell begin to bulge, orange glowing lines appearing between the stone's cracks and hot dust clouded up in the air.

I pulled out my swords, giving a quick nod to Legolas in thanks. He did so in return, and looked up just as Gandalf leapt onto our side of the stairway.

Shwip!

An arrow glinted in the corner of my eye, and I spun around and deflected it by spinning both of my seraphs. The arrow shattered against my blades with a sharp clink! and I heard an Orc yelp in rage.

"What assholes," I said as I turned to look in the direction the arrow had come. Through the darkness in the gloom, I could see the shape of several Orc archers make their positions on high outcroppings of rock far away.

Another arrow darted out, ricocheting off the stone just between the Hobbits' feet. I pulled up my swords just before another one could hit Legolas and splintered it before it could make its mark.

The elf stood beside me, his body brushing against mine as he strung an arrow and fired, hitting one Orc right between the eyes. "Nice shot," I told him.

"Nice block," he returned, before turning around to steady Boromir as he held both Pippin and Merry on the jump over.

Did Legolas just give me a compliment?

I looked back at the stairs as part of the stairway ahead crumbled under where Boromir jumped. Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, and Gimli still stood on the stair, causing my panic to spike.

Another Orc fired an arrow, and I spun around to block it. I managed to cut the arrow apart, but the tip flew between my blades –

"Shit!" I gasped, grabbing at my arm. My gear had a fine tear in it, showing off the long scratch from the arrow's point as it grazed my arm. Blood welled up from the wound, and I cursed again.

"Are you hurt?" Legolas demanded after killing the Orc that hit me. He grabbed my upper arm and pulled it closer to him to inspect the minute injury.

"I'm all right," I said weakly, focusing on Aragorn shoving Sam at Boromir. The knight caught the Hobbit with ease, and set him to stand near me.

Aragorn reached for Gimli, but the dwarf bridled as if Aragorn insulted him. "No one tosses a dwarf!" He exclaimed.

"For God's sake, just jump!" I shouted, making Gimli spring into action. He hopped off the stair and for us, but landed short. Legolas surged forward and grabbed Gimli by his beard, making me wince in sympathy pain.

Then I saw the stairwell Aragorn and Frodo standing on begin to crumble, and I lurched towards them, but Boromir grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. "Let me go!" I snapped at him. "I can make it!"

"You would not be helping them," Boromir said.

"I said I would protect him," I answered, but the next string of words I had were lodged in my throat as I heard the Balrog snarl again, and bust at the wall.

This hit was strong, and it shook the entire cavern, causing rocks to fall down from the ceiling and… break another section of the stairwell.

The rest of the Fellowship flinched back as the massive boulder broke through the stone, but I stayed steady, raising my swords. They brightened as if they were a lighthouse bringing in boats during a storm.

The stairwell's foundation crumbled beneath them, and the whole thing tilted dangerously to the right. But Aragorn controlled the situation, bringing it back on course, and then he and Frodo leaned forward, driving the stairwell into ours.

I stowed my swords in time as Boromir shoved me back to catch Frodo while Legolas caught Aragorn. I nearly tripped down the rest of the stairs, but caught balance just as the rest of the Fellowship started running again.

We raced down two more sets of stairs, my legs burning more than they had in their entire life. The mines here were becoming an inferno, fire sprouting from the ground and licking up the pillars. The heat was becoming unbearable in my clothes, and smoke started choking out my lungs. I was forced to bring the collar of my shirt over my nose and mouth so I could focus.

But the bridge was in sight, and everyone was gunning for it. Gandalf paused to make sure everyone could file across it. "Over the bridge!" He shouted. "Fly!"

I was about to join them, until I realized I was missing something incredibly crucial.

Moria was made entirely of stone. In the whole time I'd been here, I hadn't seen a plant or moss, or even water. How the hell could stone catch on fire?

I stopped just after I passed Gandalf, and spun around. The flames around us grew higher and higher, the smoke billowing out, morphing and condensing into something vaguely human-shaped and forty-feet tall. Two bright, orange eyes peered out at us, and a long snap of flame that illuminated the silhouette of two huge bat-like wings. The beast dropped to the ground on all fours, showing off a head decorated with two curled ram's horns.

It gave us a wary look, then opened its gaping jaws and bellowed a strange, rasping sound that could only be described as a blazing fire. It vibrated me to my core, and my eyes widened at the sight.

Balrog.

With the roar, it began to charge, making Gandalf turn around. He gave me a look of uncontained fury. "Run!" He shouted at me. "Run, you fool! Can you see now it is undefeatable? Can you?"

I started running, pulling out both of my seraph blades. They glowed dimly under my hands, but didn't brighten up to full power. I glanced back as the beast lumbered towards us, its hulking, massive frame slumped forward under the confines of the ceiling. Its bright eyes flickered and its body produced enough light that we could see the way across the bridge.

The Fellowship filed across the narrow bridge, and I made sure I was second-to-last in front of Gandalf. I slowed down a little, feeling Gandalf pushing at my shoulders.

"Go, you forsaken child, go!" He ordered, but I spun around.

"You're going to try and stop that thing, and I'm going to tell you right now you need protection!" I shouted. "If you think I'm just going to sit by and let you kill yourself out here, you've got another thing coming!"

I heard the Balrog approach, with its strange bellowing growl and thundering steps. I peered over Gandalf's shoulders, finding the beast coming to meet us.

"You know what I can do!" I went on. "I don't know how you do, but you do! You know I can help, so just let me! When I promised to protect Frodo, I promised to protect everyone else too. And that includes you."

The wizard didn't force me to leave, or just didn't have the patience left to argue with me. He turned around, and faced the Balrog with me flanking his side.

.M.I.W.

It's demon-fighting time! I'm so excited!

Sorry I keep leaving you guys on cliff-hangers like this, really. I just can't stand the idea of putting the cave troll with the Balrog, you know? I feel like I wouldn't be doing this bro any justice. I mean, Madi's in this story for the Balrog, we've been jonsing for it since chapter eight, so it only makes sense he premiers our next chapter.

You guys ready for it?