Author's Note: Well… hello guys. It's been… sometime, huh? Well then, you got a chapter now AND an announcement. This Christmas, you get Christmas special… But I need to be OUT of Middle-earth to do so, right? You know what that means! ACTUAL. WEEKLY. CHAPTERS! So, let's get to it.
Normalcy? Extremely Overrated
Part 3: Into Darkness
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Most Legendary of Fellowships
?'s PoV:
I walked down dark hallways of this damn prison for the untempt time in my life. I despise everything that has ever taken a single step into this facility. Trash. Utter trash. Each and every single thing behind these impenetrable cells was nothing but poison. The very reason I'm on this crusade. The only reason I have to subject myself to this. The sole vexation of humanity's perfection. And yet, ironically, this poison had to be used to cure the disease. Irony at its finest. Humanity works just like the body of their own. Too much poison, it dies. The right amount of poison? Makes you immune to it.
"Sir, we have a situation," I heard one of my grunts inform me. It was to be expected, I brought only the expendable ones. It was too dangerous to have someone valuable next to that… person.
Desperate times called for desperate measures, and with that new group, that Organization floating around, the last thing I could afford was losing the key to winning this war to them. I needed her. And I needed them to NOT have her.
"I knew we would. How many?" I questioned him. He just stared blankly at me, wondering how I knew how this would end up in death, but he wised up fast. He'd better.
"Sir, only me and John lived…" he said, gulping as I took my cigarette and lit it up.
"I'm honestly surprised he let another one live," I replied as I continued to walk down the hall.
"H-he said he was funny… John wet himself, that's why…" Ironic. Still, good to know I have one more pair of hands available.
When we arrived at the single cell which had been opened. This was one of the most well protected cells. Its entrance wasn't a door, no, that would be too easy. Instead, a laser field was deployed at the exit, one that would turn any being into ash in mere seconds. Ironically , one of my designs, it was easy to tamper with it, even while not in the facility itself. Still, looking inside I saw what would make a normal man vomit. Three broken necks, two sliced ones and I'm sure the last person had a paintbrush in his eye. Inside the cell with the dead bodies was merely a makeup box splattered in blood.
"So… you did all of this with a box of makeup? You do a fine job living up to your reputation, don't you now?" I asked as I turned around to meet my would be assailant in the eyes. As I expected, there he was, knife held up and ready to plunge it in what he thought to be an unsuspecting sheep. Well, this is only sheep's clothing.
"Well whadaya know… I never expected to see YOU here!" the thing I was supposed to help get out said, laughing heartily in a cacophony of madness. "Good to know I got myself all prepped up! Do I look good enough for you, big shot? I'd hate to lose this interview just because I wasn't ready!" were it anyone else, I'd be surprised he had taken the time to put his makeup on before escaping… but I wasn't. Not at him. His hair was green, his makeup white in his entire face but his black eyes, and his larger than death smile was the color of blood, red.
"You! Where's John? He was supposed to keep you in check!" my grunt shouted, his ignorance astounding even me. It was obvious.
*Cue: "Carol of the Bells" Arkham Origins OST*
"Oh, that guy? I told him "do it again" , but he was too scared to do it. Can you believe it? Too scared to piss your pants! As funny as that was, it wore off. Soooo I shot him in the face with his gun. Three times actually. One for him and one for every kid he claimed to have. Told him it'd be taking the bullets for the kids… I lied," he said, erupting in laughter yet again, any rhyme or reason far gone from his voice.
"You monster!" I heard the disposable shout, reaching for his gun.
"Do not shoot if you care about your relatives," I told him. He looked at me shocked, like he didn't know why I was protecting this… "man".
"B-but sir-"
"We need him BECAUSE he's a monster!" I told him, pushing him back and standing between him and the one I was trying to protect as he clutched to his stomach, rolling on the floor laughing.
"Couldn't have said it better myself! Why would you be here of all places if you didn't need a monster?! And let me tell you, you've come to the right place if you needed one! Let me tell you , I'm a monster extraordinaire! Here's my card… oh wait, they took it from me! We'll just shake hands, shall we?" he exclaimed, jumping back to his feet and extending his hand to me.
I, of course, grabbed his wrist and made it turn his hand upwards, finding a modified joy buzzer on his palm.
"You really thought you'd catch me with that? Reputation has its ups and downs, Joker," I told him, non-surprisingly seeing his face light up.
"Oho! So you're not like the others! Good, I thought your time at SOLDIER had softened you up! So… why are you here? I'm all ears!" he shouted, running back into his jail cell, kicking his chair back up and sitting on it with his head leaning on his hand.
"Onto business, I agree. I have a proposition… one that may benefit us both," I told him, taking in the smoke.
"Wow! You were actually thinking of my well-"
"You'd betray me if I didn't. You're likely to do so regardless," I snapped back.
"You continue to amaze me! Okay then, let's hear it!" He exclaimed, pulling out the brush from one of the men, complete with the eyeball and fidgeting with it.
"I need you to… acquire something I need so I may carry on with my plans," I could see his face darken as he lost interest.
"A heist…? Well that's boring. No thanks,"
"I'm sorry, let me rephrase it. I need you to acquire someONE," that was enough to rile him up. Even more so when I pulled out a picture of the subject in question.
"HER? Wow, you're really betraying your old buddy there, aren't you? What would he think if he saw you now?" he asked, the question doing more damage than I believed it would. This was not the time for doubts.
"Will you do it? Do this and you can walk away freely with no catches. You get her, you get your freedom… and something extra to get your operations turning again," he suddenly made a very exaggerated face in order to show doubt. Before he could even say anything more, I added. "This would draw a lot of attention…" And sure enough, he smiled.
"And attention means Batsy and Bird Boy…" he hummed, quickly nodding. "Alright, I'm in! Just tell me where they are!" I smiled and handed him a small device.
"This tracker will lead you to her little group, she's not one to walk alone," he looked at me with disturbingly hopeful eyes. "Don't worry, they are all expendable, except for one," I told him, holding up my finger.
"One? Which one are you talking about? I'd expect you to say three really," he replied, but I shook my head. The other two were already past acceptance. I'd just make more.
"The feisty one," I simply told him and I was slightly disturbed at how he instantly knew who I was talking about. He really knew too much about everyone.
"Well then… I'm going to need some men, a new pair of clothes, some money to set the show up aaaand… I know! One of your genetic playthings," Truly, too much.
"I was going to do so in any case, even more so, you'll not even need the men when you understand what I'm handing to you," I said as his eyes tingled with excitement.
"Alright! Count me in blondie! Hi-five?!" I stared him down intensely before he said "Oops, almost killed you there!" he removed the deadly joy buzzer and extended his hand again.
Disgusting as it was, I took it and we shook hands.
"Well then, let's go! If we hurry up, I'll have her as your Christmas present!" he exclaimed as he walked away.
"Wouldn't that be something?" I mused, following him into the darkness.
Roxas' PoV (Get used to this boys and girls. I gotta make up.):
It's been two weeks ever since I fell into this strange city of Rivendell. Strange not to a fault though, once me and Naminé first fell into this city, we thought it was paradise until proven otherwise. And who wouldn't? The city was… so different from anything we'd seen so far.
It was amazingly beautiful, to the point where, if I told anyone of this, they'd just think I was going on about a fairy tale. The city was all built on a lush, forested mountainside, the trees and the houses seemingly merging as one into the elven city. The houses, most of them made out of the same, pure white mahogany of the forest blended nature with civilization, as did the numerous small lakes the elves had constructed all around the city, the reflection of the water giving the city an otherworldly splendor. Walkways and steps of marble only further marveled the eyes, all inscribed with various figures and even Elvish letters, reminders of ages past. All houses I had seen seemed more of a tribute to culture than anything else, with various scrolls, documents and paintings. Maybe because the elves lived so long they needed a reminder of all their lives.
And the inhabitants? Well I consider myself a not-so-shabby guy and I do trust my girlfriend, but the elves here are so perfect, almost too perfect, to the point I'd get jealous and wary at seeing Naminé talk to WOMEN.
Still, we aren't here to embark on a sightseeing trip, as much as you and I'd love it. Let's go onto what led me and Naminé up to this day. When we woke up, we were greeted by the elves' unending hospitality. They heard our plight and Elrond suggested we waited for Gandalf here. Seeing as we actually knew Gandalf, this was a no-brainer and we accepted.
At first, we thought of just relaxing and taking in the sights, but after three days of exploration, our minds won against our hearts. We were not out of the bag yet. We were still in the Realm of Darkness, alone, with no directions home even if we left this world. We needed to get stronger.
I, for once, had it easier than Naminé. This world's complete lack of usable mana for the most part made it so her biggest qualities in battle just vanished. She still relished the chance to train her spear and relentlessly fought against the combat instructor over and over again till she was at least giving the elf a reason to use more than his hands, no small feat for a human.
On a side note, her drive is kinda hot.
ANYWAY, as I said, while I was really no match for elves, I found my biggest weakness. Footwork. It made sense, Frimelda was too busy making me actually able to wield the blade that the movement took less precedence. Considering how the elves are just legendary for their nimbleness, I couldn't have asked for better teachers really… I even got a sparring partner a week in. Shin and Terra came with the very same Gandalf we were looking for. Terra looked a mess though, and the other two weren't much better. We were told what had just happened and I could only hope for Sora and the others to be alright. Still, Shin proved to be a boon as we sparred together unlike me doing so with the elves.
Even then, there was a lack of spark in his eyes, and it took me a time to realize Caelum wasn't there with him. He looked at that drake as his baby… again, I could only wish.
And then…
"Truly a show of mastery, Sir Roxas!" Agni exclaimed as me and Shin walked back from the garden.
"Aye! Worthy of Master Dante if I do say so myself!" Rudra agreed, as always. These two tried their best to be nice, but still, they were kinda annoying.
"I still lost to you two," I told them with a sigh. Shin proceeded to knock me on the head and point.
"No time for brooding, is that who I think it is?" He told me, and I followed his finger. Then I saw it, two elves carrying Naminé's sister as a small man and Nam herself rushed by their side, Gandalf and Elrond pacing quickly behind them all. They entered a guest's bedroom with Kairi and closed the door behind them, leaving Naminé and the small man behind.
"It is only common courtesy to let our Lord chose his company. Your companion is in dire condition, but she may be saved. If I may suggest, you should recollect on the happenings and go and welcome your companions as they arrive," he told us. We slowly nodded, not wanting to go against the ones that gave us a roof to live beneath.
We took the shaken Hobbit Frodo, as he called himself and started going down the winding, timeless paths of Rivendell as he told his tale, his voice trembling and remorseful.
"You did your best," Naminé assured as he finished the story.
"My best was not enough… I am the Ring Bearer, yet the one suffering isn't me, but a child," he said, sighing and pacing faster as towards the valley. Minutes later, rushing up the stairs, we saw a company of people, three Hobbits, an adult human and my brother. Of course, I rushed to him, calling his name.
"Sora! I'm so glad you're okay!" I told him, giving him a quick hug before breaking apart.
"Frodo told me most of what happened. You sure you should be straining yourself more?" I asked him, seeing in his face, sweat trickling down. He had rushed to Rivendell, I could see.
"I… I gotta get to Kairi!" Sora exclaimed, trying to push through me. "I-it was my fault!" he shouted, finally pushing me to the side and rushing towards the top of the staircase. It was there that he was met with the man himself.
"Sora, calm yourself. Kairi is being treated by Elrond as we speak, there is nothing you can do or worry about. She should be fine in a couple of days, until then, take a deep breath and enjoy Rivendell, for very little humans were ever fortunate enough to see the halls of Rivendell," he explained, his voice so serene it could bring out reason even in my rock-headed brother. Impressive.
"Is… is she gonna be alright?" Sora asked Gandalf, who smiled reassuringly.
"There is no one better suited for the task than Elrond, she is in good hands,"
Notice how he never said she was safe.
Still, that was enough to have Sora shut up and nod slowly. He was escorted to his quarters and that was the last I saw of him that day. Still, I have to admit, showing the Hobbits around Rivendell was fun. Pippin and Merry were quite the happy bunch. Reminded me of Sora in a way…
A day passed and the usual time for training was approaching. Shin had stayed behind due to needing to "feed" Terra, whatever that meant, so I and Naminé were left to blade-dance on the garden. Or were we?
"Roxas," I heard my brother call from the back. I turned to see Sora coming towards me, Keyblade in hand and a look of determination and seriousness that I hardly ever saw on him.
"Spar with me. I have to get better,"
"And why would that be?" I teased, winking at Naminé, who couldn't help but giggle at it.
"Because… because Kairi only got stabbed trying to protect me. I need to get strong to get even," he said, cliché and predictable. Wouldn't be Sora without it.
"Do you really think you can PROTECT my sister?" Naminé questioned, taking from me in the teasing of Sora. He started scratching the back of his head, as if he hadn't thought as far into it.
"Well… I can at least help her, if not straight up protect her. She IS pretty strong," he replied with one of the smiles I thought were going to be hidden for a lot more time.
"Alright then, let's go!" I shouted, rushing at my brother.
Days passed, we four trained and shared our stories with detail, always wondering what had happened to the rest of our dorm and Yen Sid's apprentices. Until the fourth day.
"It is done," I heard Gandalf say, slowly awakening to the elder's voice.
"Just five more minutes Roxas…" Sora moaned, ignoring all counselling to get up to the point where Gandalf whacked him with his staff. "OW! What's your pro-"
"Kairi has been healed by Elrond. I think you may want to see-"And Sora was off. "Her… Well now, Bilbo seems as calm as Galadriel when compared to this boy," mused the Gray Wizard, following Sora, like I did.
When we arrived, we saw Elrond, the lord of the elves , looming over a pale, bandaged and weakened Kairi. She was sitting on the bed, talking to him as Sora had frozen stiff at the sight of Elrond. As he should. The elves' respect really did much to hype up the Lord of Rivendell.
"I have removed the shard from the blade from your body, your heart is safe from turning into a Wraith's… however, and the wound shall stay, one that extends from your torso to your heart. It will never heal, it will never be cured, its pain will only decrease. You shall feel the aftermath of the blade for the rest of your life, yet, you should be glad you still have one to call yours," Elrond explained solemnly, a wave of bittersweet feelings coming through our hearts.
To know Kairi would live was amazing, but the last thing she needed was another flaw connected to her heart. Still, true to form, Kairi nodded with not a whimper, accepting her fate immediately.
"I owe you my life, Lord of Rivendell… I cannot thank you enough," she told Elrond, nodding before turning to Sora. "Sora, don't," she said just as he opened his mouth. "You would've done the same for me three times over, so let's just let it die down," she told Sora, shocking him on the spot by SMILING. "You're rubbing off on me too much, don't you think?"
"Oh, just get a room already!" I completely didn't expect that voice to come. "This is convenient, ain't it?" Mika asked as she and her fellow apprentices stood in the door, accompanied by a small, rugged and bearded man.
"Mika? How did you get here?" I asked.
"Well, it's pretty simple. We fell in a place called Erebor. While we tried our best to camouflage ourselves…"
"Liar," Luriel accused immediately.
"I DID! I just suck at it!" Mika whined before continuing. "Anyway, we were sent to the King of Dwarves and I managed to mention Gandalf before we were axed. He decided that we should just travel with Gimli over here to Rivendell to meet Gandalf himself. We get along just fine, don't we Gim?" Mika asked as she put her hand around Gimli's shoulder. The Dwarf laughed and admitted.
"She is quite the tempest. Always good for a laugh. Unlike a certain someone else," Gimli snorted, batting Jack in the back.
"We're not the only ones. We saw that Aqua, Terra and Zack arrived with a male elf named Legolas on the way here, they were leading Terra to get treatment for a fever before coming to see you Kairi," Jack added, Mika blaring:
"WAIT! That was a GUY?! How do the women look like then?!" words cannot describe how much Gimli laughed at that statement. He laughed, wheezed and nearly fainted for lack of air. I would've laughed too… but Elrond was kinda in the room.
"Well then, it is good to know that the son of Thranduil has arrived. I should go and welcome him. Rest for now, there is a council some of you will attend," he told everyone, crossing Frodo on the way out. "Especially you, one who bears the Ring," added the Lord of Rivendell before leaving.
"I was told Kairi had woken up," Frodo said, pacing to Kairi as fast as he could. "I am so sorry child…"
"Frodo, Sora had more to deal with it than you and I hold no grudge so stop making a martyr of yourself," Kairi told him.
"The Riders were there after the One Ring. It is because you came with me that you were nearly turned into one of them," Frodo countered, he was obviously not used to conflict if he was still that shaken up from the event.
"Look, we needed to get to Gandalf. You helped us do that, we helped you back. That's that, the rest is history," Kairi finished, turning her head and slithering back into her bed. "Now go and eat or something, I'm really tired," Kairi would seem just mean to anyone on the outside, but I knew this was just her way to deal with stuff. Frodo seemed to accept it at least.
"C'mon Hobbit, show me the way to some mead!" Gimli exclaimed, forcefully grabbing Frodo and pulling him into the outside of the hut.
"Oh, by the way, is lizard boy around? I have some business with him," it took me a moment to realize who she was talking about.
"Shin's on the top floor of the house next to this, he's just feeding Terra," Nam explained, offering to show them the path. We took it because, well, we did have to tell him how only Riku and Xion were missing now. When we arrived Shin was removing his finger from Terra's teeth, something that created a smile so massive in Mika that I was scared.
"I bet you were wishing she suckled someplace el-"
"MIKA! T!" Jack reprimanded.
"Tsk, fine. Hey, Shino, I got something that belongs to you. You better thank me, the dwarves nearly had my head for protecting this sucker," Mika explained, whistling. Seconds later, a very familiar flap announced the arrival of the baby Silver Rathalos. Caelum wasted no time in shooting through the window and into Shin's chest, tackling him to the ground. "Apparently dwarves have a reaaaaaaaaally big bone to pick with dragons,"
"But Cae's a wyvern," Terra pointed out, probably noticing, like how I did, that Caelum was EASILY twice as big now. Shin had told me about growth spurts, but this was a bit ridiculous.
"Tell that to them," Luriel replied, rolling her eyes. "Wait a minute, is that…"
"Riku!" Sora exclaimed, literally jumping out the window. Sure enough, there were two horses arriving at Rivendell. Riku riding the horse Xion commanded, being accompanied by a normal human for once, he wasn't even outrageously tall like Strider was.
And so, our group was together again at last. The sun was setting by then, meaning it was high time for dinner. Much to Sora's delight.
We talked about how everything had been in the trip and, much to my surprise, only Sora and Shin's group had had any troubles on the voyage. Unlucky bastards. Well then, I do think you guys don't need me to repeat it, do you? Well then, into the future we go!
The next day:
"So, Roxas, any idea what we do today?" Sora asked me as we wandered through the halls of Rivendell.
"Gandalf told me to go find him, so I guess we should," I replied, Sora nodding. By the time we saw Gandalf though, we saw he wasn't alone. "Let's wait until he's free," I suggested.
"His will is still unshaken," Elrond commented, looking down from his balcony into Frodo and Sam.
"You know you are wrong Elrond, the Ring still bears down on him," the gray wizard replied.
"And yet to have come so far, still bearing the Ring, the hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to its evil," Elrond pointed out, Gandalf sighing but nodding.
"It is a burden he should never have had to bear. We can ask no more of Frodo," Gandalf told Elrond.
"Gandalf, the enemy is moving. Sauron's forces are massing in the east — his eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman you tell me has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin," Elrond's tone had completely shifted, it was dark, foreboding.
"His treachery runs deeper than you know. By foul craft Saruman has crossed Orcs with goblin-men, he's breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight and cover great distance at speed. Saruman is coming for the Ring," for once, the Lord of Rivendell seemed surprised.
"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves. We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard!" he exclaimed, clearly disturbed at the news. Sora and I had no idea it was so severe. "Gandalf, the Ring cannot stay here. This peril belongs to all Middle-earth. They must decide now how to end it. The time of the Elves is over — my people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we've gone? The Dwarves?" There was disdain in his voice, not disgust, but still… "They hide in their mountains seeking riches — they care nothing for the troubles of others."
"It is in Men that we must place our hope." Gandalf said with a security Elrond seemed… disgusted at.
"Men? Men are weak," he said, turning his back and pacing back into the house. We looked at each other and decided to follow. This was too juicy to let go of.
"The race of Men is failing. The blood of Númenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of Men the Ring survives. I was there Gandalf. I was there three thousand years ago…"
You know what time it is… FLAAAAAAAAASHBACK!
Narrator:
"… when Isildur took the Ring. I was there the day the strength of Men failed." Isildur's ghostly voice said as we watched the Battle of the Last Alliance rage on, humans, elves and orcs slaughtering each other in a carnival of blood and death. It was then, by Elendil's corpse, Isildur cut off Sauron's hand, severing his connection with the One Ring. Elrond saw this and quickly rushed towards Isildur.
"Isildur — hurry. Follow me!" he shouted, leading the heir into Mount Doom.
"I led Isildur into the heart of Mount Doom, where the Ring was forged, the one place it could be destroyed."
"Cast it into the fire!" Elrond roared as he looked down on the magma of Mount Doom. Isildur however, started staring down at the ring, whispers filling his mind. "Destroy it!" Elrond ordered.
"No," whispered Isildur.
"Isildur!" Elrond shouted as he saw Isildur turn his back on righteousness and Elrond in one swift movement, leaving the volcano and throwing the only chance there was to destroy the Ring.
"It should've ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure."
End of Flashback.
Roxas' PoV:
"Isildur kept the Ring. The line of kings is broken. There is no strength left in the world of Men. They're scattered, divided, leaderless," he said, the disgust of Isildur still tainting his voice.
"There is one who could unite them, one who could reclaim the throne of Gondor," Gandalf pointed out, to no avail.
"He turned from that path long time ago. He has chosen exile," Elrond replied, preparing to leave. "the council is soon, I shall ring the bell,"
"Still, I trust Men. I have seen many a man outside the confinement of Middle-earth and some showed the brilliance needed to accomplish what we require. If they can, why can we not? If a teenager can put his life on the line for our cause, someone not even from our world, how can we say our men cannot rise to the same heights. Isn't that right, Sora?" Gandalf asked, turning back to see how Sora was very obviously poking his head out of our cover.
"Hum… yeah… haha," Sora awkwardly replied, scratching the back of his head. "Roxas is here too!" he… used me!
"I knew it. Well then, Sora, would you follow Elrond? I do think at least some of you deserve being in the council," Gandalf told my brother, which of course, was so overjoyed he rocketed to Elrond's side, much to his annoyance and Gandalf's smirk. He then, surprisingly, turned to me. "I hope you realize why I did not include you," he told me. Of course I knew…
"Sora was chosen by the Keyblade. He's also probably a better person. I've come to terms with that," I answered him truthfully. His face darkened for a moment before returning to a passive look.
"I do not believe a person's value is set by forces beyond himself. You'd be wise to remember that. Now, let us go, I want you to be with us at the council," he told me, leaving me to think about his words on the way to the council.
There were many more people than I thought it would be on the council. I was expecting Elrond, Strider, Frodo, Gimli, the elf called Legolas and the new human called Boromir, but apparently, the entire company for Legolas, Boromir and Gimli were there. So were me, Sora and besides Gandalf were Shin and Terra. Riku was beside Boromir for some reason. Once everyone was settled in, Elrond took to the center of the council and spoke.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate… this one doom." Elrond said, making everyone in the room visibly anxious, all of them waiting to see IT. And so did Elrond say: "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo,"
Frodo slowly responded, placing the One Ring on the pedestal, heaving as if he had been relieved of a massive burden. He then returned to his place as whispers were born. Some of Boromir's men were calling it "The Doom of men".
Speaking of Boromir…
"So it is true… "Boromir whispered, standing up and moving as he talked. "In a dream, I saw the Eastern side grow dark but in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: 'Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found," with each word, he moved closer to the ring. With each word, Elrond and Gandalf became more wary. And then the moment came. The moment that Boromir tried to take a hold of the Ring itself.
"Boromir!" Elrond cried. Gandalf was far more proactive though. He stood up and shouted with all his might:
"Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."
As he uttered those cursed words, the sky went dark, the earth seemed to shake, or was it my mind? I was in pain, one that I had never felt. The elves seemed to have it worse… and Terra? She was screaming in agony. Boromir quickly removed his hand from the pedestal and turned back while Gandalf stopped his spell, the sky returning to normal.
"Never before has any voice uttered the words of the tongue here in Imladris," said Elrond, barely recovered from the words.
"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil," Sora had told me a lot of what he felt with the Ring, but this was just insane. That thing was… that thing was monstrous.
"I still don't see why not use it. Fight fire with fire, right?" I could not believe what Riku had just said.
"I agree with the boy. This is a gift for us, the foes of Mordor!" Boromir said, turning to everyone: "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"
"You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master," Strider suddenly snapped.
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir dismissed, angering the previously silent Legolas, who stood up in Strider's defense.
"This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance," Wait… wait… isn't Arathorn a descendant of…
"Aragorn? This… is Isildur's heir?" Boromir gasped, the wave of disbelief not being of him alone.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas finished. Frodo looked shocked, my brother was beside himself.
"Y-you're ROYALTY Strider?!" he shouted. It was only by Aragorn's apparent indifference and Gandalf's touch on his shoulder that he shut up.
"Havo dad Legolas," the now Aragorn told Legolas, who sat down.
"Gondor has no king," Boromir spat at Aragorn, turning his back on him. "Gondor needs no king," and with that, he sat down.
"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," Breaking the silence, Gandalf said.
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed," Elrond said. I could imagine what that meant.
"What are we waiting for?" Gimli exclaimed, grabbing his axe and striking the Ring. Frodo whined in pain and Gimli was shotback , crying while his axe was pulverized.
"What? Don't worry, this will do it!" Sora exclaimed, taking out his Keyblade and jumping onto the pedestal despite Gandalf's protests. The Key hit the ring and a resonance of dark whispers hit us all while the Light of the Keyblade tried to overtake the Darkness the Ring emanated. Seconds later, Sora was almost sent off the platform, the Keyblade flying a good twenty meters, carving itself into a tree.
"Sora!" I cried, running to my brother to see if he was okay.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin by any craft that we here possess. Not even by craft of other worlds, Sora, chosen of the Kingdom Key. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came," Elrond told everyone, and I think I saw Frodo whence again.
"One of you must do this," Well then, I never saw a crowd grow silent so quickly. The only one to talk was, unsurprisingly, Boromir.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!" I was wishing we could just kick him out by now. He. Was. Not. Helping.
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas shouted at Boromir, clearly not having any of his crap.
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" Gimli roared at Legolas.
"And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Now, Boromir was blaring.
"You're just a greedy coward!" Yeah, he had pressed all of Shin's wrong buttons at this point.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli shouted, creating a verbal scuffle between Elves and Dwarves, Legolas' hand being the only thing stopping them from going for an all-out brawl. "NEVER trust an elf! Remember the mountain!"
"Do you not understand that while we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it!" with even Gandalf yelling, the council was about to spiral into nothingness.
"I will take it! I will take it!"
Dead Silence.
Frodo had said it. FRODO had just volunteered to go to Hell on Earth! Was he insane? He… he was no master. Me and just about everyone turned to him, shocked. Only Gandalf closed his eyes sorrowfully at the statement.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though... I do not know the way," he said, lowering his head in a sign of humility.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear," Gandalf said, reassuring Frodo with his hand. Aragorn walked up to Frodo, saying: If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will," the heir then knelt to the Hobbit and stated:
"You have my sword."
Legolas then nodded and walked over to Frodo.
"And you have my bow."
Ignoring the previous fight, Gimli exclaimed:
"And my axe!"
And then, who would have thought.
"And my Keyblade!" my brother shouted… god damnit Sora, we just need to get home!
"You carry the fates of us all little one," Boromir interrupted, his voice much more toned down and dare I say… nice? "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." He swore. Maybe he wasn't so bad…
"Hey!" I heard Sam call, the Hobbit jumping out of the bush and into Frodo's side. "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"
"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond mused, smiling for the first time in a very long time.
"Wait! We are coming too!" This time, it was merry and Pippin.
"Guess Sora just decided for us, didn't he?" Zack said, faking some degree of disappointment. You could SMELL his excitement.
"We're only going because staying here isn't going to help us," Jack pointed out, but really, even he knew that wasn't the reason.
"So many brave souls, ready to jump into the Maw of Mordor… So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" There was something… magical about that name.
"Great! Where are we going?"
God Damnit Pippin, this was epic!
"Isn't this place just beautiful?" Naminé asked me as she pulled me by the hand. We had left the council and had weaved our way to this special place. The water gurgled and the insects reeeed in their endless sound.
"Not nearly as beautiful as you," I said, hushed. She turned around and looked into me with those penetrating bluish-violet eyes. Her blonde hair cropped her face perfectly. A tight-lipped smile formed on her countenance. My heart skipped a beat.
"Too cheesy," she replied, turning around and walking backwards on a stone bridge, facing me and never taking her eyes off of me the entire time.
"The truth always is," I answered. She blushed at that one. The sound of the waterfall rushed to our side, cascading onto the smooth rock bed underneath. The bridge spanned the length of the small river and was shaded from the sun by large and beautiful trees I never would have believed existed. Birds flew from tree to tree and the wildlife was at ease with its surroundings. The sun was setting and evening was cast in orange and red. The party was beginning down in the clove, but I wanted to spend some quality time with my girlfriend. Who knew what might happen next?
"I wish we could never leave this place," she said to me. I noticed she said we, and not I.
"As long as I'm with you, every place is perfect," I said. Wow, I needed to be more smooth. I guess true love messes with your brain.
"If you don't quit with the cheesiness—"
"You'll do what?" I asked with a smile, interlocking our hands, fingers melding together. We stood inches from each other in the middle of the bridge, letting the life around us further our love.
"I don't know," she replied. The wind rustled through the red and orange leaves, almost playing a song of melody in this divine place. Though autumn had taken over, and the trees began to wither away, the liveliness of this place seemed to never disappoint. It was humble and majestic.
"Remember when we first met?" I asked her. She smiled and my heart fluttered at that, my memory being as fresh as can be.
"Yeah, and I knew I didn't like you," she replied, smiling more broadly. I almost chuckled, but kept it in.
"I was always so nervous about you. I knew instantly that you would be someone I could love, and I'm glad that fantasy wasn't final. It became true," I said to her. Her smile faltered and she looked away slightly, over the bluff and into the ravine of Rivendell.
"No matter what happened in my . . . our future, you would always love me, right?" she asked, a small frown on her face. She looked down at our feet now and I took a calloused hand, played it on her smooth jawline and brought her radiant face to meet mine.
"You know deep down in your heart the answer to that," I said. Naminé then took her hand from mine and reached around her neck, pulling out a necklace I had never noticed her wearing before. She took it off and held it before piling it into her palm.
"This was inherited by me," she simply said. "It was my mother's, and it has always given me hope when I was sad or afraid. It has always been a guiding light in the dark. Take it," she said. She took my hands again and put it into them, folding my fingers gently over the metal. My heart ached, but in a good way only those in profound love can understand.
"I cannot," I told her softly, putting the necklace back in her hands. It was a blue pendant in the shape of a diamond. In its center was an emblem of interweaving white hearts. It rested upon a silver chain. She looked me more fervently in the eyes.
"It is mine to give to whomever I wish. Take it, and know that I will always love you," she explained. She motioned for me to bow a bit, so she may put it around my neck. She did so, letting it fall onto my chest, over my heart. I smiled and looked down to her, tears almost spilling from my eyes.
"I love you," she said to me, smoothing over my jawline with her flawless hand.
"I love you, too," I answered, cupping her rosy cheek. I brought her in and we kissed. The noise of the land and party ceased save the roar of the waterfall. My heart melted and my senses elevated, savoring this moment for as long as we could. Who else did I know that had shared something so passionate and so intimate with the love of their life in such a grand and divine place? I deepened the kiss and she returned it eagerly and passionately. I felt a pressure push against my lips, and I parted, allowing her entrance. My face reddened and became too hot, and I felt the heat bake off of her. I was in heaven and nothing could take this moment from me. We stood there, holding each other close, letting not only our tongues battle for dominance . . .
But our hearts.
Screams.
"What just?" I snapped, my eyes darting to the edge of the bridge. There was a single Shadow Heartless there. "No… way,"
And it got worse.
Crash!
*Cue: "A Knife in the Dark" LOTR:FoTR OST*
Where once was a heartless, now a white being with a massive, Axe-like monster stood. It was massive with tones of violet and golden, humanoid in all but size and lack of face. I had no idea what it was. Just that I was going to need to fight, especially as I heard the clash of steel on the what was to be the celebration.
"AGNI! RUDRA!" I shouted, Naminé taking my shoulder to jump with me above the would-be fatal swing of the weapon. While in the air, she maneuvered above me and spun in midair, delivering an axe kick right into the head of the thing. It barely phased it, but she was able to dodge the next attack safely.
"They are really strong… we need weapons!" Naminé exclaimed, always more willing to battle than me. It was really weird.
"You called, miss?!" suddenly, a red and a blue blur pierced the thing from behind, me and Naminé nodding and grabbing Agni and Rudra respectively. We swung down on the weakened monster, fire and wind turning it into a whirlwind of ashes. "Amazingly done Madame!" Rudra congratulated.
"Behind you!" Agni shouted, the sound of arrows slicing the air behind us. We looked back to see another white monster, this one more humanoid, looking more like a strange, slithering coat with no hands or feet, falling down the bridge. Behind it was Legolas, the one that had shit the arrows.
"Come! We have been ambushed! We must evacuate the fellowship!" he exclaimed, signaling us to follow.
"What about the rest?!" I asked as we headed through the dark city, now lit up in fire.
"We're about to save them," Legolas tried to reassure, readying his bow and firing what I thought to be blindingly into midair, but three of the giants fell from the three tops, dissipating in… light?! "Aragorn!" Legolas called once we got close to the place of the feast. Monsters were everywhere as elves tried to fight back with the best they could use for combat. Aragorn had kept his blade with him during the whole thing, so he was one of the few Men that could actually fight back.
"Frodo has gone to get his blade! We must clear a path to the outside!" Aragorn shouted while fighting back to back with Sora.
"How did these guys get in here anyway?!" Sora shouted.
"I cannot say, there has not been a heartless befouling Rivendell for thousands of years!" Gandalf exclaimed, casting a spell that opened a path for him to join us as we opened a path for Sora and the others. "And without a Heartless being here, Nobodies would have no business in a place of Light like Rivendell!"
"Yeah, about that, Saruman of Many Colors sends his regards old geezer," we looked up and saw Shin's twin brother, Kaiser, sitting on a branch. "The Ring put them on full alert. Drop a Shadow here and everyone loses their minds!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and opening his arms, gloating in the fire.
"Kaiser! What are you doing here?!" Shin exclaimed as Frodo's group came, fully armed and barreling through the weaker "Nobodies".
"Just doing what my partner wants. I get to put you through some trials to see if you're worth killing AND I have some fun! Now, let's have a bo-" During his speech, he didn't notice Caelum pull his head back and suddenly shoot it forward, firing a small ball of fire at an impressive speed, one that collided with the branch, sending Kaiser into a pool of nobodies.
"Fucking lizard!" Kaiser cursed as he got swarmed by them.
"Good one Cae!" Shin congratulated with a pet. That had to have been the best first fireball to have ever happened.
"Good, now let us go! We have to reach the cabin with the supplies, gather them and run. We cannot have the Ring stay here any longer!" Gandalf exclaimed, turning his Elvish blade on the direction of a ramp. I hated what he was suggesting, but as Naminé got her spear back, she nodded at me and I did it back at her, it was the right thing to do.
We battled our way through the masses, ones that thinned as we left the center of the city, running down the hillside, we saw a single cottage with a Hobbit.
"Over here Frodo!" Bilbo called, the gray haired Hobbit waving a blade and a chainmail.
"Guard us Roxas, Frodo, we'll take the supplies!" Gandalf told us, and I stood as watch while Bilbo talked with Frodo.
"My old sword, Sting! Here! Take it, take it!" Bilbo exclaimed, thrusting the sword in the scabbard into Frodo's hands. "It was made by the elves you know. The blade glows blue when orcs are close. And its times like that my lad, when you'll have to be extra careful!" he told Frodo, next showing him his vest. "Here's a pretty thing… Mithril! As light as a feather! And as hard as dragon scales! Go on, put it on! You'll need it if you want to survive!" he urged. Frodo nodded and started unbuttoning his shirt…
Then Bilbo saw the ring. The face he made… it was almost like I saw a demon, reaching for its treasure. Good thing Bilbo controlled himself and stopped.
"I'm sorry I brought this upon you my boy…I'm sorry that you must carry this burden. I'm sorry for everything!" he said, lowering his gaze and turning back. After a few moments, Frodo slowly touched the shoulder of his uncle, the two sharing a family moment. Before long, we were ready to leave. "Go now Frodo. I no longer have nothing of value on me, I'll be safe," Bilbo assured, turning to Gandalf. "Take care of him, old friend,"
"I will Bilbo. Even if it costs me my life," And that was literal.
From there, we went into the predicted two week travel time between Moria and Rivendell. It was hell. Harsh terrain, horrible climate changes, storms, dries, we lacked any tents for obvious reasons, the food was few and had to be consumed fast, we barely slept, were we to be attacked or followed… if it wasn't for Naminé pushing me forward, I would've fallen dead any moment. In only a week in that I realized that starting conversations made it all go faster.
One of them changed everything.
"So Frodo, how are you holding up?" I asked the Hobbit. He seemed the worst off of us all, I knew that was because this was hardly only a physical battle for him. It was a battle of the mind as well.
"I am fine. We are all struggling, so don't worry of me," Frodo replied, quickly pacing forward.
"Mister Frodo hasn't been able to sleep at all since Rivendell…" Sam pointed out and I was shocked at how he was still standing. But there was something else on my mind.
"Sam, I've been meaning to ask you something," Sam looked at me with curiosity. "Why me? Is what you're thinking right? Well, it's because we're the same," now he seemed really confused. "My brother… he has been chosen by something that could change the fate of all worlds. I don't even he realizes the burden he carries. Frodo is the same. Yet we both follow in their shadows. What makes you go on Sam? What makes you go on when you know you do not matter when they-"
"Hold your tongue right there boy!" Sam suddenly snapped. His eyes were sharp, serious, this was the first time I saw a Hobbit be… imposing. It felt like I was the one looking up. "Now, don't you think anyone else can make you be better or worse. When I look at myself, doesn't matter to me what Mister Frodo does. It doesn't matter how much he accomplishes. What matters is what 'I' accomplish! It can look small, but grass is part of the same forest as the tree. If, at the end of the day, my role is to support Mister Frodo, it doesn't matter if I don't do it like Aragorn does, or Gandalf, what matters is that I did the best I could do," by then we had stopped, Merry and Pippin looking back on us, the duo flabbergasted at Sam's calm but imposing speech. "Do you understand Roxas? It doesn't matter how you are compared to your brother. What matters is knowing what you can do and getting it done."
I was speechless. W-was this what Gandalf meant back then? I looked down at my hands as it all slowly came crashing down on me. Had I… had I just been running? All my thoughts fell into a jumbled mess, one that was only woken by Gimli's hearty shout.
"Finally! Minas Moria!"
Next Chapter:
"A Balrog… a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you… RUN!"
"Go back to the shadow!"
"YOU… SHALL NOT… PASS!"
Next time, on Normalcy? Extremely Overrated: I See Fire
Characters Corner:
Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, 50): A Hobbit from Bag End who has received the One Ring from his Uncle, Bilbo. He shows extreme resilience to the ring, together with great will. But… is it enough?
Samwise "Sam" Gamgee (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, 38): Frodo's best friend from Bag End. At first glance, he is nothing but a common farms man, but looks can be deceiving. His devotion and will can be surprising.
Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, 36): Cousin and inseparable friend to Pippin, he tagged along with Frodo and Sam for friendship after leading him to Bree.
Peregrin "Pippin" Took (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, 28): Cousin and inseparable friend to Merry and the only Hobbit to not come of age in the group. The bright and cherry of the group, he and Merry do their best to lighten up the group.
Legolas (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Around 200): Son of the Elvenking Thranduil of Mirkwood, and Prince of the realm, he is a messenger and a core part of the Fellowship. Master bowman, much like his father, he prides himself on never missing his mark. Shares a heated rivalry with Gimli.
Gimli, Son of Glóin (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Around 100): Son of Glóin, one of the twelve Hobbits that went on a Unexpected Journey with Bilbo Baggins to take back the mountain from Smaug. He join the fellowship even with the heated disgust with elves. He's quite the funny badass.
"Strider" Aragorn II Elessar (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, 87): Heir of Isildur who has chosen exile, he is good friends with Gandalf as if prepared to do everything to get Frodo through his mission.
"Olórin" Gandalf the Grey (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, 7700+): The wisest of the Maiar, a being older than the world itself, he is easily one of the most powerful beings in Middle-Earth. Surprisingly, he is the humblest of the group and a friend to all.
"Curumo" Saruman the White (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, 7700+): A Maiar, the first of the Wizards to arrive on Middle-Earth, he is also their leader and arguably the most powerful being in Middle-Earth. He has been corrupted by despair and allied himself with Sauron and Kaiser, expecting to betray his master for the One Ring.
"Agent Smith" Elrond, Lord of Rivendell (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, 6000+): Lord of Rivendell and one of the most powerful beings on Middle Earth, he aided the Fellowship in being formed after seeing the Ring survive through Isildur.
Post-Author Note: So, first of all, I have to thank TorNathan for his help with betaing this chapter and for the Roxas and Naminé scene, mostly because I'm SO apathetic to the couple I couldn't just DO it. I think it's right, but it's not SoKai or Rion. ANYWAY guys, you know what to do, questions, opinions, excitement for the weekly updates, EVERYTHING you think off, I don't care, just drop it in a review! See ya next week!
PS: Remember, I most likely have a poll up by now!