Hi people!

First of all I want to thank Celridel for being a great help as a beta, as well as I want to thank PhoenixUniverse for her review.

We left Kitty in the Fangorn Forest feeling that she was going to die but not before she experimented something very strange: an apparition of someone who apparently is dead or at least she thinks he's dead. What did that mean? That'll be explained throughout the story.

But now something will happen to Kitty, something that not even Legolas or Aragorn that know Gandalf for so long time would imagine.

Waiting for your reviews guys!

Chapter 20: "Middle-Earth needs Shadowcat!"

Their horses had refused to enter the forest, so they had tied them to an tree on the edge, and now were walking through it. Damp trunks, wider than three men sprawled everywhere, roots tangled up and outwards, and the branches blocked out the sunlight, leaving the place dark. walked through the Fangorn Forest. Gimli tasted some liquid on a leaf and immediately spat it out. "Orc blood!" he said

"These are strange tracks." murmured Aragorn, bending to the ground and looking closely the marks.

"The air is so close here" said Gimli, half to himself.

"This forest is old, very old. Full of memory and anger." replied Legolas when hearing strange whispers that sounded like spirit voices in the air. "The trees are speaking to each other."

"Gimli!" snapped Aragorn sharply. "Lower your axe!"

The dwarf reluctantly obeyed.

"They have feelings, my friend." said Legolas as a way of explanation "The Elves began it: waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."

"Ha! Talking trees?" snorted Gimli. "What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrels' droppings?"

Legolas was going to answer but suddenly he flinched. "Aragorn, something is out there!" he whispered to the Ranger

Aragorn approached to his friend. "What do you see?" he asked in the same tone.

"The White Wizard approaches."

"Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us!" said Aragorn, turning to his friends who in turn nodded, and prepared their weapons as did Aragorn.

In a blink they had rushed forward to attack a figure surrounded by a bright white light. Legolas's arrow vanished in flame, and Gimli and Aragorn dropped their weapons. "You are tracking the footsteps of two hobbits and a woman." said a voice.

"Where are they?" demanded Aragorn.

"The hobbits passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

"What about the woman? Where is she?" asked Legolas eagerly.

"She was also here the same day but later."

"Who are you? Show yourself!" cried Aragorn.

The light slowly diminished revealing for their astonishment someone that came back from the dead. Gandalf.

Legolas and Gimli bowed before the old Wizard, and Aragorn fell to his knees. "It cannot be."

"Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman." said the Elf humbly.

"I am Saruman, or rather Saruman as he should have been." answered Gandalf.

"But you fell!" exclaimed Aragorn, still in disbelief.

"Through fire and water. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak. I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth, until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. " Gandalf paused "Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and every day was as long as the life age of the earth; but it was not the end, I felt light in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done."

Aragorn smiled. "Gandalf!"

"Gandalf?" The old man mused as if recalling a name long disused. "Oh yes! That's what they used to call me: Gandalf 'The Grey'. That was my name; but now I'm Gandalf 'The White'" and I come back to you now at the turn of the tide."

"One stage of your journey is over, another begins." said Gandalf, as they strode along the path of the forest, retracing their steps. "War has come to Rohan, we must ride to Edoras with all speed."

"Edoras?" exclaimed Gimli "that is no short distance!"

"We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king." said Aragorn

"Yes, and it will not be easily cured." was Gandalf's short reply.

"Then we have run all this way for nothing?" said Gimli annoyed "Are we to leave those poor hobbits and Kitty here in this horrid, dark, dank tree-infested…"

The continued whispers grew louder until became a rumble.

"I mean charming…. quite charming forest." Gimli stammered hastily.

"It was more than a mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains." said Gandalf

"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend." said Aragorn

Gandalf turned and looked at him.

"You still speak in riddles." finished the Ranger, and the old man chuckled.

"But what about Kitty?" asked Legolas. "You have talked about the presence of the hobbits but not of hers. Do you know where's she? Is she still in the forest?"

"She is well." said Gandalf quietly. "Why do you worry so much?

"With his last breath, Boromir asked Legolas to take care of Kitty." explained Aragorn "He made him swear."

"So he has fallen." said Gandalf softly. "I was afraid of that." After a moment he continued. "A thing is about to happen here that has not happened since the Elder Day. The Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong."

"Strong? Oh, that's good!" mumbled Gimli.

"So stop your fretting, Master Dwarf! Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be."

Gimli snorted.

"But what about Kitty?" asked Legolas again.

Gandalf turned to the Elf and smiled. "You shall soon know." he said and stepped out of the forest into the sunlight, crying. "You can come out, there's no danger!"

Kitty grinned and dashed towards her companions. "Legolas!" she exclaimed cheerfully, embracing him. "How good it is to see you!"

The Elf smiled at her. "Are you well?"

Kitty smiled, disentangling herself from his hug. "Yes, very well now. I was drugged, but Gandalf healed me."

The Prince looked gratefully at the wizard, but his smile was dashed from his lips as Kitty, looking around them, asked. "Where is Boromir?"

There was silent, and then Kitty murmured weakly. "No! No! He cannot be dead! You're just joking, right?"

"No lass." said Gimli sadly.

Kitty paled, clenching her hands, and then she shouted thickly. "No! No! You're lying!" and began to run.

Legolas swiftly caught up with her, and seized her hands. "Tell me it's not true." she asked between sobs. "Tell me Boromir's alive!"

"I cannot lie." he answered quietly.

Kitty began to cry harder, murmuring. "I always lose people I love. Do I bring ill luck? Am I destined to be alone forever?"
"No." answered Legolas firmly, taking her hand and leading her back. "We're going to protect you, Kitty. I'm going to protect you. You are part of the Fellowship, you are our friend." He sighed, and pushed an object into her clenched hand.

Kitty blinked away her tears and looked at it.

"Boromir asked me to give you this."

Kitty drew in a deep breath as Legolas continued. "He asked me to give it to you, so when you arrived at Minas Tirith you would be safe in that city."

Kitty took the ring and put in her pocket, trying to smile. It was not easy because as much as Legolas was kind, good friend, he would never be like Boromir. Never.

Aragorn had untied Hasufel and Arod. "What will you ride on?" asked the Ranger.

Gandalf smiled, and for answer, pursed his lips and whistled, a shrill clear sound, and it seemed to them they heard the whinny of a horse borne up on the winds, and over the rolling plains they saw a great white horse appear. It was beautiful, a kingly beast. "Shadowfax." murmured Gandalf, stroking the horse's muzzle. "Let us go!" he added. "Master Dwarf, you may ride with me. Shadowfax will bear us both."

Gimli swore under his breath in Khudzul.

Legolas helped Kitty mount Arod, and then sat behind her.

That night they camped. Aragorn was surveying the night sky, in his face worry. Many thoughts troubled his mind.

"The veiling shadow that glowers in the East takes shape. Sauron will suffer no rival. From the summit of Barad-Dûr his Eye watches ceaselessly, but he is not so mighty yet that he is above fear." said a voice suddenly.

Aragorn turned and saw that it was Gandalf who stood next to him. "Doubt ever gnaws at him." went on the wizard "The rumor has reached him: the heir of Númenor still lives. Sauron fears you, Aragorn. He fears what you may become and so, he'll strike hard and fast at the world of Men."

Aragorn looked at him sadly.

"He will use his puppet Saruman to destroy Rohan. War is coming, Rohan must defend itself and therein lies our first challenge, for Rohan is weak and ready to fall." said Gandalf after a moment. "The King's mind is enslaved. It is an old device of Saruman's. His hold over King Théoden is now very strong. Sauron and Saruman are tightening the noose." He paused "But for all their cunning, we have one advantage. The One Ring remains hidden and that we should seek to destroy it has not yet entered their darkest dreams and so, the weapon of the Enemy is moving towards Mordor in the hands of a hobbit. Each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom. We must trust now in Frodo, everything depends upon speed and the secrecy of his quest." He paused again while looking the Ranger carefully. "Do not regret your decision to leave him. Frodo must finish this task alone."

"He is not alone. Sam went with him." answered Aragorn quietly.

"Did he? Did he indeed?" asked Gandalf, with a slight smile. "Good. Yes, very good."

"Not as much as you think, Gandalf."

The wizard frowned.

"Boromir wasn't killed by an Orc but by a some strange being that none of us had seen before."

Aragorn took out from his pouch the long spike and gave it to Gandalf. "What is this?" asked the Istar, handling it with care.

"I don't know but seems to me that it's a kind of weapon. When we finally arrived we found a woman by Boromir, ready to kill him. She was strange, but what as the strangest was her armor. She had many spikes on it."

Aragorn turned to look to Gandalf. "Have you ever seen or heard about a being like that?"

"No." he answered. "But I think that Kitty must know."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." answered Gandalf quietly. "We must talk with Kitty"

Gimli, Legolas and Kitty were sitting around the campfire. The dwarf grumbled over and over on the uneasy ride, his bones aching because the long ride. The Elf barely listened to his companion, more occupied in watching Kitty, who seemed to be absorbed in her thoughts. In some strange way, he understood more than he could have imagined the sadness that the girl was carrying. The Elf now knew that Boromir had never been jealous of him and rather his behavior was derived from the one that would have an older brother or a father in front of a young man who tries to protect with his younger sister or daughter. Deep down, Legolas was ashamed of his misbehavior and misinterpretation of the feelings of the nobleman of Gondor and how Boromir, being human and much younger than himself, had been more mature while he, being an Elf of at least 2000 years had behaved like an Elfling. How sad it was!

Kitty felt terribly wrong. Now she was perfectly healthy the girl could re-enter the phasing state at any time she wanted, but the emotional part was shattered.

Boromir, her dearest friend had died! How could he have died? She hoped it had happened quickly and painlessly. And she…she had left him fighting alone…Of course, it was very praiseworthy and touching that he had not forgotten her in his last moments. Yes, touching, but it was not enough. There would never be man like Boromir again. But since he had died saving his realm, so she would fight for the same cause.

At that moment, they heard footsteps and the three of them looked up. "Kitty?" asked Aragorn as he handed her the thorn. "Do you recognize this?"

Kitty grew pale as she took it. "Where did you get this?"

"From Boromir's shoulder. It came from a woman's armor."

Kitty looked up at the Ranger's grey eyes. "Did she have pink skin? And purple hair? And was she covered with armor that had these spikes?" She waved the one in her hand.

"Yes." answered Gimli. "By Mahal's Axe, I never wish to see such a thing again!"

"Marrow!" Kitty murmured, clenching her teeth.

"So you know her." said Gandalf.

"Yes." she replied after a moment "Her name is Marrow and she is a mutant that was part of Magneto's 'Brotherhood.'

The other four looked at each other.

"Is she a mutant?" asked Gimli in surprise. "You don't look like her at all."

"Every mutant looks different." replied Kitty. She raised her eyes from the spike. "She killed him?"

Aragorn nodded.

Kitty rose sharply, and murmured something under her breath.

"Where are you going?" asked Legolas in surprise, as he saw the young woman heading towards the horses.

"To get revenge." she called over her shoulder.

Gandalf interposed. "Kitty, you cannot leave us without horses. You are risking our lives. Marrow will die, but now is that the time."

"Besides," added Aragorn, stepping forward in front of the horses. "You do not know where this woman is. Perhaps she is Isengard."

"Like that'll stop me!" snapped Kitty. "I can fight Saruman!"

"Like you fought the Uruk-Haia?" asked Aragorn dryly. "Saruman is far more powerful than his servants."'

Kitty's eyes narrowed. "I can take him on."

"He'll drug you again." said Aragorn flatly. "Stop being a fool. You were about to die because of that. Did you ever wonder why he made it?"

"So he could torture and kill me in Isengard." replied Kitty, rolling her eyes.

"Perhaps not." said Gandalf.

They looked at him in confusion as he continued. "He already has Kitty's kind assisted him. Perhaps he wants her very alive."

"But how did they convince them?" asked Legolas, wondering out loud.

"He may have twisted them. Or he may have bribed them."

"With what?"

"With a world without scorn." said Gandalf shortly, and then was silent.

Kitty nodded her head. "A world for mutants. A world for mutants who look different." But how did she get here?"

"Who knows? How did you get here?" asked Aragorn in return.

Gandalf inclined his head. "Lady Galadriel has her suspicions. Perhaps she is here for the Válar's purposes."

Kitty laughed mockingly. "Válar! Válar! To support them in this stupid war! Well, I'm not interested! The Válar can do the fighting if they're so powerful! They dragged me here…..why? I'm going to find a way home! I don't care is Magneto and his stupid Brotherhood is here!"

She paused. "I've lost the X-men, my home, the Professor, Logan, Ororo, Jimmy and now Boromir, so that I can continue to lose more. That's enough! I thought I could start over here, but not ...! If your great Válar are so powerful, why do not they fix the disaster themselves? It is time for them to assume their responsibility ...! "

"As it is also time for you to face your past!" Gandalf thundered. "Do you think you have lost more than the others? Look around you and see that you are a fool! They have all sacrificed many things, every single on the Fellowship." He paused. "What have you sacrificed, Katherine Anne Pryde, uh? What have you sacrificed? You only live in the past, crying for what you have lost, believing you the most unhappy mortal when, in truth, side by side with the others ... you have done nothing. Tou are here now and there are only two options left for you Katherine Anne Pryde: leave the past and survive; Or keep crying in your past and die. It's your decision." he went on, staring at her. "Boromir saw something in you, but your words and your childish fits make me think otherwise. You are supposedly a descendant of the Istari, but you shame your kind!"

Kitty froze. The wizard's tone was sharper than a two-edged sword. Her breath caught in her throat, her head spun and suddenly she ducked her head and fled. Legolas sat down. He could hear the young woman weeping heartily. "

"That is well. What she does must be down alone." said Gandalf.

And he sat down next to the fire as his companions stared at him in astonishment.

Something that no one expected! Let's see if the terrible Gandalf's scolding to Kitty works out.

Waiting for your reviews, guys! They're the food of the story!