"No one is beyond saving."

Qui-Gon Jinn's words echoed in Noelle's ears as she sliced off Orc limbs on the fields of Pelennor, just outside the city of Minas Tirith, which would have been quite a beautiful sight to see if it wasn't on fire.

Images of Anakin Skywalker kneeling on the ground before Sidious flashed through her mind. The murders of those innocent Jedi children- stabbed through the heart by the blade of a Jedi lightsaber.

Noelle closed her eyes and felt her heart tighten as she dodged the blade of a Haradrim man. She leapt behind him and slashed his arm, disabling him but not killing him.

What had overtaken Anakin? He had been one of the kindest and most loyal people she had met upon her journeys far and wide across the universe. He had risked his life for her on many occasions, and had been like an older brother to her. They had bantered and joked, and had both had the experience of being trained by Obi-wan Kenobi.

What had he gone through to commit himself to becoming Darth Vader?

She had seen him. On the moon. Three days after their ship had crashed. She hadn't even recognized him, but he had recognized her.

He had threatened to kill her if she didn't reveal Ahsoka's whereabouts.

She inhaled sharply and felt the first tear roll down her cheek since she had left the Mountain of the Dead.

In the midst of the battle, she clenched her fists, and squeezing her eyes shut, dropped to her knees, unaware of the chaos around her. Bowing her head, she covered her face with her hands.

"Sixteen! Seventeen!" came the distant voice of Legolas counting.

The Elf was still unaware of what she had seen. Noelle hadn't shared it with him yet, partly because there hadn't been any time. As soon as they exited the Mountain, the Ghost King had reappeared and vowed to fight the battle for Aragorn. They then sieged the Black Ships of Umbar and made way for Minas Tirith, where the hordes of hell were raging.

Noelle was changed though when she came out. Legolas had briefly asked her if she was ok, and she had only silently nodded. But Legolas saw the look in her eyes. The look that she had tried so hard to hide over the past few months was now clearly visible. Her eyes were haunted, stricken with grief, and all he wanted was to make it disappear. Seeing her in pain broke his heart.

"Whatever happens, know that I love you," she had said before she had gone off alone into the darkness.

Legolas swallowed as he slew another Orc. "Twenty-one," he counted to himself. He then heard Aragorn shout his name as a ginormous Mumakîl lumbered towards him. Throwing his bow behind his back, he raced towards the beast.

Taking deep shaking breaths, Noelle sat with her head in her knees on the battlefield. She was finally giving in and having her breakdown in the middle of battle.

Everything. It had all been leading up to this.

Every choice you have made, has led you to this moment.

Maul and Dooku's riddles- her visions. All to get her to realize the truth she couldn't accept: Anakin Skywalker had turned to the Dark Side of the Force. A fate worse than death, because he was suffering.

Hate leads to suffering.

A strangled sob came from the back of her throat and she hugged herself tighter.

This was not truly who he was.

Anakin himself had once said there was always hope. No one was ever truly gone. There was still hope left for him.

Noelle had been told about her friend for a reason. The Force had been consistently hinting it to her for the past half a year. Perhaps… she was the one who had to save him. If Noelle was the only one from his past, who knew that Anakin was really Darth Vader...

If she was the only one who could save him from himself, then she had to try.

She had to go back.

Smoke rose from the ashes of the Battle of Pelennor Fields. The Army of the Dead had swept away the forces of Mordor. For now, Minas Tirith was safe.

Aragorn had pardoned the Dead and told them to "be at peace."

When Noelle woke up (she wasn't sure if she had passed out or simply been knocked out), she was in a room with stone white walls all by herself. She was laying on a soft feather bed with a navy blue quilt draped over her. Instead of her normal clothes, she was dressed in a short-sleeved, blush-pink nightgown that stopped just above her knees.

Her face turned the color of her dress as she wondered who had changed her, when she realized she wasn't alone in the room. Gandalf was right beside her. He looked a little worse for wear, but otherwise seemed alright.

She sighed and laid head back onto the pillow. "I thought I was dead," she mumbled, more to herself than to him.

"We all thought you were," the wizard replied quietly. "Fortunately we think you may have just been knocked out with a mild concussion. You were out for three days." He raised his bushy eyebrows questioningly at her.

Of course, Noelle of all people didn't just get knocked out in battle.

"Three days? Where am I?" she whispered in disbelief.

"The Houses of Healing. On the sixth level of the city."

Noelle groaned. "I'm fine. Let someone else have my bed-" She began to sit up and pain shot through her head

Gandalf gently pushed her shoulders back down onto the pillow. "Rest, Noelle. Did you ever find what you were searching for?"

At that moment, all of the memories came flooding back. The emotions, the pain, the visions, threatening to overwhelm her again. Noelle didn't care what the Jedi had taught her about "not letting your emotions cloud your judgement." Her friend had fallen to the Dark Side, and it was their fault- all of them. Maybe even hers too.

Gandalf took her hand, sensing her distress.

Noelle finally turned her watery eyes towards him. "Yes," she whispered. "I saw… Anakin…"

Gandalf watched her patiently as she tried to get her words out.

"... he's turned to the Dark Side, Gandalf."

The wizard's face contorted in surprise. He pulled back slightly and took a deep breath before turning to look back at Noelle. "Are you certain this is the truth?"

Covering her face with her hands, Noelle nodded wildly. "Yes, Gandalf. I'm certain. It all makes sense now. Everything. It was what they were all trying to tell me and I was too blind to see it. I couldn't accept the truth."

Gandalf reached forward and squeezed her arm gently. "I am… so sorry, my dear. I do not know if there is anything I can do for you."

Noelle shook her head. "It's not about me. It's about him."

Gandalf studied her face, which was stained with tears and determined. This girl had grown too much it seemed. From a bright and overeager young child with an overactive imagination to this broken young woman lying injured in the bed before him. He was the one who had set her on this path, and while he was proud of her for everything she had accomplished, he regretted what he had done as well. He had already sent Frodo to his untimely death.

"I have to go back, Gandalf," she whispered. "Please tell me it's the answer."

"Noelle," Gandalf replied solemnly, not appearing phased by her question. "After this War is over, whether we win or not, my time is over. My mission will be accomplished if we defeat Sauron. I will no longer be here for you."

Noelle opened her mouth in surprise, but nothing came out. What was that supposed to mean? Gandalf's time… over?

The wizard saw her confused look. "I will explain later," he said quietly, standing up. "Legolas is going to wish to see you when he finds out you are finally awake- not that he hasn't been by your side constantly for the past three days."

Legolas. Noelle wasn't ready to face him yet. She was going to have to tell him… She felt herself breathing heavily at the thought. It was overwhelming to her. She knew how he was going to react.

But she knew what she had to do.

"I am going to inform the others you are awake," Gandalf gave her a strained smile and squeezed her hand one last time before he left the room, and an older lady with long greying hair pulled back into a bun entered the room.

"My name is Ioreth, dear," she said as she held a cool rag to Noelle's forehead. "I've been monitoring you. Your fever seems to have gone down."

Noelle nodded, not able to choke out a positive response. She didn't really care about her fever at the moment.

Ioreth stood up. "If you need anything, let me know. I think the Elf wanted to see you," she said with a slight wink.

Noelle's eyes drifted from the old lady to the doorway. Legolas was leaning against the wall, his beautiful blue eyes widened in concern. It looked like it was taking everything for him to not rush over to her and wrap his arms tightly around her. When Ioreth finally left, he slowly crossed the room and knelt down beside her. He stroked her temple. "I thought I was going to lose you," he whispered.

Noelle closed her eyes, trying her hardest not to let him see her cry, but the tears came anyway. Legolas reached over and tenderly kissed her cheek. "I am truly sorry," he whispered. "For everything you have been through."

Noelle shook her head and sniffed. "It's not your fault," she swallowed.

Legolas reached down and set a light kiss on her lips. "I love you."

She couldn't bring herself to tell him. As she gazed deeply into his starry, ancient eyes. She loved him so so much, and the realization that she had to give him up to save Anakin hit her like a trainload of bricks.

Any potential future she could have hoped for with him was well… lost. Unless Noelle somehow found a way to come back to Middle-earth. Gandalf would be gone. He wouldn't be around to transport her.

Not yet. She couldn't tell him yet. She would wait to tell him her final decision. Right now, it wasn't something she could just blurt out and tell him.

She would tell him later.

Thanks to the Force, and the skills of Ioreth, Noelle felt well enough to get out of bed the next day, despite the protests of everyone else, mainly Legolas and Gandalf.

She insisted on coming to the meeting the remainder of the Fellowship was having with Éomer. King Théoden was dead, killed by the Witch-king, as was Denethor the Steward of Gondor. Lady Éowyn was recovering in the Houses of Healing. She and Merry had faced off against the King of the Nazgûl. And Faramir, who was Denethor's son and Boromir's younger brother was also recuperating.

This battle had truly had huge consequences.

Noelle sat on a smaller chair next to Gimli in the throne room, as he smoked his pipe. Legolas stood behind her.

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight," said Gandalf, hands behind his back. "The Darkness is deepening."

"If Sauron had the Ring, we would know it," Aragorn pointed out quietly.

Gandalf turned sharply. "It's only a matter of time." His voice had a tinge of hopelessness. They were almost at the end, and had barely just won the battle three days ago, with so many casualties. This was indeed the end, the final stand.

"He suffered a defeat, yes," Gandalf went on, voicing what they were all thinking. "But behind the walls of Mordor, our Enemy is regrouping."

"Let him stay there. Let him rot!" Gimli yelled. "Why should we care?"

If Noelle had the heart to laugh aloud, she would have. She was very alike to Dwarves, which was part of why she was so fond of them.

Gandalf turned around. "Because ten thousand Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom."

Gimli blew a puff of smoke and glanced down in defeat, realizing it wasn't so simple.

"I've sent him to his death," Gandalf whispered, meeting Noelle's eyes as he said it.

Aragorn turned around from where he was facing the wall. "No," he said. "There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time, and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth- we can give him that."

"How?" Gimli asked.

Noelle knew the answer immediately, given that she had studied tactics for a good three years. She was unintentionally designed to think like a tactician. A distraction.

"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate."

Gimli coughed and sputtered on his pipe in disbelief.

Yes, it was suicide, but it was most likely the only chance they had.

Éomer stepped forward from where he had been standing off to the side listening. "We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms."

"Not for ourselves," Aragorn explained patiently. "But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's eye fixed on us." He glanced at Gandalf. "Keep him blind to all else that moves."

"A diversion," Legolas said, voicing Noelle's thoughts.

Gimli raised his finger with a grin. "Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?"