The next morning after the debate, the hosts of the West, Rohan, Gondor, the Fellowship, set out on their journey to the Morannon, Elvish for "The Black Gate." Noelle got to have Flash back as company for their suicide mission. After the Paths of the Dead, the three horses had fled back to the Rohan camp and tagged along with the Rohirrim to Minas Tirith.
"I won't go into details with you how I survived the battle," the horse had said to her when Noelle asked how he had even gotten here in the first place as she prepared to mount him up. Someone else had gotten him ready, given that Noelle had to get into her own armor, which was a female version of Gondor's armor.
"No need, Flash," she had replied. "I already know you're an incredible horse. You wouldn't have made it this far already."
"That's good to know," Flash mumbled.
The Fellowship along with Éomer, rode at the head of the line. Gandalf with Pippin on Shadowfax, Legolas and Gimli on Arod, Merry with Éomer, Noelle and Flash, and lastly Aragorn on Brego, ready to take his rightful place and return as the king of Gondor.
The white horse on green and the white tree on black banners flew high and mighty behind the company as they marched for one week from Minas Tirith to the Black Gate of Mordor, hoping to give Frodo and Sam one final chance to get the Ring into Mount Doom.
For most of the week Noelle was plagued with more dreams about Anakin. Flashbacks from the Clone Wars, the events that had occurred when she and Ahsoka had been on Mandalore. They only made her more determined of her decision to go back.
Noelle could tell Legolas had the feeling she had been trying to avoid him- well, not exactly. More like unresponsive. It wasn't like Legolas wasn't constantly around her, checking up on her. She was always constantly reassuring him that she was ok, even though they both knew it wasn't true.
She loved him so much, but she was so frightened of the day she would have to tell him she was leaving him. She knew he wouldn't have it. He would do everything in his power to make her stay. Noelle was just going to have to be prepared emotionally to deal with his response- and her own.
She was emotionally damaged. The way she sometimes irrationally responded to certain events over the past six months that reminded her of the Clone Wars had shown her that. She needed healing for herself. Going back to save the past, what she had failed to do before, was the only way. She had failed to save her friends the first time. She had been warned about the Jedi beforehand, but she had stayed. Maybe if she had done something about it sooner, Sidious wouldn't have taken over the galaxy. The Chancellor had been the Sith Lord all along. Maybe if she had listened to Maul, none of this would have happened. They could have saved Anakin sooner.
Noelle had to fix her mistake.
Sniffing she wiped her eyes, as she suddenly had a feeling someone was outside her tent. Noelle had been sitting huddled up on the ground with her knees to her chest trying to get some sleep (which was a constant struggle). She automatically knew who it was anyway.
"Noelle," Legolas whispered from outside. "May I come in and see you?"
Noelle wasn't in any position she shouldn't be. She was just in her Mandalore shirt, and navy blue leggings she wore underneath her armor. She looked like she had on her last day in a galaxy far, far away: disheveled and broken. Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at the entrance of her tent. "Yes," she replied in a small voice.
The Elf silently entered, closing the curtain behind him. Noelle felt her heart tighten in her chest as he sat down on the ground beside her and held her close. She rested her head on his shoulder.
"'Tis almost over," he whispered into her hair.
Noelle closed her eyes. No, it's not. Not even close, Legolas.
The two of them sat there for a long moment in silence, until Legolas gently stroked the side of her jaw, causing her to tilt her head up and look into his eyes. Noelle saw the pain in his eyes.
Of course he was in pain. He was watching someone he loved suffer silently without him. He had been afraid of pushing her too far, and had been trying to put on a strong, brave face for her for so long. But now, it was finally starting to show on him. Nobody, not even the strongest soul, could withstand it forever. Even an Elf would be worn down eventually.
Instantly Noelle felt so selfish. What was going to happen to him if she left him? Aragorn had once told her the story of Lúthien, an Elf-maiden who had passed away of grief when her mortal husband had died. What if the same thing happened to Legolas? Noelle felt like she had been punched in the stomach.
But what about Anakin?
What about Ahsoka and Obi-wan?
What about Earth?
"Legolas," she whispered his name, feeling the grief threatening to overwhelm her.
He stopped her by reaching down and placing a soft kiss on her lips. This one was different from any they had before. It was… grieved and heavy-hearted on both ends. She could feel his parted lips trembling slightly. Inhaling sharply, he kissed her even more deeply, taking a slightly bolder step with her than he had before. Noelle, even though her own head was feeling dizzy and losing her grip on his arms, could sense that Legolas's desire wasn't passion… it was desperation.
When they finally parted, he gently stroked the side of her face. As he opened his eyes and looked down into hers, Noelle could discern the one thought from them.
I can do this no longer.
Noelle gripped his arm suddenly, driven out of her moment of stupor. "Legolas, I have something important I need to tell you." She searched his face, which was taken by surprise at her urgency. His eyebrows furrowed in concern.
"About what you saw on the Paths of the Dead?" he whispered.
Noelle nodded slowly. "But can I tell you when this is all over? If something happens to me-"
Legolas shook his head. "You can tell me anything," he whispered back, cutting her off. "But do not speak of such things. I will never allow anything to happen to you, Noelle."
Noelle put her head in her hands. "I know. I know you wouldn't."
On the twenty fifth of March, the Host was positioned outside the Black Gates of Mordor, which was the huge wall built purely out of black iron, and more intimidating that any weapon Noelle had faced during the Clone Wars. And she could tell- it was more or less meant to keep the Orcs in, rather than to keep strangers out. After all, Frodo and Sam had gotten in.
They waited for a long while. For something. Anything to move behind that Black Gate.
"Where are they?" whispered Pippin. The hobbit had actually been quite patient for once.
Aragorn exchanged a look with Gandalf, then spurred his horse forward. They would wait no longer. Followed by Noelle, Legolas, Gimli, Pippin, Merry and Éomer, they galloped forward towards the looming structure of the Black Gate to challenge Sauron.
They stopped a good forty feet from the actual gate itself, then Aragorn spoke up. "Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth!" he shouted. "Let justice be done upon him!"
There was no response. But there was no way Sauron, who was the All-seeing Eye, did not know an army of men was outside his front door waiting for him.
Then Noelle heard a loud creak- more of a crank actually. The gate was beginning to open. She gripped Flash's reins tighter, as Mordor came into view. The first thing Noelle saw was the Eye of Sauron, standing bright and tall like a lighthouse through the smoky haze of his dark realm. As she lowered her gaze, she saw an army four times the size of theirs.
"Fall back!" Aragorn screamed. As hurriedly as they could, they kicked their heels into their horses and galloped back to their front lines. Noelle could sense the fear of the soldiers as well. They looked like they were about to head for the hills. She tried to clench the sick feeling in her own stomach, but she knew this was it for her anyway.
Aragorn slowly pulled out Anduril, the Flame of the West, reforged in Rivendell and given to him by Elrond. "Hold your ground!" he shouted, rallying everyone together. "Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers: I see in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me!"
Aragorn walked his horse back and forth from one end to another and spoke loud enough for all to hear him. "A day may come, when the courage of men fails. When we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day! An hour of wolves, and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, BUT IT IS NOT THIS DAY! THIS DAY WE FIGHT! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" He held his sword high into the sky, prepared to give Middle-earth it's final chance.
Noelle smiled for the first time in what felt like a long time. Aragorn- he was Strider no longer. He was Estel, the Hope of Men, and maybe just what Middle-earth needed should they win this fight. Noelle wouldn't be staying here and neither would Gandalf.
She then felt Him watching her. His Eye swept over their Host on Aragorn, on Gandalf, on her.
"Jedi."
Noelle closed her eyes, trying to ignore the pain in her chest. She had to fight it.
"No!" she whispered aloud, through clenched teeth, jerking her head up. "I'm NOT a Jedi! And never will be again."
Aragorn stepped in front of them all, his sword drawn. He stood silently for a moment, and then he turned around, his face solemn.
Gandalf gripped the pommel of his sword, and the slightest of smiles played on Aragorn's lips as he uttered two words:
"For Frodo."
Time seemed to go by in a blur as Noelle slashed through the throngs of Orcs that kept constantly flooding around her from every side. The barrage was nonstop, and the members of the Fellowship had easily gotten separated. Sometimes Noelle would get a glimpse of Legolas's blonde head, or Gandalf's white robes, but she hadn't seen the hobbits in a while.
How much longer? This was not just for Frodo, but for the rest of the world. For those foolish, lovable hobbits of the Shire. For the Rohan children Freda and Eothain, for everyone back home on Earth, for Bern, for Anakin.
A shrill screech tore through the air and Noelle resisted the urge to drop her sword and clamp her hands over her ears. The eight remaining Nazgûl were joining the fight. For a brief moment, Noelle felt her heart stop in realization of what this meant and she was almost caught off-guard. A Nazgûl on one of its Fell Beasts was swooping down directly towards her.
SCREECH!
Noelle knew that sound. The last time she had heard it, she had been racing around the tower of Ravenhill looking for Thorin Oakenshield, trying to save his life.
"The Eagles!" came Pippin's high-pitched scream of joy from somewhere on the battlefield. "The Eagles are coming!"
An over-sized brown, feathery eagle came crashing into the Nazgûl in front of Noelle and knocked it away. Glancing up into the sky as high as she was able to, she saw another six more coming to their rescue.
Suddenly the Nazgûl screamed again and turned sharply away from the battle- towards Mount Doom. Something had drawn their attention, and Noelle felt her heart stop as she knew exactly what it was. The Ring. What else would it be?
She felt something hard and metal shove her in the back as she had gotten distracted. She spun around and sliced off the arm of the Orc who had done it.
How much longer?
"The Force will be with you," came a voice inside her head. Noelle closed her eyes and slowed her breathing and became distinctly aware of every movement around her. Every footfall, clash of a blade, every breath, and the Force.
Suddenly there was a roar from the Tower of Barad-dur. All eight Nazgûl screeched in fury, and Noelle knew at the bottom of her soul:
It was over. It was done. They were now here, at the end of all things.
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