Chapter 30: A blade shines in darkness, Sam, Ben, and Travis to the rescue
At the lofty, three-tiered accursed tower of Cirith Ungol, laid upon a rocky pinnacle…
The Orcs and Uruk-hai that have guarded the place enjoyed a period of feasting. The tower they occupied had originally been an outpost or a watchtower for the Numenoreans, but the Orcs overtook it long ago. Over the years, the Orcs had changed various parts of the tower to their design, with lots of their metal and iron riveted onto it, adding many huts in the courtyards, made of timber and leather… and now it was fully made for the Orcs' own environment of habitation. The dark, red sky in the air represented a sense of doom and foreboding.
Especially for two people and two kids…
Namely Frodo Baggins, of the Shire, Lilly, Air Force Administrative Officer. Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, Georgia. Clementine, First Grade Student. Duck, Assumed Primary School Student. They were all currently held in the turret of the tower, after being stung and cocooned by the monstrous she-spider, Shelob. But, something else had happened to them after being taken prisoner by the Orcs and Uruk-Hai…
two of them were stripped of their top clothing, and two of them still wearing different clothes, though Lilly's bandages were still wrapped over her chest. Clementine and Duck wearing different clothes. And some of the webbing had covered their faces and some of the lower body as well. The lead Orc and Uruk, Gorbag and Shagrat rummaged and scoured through Frodo, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck's belongings, to see what they had.
But… moments later…
Lilly began to open her eyes slowly, and started to look around… and saw that she was in a strange place, forged in stone, and found that her hands were bound with rope.
'…W-wh…Where am I?' thought a bewildered Lilly.
Clementine and Duck also began to open their eyes slowly, and Started to look around... and saw that they were in a strange place, forged in stone, and found that their hands were bound with rope.
"...W-wh...Where are we, Lilly!' though Clementine.
"...W-wh...What is this place, Lilly?' though Duck.
They suddenly heard some strange noises from behind her and other noises like there was a big party going on in the tower. The female sword person slowly, yet carefully turned her head… and saw Gorbag and Shagrat standing at a table, rummaging through her, Clementine, Duck, and Frodo's clothes and other personal possessions they had. Lilly, Clementine, and Duck quickly turned back before the Orc and Uruk could spot her trying to wake up.
'How did we get here?' she asked herself…
"I don't know Lilly?" asked Clementine...
"Me neither?" asked Duck...
Lilly then gasped as she remembered what happened… she, Clementine, Duck, and Frodo went through the tunnels of Cirith Ungol, trapped by Gollum, where they met up with Shelob, the she spider. Believing that they had escaped… Shelob had stung four of them, and they thought they were going to die. Lilly and Clementine even remembered blurting out Lee's name before passing out. and Duck also even remembered blurting out his parents before passing out…
'Then,' thought Lilly, deducing what Shelob's poison had done to her, Clementine, Duck, and Frodo, 'that monster's poison wasn't to kill us… but to put Frodo, Duck, Clementine and me to sleep. But then the question remains… how did we manage to get ourselves thrown in here?'
"You mean that spider didn't poison us, it put us to sleep," said Clementine.
"Yeah, but that spider stung us by surprise," asked Duck
Lilly then gazed at the tip of her eyes, looking up front… where she, Clementine, and Duck spotted that Frodo was right beside them, with his hands bound also by rope. Not only that… he had no clothes on his chest to speak of. Realizing this… she also looked down on herself, noticing just now that she was also naked down to the waist, save her bandages that covered her breast and stomach. Still, she used her bonded arms to cover her chest, seeing as she was a woman. Clementine and Duck also looked down on themselves, noticing just now that their clothes has remove, and change into different clothes. Lilly, Clementine, and Duck looked at Frodo again, who was starting to open his eyes as well.
"Frodo!" Lilly called to Frodo, in a low voice, "Frodo!"
"Frodo, wake up!" Clementine called to Frodo, in a low voice,"
"Wake up, Frodo!" Duck called to Frodo.
Frodo's eyes opened and spotted Lilly, Clementine, and Duck in front of him. "Miss Li! Miss Cl! Mr. Du-," he started to call out.
"Shh!" Lilly quickly shushed Frodo from talking, "don't talk, we've got company."
"Quiet Frodo, We've got trouble." whispered Clementine."
"Don't talk so louder," whispered Duck."
Frodo took a moment, as he looked about his surroundings, and listening to the sounds around him, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck.
"How did we get here?" asked Frodo, quietly, "where are we?"
"I think," answered Lilly, "that we're in that tower we saw, just before we got stung by that monster."
Frodo gasped as he also remembered when Shelob took him, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck by surprise.
"We don't know how long that was either," added Clementine, "but there are Orcs behind us, looking through our things. Its best that we wait until they leave, so that we can have a chance to escape."
"…I doubt that we can, Miss Clementjne," said Frodo, "I can hear many other Orcs from below, so this place must be well-guarded. It may be difficult for us to get away."
Duck thought a moment before he asked, "…then, we'll just have to think of something. First, when we're alone, we'll worry about getting ourselves free, before doing anything else, okay."
Frodo nodded in affirmation, agreeing with Lilly, Clementine, and Duck's plan.
The Orc and Uruk continued to search through Lilly, Clementine, Duck, and Frodo's provisions and clothing spread across the table. Shagrat suddenly set his eyes, as he picked up a Lilly's leather black jacket, Clementine's hat with a D on it, and Duck's orange shirt, that felt very leather and refined in his hands, and began to observe it fondly. Gorbag then found the Mithril shirt that was taken from Frodo, and held it up into the light, where it tinkled delicately. As he did… Shagrat, while he was looking over the jacket, hat, and shirt that he found, turned his eyes over to the light that reflected off the shirt and snarled. Gorbag instantly recoiled the moment Shagrat spotted him playing with the Mithril shirt…
"Hands off!" demanded Shagrat, tossing the jacket, hat, and orange shirt back onto the table, "that shiny shirt, that's mine!"
"It's going to the great eye!" Gorbag stated, refusing to drop the shirt, "along with everything else."
'The great eye?' thought a gasping Lilly, '…Sauron!'
Frodo also gasped in realization, as he fumbled his bound hands about to his neck, noticing that the ring was not there…
'Oh no, the ring…where's the ring!' Lilly gasped despairingly in her thoughts once more, as she also noticed that the ring was no longer hanging from Frodo's neck, 'the Orcs must've taken it when we were unconscious!'
"I don't take orders from stinking Morgul rats!" Shagrat snarled fiercely as he pushed Gorbag against the wall.
"You touch it," Gorbag threatened Shagrat as he grabbed his sword and pointed it at the Uruk, "and I'll stick this blade in your gut!"
But Shagrat wrestled the sword from Gorbag, and the pair began to scuffle about, fighting over the Mithril shirt that Frodo once had. Frodo, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck stayed where they were, as they did not want to involve themselves in this personal struggle between Orc and Uruk. With determination… Shagrat was able to throw Gorbag through the trap door, though he hung there for a while, his arms and legs keeping him in place… until Shagrat came towards him…
And kicked the Orc in the stomach. Gorbag began to roll down the ladder that led up to the trap door, and then down the stairs. The Uruk-Hai that were feasting and drinking to their hearts content, heard and wondered what was all the commotion about as they all looked up, to see Gorbag rolling down towards them from the stairs… crashing into the Uruks, disrupting their meals. Gorbag sprang up from the ground like a cat, receiving surprised and bewildered gazes from the other Uruk-hai…
"The scum tried to knife me!" Shagrat yelled down, with a savage roar, from the trap door in the ceiling, "KILL HIM!"
The Uruk-Hai growled, and lunged for Gorbag's blood. The vicious Orc countered the Uruks, using his sword. Gorbag even jumped up… and used both feet to kick one of the Uruks out of a window, letting the Uruk fall from the tower, colliding into some of the battlements… before crashing loudly onto the ground.
One of the Orcs heard the crash and went to check it out, but one of the Uruk-Hai pushed the Orc down. Irritated… the Orc grabbed a piece of meat from a booth… and used it to whack the Uruk in the back. More Orcs joined in, beating down the Uruks, which in turn began to lift the Orcs, twirling them above their heads…
As this was happening…
Other Orcs that were guarding the tower began to growl in fury… and went to engage the Uruks into battle, starting a full-scale brawl between the Orc and Uruk-Hai factions. Their swords and axes hacked into each other, everywhere their clubs were beating, maiming and bruising… and even managed to throw large hewn stones to bash their brains in…
From not too far away…
Samwise Gamgee, Ben Paul, and Travis, after successfully driving off the dark terror of Cirith Ungol known as Shelob and believing that Duck, Clementine, Lilly, and Frodo were dead, but were discovered to be alive by the Orcs and Uruk-Hai… began to follow the Orcs cautiously.
The brave Hobbit and two adventurous boys observed what was happening. Instead of the place being quiet and guarded… the fortress was now littered with fighting, particularly amongst the Orcs and Uruk-Hai. Sam, Ben, and Travis narrowed their eyes, as they did not like the sound of the fighting. The fighting continued as they drew closer towards the tower…
The three brave rescuers cautiously approached the battlemented wall near the front gate… and entered into a narrow court, the exact moment when the fighting slowed down… and finally ceased. Ben, Travis, and Sam looked around them, seeing as the compound was littered with the aftermath of the small civil war between the Orcs and Uruk-hai.
"What happened here?" asked Ben.
"I don't know, Ben," said Sam, "…but it looks like the Orcs were fighting amongst themselves."
"Fighting themselves?" replied a confused Travis, "why? What for?"
"Who knows?" Sam wondered, "but there must've been a couple of hundred of these dirty beasts. They must've hated each other so much for them to be killing one another, I'll warrant. I'd say we were lucky. And what happened here… its like pure hate unleashed, Mr. Ben and Mr. Travis."
Ben and Travis contemplated what Sam said, about the hatred between the factions of the Orcs and Uruks, as he looked about, seemingly that every one of them had killed themselves.
"I'd hate to think," said Sam gravely, "…that Mr. Frodo, Miss Lilly, Miss Clementine, and Mr. Duck were killed in this carnage."
"…So do we, Sam," replied Ben.
Not wasting any time… Sam, Ben, and Travis quickly raced inside the complex, trying to get to Frodo, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck, believing that they must be held in the turret of the tower. The valiant pair continued throughout the tower, without any difficulties so far. When they began to climb up the stairs…
They spotted a group of Uruk-hai descending towards them, and have apparently survived the chaos that went on earlier.
"They look too big to be Orcs, Sam," said Travis in a quiet voice, "those must be those Uruk-Hai that Saruman bred. I heard that they don't scare easily."
"…Then we're going to have to give them something to be afraid of," replied Sam, "when I give the word… growl like a wild animal, Mr. Travis."
Ben and Travis nodded, with a smirk, as they liked the idea. Ben, Travis, and Sam then took their positions…
"Now," said Sam…
GRR! GRRR, GRRR! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Sam, Ben, and Travis began growling, as they climbed the stairs toward the group of Uruks, flexing and producing a growing, menacing shadow that intimidated them greatly.
Moments later…
The Hobbit and two teen boys finally came out into the open and the Uruks snarled as they were almost made fools of, by smaller people. The Uruks charged at Ben, Travis, and Sam…
But Sam countered, stabbing the creatures, calling out, "that's for Frodo! And for the Shire!"
"This one's for Lee!" Ben cried out, knocking down the Uruks that came to him, "for Lilly! Our world!"
"This one's for our Friends!" Travis cried out knocking down the Uruks that to them," for Clementine and Duck! Our world!"
As the fight was going on… Shagrat crawled out of a hall under the steps, carefully walking away unnoticed. The Uruk was carrying Frodo's Mithril shirt, Lilly's Black leather jacket, Clementine's hat, and Duck's orange shirt under his arm…
Sam then stabbed and pushed his last Uruk down the stairs, crashing onto the ground.
"AND THAT'S FOR MY OLD GAFFER!" he cried out fiercely.
Ben and Travis instantly made the last Uruk he had topple over the stairs to join his comrade. Seeing this, Sam ran forth, while Ben and Travis stayed where they was…
"that's for me!" Ben called out, sending his proud voice throughout the tower, "Ben Paul, Student of the Stone Mountain High School! don't you ever forget that!"
"And that's for me!" Travis called out, sending his proud voice throughout the tower, "Travis McDermit, Student of the Stone Mountain High School! And don't you ever forget that!"
Sam continued rushing throughout the tower, with Ben and Travis not too far behind. They proceeded further climbing up the stairs that surrounded the outer wall, as well as through the inner wall. Along the way, they knocked down more Orcs or Uruks that have survived the carnage, striving to get to the turret of the tower, hoping that Frodo, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck were still alive…
Lilly, Clementine, Duck, and Frodo were left alone in the turret. Shagrat apparently left to finish what he started. Lilly took the opportunity and used all her strength… to loosen the ropes around her wrists.
Then she help Clementine and Duck to loosen the ropes around the wrists.
"Miss Clementind," said Frodo in a panic, "you better hurry. It may be quiet right now, but I doubt that all the Orcs killed themselves."
"Just a bit more Frodo," replied Lilly, as she finally pulled the ropes, that bound her hands, "…got it. Hold on Frodo, We're gonna to get you out now."
Lilly then went over to Frodo and tried to loosen his bonds…
"LILLY, BEHIND YOU," cried Clementine.
"LOOK OUT," cried Duck.
But a foot took Lilly by surprise and pinned her to the floor. It was the Orc, Gorbag, who has survived the fight.
"Miss Lilly!" cried Frodo, seeing Gorbag pin Lilly to the ground.
"Just where do you think you're heading off to, Missie and two little brats?" Gorbag sneered at Lilly, Clementine, and Duck, "stick around for awhile."
Frodo whimpered, not expecting to see Gorbag, or any of the Orcs or Uruks, this soon.
"And stop your squealing, you dung hill rat!" Gorbag added, growling furiously, using his left hand to pin Frodo to the ground.
The Orc drew his blade over them and gritted, "I'm gonna bleed you four, like stuck pigs!"
"No!" cried Clementine.
"Don't kill us!" cried Duck.
"Nooo!" cried Lilly, she hug Clementine and Duck, as Gorbag went to kill her, Clementine, Duck, and Frodo…
But a hand suddenly grabbed Gorbag from behind… and the Orc gasped… as something stuck him in his back. Frodo, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck looked up to see what stopped Gorbag…
It was a glittering blade thrusting through Gorbag, a blade that Frodo, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck recognized very well…
'Sting?' thought Lilly in bemused surprise…
"Frodo, your sword?" though Clementine in bemused surprise.
"Who could that be with your sword!" though Duck in bemused surprise.
As the face of Samwise Gamgee slowly appeared from behind the impaled Orc, with tears streaming in his eyes…
"…Not if I stick you first," gritted Sam, through clenched teeth.
"Sam!" Frodo cried out, very relieved to see Sam again.
Sam then pulled Sting out of Gorbag… and let him topple to the side as the sword dimmed. Afterwards… Ben and Travis came through the trap door behind Sam.
"Ben!" Lilly cried out also brightened to see her apprentice.
"Travis!" Clementine and Duck both cried brightened to see their apprentice.
"Heh," smirked Ben, "I told you that I would get Sam back up here to you, Frodo."
Frodo sighed brightly, as he was greatly surprised at Ben and Travis's persistence. It was amazing to him, as it was hardly surprising to Lilly, Clementine, and Duck, knowing Ben and Travis a bit longer than Frodo.
"Lilly, are you okay?" Ben turned to Lilly-
"Clementine, Duck, are you two okay?" Travis turned to Clementine and Duck.
And Ben recoiled, seeing her half-naked, save her bandages. Lilly wondered what was with Ben and Travis… but then she remembered that she had almost nothing on her chest, and covered herself. Sam was also taken back by the sight of the half-naked Lilly, even more than the when he saw Frodo without a shirt on him, and Clementine and Duck wearing different clothes.
"Here," said Ben, taking off his elven cloak, giving it to Lilly, "use this."
"Sorry, Ben and Travis," replied a sheepish Lilly, forgetting how bare she was, as she used the cloak to cover herself, "but, like you two said, Ben and Travis, you two told Frodo that you two be back with Sam…
"Duck and I sorry, Ben and Travis," replied a sheepish Clementine.
"We are really sorry, Ben and Travis," replied a sheepish Duck.
"As I told the same thing to Frodo," added Lilly, turning to Frodo, "isn't that right?"
Frodo gave no reply, as he knew already that he was wrong, but only turned to Ben, Travis, and Sam.
"Sam, Ben, Travis," said an apologetic Frodo, "I'm so sorry, sorry for everything! Please forgive me."
The rescuers glanced at each other for a brief moment… and smiled knowing that Frodo has admitted his mistake when he was being so ruthless to them.
Lilly then interjected, "and I guess I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I didn't believe you about Gollum. Its just... he was struggling with himself. I've seen him. It was so like how Lee struggled with the manslayer within his heart."
Clementine then interjected, "yeah, Duck and I didn't believe you, Travis, and Sam about him.
Duck then interjected, "He betrayed us and lead us into the spider tunnel, and stung us by surprise.
Sam, Ben, and Travis weren't so surprised, as the mention of Gollum's name was still an adversity for them.
"But unlike Lee," added Lilly, "…Gollum wasn't strong enough to overcome his darkness."
"But Unlike my dead parents," added Clementine.
"But unlike my dad," added Duck.
"We're sorry you and the kids had to be let down, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck," said Ben, with a little sympathy, "but he didn't have Lee's heart."
"I know that now," replied Lilly, uncertainly, still thinking of the woeful creature.
"I'll warrant that Gollum's still about, somewhere," gritted Sam.
"I don't think so," said Clementine, "Frodo, Lilly, Duck, and I saw him fall down into a deep ravine when he tried to attack Frodo."
"If that's so," replied Sam, a little savored, "…goodbye and good riddance, I say."
Ben and Travis nodded, agreeing with Sam, while Lilly gave no response, as she could only feel sorry for Gollum.
"Come on, let's get you out of here, Mr. Frodo," said Sam as he laid down Sting, and began to finish untying Frodo's bonds.
"It's too late, it's over," Frodo said to Sam in despair, "they've taken it."
"What?" asked Sam, in confusion.
"Sam… they took the ring," Frodo clarified for Sam.
"What do you mean, Frodo?" inquired Ben in nonchalant bewilderment.
"What do you mean, they took it from you, Frodo?" inquired Travis in nonchalant bewilderment.
"They've taken everything, Ben, Travis, everything," interjected Lilly with the same despair as Frodo, "…not just the ring, but our worlds as well!"
"Now, We lost," cried Clementine with tears dropping from her eyes.
"We have Failed it," cried Duck with dropping from his eyes.
Sam, Ben, and Travis were still confused, as they had no angry or upsetting reactions to this news.
Lilly went on gloomily, "the Orcs probably took it, when Frodo, Duck, Clementine, I were stung by that monster spider. Everything that we've done, or at least tried to do to save our worlds, was all for nothing… now that the Orcs have taken the ring back to Sauron."
After Lilly finished, she crumpled a trembling fist in her hand, as she lowered her head and tightened her eyes, whimpering, Clementine and Duck begin to cry in their failure. Ben, Travis, and Sam glanced at themselves again, still not reacting to the reality of the failure of the quest…
Sam then turned back to Lilly, Clementine, and Duck and said, "…beggin' your pardon, Miss Lilly, Miss Clementine, and Mr. Duck, but they haven't."
Lilly's eyes snapped open and slowly lifted her head, gasping in surprise to hear this revelation. Frodo also gasped surprisingly as Sam stood up in front of them… went into his pocket…
And pulled out a chain… with an unadorned band of gold hanging on it in suspension. Frodo and Lilly's eyes widened at the sight of the ring… as they instantly recognized the ring and immediately felt the corruptive power slowly resonating from it…
"It-it's… it's the One Ring," said a gasping, stuttering Lilly in bewildered and bemused relief to know that the quest hadn't failed yet, "then-"
"…I thought we'd lost you," explained Sam, his eyes pleading for understanding, "so we took it, Mr. Frodo."
"Sam, Ben, and I were the ones who drove off that big bug that stung you, Lilly, Clementine, and Duck," Travis added his explanation, "…then we heard the Orcs coming, and Sam took the time to dig out the ring from all that webbing that you were in, Frodo. And we would've left you guys for dead and gone on to continue the quest by ourselves… if one of these creeps hadn't blurted out that you were just out cold."
Lilly contemplated what Travis said… and it all made sense. Why else would they have the ring? He, Ben, and Sam were the ones that saved her, Clementine, Duck, and Frodo from being eaten by Shelob, and were taken prisoner later on. Lilly, Clementine, and Duck was very surprised to hear that Ben and Duck had the guts to take on a giant spider. She knew that she, Clementine, Duck, and Frodo owed their lives to the young, courageous pair.
"It was only for safekeeping, Mr. Frodo," said Sam, as he slowly held the ring towards Frodo, "here… it's yours again."
"Give it to me," Frodo said to Sam, tension entering his voice…
Sam lowered the chain further as Frodo went to take the ring back. But then… Sam stopped where he was… and retracted from giving the ring to Frodo…
"…Give me the ring, Sam," Frodo said more firmly, holding his hand out as Sam recoiled further, still holding the Ring in his hand, his face tense, sweat beading his brow.
Ben turned to Sam and said, "what are you doing, Sam? Just give the ring to him, already-"
Travis also turned to Sam and said, "just give Frodo the ring, and-"
But Ben and Travis suddenly lowered his eyes toward the ring…
And the two teen boys held their gaze upon the band of gold… as its powers were starting to corrupt them… then began to step towards Sam, slowly reaching their hands out for the ring…
"Ben, Travis," Lilly spoke to her apprentice…
Ben and Travis moved closer towards Sam, who stepped even further away from Frodo. Frodo slowly became distressed, as he feared that Ben, Travis, and Sam might try to fight over the ring as Boromir did when he tried to take the ring from him…
Ben and Travis's hand neared towards the ring…
"BEN! TRAVIS!" Lilly roared out to Ben and Travis… and they quickly tore their gaze from the ring to face Kaoru. As he did…
Ben and Travis gazed upon his Officer's face… to see that she was scowling fiercely, like an undomesticated beast. Usually, when Lilly gets mad at Ben and Travis… they would talk back, and they would have a big fight. But this time… it wasn't like all those arguments that he, Travis, and Lilly have had in the past.
Ben and Travis could easily tell that Lilly was really angry… so angry that the furious expression upon her face had scared them both with utter fear… perhaps the first time that Ben and Travis had ever… experienced fear within the face of their officer, in their whole life.
Frodo saw that Lilly's anger had frozen Ben and Travis and they had not attempted to look back to the ring…
"Sam, give Frodo the ring back!" called out Clementine.
"Sam, give it back to Frodo!" called Duck.
"…Sam!" called out Frodo, a little sharply to Sam, as he held his hand out again, "give me the ring."
"Sam heard Clementine and Duck calling out for him to give the ring to Frodo.
He looked upon Frodo once more, hearing his call…
Moments passed…
Then Sam slowly started to walk towards Frodo, who held out a trembling hand…
"Come on, Sam," Frodo said softly to Sam…
Lilly held her fierce, angered gaze upon Ben and Travis, telling them not to make a move to snatch the ring, or else. Ben and Travis continued to obey Lilly's silent command…
As Sam moved closer towards Frodo…
"That's it," Frodo encouraged Sam to proceed further towards him.
Sam lowered the ring near Frodo…
And Frodo quickly snatched it away from Sam, breaking the ring's spell. Lilly released her angered expression the moment that Frodo took the ring back. Frodo gasped with great relief as everyone watched him softly placing the chain back over his neck… and sagged under its growing weight.
"Lilly, you okay," said Clementine.
"It's look like you had your sight of the ring," said Duck
"Oh, I'm sorry about that, Clementine and Duck," said Lilly.
Lilly, however, as she was gazing at Frodo putting the ring back over his neck… at once felt distressed, as she could feel her desires for the ring returning to her, plaguing her every thought. Undoubtedly, her scowl was that of a person who didn't want anyone else to take what the other person wanted as she herself… still wanted the ring. They were all very, very near towards the dark lord's land from where they were now.
As Frodo finished settling the ring back over his neck, he said to the others, "…my friends, you must understand… the ring is my burden, and I must be the one to carry it to the very end! It will destroy you… destroy you all."
"You're wrong, Frodo," interjected Lilly, "this burden… isn't just yours to carry."
Frodo looked puzzled, as well as shocked to hear Clementine say something like that. The Hobbit continued to underestimate the woman's faith.
Lilly went on, "on some level, Sam, Ben, and Travis were right earlier, about wanting to share the weight together. The ring is our burden, just as it is yours, because we chose to go with you, regardless of whether it will destroy us or not. Its tempted us, as much as it has been tempting you. My temptation began, ever since we started the journey, at the time when we were first cornered by the Ringwraiths."
Sam, Ben, and Travis gasped a little, to hear of Lilly's temptation of the ring had been with her for as long as they had this journey. Still, they were pleased to hear her confession, as was Frodo.
"We stand for you to destroy the ring," Clementine compassionately added.
"And We're still fighting to resist the ring, just like you," Duck compassionately added further,
"So you see, you're not carrying this burden alone as well as you think you are. However, I don't think that we'll ever be able to carry it like you can Frodo. When you say that you must carry the burden alone… you were so much like Lee, as he also thought that he must put the weight of the world on his shoulders, just to ensure the safety of those he cares for," said Lilly, with a smile.
"…You always humor me with your speeches, don't you, Miss Lilly! Miss Clementine! Mr. Duck?" responded Frodo, with his bittersweet smile.
Lilly, Clementine, and Duck nodded.
"Come on," said Sam, picking up Sting, "let's be on our way now, Mr. Frodo. There's no time to express our regrets or sorrows."
"Right, Sam," Frodo nodded to Sam as he tried to get up, but shuddered and gasped while trying to stand under the weight of the ring.
"Here," said Lilly, lending her hand to Frodo, "let me help you up, Frodo."
But… the cloak slipped off her chest… and gasped as she noticed that her chest uncovered again, and grabbed the cloak to wrap her chest in it. Ben and Travis looked away, not willing to see her half-naked body.
"Please, tell us when she's got something to wear," Travis said in embarrassment, "Ben and I don't care how ugly she is."
Lilly growled in her breath, exasperated to hear Travis's bad-mouthing. She wished that she kept her frightening scowl on him. Frodo even managed a little chuckle at Lilly's reaction to Ben and Travis's insults, though weighed down by the ring.
"But why me and Duck are wearing different they gave to us to wear," asked Clementine."
"I guess Clementine and I have to wearing this clothes," though Duck.
Sam then said, "well, you're two right, Clementine and Duck, I guess you kids have to be dress like that it's okay, and Ben and Travis are right, Miss Lilly. Before we start heading off, we'd best find you and Frodo some clothes. The both of you can't go walking through Mordor in naught but your skins."
Later on…
The travelers left the once-fortified tower… adorned in the armor and helmets of the Orcs and Uruk-Hai. Sam, Frodo, Clementine, and Duck wore the Orc armor, as Lilly, Ben, and Travis wore the Uruk's armors. Finally leaving behind the horrors of the dreaded pass of Cirith Ungol…
The travelers slowly trudged over the rocky ground… approaching the edge of a hill…
And gazed upon Orodruin, the mountain of fire itself, Mt. Doom, and the black land of Mordor, littered with the campfires that dotted the plains like stars in the sky on a clear dark night, surrounding the fiery crag all around it…
"We did it, Mr. Frodo," said Sam, preparing for the absolute worst, "we all made it to Mordor."
"So," added Ben, forebodingly, "…we're finally here."
Lilly nodded in affirmation, as she herself prepared for a most vexing trek across Sauron's lands.
"There are so many of them," observed Frodo with dread, gazing upon the many thousands of Orcs that were between them and Mt. Doom, "we'll never get through unseen."
"The Orc armor fit me and Duck perfectly." said Clementine.
"yeah, but we need to find a way to distract them," said Duck.
"The Orc armor that Frodo, Sam, Clementine, and Duck are wearing, and The Uruk's armor that Ben, Travis, and I are wearing wearing," interjected Lilly, "might be able to fool them, Frodo. So, it could be the one and only advantage we have."
"Let's just hope we can fool them for that long, Miss Lilly," said Sam.
"Look over there," Ben broke in, pointing at a strange light that was sweeping Mordor, "it must be acting like some kind of search light or something."
The others spotted the light that Ben pointed to… and traced it going up into the sky… towards the top of the tower of Barad-dûr…
"It's him," rasped Frodo, recoiling in fear, "the eye…!"
It was the Eye of Sauron that the travelers saw, overlooking Mordor. The Eye shone its dark fiery light into the darkness, a menacing presence for all those who wander so unwittingly into his land. Lilly's eyes widened in fear, as she had, at last, gazed upon Sauron's eye… as a flash of it appeared in her mind, hindering her happy thoughts that were now starting to fade.
'…So, at last,' thought Travis, filling himself with pride, with narrowed eyes and a firm, bawled up fist, to see Sauron, '…I got to see whom we're all up against. Ben and I felt left out because Ben and I didn't get to see the face. But now I feel relieved… because I'm going to prove how great I really am, right here in Mordor, by keeping the promise I made to Kenshin!'
"We have to go in there, Mr. Frodo," said Sam, "there's nothing for it."
"Besides," added Ben, "we've made it this far… and there's no turning back."
"That's right," agreed Clementine, with a nod.
"We have to find to get inside and Frodo will get there and destroy the ring, and throw it into the fire," said Duck.
"…Come on," said Sam, encouragingly, "let's all just make it down the hill for starters."
Frodo knew that his friends were correct… they were very close to the final step of the journey, and they couldn't turn around now. And with that… Frodo went on down the hill first, with Sam, Lilly, Clementine, Duck, Ben, and Travis following behind him.
The Lord of the Rings belong to the author, respectively J.R.R. Tolkien, and TWD belong to the game Darrell Rodriguez. This fanfiction is created just for fun, not for any commercial purposes.
A/n: Well, I guess you people can relax, now that I've finally gone back to Frodo's group, and began the final journey of Mordor. Yep, it's getting very, very close to the fires of Doom now, and so close to the end of the fic. Oh, by the way, the reason why I didn't usually write review replies on the last chapter like I usually do, is because of the new review reply system set up, but only for site authors. That means, I'll be able to reply to the reviewers that are members of this site.