"Why is it raining again," wailed Sam.
Merry looked up from finishing his snack. "It seems even stronger than before!"
Gimli huffed, "By Durin's beard, I think you're right, laddie."
"You guys act as if you have never been stuck in a thunderstorm before," Kagome said with a laugh.
"We haven't been outside the Shire, Kagome, and we don't have rainstorms," replied Pippin. "We do have snow storms though."
Frodo sat quietly against the wall, watching the mouth of the cave. "I don't suppose we could leave soon, can we Gandalf?"
The wizard turned his blue gaze to face the small hobbit. After a moment, he said, "No, Frodo. I think it would be wise to wait for the sun to shine upon us again. If we leave before then, we might get caught in the rain once more, and we most likely won't be fortunate to find shelter."
"You don't think we are taking too long? Shouldn't we keep moving?"
This time Aragorn answered, "Normally, yes. We should be as swift as we can, but we would be more hindered in the rain. It is safer and smarter to wait for this storm to end. It is also a good time to rest. I doubt we would be able to relax again for a very long time."
"I suppose you are right," Frodo admitted.
Merry sighed, "So I guess we're staying for another night."
"A good time to rest or not, I hope that it's just one more night," Boromir admitted.
All up till now, Kagome sat silently patching up some holes in her new companions' clothing. Finally she added her input: "Tomorrow is the third day. Maybe we will get lucky this time and the rain will stop sometime soon. As they always say: a third time's a charm."
They looked at the sole female in varying levels of confusion.
Then Sam asked, "Who's 'they'?"
Kagome blinked before she blushed prettily. A hand subconsciously reached for a lock of hair. "People used to say it where I'm from, but since I'm the only one from there, then 'they' is me, I guess."
Gimli blew some smoke from his pipe, "That begs the question, lass, where are you from?"
The woman waved her hand dismissively, "That's a story for another day."
"Yes, it is quite complicated and dismal, one I'd rather not spend my day listening to. It's hardly relaxing material," Gandalf said as he leaned back against the wall."
Kagome grit her teeth. While she was grateful that she could avoid explaining her past, she couldn't help but glare at the tall man. He didn't have to say it like that, she thought angrily.
Still, she couldn't do anything about her annoyance at the wizard, so she sighed instead.
"He's right," she replied, ignoring Gandalf mumbling about how he's always right, "It's not a very happy story, and I wouldn't want to ruin the peaceful atmosphere. However, not everything about me is as bad as Gandalf is making it seem. I'll tell you some stuff some time. Promise." She finished with a wink and resumed the forgotten work before her.
It wasn't long until the temporary cave residents went on doing their own things.
After some time, the rain still pounding relentlessly outside, Kagome was sitting outside the cave, the vines blocking the entrance of the cave which provided a small semblance of privacy. The greenery above was thick enough to shield her from the heavy downpour. She needed some time alone.
She was happy to share stories of her travels and old friends in order to help and encourage others. It was easy to focus on the good and forget the bad. But it became harder to ignore all the complications of her past when she was so blatantly reminded of it.
Gee, thanks, Gandalf, she thought bitterly.
There were some memories that she wasn't ready for, something she won't ever be ready for no matter how many years she lived.
She didn't know how long she had stayed out there, but eventually a blanket was placed around her shoulders. She looked up to find a brown head looking down at her.
"Hello, my Lady."
"Boromir," she greeted. She stopped trying to tell the man to drop the titles since he just wouldn't listen. She scooted over to make room for him to sit next to her. They admired the rainfall, both lost in their own thoughts.
Kagome glanced at the man next to her. He seemed to be struggling to say something. He would open his mouth only to close it again and go back to thinking in silence. The miko watched him do this a couple of times before interjecting.
"What's on your mind?"
"Is it that obvious?"
Kagome did her best not to laugh. "Very."
Boromir sighed, "It the Ring." He continued when he saw Kagome raise an eyebrow. "I just can't understand why we must destroy it. It holds unfathomable power. With that, we could turn the tide to our favor. We could get rid of Sauron with the very thing he loves!"
Boromir threw his hand in the air and huffed exasperatedly. "I only ask that we spend time to learn to harness the power of the Ring. I have said it before, but no one would listen: This Ring...It is a gift!"
"No."
"What?" Boromir turned to face Kagome, shocked at the hardness in her voice.
"I said no. What you are asking is too much, Boromir. Any object of great power rarely can be controlled, especially this Ring. It was born from evil and meant to only serve evil. There is no 'harnessing its power' because attempting it would only consume you, and it will destroy you."
Kagome sighed before continuing. "Powerful things tend to have a mind of its own. It won't be easy bending or breaking its will. The only thing we can do is to destroy it so that our enemy can't use it." She looked over to Boromir, "I'm sorry, Boromir. I understand that you want to use it for good, but please believe me when I say that this is the only way to deal with the Ring."
Boromir bit the inside of his cheek. "The Ring calls to me, Lady Kagome," he confessed, "I can hear it's whispers. It promises me all that I hope for. It is hard to ignore and it..."
"It scares you, doesn't it?" She finished for him.
"Yes."
Kagome nodded. She expected this from the Ring; in fact, she would be surprised if it didn't call out to anyone during the duration of their trip.
She contemplated on how to console him. She couldn't just say not to listen to the Ring's calls. At the same time, she also couldn't say to humor the Ring. Everything in her head sounded like it wasn't enough or like she wasn't taking him seriously.
In the end, she settled for something simple. After all, less is more.
"I understand. It's hard and I expect it will push you to your limits, but you have to be strong in here," she pointed to her head, "in here," she pointed to her heart, "and in here." She finally placed her whole hand in the middle of her chest. "Your soul is stronger than you think. Combined with your heart and mind, you can overcome anything, but you must not give in."
Boromir was quiet once more and silence took over the two. For a long time, only the rain spoke with the forest. Finally, the man spoke up.
"You speak from experience." It was more of an observation than a statement.
"I do."
Boromir got the hint that she was not going to explain anymore, so he moved on to a different topic.
"I worry for my people," he began, "Gondor is a mighty city, and I do not want to see it fall to the hands of our enemy. They are all counting on me as the representative of Gondor. The civilians, my father, my brother. I fight for them."
"If I," the man hesitated for a moment, "If I were to fall, who would stand for my city? I wish to see her in all of her shining glory. I wish for Gondor to be prosperous and safe. I wish for a thriving environment for my brother. He deserves as much. He is a strong young man who has great potential. It saddens me that my father doesn't see it."
Kagome listened intently. They were all valid and noble concerns and she couldn't help but respect the man for it.
"Your father doesn't see many things. Old age is making him blind," she warned, "but I can't do much about that for it is not my place."
The man looked like he wanted to retort, but he had to admit that her words held some truth.
"Boromir," she said, "You are not the only one who fights for Gondor. I fight for Gondor. I, too, wish for it to return to its former brilliance. I am sure your brother will also do what he can to protect his home. You say he has potential. If you really believe that then put your faith into him. He is your brother, so I am sure he shares your spirits. And Aragorn-"
"-does not rule Gondor. Not for many years."
Kagome gave him a pointed look. "That may be true, but he is still heir to the throne. He is more than capable of protecting Gondor. He is also a great leader. He has the blood of Kings in him, Boromir. I know he will rise up when the occasion calls for it and Gondor will flourish again. Do not doubt him."
After a while, Boromir opened his mouth again. "Thank you, Kagome. I feel much lighter than I ever was since the beginning of this journey."
Kagome smiled, "I am glad I was able to help, my friend."
The day passed slowly. With not much to do, the group decided to sleep early. Kagome claimed the role of nightguard, refusing anyone from relieving the duty from her.
She wanted time to herself and she doubted she could sleep with much on her mind. The conversations from the past two days made her think about memories that she hadn't thought about in years.
She felt something churn in her stomach causing her to wrap her arms around her waist in a protective manner.
Kagome was staring at the remains of the fire when her ears caught the sounds of soft footfalls. Looking up, she found herself looking at another pair of blue eyes.
"Frodo," she greeted, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
He didn't say anything as he sat next to her and focused his sights on the glow in the middle of the cave.
After a couple of minutes, she tried again, "Can't sleep?"
The Hobbit shook his head. Finally, he said, "I didn't ask for this. I wanted adventure, but I didn't want the danger that came with it. I didn't want this responsibility."
Kagome's heart clenched. Reaching out to squeeze his small hand, she responded.
"I know how you feel, Frodo. You are not alone."
"How could you, any of you, possibly know how I feel?"
Kagome sighed, "I went on a journey similar to yours. I had the same responsibilities."
"Could you tell me about it?"
The woman grimaced inwardly. She was trying to run away from her prodding thoughts, not face them up front. Then again, it wasn't like she was going to succeed. She knew that she was going to spend the whole night reliving her past, so she might as well help comfort the Hobbit while she was at it.
"What do you want to know?" She said softly.
"I have the Ring. What did you have?"
"I had a jewel. The Shikon Jewel or the Jewel of the Four Souls. A small bobble of great power. One tiny shard could give anyone immense power. When whole, the Shikon could grant any wish. Like the Ring, it whispers sweet nothings. It would call upon the deepest desires of people and twist their words. It brought nothing but pain and suffering.
"The Jewel shards were scattered all around the land. I was the Shikon Miko, so it was my job to protect the Jewel. Even if I wasn't, it was my fault that it shattered in the first place, accident or not."
"But Kagome," Frodo interrupted, "You are strong and powerful! I am just a small Hobbit."
"That's where you are wrong. I was just a simple human girl no older than fifteen with no abilities and no powers. I was nothing like I am now. I didn't want to be taken from my family or my old life. I just wanted to be a normal girl, but there was nothing I could do to change my reality. So I pressed on. I fought in battles I never wanted to fight in and grew up faster than I ever wanted to grow up."
Kagome looked into Frodo's searching eyes before continuing, "Your Ring, like my Jewel, will take a lot from you not just physically, but mentally and emotionally."
She pulled the Hobbit into her arms when she saw the tears escape his eyes. Hugging him close to her chest as a mother would, she ran her fingers through his hair, letting her aura expand to comfort him.
"Nothing is ever hopeless, Frodo Baggins, not when you have something to protect. By always remembering who and what you care about, you will strengthen your mind and guard your heart from the calls of Evil. Love is more powerful than hate can ever be," she finished.
The two stayed like that for a long time. The pitter pattering of the rain drowned out the quiet sounds of Frodo's sobs until he fell asleep. Kagome didn't let go for a long time, selfishly allowing some of her own tears to fall.
AN: I obviously have no concept of scheduling, but I have the update. I went back to revise the last few chapters. There aren't much changes, but they are there. I really have a lot planned for this. I just have to get myself to write lol. I also have a discord. Link is in my bio. Bye, my lovelies 3