WARNING! IF YOU HAVE COME THIS FAR, YOU MAY TURN BACK IF YOU HAVE NOT READ
THE BOOKS! YOU HAVE NOW BEEN CAUTIONED! MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER!
*
Chapter Seventeen: Mount Doom
Whether by chance or by some other force, Artemis, Alison, Jennie and Tessa crossed the gap between the Black Gate and Mount Doom slowly over the next three hours. This was quite astonishing as it took most about a day, but the four were determined to reach the hobbits in time.
Alison panted up behind the younger cousins, who were staring up at Mount Doom. "We did it."
"I know," said Jennie, still looking in awe.
The dark mountain belched currents of fire. Words were floating down to them from above; "Mr. Frodo! You go on, I'll deal with Stinker." They could hardly see for the mist of ash that hung around them.
"This is AMAZING," Tessa said, gazing upward. "Just AMAZING."
"Incredible," Jennie agreed.
"Phenomenal," Artemis added dryly. "Are we going to stand here spouting creative words or are we going to go up there?"
Without a word, the four began walking up the thin and winding path that twined about Mount Doom.
*
Julius Root was happy. Those who were close to the commander knew that when he was happy, somebody else was about to be extremely sad.
He walked over to where Foaly sat, typing furiously on a palm computer as they both examined the bio-bomb that Holly had altered. "What's the probability of this failing?"
"Ten percent. We are ready to launch."
The captain was exhausted from her exertion, but at those words she sat up. "Ten percent, Foaly? They might DIE."
To avoid answering, Foaly looked over to where Leah Dumka was sitting in the corner, playing with a fairy hand grenade. Several sprites were watching her and making bets on when she'd blow herself up.
"Ten minutes."
"Naw, Chix, I'd say three."
Root noticed and purpled. "Who gave her that thing?"
Chix Verbil looked exceedingly guilty.
"Listen, the next time you guys want to act cocky, you can-"
Leah blasted her fourth hole in the recycling room's wall. She looked up at Root. "Pretty tomato."
Foaly looked back at Holly. "There is always a risk, Captain. In fact, I'm not even relying on getting them home before the time-stop ends now. I'm relying on launching this before the time-stop ends. So are you ready to run with it?"
Holly took a breath. Part of herself, her magic in fact, was going into cyberspace. "Yes, I am."
Foaly pressed the launching button. The bio-bomb flickered out of view.
Root was instantly concerned. He detached himself from Leah's grasping hands. "Where did it go?"
"I don't know. Book world, I guess. I've never done this before, Julius."
"DON'T CALL ME JULIUS!"
Foaly allowed himself the tiniest smirk. "Yessir, pretty tomato."
Leah looked at the centaur, distracted for once. Her eyes were drooping. "Kitty," she said, reaching for his tail.
Root laughed for a full five minutes.
*
There was quite an assembly at the door of Mount Doom, ancient citadel of evil. More so than the books or the movie had ever showed.
Tessa pushed her way to the front of the four. Her eyes rested on the small shape that stood at the edge of the height, staring down into the fiery depths. She whispered to Jennie. "I'm taller than him!"
"It's a miracle," the taller girl replied.
A heartrending cry echoed about the room. "Master!" Samwise Gamgee pushed his way through Artemis and the girls to chase after Frodo.
The room went black for a moment, as though someone had flicked a power switch. When the red hue to the area came back, the lava was leaping higher than ever, almost swirling about the waists of the hobbits. Yet they were unscathed.
Frodo began to speak with a clear and awful voice, terrible and frightening, as he stood in the midst of the fire.
"No Frodo," Tessa murmured, eyes watery, "don't do it!"
"I have come. But I do not choose to do now what I came to do. I will not do this deed."
"Bastard," muttered Alison.
Tessa turned on her. "Don't you talk that way to my Frodo!"
"The Ring is mine!"
A lithe dark shape sprang forward, striking Sam from behind. The gardener fell, landing hard and almost rolling into the fires. Gollum took no notice of this; he continued to leap forward, until he was at the very edge of the cliff.
Frodo set the Ring upon his finger and vanished from view. The very earth trembled.
Artemis rolled his eyes. "Special effects even in Middle-Earth."
"Shut up," Tessa breathed.
"Yeah, really," Jennie snarled.
As Gollum and the invisible Frodo battled, another battle was going on behind them.
"Oh really? What do you think the shaking is? Sauron being overthrown?"
"Actually, I do." Jennie had her hands on her hips. "BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BOOKS!"
"You believe them?"
"Well we're here aren't we!"
Tessa joined in. "You're so stupid, Artemis."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"This whole thing is probably rigged to a mass hallucination!"
"Do you really believe that?"
"No not really, why?"
Perhaps the argument caused some distraction to Frodo, who knows? But Gollum used that exact moment to bite through the Ringbearer's living flesh. Frodo fell, visible once more.
"Master!" Sam said, getting up.
Tessa gave a shriek and ran forward. "Frodo!"
Gollum was doing his la-di-dah Smeagol hula dance. "My Precious!"
Jennie, who had followed Tessa, gave him a look and pushed him off the cliff. "You jock. Go get yourself a grass skirt and come back when you can do it properly."
"AHHHHHHHH!" said Gollum as he fell.
"AHHHHHHHH!" said Frodo as he looked up into Tessa's affectionate eyes. "Eru, no! Anything but this!"
She began lecturing him as she picked him up and carried him out of the mountain. "There is no Eru. There is one and only God, and he loves you." Tessa kissed him on the nose.
Frodo gagged. "Are you sure?"
She scowled. "Don't be irreverent. My mom smacks me on the head when I do that."
Meanwhile, Sauron was being destroyed in the Dark Tower, as Jennie had just melted the One Ring. Ringwraiths came plunging at Tessa and Frodo only to burn up in a flash of flame.
She kept talking. "He sent his one and only son for you."
Frodo looked at Sam.
"No, no, no!" Tessa smacked him on the head, using her mom's technique.
Jennie coughed into her fist. "Tessa, is now the time?"
"I guess you're right." Tessa caught sight of his bleeding hand. "Ah! You're bleeding."
Frodo tried to wriggle out of her grasp. "No, really?"
She picked up his four-fingered hand. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I would have given him a whole hand of mine rather." Blood streamed over her own hand as she hugged him.
Frodo relaxed just a little. Maybe this dubious individual wasn't as insane as he thought.
Artemis looked away, trying not to gag, and spotted a huge LEP craft moving through the air toward them. His eyes got very big, and he started backing away. "Uh-oh."
Jennie noticed. "What's wrong?"
"It's a blue-rinse." Artemis kept backing away. Lava was streaming down in little rivers around them as Mount Doom convulsed, but the mastermind hardly noticed. "If that thing goes off, we're all going to be so much ash."
Sam, who wouldn't know technology if it bit him on the nose, was walking toward it. "It looks like one of Gandalf's fireworks."
Artemis covered his eyes.
The bio-bomb swerved around Sam and continued its flight. Jennie joined Tessa over Frodo. Warm hobbit blood had already drenched Tessa's sleeve.
The bomb exploded.
Tessa felt Frodo's hand turn to mist in her fingers. She stood up in the weird not-time place, next to Jennie. Their surroundings were black.
Artemis walked over to them. His voice was sort of dreamy. "What's going on?"
Jennie noticed that her bow was no longer digging into her shoulder. Even their clothes seemed strangely unreal. "I don't know. Did we die?"
With a loud thunderclap, their surroundings darkened.
*
Root walked around the four, almost bursting with pride. "We did it! You're home."
"We're WHAT?" Jennie looked around, taking in the short elves, Leah dribbling in a corner, Foaly typing away.
"Well, you did it," he said. "Neither of the hobbits died. Right now the eagles are carrying them and the weapons you left back to Gondor."
Holly walked over, smiling. "We saved your lives."
"You BROUGHT us BACK?" Tessa yelped, and slapped her.
*
(dances around in hula skirt chanting REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!)
*
Chapter Seventeen: Mount Doom
Whether by chance or by some other force, Artemis, Alison, Jennie and Tessa crossed the gap between the Black Gate and Mount Doom slowly over the next three hours. This was quite astonishing as it took most about a day, but the four were determined to reach the hobbits in time.
Alison panted up behind the younger cousins, who were staring up at Mount Doom. "We did it."
"I know," said Jennie, still looking in awe.
The dark mountain belched currents of fire. Words were floating down to them from above; "Mr. Frodo! You go on, I'll deal with Stinker." They could hardly see for the mist of ash that hung around them.
"This is AMAZING," Tessa said, gazing upward. "Just AMAZING."
"Incredible," Jennie agreed.
"Phenomenal," Artemis added dryly. "Are we going to stand here spouting creative words or are we going to go up there?"
Without a word, the four began walking up the thin and winding path that twined about Mount Doom.
*
Julius Root was happy. Those who were close to the commander knew that when he was happy, somebody else was about to be extremely sad.
He walked over to where Foaly sat, typing furiously on a palm computer as they both examined the bio-bomb that Holly had altered. "What's the probability of this failing?"
"Ten percent. We are ready to launch."
The captain was exhausted from her exertion, but at those words she sat up. "Ten percent, Foaly? They might DIE."
To avoid answering, Foaly looked over to where Leah Dumka was sitting in the corner, playing with a fairy hand grenade. Several sprites were watching her and making bets on when she'd blow herself up.
"Ten minutes."
"Naw, Chix, I'd say three."
Root noticed and purpled. "Who gave her that thing?"
Chix Verbil looked exceedingly guilty.
"Listen, the next time you guys want to act cocky, you can-"
Leah blasted her fourth hole in the recycling room's wall. She looked up at Root. "Pretty tomato."
Foaly looked back at Holly. "There is always a risk, Captain. In fact, I'm not even relying on getting them home before the time-stop ends now. I'm relying on launching this before the time-stop ends. So are you ready to run with it?"
Holly took a breath. Part of herself, her magic in fact, was going into cyberspace. "Yes, I am."
Foaly pressed the launching button. The bio-bomb flickered out of view.
Root was instantly concerned. He detached himself from Leah's grasping hands. "Where did it go?"
"I don't know. Book world, I guess. I've never done this before, Julius."
"DON'T CALL ME JULIUS!"
Foaly allowed himself the tiniest smirk. "Yessir, pretty tomato."
Leah looked at the centaur, distracted for once. Her eyes were drooping. "Kitty," she said, reaching for his tail.
Root laughed for a full five minutes.
*
There was quite an assembly at the door of Mount Doom, ancient citadel of evil. More so than the books or the movie had ever showed.
Tessa pushed her way to the front of the four. Her eyes rested on the small shape that stood at the edge of the height, staring down into the fiery depths. She whispered to Jennie. "I'm taller than him!"
"It's a miracle," the taller girl replied.
A heartrending cry echoed about the room. "Master!" Samwise Gamgee pushed his way through Artemis and the girls to chase after Frodo.
The room went black for a moment, as though someone had flicked a power switch. When the red hue to the area came back, the lava was leaping higher than ever, almost swirling about the waists of the hobbits. Yet they were unscathed.
Frodo began to speak with a clear and awful voice, terrible and frightening, as he stood in the midst of the fire.
"No Frodo," Tessa murmured, eyes watery, "don't do it!"
"I have come. But I do not choose to do now what I came to do. I will not do this deed."
"Bastard," muttered Alison.
Tessa turned on her. "Don't you talk that way to my Frodo!"
"The Ring is mine!"
A lithe dark shape sprang forward, striking Sam from behind. The gardener fell, landing hard and almost rolling into the fires. Gollum took no notice of this; he continued to leap forward, until he was at the very edge of the cliff.
Frodo set the Ring upon his finger and vanished from view. The very earth trembled.
Artemis rolled his eyes. "Special effects even in Middle-Earth."
"Shut up," Tessa breathed.
"Yeah, really," Jennie snarled.
As Gollum and the invisible Frodo battled, another battle was going on behind them.
"Oh really? What do you think the shaking is? Sauron being overthrown?"
"Actually, I do." Jennie had her hands on her hips. "BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BOOKS!"
"You believe them?"
"Well we're here aren't we!"
Tessa joined in. "You're so stupid, Artemis."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"This whole thing is probably rigged to a mass hallucination!"
"Do you really believe that?"
"No not really, why?"
Perhaps the argument caused some distraction to Frodo, who knows? But Gollum used that exact moment to bite through the Ringbearer's living flesh. Frodo fell, visible once more.
"Master!" Sam said, getting up.
Tessa gave a shriek and ran forward. "Frodo!"
Gollum was doing his la-di-dah Smeagol hula dance. "My Precious!"
Jennie, who had followed Tessa, gave him a look and pushed him off the cliff. "You jock. Go get yourself a grass skirt and come back when you can do it properly."
"AHHHHHHHH!" said Gollum as he fell.
"AHHHHHHHH!" said Frodo as he looked up into Tessa's affectionate eyes. "Eru, no! Anything but this!"
She began lecturing him as she picked him up and carried him out of the mountain. "There is no Eru. There is one and only God, and he loves you." Tessa kissed him on the nose.
Frodo gagged. "Are you sure?"
She scowled. "Don't be irreverent. My mom smacks me on the head when I do that."
Meanwhile, Sauron was being destroyed in the Dark Tower, as Jennie had just melted the One Ring. Ringwraiths came plunging at Tessa and Frodo only to burn up in a flash of flame.
She kept talking. "He sent his one and only son for you."
Frodo looked at Sam.
"No, no, no!" Tessa smacked him on the head, using her mom's technique.
Jennie coughed into her fist. "Tessa, is now the time?"
"I guess you're right." Tessa caught sight of his bleeding hand. "Ah! You're bleeding."
Frodo tried to wriggle out of her grasp. "No, really?"
She picked up his four-fingered hand. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I would have given him a whole hand of mine rather." Blood streamed over her own hand as she hugged him.
Frodo relaxed just a little. Maybe this dubious individual wasn't as insane as he thought.
Artemis looked away, trying not to gag, and spotted a huge LEP craft moving through the air toward them. His eyes got very big, and he started backing away. "Uh-oh."
Jennie noticed. "What's wrong?"
"It's a blue-rinse." Artemis kept backing away. Lava was streaming down in little rivers around them as Mount Doom convulsed, but the mastermind hardly noticed. "If that thing goes off, we're all going to be so much ash."
Sam, who wouldn't know technology if it bit him on the nose, was walking toward it. "It looks like one of Gandalf's fireworks."
Artemis covered his eyes.
The bio-bomb swerved around Sam and continued its flight. Jennie joined Tessa over Frodo. Warm hobbit blood had already drenched Tessa's sleeve.
The bomb exploded.
Tessa felt Frodo's hand turn to mist in her fingers. She stood up in the weird not-time place, next to Jennie. Their surroundings were black.
Artemis walked over to them. His voice was sort of dreamy. "What's going on?"
Jennie noticed that her bow was no longer digging into her shoulder. Even their clothes seemed strangely unreal. "I don't know. Did we die?"
With a loud thunderclap, their surroundings darkened.
*
Root walked around the four, almost bursting with pride. "We did it! You're home."
"We're WHAT?" Jennie looked around, taking in the short elves, Leah dribbling in a corner, Foaly typing away.
"Well, you did it," he said. "Neither of the hobbits died. Right now the eagles are carrying them and the weapons you left back to Gondor."
Holly walked over, smiling. "We saved your lives."
"You BROUGHT us BACK?" Tessa yelped, and slapped her.
*
(dances around in hula skirt chanting REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!)