Chapter 21: Where You Can't Follow

A/N: Must…fight, get over writer's block… must wake up Ash and Cleff from eternal sleep… must wake up…

"Orcs!!!" exclaimed The elf, in his English-Elvish accent manner. "Shove off! Take yourself and your miserable English accent somewhere I won't get a glimpse of your idiocracy, you nancy elf!!!" Gimili growled, as the dwarf ran alongside Legolas, waving his axe brutally at him, only to be pulled aside by a panting Shea and her faithful Samwise. The Fellowship continues to run down Dwarrowdelf, pursued by angry orcs.

Frodo scanned the scene, running as fast as his little feet could carry him. With the weight of the Ring throbbing against his neck, his path was overshadowed by Gandalf's enormous bellowing cloak, as he stumbles aside, face pushed right into the dirt. "Aghhh!" He raises himself up, the Ring still pulling him down the floor of Dwarrowdelf… when a shadow of a hand was stretched out ahead of him… offering to pull him up.

"Cleff!-" But his words were cut short when the hand (turned out to be a gauntleted hand) pulled upon the tight metal chain around his neck, pulling on the Ring, choking him. "Aaack-" Frodo choked on his words, his vision blurring and his chest bursting for air… pulling on the cold metal hand with the thirst to retrieve the One Ring… "Ash! Let him go!!!"

Cleff stood in front of an aloof Fellowship, standing in shock, surrounded by Orcs. Gandalf wore a scowl on his face, shining his Staff all around Dwarrowdelf. Frodo's eyes began to clear… as he saw a hooded dark figure with its hand clasped around his neck… and the One Ring… red eyes glaring at the Cliffhanger. The hobbit's eyes began to bug out, as his air began to run out… the Nagul laughing past death… When a very bright light shone off Gandalf's staff, and startled both Frodo and the Nazgul.

Frodo stumbled backwards, as he felt the hand pulling on the Ring shove his face off… as the Nazgul fell on it's knees, shielding it's glaring red eyes… "Ash, you… traitor!!!" Cleff bellowed, her eyes turning almost as red as the Nazgul's eyes. Frodo let out a little gasp, as he crawled towards Zephyr's outstretched arms, standing right beside a smoldering Cleff. "I told you never to touch the Ringbearer! NEVER!!!"

The Nazgul took its gauntleted hands off its face… as a million orcs snarled around the Fellowship, threatening and poking them with sharp swords and spears. Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas stood around and tried hard to pry viscious eyes off the shuddering Hobbits. Frodo and Sam let out a little gasp… as the red eyes on the Nazgul disappeared… and a fair face almost resembling Cleff's face appeared… but distorted with a nasty scowl. The Living Nazgul spoke in the Black Tounge of Mordor… Only Cleff and Gandalf understand.

"Cliffhanger, you are weak… cannot escape the threat of Mordor? Running around foolishly with a molten book and broken pen… You have a curse for words, Cliffhanger. And a curse it shall be.

Where you cannot go, I can follow. Where you cannot hide, I will run. You can never escape the Lord of Mordor."

Cleff's eyes flamed. Aragorn, Legolas and Boromir exchanged dark looks. Gandalf let out a small gasp… as the Orcs suddenly stopped screeching… and a big tuff of flames appeared on the rear end of the hall. "What is this new devilry?!!" Boromir exclaimed atop the screeching voices. Orcs suddenly scampered away, as a black horse screeched from the far end of Dwarrowdelf, chased by something looking like an enormous walking flame.  The horse swooped up the Nazgul, and was riding towards a stunned Cleff and the Fellowship, about to trample them.

Cleff idiotically glared at the Nazgul and it's horse, foolishly accepting a duel in the middle of abomination when – "What the heck-" Gandalf spun Cleff around, grabbed her by the shoulders, and with Aragorn's help, pinned her arms to her side and dragged her across the hall, running fast on their two feet.

"Put me down!!! I have to teach that dratted Nazgul a lesson-" As soon the reached the end of the Abyss, Gandalf and Aragorn quickly placed Cleff down, as the Ranger ran ahead, with Gandalf giving Cleff a quick word, shaking her by the shoulders like mad. "Clefe, are you out of your mind?!!" Gandalf bellowed, as he suddenly looked up at the tuft of flames, grabbed the Cliffhanger by the hand and ran. "A Balrog-" he pointed. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. There is no time to accept a challenge and duel with a Nazgul, especially in this state, Cliffhanger! Now RUN!!!"

Gandalf shoved Cleff towards Aragorn, who was hurrying down a flight of steps. "Aghhh-" Aragorn and Cleff stop short, as Gandalf tumbles into them, the part of the steps falling into a chasm. Boromir hurries back up the steps, dragged by Legolas, almost falling into one. They all return back up the steps, and pursue a new flight of stairs, as Aragorn grabs Cleff by the collar, halting her, before turning to the Wizard behind him. "Gandalf-" Aragorn started. "Lead them on Aragorn. The bridge is near." He pushe them off, and tells them to run, looking slightly at Cleff, whose collar was still hanging from Aragorn's steady grip. "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here."

Cleff escapes Aragorn's grip as she picks up the fallen Book behind her, as Gandalf and Aragorn hurry down the stairs. She stops short, picks the heavy book up and freezes in mid-step… A thunder of hooves was going down the previous stairs, and a spine-tickling screech coursed through the air… Ash was coming to get them.

Legolas, stops short across a gap down the stairs and leaps. He lands safely across and turns to a hesitant Fellowship, and beckons them to do the same. Zephyr nods at Legolas and takes a quick leap. Gandalf shoves past the shuddering hobbits, flanked by Boromir and Gimli, as the wizard approves of Legolas's beckoning. "Gandalf!" The wizard nods and leaps after him. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past, missing Gandalf by inches. "There are still Orcs!!!" Zephyr exclaimed, as she out pulled her bow and arrows, and began shooting at the Orcs on the top of the stairs. Legolas helped Gandalf up the stairs, as Boromir calculated the distance, grabbing Merry and Pippin.

"Whoa-" Boromir shut his eyes, and leapt, landing safely, steadied to their feet by Legolas and Gandalf. Zephyr continues shooting at the Orcs. Aragorn sighs in relief to turn to Shea and Sam – "Oh no, I didn't say anything about jumping!" Shea squeals, trying to find her way back up, only to be pushed back into Sam's arms by Gimli. "Come on Shea," Aragorn started, as he softly lifted Shea, and pushed her off the staircase. "I hope Aragorn pushes the fruit into the chasm-" Zephyr startes as Legolas gave her a sharp nudge in the ribs and caught a blushing Shea in her arms. "WHAAAT?!!" Zephyr groaned, about to barge into a blushing Shea, (hugging a bewildered Legolas) only to be grabbed back by a furious, but patient Gandalf.

"Sam." Aragorn tosses Samwise across the ledge, to be caught by Boromir, and fuzzed over by Shea (apprarently, what is expected). The Ranger turns around to grab and toss the crude dwarf – "Nobody tosses a dwarf!!!" Gimli growls at Aragorn and leaps. Well, the idiot (sorry!) nearly misses his footing and is grabbed by the beard by Legolas. "NOT THE BEARD!!!" Gandalf clucked his tounge silently and spoke softly, that only Zephyr could hear, "Thank goodness, it isn't mine."

Frodo stops shuddering, and takes a step down – when the steps ahead all gave way. "Back, Frodo! Back!" Aragorn called out, pushing the hobbit back to the top of the steps, only to notice… "Where is Clefe?!!" Frodo exclaimed, screaming.

A pitter patter of footsteps raged behind them… accompanied by a thunder of angry hooves. Cleff appeared on the top of the flight of the stairs, panting, horror in her eyes. She looked back to hear Ash screech…

"There is nowhere to go Cliffhanger! Doom spells your destiny ahead!!! Join me!!! And Middle Earth shall be in a balance!" Cleff looked back… to Frodo and Aragorn… and Ash's outstretched hand…

"I'd rather go nowhere to where my doom spells me!!!"

She kicked the horse on the hooves, making the horse growl and raise its hooves in anger, and shut her eyes closed. Ash was screeching behind her madly. The Book was somehow firmly clutched around her arms, as she hurried down the steps, a big black steed suddenly appearing on the top of the stairs. "Aragorn!!!"

Aragorn looked up, to see Cleff running down and sees a big rock above her about to fall and crush a part of the staircase. "CLEFF LOOK OUT!!!" Pursued by the angry beast and it's rider, Cleff suddenly trips a step… sends the Book flying out of her arms… past Frodo and Aragorn… overhead the chasm… "I GOT IT!!!" Zephyr pushed her way to the tip of the other stair, and grabbed the Book flying in the air for its mercy.

Clef trips, falls down the stairs and tumbles into Frodo. Aragorn looks up just in time to see the big rock overhead crush the foundation of the stairs Cleff and Frodo are still standing on, barricading the angry Nazgul and her steed. "I'll get you for this! I'll get you!!!" Hissed Ash on top of the stairs, as she screeched in the air, turning the horse around to gallop in another direction.

Suddenly, the floor Frodo, Cleff and Aragorn are standing on started to wobble. "Niiice," Cleff screeched sarcastically. "Three on a rocking boat!!!" She and Frodo exchanged nervous looks and looked ahead, down the panicking Fellowship. "Just hang on!!!" Aragorn exclaimed gasping for breath, as the three of them (Frodo in the middle, Cleff and Aragorn on the other sides) balanced their weight, making sure the stair doesn't tip over or sideways. "Now, lean forward!!!" said Aragorn loudly.

CRASH!

The stair hit right to the other stair where the Fellowship was standing, closing the gap. Aragorn took a shaking Frodo by the hand and brought him over the other stair, as Zephyr hugged Cleff tight, with Legolas ruffling the girl's hair. "Next time, I wouldn't be your Book's keeper." Zephyr whispered to Cleff. "But promise me, you'll still try to protect it." Cleff said back to her. They ran down the flight of stairs, the Nazgul still hiding in the shadows on the ledge across the chasm… glaring back at them.

Gandalf leads the way, and across them they finally see a narrow bridge built across a dark chasm… the Bridge of Khazad Dum. Gandalf turns around to see that the big red bal of flame has catched up upon them and bellows to the Fellowship, "Over the Bridge! Fly!"

Cleff cannot take her eyes from the glowing Balrog… She only felt Zephyr tug on her hand, and drag her across the dark abyss, as the rest of the Fellowship crossed the Bridge. Gandalf stopped in his tracks, and stood in the middle of the narrow lining… raising his staff to face the red devil of ancient evil… called the Balrog… It stood about twenty feet high… or higher, its skin made of flames, two devilish horns grazing on its head… and it may be not a match for a wize wizard such as Gandalf…

"YOU CANNOT PASS!" Gandalf bellowed. Frodo escaped from Boromir's grip and went to the edge of the bridge, screaming, "Gandaalf!" Cleff and Zephyr quickly exchanged dark looks and both grabbed the hobbit by his shoulders.

A blazing light illuminates the entire bridge, coming from Gandalf's Staff. The Balrog angrily growls at the small but mighty figure, and strikes at it with it's flaming sword – Only to be parried and destroyed by the great Glamdring in Gandalf's hands itself. "I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow!!!" said Gandalf. But… the Balrog would not take heed of the Wizard's words.

"Oh no, I don't like this part as I remember…" Cleff whispered, tears misting her eyes. Zephyr and Shea, whose eyes were still stuck on Gandalf on the Bridge, witnessing a turning point in the Fellowship's History, grab the Cliffhanger back and position her next to Frodo, stunned.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!"

Gandalf strikes the bridge with his staff, and breaks half of the bridge. Somehow, the idiot of the Balrog took a step forward and plummeted down the abyss… flailing its whip and arms above him…Gandalf sighs, and turns around, to cross the bridge towards the waiting Fellowship…

"No…" Cleff whispered, her nails digging deep into Frodo's shoulders, clutching him. "Please don't lash out, please don't lash out…" Something inside the Cliffhanger was telling her to grab her pen and take control of the Book… the Story… again… But last minute, Gandalf's voice spoke out to her. Don't Cliffhanger.

Last minute, the Balrog's whip lashed out (as Cleff has expected), and wrapped itself around Gandalf's foot, pulling him down the abyss. The wizard had grab good hold of the tip of the broken bridge… but it was of no use. Frodo broke away from Cleff and Zephyr's grip, about to dive in to grab Gandalf's hand. "No Frodo!!" Boromir called out.

"Gandaaaaaaaaaaalf!!!" Frodo screamed out, almost breaking both Zephyr and Cleff's eardrums, as the two girls backed a bit from the desperate hobbit.

Gandalf slowly raises his head… to face Frodo's tear stained face, and the shocked and panicking looks of the two girls… as well as the rest of the Fellowship… "Fly you fools." And with one last breath, Gandalf let go off the bridge… and plummeted down the bridge, along with the fallen Balrog.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Frodo Baggins screamed so hard, that Zephyr and Cleff had to drag him to the safe end of the bridge, covering their ears… but still tear stained. When the girls cannot pull on the hobbit anymore… Boromir grabbed them by the cuffs, and dragged them towards the exit of Moria, screaming to Aragorn. Orcs began to follow them, shooting arrows in every direction, not afraid of the darkness anymore, now that the Balrog has fallen. Aragorn composes himself and tries to drag the rest of the Fellowship out, all distraught, with Legolas shooting Orcs behind him… Zephyr was ahead, struggling with Cleff and Frodo… too speechless to battle.

The sun was never so bright… and the Fellowship stumble outside Moria… despair in their faces. They lost a valuable friend, a disciplined mentor, and the greatest Wizard Middle Earth could ever have.

Frodo breaks off Cleff and Zephyr's grief angrily, and stalks his way out to the green fields. Zephyr leans over to Cleff for support, about to die from pain and shock. Merry, Pippin and Samwise all cry around Shea, who cannot deny that she was tear stained too. Aragorn and Boromir surveyed the area in much demise… as Gimli himself flopped down a hard rock, trying to hide his grief.

After a few minutes… "Legolas, get them up." Boromir, shut his eyes tight and turned to grapple atr Aragorn, "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!!!" Aragorn shook his head, as Legolas, also buried in demise, approached him. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs!" the Ranger exclaimed. "We must reach the Woods of Lothlorien. Come Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up. On your feet Sam. Frodo? Frodo!"

Cleff heard Aragorn's words… and broke off from Zephyr's weeping grips. She looked ahead in the fields… and saw the hobbit, weeping silently, walking away.

Cliffhanger, you are weak… Running around foolishly with a molten book and broken pen… You have a curse for words, Cliffhanger. And a curse it shall be.

Where you cannot go, I can follow.

Cleff approached Frodo, with angry tears in her eyes, gripping her sword in one hand tightly. Ash's words rang in her head… the way Frodo almost got killed… the way the Ring was almost taken away from the Fellowship… and how by one mistake Ash the Nazgul could be mistaken as the troublesome Cliffhanger who is burdened with the story of the One Ring… After all, the used to be best friends… and they were almost the same… almost… inseparable…

Her hair angrily bellowed in the morning air, clutching the Book tight in one hand, and sword in the other. She stepped towards Frodo, and stood beside him… her eyes flowing with tears. "I shall never repeat, the same mistake again. I can never be like Ash. I can never let Ash… be me."

Overcome with grief, Frodo tried to compose himself, by wiping away with his tears with the back of his hand…only to turn to Cleff… and see her raise her sword, and take her hair off the back of her neck…"CLEFF – YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!!"

Slash.

Shards of hair flew in the wind. Frodo's tear stained face was in shock… Cleff has cut off her hair. It was true. In some other way… she and Ash could be could not be told apart. But in this case, with her hair cut off… Ash could never recognize her… Frodo dropped his jaw as he stared at the Cliffhanger. No child has ever made a decision like this before. But she is no ordinary child. She is a Cliffhanger anyway.

"We must reach the Woods of Lothlorien before the fall of night…" Cleff whispered, finally making cool breeze touch the back of her neck, letting her hair fly more freely. "Frodo, compose yourself. No Ringbearer should be seen like that."

Aragorn was gathering all the Fellowship one by one behind them, and by this time, Zephyr has already composed herself.

Cleff's blue eyes glittered in the morning sun. So did Frodo's. But both eyes were still tear bitter stained. Frodo nodded and turned to Cleff. "Woods of Lothlorien. What else are we waiting for?"

A/N: FINISHED! FINISHED! MORIA IS FINISHED! ASH AND CLEFF IS BACK IN ACTION! WOOHOO! LOTHLORIEN AND AMON HEN ARE THE TWO CHAPTERS LEFT!!! Breaking of the Fellowship, here we come!!!