This will be a long one. I'm going to make more of the Ami/Legolas thing. And she just respects Aragon and wants to protect him, she doesn't actually love him like she loves Legolas.

3MCAngel: I did not call you a baka! But thanks for reviewing before I did call you one…

I was kidding, thanks for the review!

Part 6: The Game of Love

Tell me just what you want me to be. One kiss and boom, you're the only one for me. So please tell me why, don't you come around no more? Cause right now I'm cryin' outside the door, of your candy store. Just takes a little bit of this, a little bit of that. It started with a kiss and now we're up to that. A little bit of laughs, a little bit of pain. I'm telling you my babe it's all in the game of love…

--Santana with Michelle Branch

At the gates, the group slowly approached the hall at the top of the hill. Everyone around them was dressed in the black of mourning, and as Elenaithil and Diana looked around both seemed to show the same amount of sadness in their eyes.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli muttered as they reached the hall and walked up. A man walked up and told them to hand over their weapons. Elenaithil and Gandalf watched as the three men handed over an array of weapons, and Elenaithil handed over her sword and almost thought about her rod, but instead shrugged, "I cannot hurt many with such a thing." To prove the point, she touched Diana with it, a slightly heavy tap, and brought out a hollow sound. "I think it's harmless."

"It'll go in. But your staff," the man turned to Gandalf.

"Oh, you wouldn't part an old man with his walking stick?"

Diana was about to say something, but a look of amusement from the group made her silent as Elenaithil took Gandalf's arm and helped him into the hall. The doors were closed behind them, the sound echoing off the walls as they walked towards a man who seemed to be newly risen from a grave, or close to going into his own. A man with dead-looking skin, and greasy black hair talked to the man, whispering something that Elenaithil could only barely hear, but that was beside the point. A cloaked figure walking nearby was what made her glare.

Diana also looked, and then jumped off Elenaithil's shoulders and walked beside the group up until the man yelled for his friends, including the cloaked figure.

"Diviner of the Black Moon! Beruche!" Elenaithil walked over to where the cloaked figure was. The figure chuckled and let the cloak slip down, revealing a woman with her hair tied into a braid that went around her forehead before coming down to her shoulders. An odd blue suit that revealed quite a bit and tall shoes ended the outfit, and the girl glared at Elenaithil.

"So, the one who goes against the powers of God is still here? Still alive? I would think you gave up or died."

"I don't die that easily, and you don't come back that easily either. Who are you, really, and what have you done with the king?" The two looked over to the king, who sat and glared feebly at Gandalf, his blue eyes nearly the color of ice. Beruche sniffed. "I take no credit for it. That is the work of Saruman and his dog, Grima. You, though…I have waited for you, devil."

Elenaithil pulled out her rod and lyre, holding both in each hand. "I am a devil? I gain my powers by the stars. Yours is warped and dark."

"So think what you think, but I know the truth. You think to face me and win this time? Haha!" A wave of water came at Elenaithil, causing Legolas to move forward almost, but Elenaithil raised up her rod. The water surrounded it, then glowed with the colors of her inner strength. The symbol of Mercury appeared on her forehead, and the staff slowly changed, turning thinner and into the symbol of a doctor, a caduceus staff. Beruche backed up. "What is this?"
Elenaithil straightened, her clothing turning into that of her Princess outfit, the lyre and caduceus in her hands still. She brought the new weapon against the strings of her lyre as the battle for Theoden-king raged between Saruman and Gandalf.

"I am Mercury, the Senshi of Water. I will drown you with water! Shine Snow Illusion!" a cord plucked, and the evil lady was engulfed in snow and ice before bursting. As this happened, Theoden seemed to fall over, and slowly changed back to be younger, more alive then he had looked before Gandalf released him. Elenaithil turned to him, the symbol of Mercury still glowing on her forehead for a moment, then disappearing as Diana came over to where she was. The two watched the events unfold, as Aragon saved Grima's life, and then as the residents of the hall and homes bowed to Theoden. He turned and looked at her, then suddenly seemed to remember something.

"Where is my son? Where is Theodred?"

*

Legolas had been stunned by Elenaithil before, but now with the appearance of Diana the talking cat and then her transformation, he was confused and awed. She was beautiful, but a mystery as well.

'Why did I fall for a human girl? Why did I put myself through this? She will die.'

Legolas once more stared at the paper he had gotten and wondered why he was trying to write something when a war was about to be fought.

"What ails you, Master Elf?" the voice made Legolas jump, and he saw Eowyn nearby, petting a purring Diana. The two looked at the paper and Eowyn spoke again. "Have you received bad news?"

"No, Lady, no, but…I…well…I am trying to write a poem to someone."

Eowyn smiled slightly, and Diana tilted her head before jumping down from Eowyn's arms and jumping over to find the Elf's taller shoulders, then the top of his head. Legolas tried to see her while Eowyn chuckled at the sight of a gray kitten standing out against the blond hair of the elf. Unluckily for Legolas, Diana had the perfect vantage to see the poem.

Elenaithil, the beauty water-star

That was all, with many lines below it crossed out. All of them seemed nice, but so far nothing seemed just right to the blond woodland Elf. Diana looked over to Eowyn and meowed at her, then settled on Legolas' head. He looked up slightly at the gray cat as Eowyn chuckled again and left to go find out what would happen to the people of Rohan.

When she was gone, Diana finally spoke. "I like it up here. You can see everything."

"Diana, promise me you will not tell Elenaithil about the poem."

"I won't! Don't worry, Legolas, she won't know. I'll protect your poem and secret with my life!"

Legolas laughed and picked up the little kitten with one hand. "You don't need to go that far, kitten. Just don't tell her, please."

"Okay."

*

"They had no warning," Eowyn told Theoden after hearing of the attack on the two children's village. Both were exhausted and half-starved, eating the soup quickly as Elenaithil and Eowyn gave them blankets and watched over both.

"This is the horror that Saruman brings to your lands," Gandalf said, holding his hand out towards the two children. "We must do something."

Theoden stood up and walked the length of the room before stopping in the middle again, between the two tables with the children and women on one side, the men on the other. Aragon and Gimli sat, Aragon taking a casual smoke and Gimli eating the meat and drinking his beer. Legolas stood nearby, the gray spot of Diana the kitten perched on his head and watching everything and listening as well.

"I will not risk open war." Theoden finally said this, and Elenaithil stood, ready to speak, but Aragon beat her to it. "Open war is upon you, whether you risk it or not."

"Aragon'ou is right, Theoden'ou-sama," Elenaithil said, "You cannot hold back some tides."

Theoden glared at her and Aragon before saying, "When last I looked, Theoden, not Aragon, was king, and you," he now glared at Elenaithil, "were not my advisor."

"Then what does the king wish to do?" Gandalf asked, "The words of these fine advisors seem lost to you, or did they make a dent?"

*

"What is Helm's Deep, Ami-sama?" Diana asked as she helped the blue-haired Senshi of Water pack. Her princess dress had finally disappeared to become her travel clothing, and she held her harp and caduceus staff for a moment before putting the staff on her right side and holding the harp on her left.

"It is a sanctuary for the people of Rohan, a fortress carved into a stone mountain. There's no way out."

Diana jumped up to Ami's shoulder and let her bell ring slightly. "I'm sure there is, but don't worry! I've found a way to become human, and I can use that there, in case of battles. I know how to fight, and you can't protect everyone all the time, you know."

Ami smiled and petted Diana, "I know. Thank you for coming, Diana. You've been a great help to me."

*

Diana rode with Legolas when he wasn't scouting, but sometimes she also went with him when he was, so that it became familiar to most of the group to see the elf with the small, gray kitten on his head or shoulders. Elenaithil spoke with Eowyn, Aragon and Gimli mainly, talking about her land and also about her friends. When she spoke about Mina, who was always looking for a love, Eowyn brought up the fact that not many people saw dwarf women. Gimli told her, "It's true that you don't see many dwarf women. In fact, they are so much alike in voice and appearance, they are sometimes mistaken for dwarf men."

Eowyn and Elenaithil looked to Aragon, who mouthed, "It's the beard," and made a motion near his chin for emphasis. The two girls giggled as Gimli continued, "This had led to the conclusion that there are no dwarf women, and that dwarves simply spring out from holes in the ground!" the two women laughed with Gimli, who added for an ending, "Which is entirely not true…" The horse took off, and Eowyn went to help Gimli while Elenaithil went to join another party and help them along. Aragon caught her glance towards Legolas, who was looking back only partly, then turning quickly to look forward. Aragon smiled a little at that. 'In love. I can see it. Did Arwen and I look like that when we first fell in love? Do we still?'

"Elenaithil," Eowyn said as the blue-haired girl came back to help Gimli onto his horse, "Have you ever received a token of love?"

Elenaithil blushed a deep red. "Hai…once, that is. From someone who was always tying with me on exams that I took under the name 'Mercury'. His was 'Mercurius'. He sent me a love letter, and I…I…"

"Rejected it? Burnt it?" Gimli asked from his horse, now that he was mounted.

"Broke out in hives."

The group was silent before Eowyn, then Gimli, began to laugh. Aragon smiled slightly as Elenaithil smiled as well, but only Aragon noticed that Legolas, looking ahead of them, stiffened at the mention of a token of love, and now seemed to slump his shoulders a little more then he usually did when he was depressed.

'It is love,' Aragon decided, 'I hope, though, they aren't torturing themselves, as I and Arwen are doing. We can never be, or it will be very hard. They, however…they might have a chance.'

*

"A scout!" Legolas growled, kicking the dead orc. Diana jumped down and raced with the other rides towards the group of people before finding Elenaithil and the rest. "There are riders on those odd animals! Legolas is in front, holding them back, but we have to hurry! They're here to kill us!"

Theoden looked to the cat who had just spoken in front of him as the blue-haired girl nodded and headed over to hand her to Eowyn. "Take care of Eowyn and the others, Diana. I'm going to go make sure nothing that I must fight is there. Stay out of harm, or Small Lady will be cross."

The cat nodded, causing Eowyn to almost start. 'She understands words?' before she tried to give the cat away, but Elenaithil held her back. "Eowyn-san, it is your job to lead the people to Helm's Deep. If you get them there, safe, then your uncle will come and we will see each other."

"But I can fight, and you fight!"

"I fight a being that is worse then orcs, and not mortal like them. The others go to fight something evil and dangerous. You can fight, but not now. You must take care of the people and Diana. She is important to my hime's daughter…to the future princess that will come and be my hime as well. Please, Eowyn. Keep Diana and the women and children of Rohan safe!"

Eowyn finally nodded, and only then did Elenaithil take off in a dead run towards the hill that Diana had come over. The men of Rohan turned to ride, Aragon looking back only long enough for Eowyn to see him before he rode off to battle.

The battle was quick, Legolas' original intention of hurting and lowering the number of warg riders only denting the much bigger armor of the group. Wargs attacked men and horse, orcs sliced into the throats of men from their steeds and were also killed just as quickly as the three from the Fellowship came in to help.

It was then that they saw it. A huge monster, teeth barred through the circular mouth, and a huge lump of almost misshapen and ill-formed skill. Elenaithil stood in front of the monster, dodging as it tried to attack her, and looking out for warg riders. The monster turned and spotted Aragon before it started to move forward.

"Ie! Shine Aqua Illusion!" the water flowed around the monster, pushing it back as it did so as to not reach the future King of Gondor. The monster roared, and pushed forward again.

"You will not get Aragon-sama! I protect him like I protect my hime! You will not get so far! Aqua Rhapsody! Blow away this daimon!" Aragon's horse nearly jumped as the monster tried to come forward, but was blocked by the girl and her magical lyre that spewed water and streams of cold ice. Aragon turned and instead went after another warg rider, finding himself on one and wrestling against an orc.

"You will not kill my friends! Caduceus of Mercury, bring an icy death to this being!" Elenaithil lunged forward and touched the monster, which exploded and disappeared, then turned only quickly enough to see Aragon go over the side with the warg, his hand caught in the saddle.

"ARAGON'OU!" Elenaithil raced over and nearly jumped in when she felt a hand holding her back. She turned to see Legolas holding her there as he looked sadly at her. She shook her head and turned down to look into the water. A racing river, deep but not seeming so from this far up, called to her, calling her to welcome it and give it a name. It knew only a few, but not one that was of sure.

Where is the ones that fell into you a moment before, little river? I will name you then.

The river told her, showing the two things that came into her, one an evil thing that died, and the body of that thing that only did one good thing, which was to bring safety to the second one attached to it. The second floated away, no breath coming into the river, and no blood really coming into the river to stain the rocks and the bottom or the taste.

Thank you, little river. I shall name you with my own language, or do you prefer an Elfish name? My own? Very well, you will be Dounyuubu, an Entry to those who wish to enter the ocean, and a guide to the fallen. Please, help the one who fell into you find a shore that is peaceful, and a way back to Helm's Deep.

"Elenaithil?" Legolas' voice came in, the sound of her name causing the river to ask if her lover was also a thing of the water.

Please just do that. Maybe later you will find out.

The river understood, and stopped calling to her as Elenaithil looked back to Legolas, who held the Evenstar necklace he had gotten from the dead orc that had caused so much trouble. "Is Aragon…"

"Aragon'ou will return, I know," Elenaithil said as Theoden looked down. Theoden looked to the girl. "What was the creature that you fought?"

"It was a daimon. A thing from the Tau system. Why all these things come up from my past I will not know, but we must hurry. There is much to do, Theoden'ou-sama. There are people to protect."

The group started to walk back, but Legolas' touch once more stopped Elenaithil and caused her to turn to him again.

"Lady…" Legolas started, the two sets of blue eyes searching the others, as if they were unsure if they could either say something or do something first.

"Shashu, we must go. I have to get Diana from Eowyn and we must prepare for the battle at Helm's Deep."

Legolas nodded, then said, "Are you so sure that Aragon will return?"

"Hai, Shashu no fushinkou, ai no…" Elenaithil stopped, and then turned and said, "We must leave. Aragon will come to Helm's Deep, and we must be there to greet him."

Legolas wondered what she had said, but he couldn't remember it well enough to ask Diana later, and he never got around to asking the blue-haired Senshi of water about what she had said.

Within a day, everyone was in Helm's Deep, and Legolas still awaited the return of Aragon.

["Yes, Archer of little faith/Archer who lacks faith, love of…"] hehehe, guess who that was. Okay, it was Ami-chan! She's still our shy Ami-chan, sorry…won't say it just yet.

In the next chapter, Ami-chan's new transformation, and the battle of Helm's Deep. Can Diana really fight? Will Ami ever get around to telling Legolas of her thoughts, or vice-versa? Bwahaha, wouldn't you like to know?