Part 7: There's A Light
In the velvet darkness, of the blackest night, burning bright, there's a guiding star. No matter what, or who you are. There's a light (over at the Frankenstien place) There's a light (burning in the fireplace) There's a light, a light, in the darkness of everybody's life…
--The Rocky Horror Picture Show
"Eowyn-sama?" Eowyn turned to see the oddest-dressed girl she had ever seen. The girl wore a gray dress with a small white underskirt almost showing. What looked like a tail also showed at the back, and the girl was small, and, well…cute. She also had socks that came up to her thighs, and small shoes that were also gray. The girl's hair was done up in four buns, two on each side, and just faintly under a mass of her strangely gray-colored hair was a small crescent moon.
"D—Diana?"
"Hai!" the little girl, who had been Diana the kitten that usually rode on the top of Legolas' head or shoulders, bowed politely and straightened again, "Ami-sama wanted me to make sure that you didn't need any help here, then to go find Gimli-san or Legolas-sama to help."
"Oh. Well, I suppose…" Eowyn looked around to see if she could find something for the girl to help with, but there wasn't really anything that she couldn't handle either. "No, I'm sorry, Diana."
"That's okay! Sayonara, Eowyn-sama!" Diana moved over through the hall to where Legolas was when someone came in. His clothing was not in the best condition, and his black hair was ragged from days of being in the sun and dirt, and from his hard ride. A small piece of his shirt sleeve was opened and showed a small wound that was still not infected, and he moved like he needed to speak with Theoden about something dire. He stopped and looked over at Legolas and then at the small girl who was looking up at him with huge red-colored eyes, then back to Legolas. The elf said something in his native language, and caused the man to blink and seem to consider this, as if he was unsure the elf was serious or not.
"You look terrible." Aragon finally smiled and accepted the Evenstar from his friend before quickly asking, "Who is the girl? I wasn't gone that long, Legolas."
Legolas blushed a deep red, which was odd for his fair skin, and the little girl said simply, "Oh, Legolas-sama isn't my father. I'm Diana, Aragon'ou-sama. I'm glad you're back! Ami-sama said you would be, but didn't say when. But we're keeping you, and Ami-sama told me to be helpful! Oh no! I need to go!" Diana started off but was stopped by Legolas. "Come on, you silly kitten!" he said in Sindarin, "We'll find something to do, and then we can bother Strider all we want."
Diana came, speaking rapidly and very quickly ending back into her native language as they left and Aragon went to speak with Theoden-king.
"What of the thing with them?" Elenaithil asked, helping Diana with tying a bow in the back of her dress, the small bell that came with both of Diana's form jingling a little as she did.
"I couldn't see it well, but it looked like a woman with long hair, and an odd disposition. Her hair was white, I think, and she had something crossing her face."
Elenaithil stiffened at that. "Aluminum Siren."
"Who?" Legolas asked, looking to the girl with concern. Diana also looked to Elenaithil.
"She is a person who wishes power that she didn't have. I…The last time…" Elenaithil stopped and then smiled at the group. "You don't need to worry about it. I will worry on the woman, who is like the woman that I faced in the Golden Hall of Theoden'ou-sama," she nodded to the concerned king. "But I will not fail. She wishes to claim more then the orcs do, and destroy Sauron, but by a method darker then thought of or comprehended on this world." Elenaithil straightened, "But I will fight it. I have gained much power from my time here and from the time I have spent among friends. I will defeat her this time."
'But what happened last time?' Legolas and others wondered as Elenaithil went back to talking to Diana in their own language.
The green hillside rolled down to show a shimmering city that seemed made of crystal and glass. Legolas felt himself running towards the city, unsure why he was and unsure who he was pursuing, but knowing he wanted to catch her.
Her? Who was this? Elenaithil?
"Such things cannot be known, or if they are," a mature voice, full of power and wisdom, said as he turned once more down another alleyway, "will bring those who have lived them much pain."
Once more, Legolas saw another person, this one a woman with golden-white hair, jewels coloring her hair and a white costume on her, a long staff in her hand. She slowly seemed to change into a small girl with red hair and heart-shaped buns instead, who walked up to him and took his hand. As she did, he felt as if he could see something he shouldn't have seen.
Elenaithil was now in an odd outfit, and being held with another girl in the long white hair of one that Aragon had spoken of. Another girl, one with golden hair and with wings, yelled out suddenly as, in front of Legolas' eyes, Elenaithil's body suddenly seemed to dissolve into dust, leaving only a glowing blue crystal in her spot. The dust settled in the hair of the woman, who didn't escape death either at the hands of another oddly-dressed person.
"Can you save her from these fates when her own princess, the strongest and weakest of them all, cannot?" the cold voice again, the one who had dragged him into the odd sand-water during his four hours of sleep after his watch before Boromir's death.
"I can always try," Legolas said. The voice laughed, and Legolas felt something holding his shoulders and under his arms, pulling him away, "You cannot save her, elf. Your fate may lie in the stars, but the Galaxy Cauldron holds the evil more powerful then Sauron. It holds the one who was master and important in making his master. You cannot fight that, elf."
"I will!" Legolas yelled to the being, struggling against the hold. Now, he saw green hair fall down in front of him, and his body seemed to start to disappear, as Elenaithil's did.
"You cannot face me and win. I am stronger then even love."
"Farmers, ferrymen. These are no soldiers."
"Some have seen too many winters."
"And some too few. They're all scared. I can see it in their eyes." Everyone turned towards the elf who had spoken. Despite the fact that he had slept only a little better then most, he looked very much like he wanted to lash out at whatever he could. The small girl who had worked her way into the room looked to Legolas and wondered what was wrong with the elf who had let her sit and ride with him.
The elf and ranger spoke in elfish, but from the ending sentence that the ranger had said, in Common, "Then I shall die as one of them!" caused the girl to realized what it was.
'Legolas isn't in fear of the numbers. He is in fear of something else. But what?'
Pluto-sama was a woman of Time, and had ties to the world of dreams. Pluto-sama is gone, and someone must have taken her place, or Chaos in this world is trying to find someone to hurt. Will they hurt Legolas? Will Ami-sama accept such a thing? No.
"Legolas-sama," Diana worked her way over to the blond-haired archer and stood before him, "Are you okay?"
"We will…"
"Talk outside, or somewhere else?" Diana said quickly, noticing that the elf had been reluctant to talk anyway. The two walked out and found a secluded spot where no one was.
"I have had two odd dreams since Elenaithil came into our Fellowship. One was before Boromir betrayed us. It spoke of a missing guardian of Time, and showed me an odd girl with pink hair. She spoke of the Galaxy Cauldron, and I saw it…a flow of stars, a great place where all stars are born and go. Something pulled me in, a woman's voice. Last night, I dreamt of a woman with long hair that seemed golden one moment and the color of the moonlight another moment. She turned into a little girl with red hair, and she touched my hand. I saw Elenaithil die at the hands of someone like that which Aragon spoke of in the host from Isengard. The woman spoke again, saying she was from the Cauldron and stronger then love, and the one who created Sauron's master. How can we fight something such as that?"
Diana seemed to think for a moment, then said, "Legolas-sama, the Galaxy Cauldron exists, and Ami-sama has died before. It was saddening, but she is here now, which is all you should know for now. Her ordeals are as big as those that you and Aragon'ou-sama go through, but in a different manner. She will fight, though she is scared of the being from what happened the last time she encountered her. I will help as well, since it is my duty as well to fight. Legolas-sama," Diana moved forward, then finally hugged the tall elf. "We are here to protect you as well as Aragon'ou-sama. We will do our best."
Legolas smiled down at the little girl, then started to get untangled from her when she let him only turn around and then jumped on his back. "Give me a ride, please?"
Legolas laughed a little, "I must find Aragon."
"I'll go, but my feet are tired. Please? I'm not breaking your arrows now, I won't do it later!"
"Diana!" Elenaithil saw her, and came over to pick the little girl off of Legolas, "Don't attack Legolas like that."
"Ie! I wanted to see Aragon'ou-sama too, but my feet are tired, Ami-sama!"
Ami-sama sighed, then said, "Go get ready, Diana. We prepare for battle."
"Hai!" Diana raced off, the two watching with smiles on their faces. When they turned to each other, both seemed to blush a little again. Ami looked down towards the floor. "I…I…"
"You don't need to worry. She didn't destroy any of my arrows, as she said."
"It's not that, Legolas. I'm scared about the upcoming battle. We can last the night, and perhaps help will come, but…but…Legolas, promise me," Ami reached down to her hand and grabbed Legolas' hand before placing something into it, something he was unsure of, "Promise me that you will help me by fighting alongside Aragon!"
"I promise," Legolas whispered, "I was going to, but now I promise with all my heart."
"Legolas…1horeru no yousei, aya. If you are not alive by the morning or when I see you in battle, I will hate you forever." She kissed his cheek and ran off down the hallway, her courage diminished.
Legolas watched her go, then opened his hand to look and see what she had given him. It was a small ring, with a blue star and the symbol that had a circle above a cross, with what looked like horns.
The symbol of Mercury, the water-star.
Legolas looked up and wondered for a moment what she had said to him that had caused her to run and blush as she had before leaving.
The elves had come, and now Diana stood with them, looking over the top of the battlement only because she was on her toes. Next to her, Gimli groaned to Legolas, "You could have found us a better spot!" Diana and Legolas smiled a little at that, but continued to watch as what seemed like miles of orcs came only just up to where the walls were. Diana held a small sword that popped into what looked like a cat's claws if held right.
Aragon came up to look at all of them, Ami close behind. Gimli looked up to them and said, "Let's hope whatever luck you have lives through the night."
"You're friends are with you," Legolas said.
"Let's hope they last through the night," Gimli added in. Diana lowered herself and turned to Ami. "You'll be able to do this, Ami-sama. I know you will."
"Thank you, Diana. I'm sure you will as well."
Lightning struck, thunder sounded, and the rain soon began to fall as the host of orcs began to make noise. Aragon and Ami were now elsewhere, and Legolas held onto his bow, waiting to get ready to kill orcs.
"What's happening?" Gimli asked as Diana stayed out of view and the dwarf jumped, trying to see what happened.
"Shall I describe it to you…or would you like me to find you a box?"
The fight had begun. Arrows whizzed by Ami's head, going for the orcs ahead of them. Ladders that were put up quickly were emptied of their occupants as the defenders of the castle killed and were killed.
Then, like a white spider, the tall Aluminum Siren came up to look down at Aragon and Ami.
"My quarry," she said, moving forward. Ami played a note. "Aqua Mirage!"
The woman backed up, pushing a few orcs and elves over the side before growling. "You again? No matter. I killed you once, I can do it again."
Ami touched a small crystal on her chest. "Not this time. Eternal Mercury Crystal Power, Make-up!"
A brilliant flash of light showed Ami now in an outfit unlike any that Aragon or many had seen. She had on a three-layered skirt that ended just a little above her thighs, and a white body-shirt of some sort that clung tight to her. A shoulder flap was light blue, like the coloring of the layers on her skirt, and she had puffed shoulder pads and long gloves. Her boots were up to her knees, and the symbol that had appeared in the hall of Ederas glowed faintly on her forehead, letting her hair move away from it to show the blue symbol. Aragon continued to fight, mindful to stay with Ami between him and the lady.
"You have achieved a new level of power, but will that help? Chaos is huge, and you are but one star. Can you truly defeat it?"
"I can defeat you, and that is all I need to do. I am Sailormercury, the Senshi of water and the mind. In the name of both, you will die. Eternal Mercury Waterfall…" The water nearby began to rise up, Ami/Sailormercury also raising her staff as it did so and Aluminum Siren's hair going to try and wrap around the Senshi's throat.
"Drown!" at the last command, Sailormercury pointed the staff towards Aluminum Siren, who was engulfed in the water/energy and pushed down into the hordes of orcs, taking a few with her as both she and Aragon looked down for a moment. The pseudo-Senshi had disappeared.
"I hope that there are no more like her," Sailormercury muttered, then turned and blasted an orc nearby with icy water from her staff. "Shall we?"
The battle continued, the two fighting side by side until, all of a sudden, both saw the orc running with a torch. Both yelled at Legolas to shoot it down, to kill it.
Legolas, unluckily, failed.
The wall beneath them exploded.
"Mercury-sama!" Diana yelled out, racing towards the fallen wall where the orcs were streaming in, her knives doing much damage to all orcs in her way. The small girl was vicious, and Legolas followed quickly afterwards, his arrows cutting down many more orcs in their path.
"Aragon, pull your people back to the Keep!" Theoden's voice called out, the ways that had been blocking the orcs slowly falling as the men and elves retreated. Mercury and Aragon moved with the flow for a moment before Aragon turned to yell at Haldir. Diana, who was racing with Legolas and turning only to fight off orcs, watched with sudden horror as Haldir caught an orc blade in the stomach, then another to his back. Aragon and Mercury made their way up, but from the gestures, Diana could tell that the elf was dead. She let out a feral growl and began to attack again, cutting down more orcs as she and Legolas headed off and the rest went towards the gate to help the humans.
Diana had only known Haldir a few moments, but she had grown to like the stoic elf. She remembered how she first met him, and their conversations afterwards before she went to join Legolas and Gimli at the wall.
"A child to fight?" Haldir asked when he saw the small girl taking out her knives. Diana looked up to see the blond Lorien elf and she smiled at him before bowing low. "Konbanwa, shashu-sama. Watashi wa Diana."
"Diana, you can speak Common, the poor elf! I'm pleased to see you again, Haldir," Elenaithil had said, bowing as well, "This little girl is Diana, of the royal family. Yes, she is fighting, mainly because we need all we can, and she can help in protecting my friends."
"Does he fit in that too?" Diana asked, looking up to Elenaithil.
"If he wishes to. I'm going to find Aragon before he hides from me and is hurt. You can stay here until Shashu or Toutou comes by and shows you where they are. In the meantime, don't get into trouble."
"Ie, I won't!" Diana moved over to Haldir and stood as tall as she could next to him, which made her go up to a little over his waist, "I'll stay right here next to the nice elf-shashu and not get in trouble!"
Elenaithil laughed, and over the course of a few minutes, Diana had learned who the elf was and had then learned where she would be. She had grown to like him, and he liked her as well. The two promised to show the other their world after this battle.
Diana went with Legolas, and helped with getting people into the hallway as the orcs tried to follow them in.
Eternal Sailormercury, in the meantime, was up at the gate with Aragon and Gimli, trying to buy time for the people blockading the door.
"We need more time!" the injured Theoden yelled.
"How much?" Aragon asked, causing Mercury to turn and look at the future king. What was he thinking?
"As much as you can give me!"
Aragon pulled Gimli to the side, and Mercury followed.
"There!" Diana yelled, "We need to find Mercury-sama and Aragon'ou-sama!"
"Up there!" Legolas pointed, and the two headed over to help with taking down the bigger ladders and to see if they could find their missing companions.
"Oh, come on, we can take them!"
"Toutou…"Mercury rolled her eyes, then looked over at the gap as Aragon said, "It's a long way."
"That's true. Thank goodness for these wings and new henshin."
Gimli looked as well, then seemed to think and have trouble saying something. Finally, he pushed it out. "Toss me."
"What?"
"I cannot jump the distance, and Mercury cannot carry me, you have to toss me!" The two looked at each other, remembering that Gimli had told them, what seemed like a lifetime ago in Moria, 'Nobody tosses a dwarf'.
Aragon got ready to toss the reluctant but battle-ready dwarf, when Gimli stopped him again. "Don't tell the elf."
"Ie, we wouldn't, Gutoutou," Mercury told him.
"I know what you said, but don't tell him."
Aragon looked at Gimli very seriously. "Not a word." With that, he tossed the dwarf, then the two jumped after him and joined in the fight to clear off the orcs from the pathway for Theoden's people to get out of there and do a quick barricade of the gate.
"Mercury-sama, Gimli-san, Aragon'ou-sama!" Diana's call made them turn and grab the rope that both she and Legolas used to pull them up, the remaining elves and men blocking the way for orcs to come after them. When the three were up, the whole of the army that was left defending the castle raced to the Keep, once more barricading another door and preparing for battle that might be their last.
Legolas and Aragon turned over a table to empty it as Diana and Mercury picked up a bench and moved it to where the men were putting up all that they could to keep the orcs out.
"You said that this place wouldn't fall as long as your men were defending it!" Aragorn yelled at the tired Theoden-king, "They still defend it, they have died defending it!"
Diana and Legolas tuned out the words of the two arguing men as they tried to keep the orcs away until they heard Aragorn say, "Ride out with me. Face them."
"For death and glory?"
"For Rohan!"
The sun was rising on the fifth day, and everyone felt that they had to leave. The group got onto horses, Mercury and Diana on one, with Diana in front and Mercury in the back, her wings seeming to make the horse look like the Pegasus that Chibi-Usa had seen and ridden with Elios, the Priest of Elysium.
"Now for wraith. Now for ruin, and the red dawn. ROHAN!" the horn sounded in the Deep, and the group rode to meet the orcs, cutting their ways out of the castle just as the sun rose and the group looked to the East.
On the hilltop, everyone turned to see, astride the white horse-lord Shadowfax, Gandalf the White, looking down at the orcs and the remaining men who fought them.
"Theoden-king stands alone," Gandalf said. Riding up next to him was the man who was the only living male relative to Theoden. He looked down as well. "Not alone," the man said, raising he saber. "Rohirimm!" above the hilltop, coming with the sunrise, was what seemed like miles of horsemen, those loyal to Rohan who had been exiled under the 'rule' of Grima Wormtongue.
The battle was swift after that, the orcs being cut down quickly, even those retreating towards Isengard. The ones that escaped were only swallowed by a forest in their way that had not been there before. Diana and Eternal Sailormercury came upon the spot where Aluminum Siren, or her image, had fallen, and cleared the site of all evil.
So the Battle of Helm's Deep was won. So all the men who lived returned to those that loved them, wives and children, mothers and daughters who couldn't fight with them.
Boromir closed the pocket of space-time and looked back at the group. "I'm getting better at this."
"ParaPara noticed you didn't look into the last spot you found."
VesVes sighed, "You always have to bring that up, don't you Para?"
"But Para doesn't know what was happening in that, and no one will let ParaPara know."
Everyone got sweatdrops before Chibi-Usa said, "Well, um…you really shouldn't know right now."
"Why?"
More sweat drops. Boromir blushed a deep red and looked away, "Let's see if we can find out how the other Senshi are doing."
The group was riding towards Isengard, and looked down upon the dark of Mordor.
"Sauron's wraith will be quick," Gandalf said.
Elenaithil got off of the horse, causing Diana to look a little confused.
"I'm going ahead to Isengard. I want to make sure that no beings of Chaos are nearby, and it would be easier to get them before the men ran into them. If you find fogbanks along the way that are light blue, don't go into them." She turned to Aragon. "You take care, Aragon'ou. I'm counting on you to return to your love, and I'm also counting on you to return all of the remaining Fellowship to Isengard. It's not too far, you shouldn't encounter too much trouble along the way."
"Is that why you're going ahead?"
Elenaithil laughed, "If I did not like you, Hagueru Shiroshiou, I would knock you off that horse! Now take care of the group."
Diana jumped off the horse, quickly changing into kitten form and jumping onto the top of Legolas' head again.
"Why do you not stay with me, kitten?" Gimli asked as they watched Elenaithil leave.
"Oh, your helmet's too hard. I can see everything from here, though. But I promise, Gimli-san, I'll sleep on your beard and be nice and warm."
Theoden, who was nearby, laughed slightly, "And will you ride with me as well?" He liked the little kitten, though she was odd.
"If you wish me too, Theoden'ou-sama. But for now, I'm riding with Legolas-sama and helping Aragon'ou-sama to keep a watch over Mercury-sama's friends."
Theoden nodded, "Then let us go and see what we can find at Isengard."
End Notes:
1 "Oh, to fall in love with an elf!"
When Diana introduces herself to Haldir, she says "Hello (Konbanwa is for nighttime, Konnichiwa is morning and afternoon I believe). I am Diana."