Pippin ran as fast as his feet could carry him. The sharp, towering rocks on either side of him were drawing closer and closer, waiting for the moment to capture their prey. It felt as though he had been running forever...

"Let this end! Let me go!" he cried aloud.

Suddenly, the view of a clearing ahead brightened his spirits. He pushed himself harder, going faster and faster. He reached the end and leapt, escaping the endless trap that he had been caught in. Pippin fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

'Where am I?' he wondered. He looked up, and found that somehow he had brought himself to the Black Gates of Mordor.

"No...no...this cannot be..." marveled the Took.

Orcs were surrounding him everywhere, glaring at him and giving horrible cries of anguish. They drew closer, and yet, made no attempts or threats to hurt him.

'What in the name of the Shire is going on?'

Pippin looked around in terror, waiting for something, anything, to happen. The enemies continued to draw near. Soon they were just barely a few feet away. He knew it; this was the end. However, something caught the foes' attention, for they glanced up behind the hobbit, and began to back away, showing their dagger-like teeth in what seemed like cruel sneers.

He was about to turn around to find what was lurking in back of him, when amidst the army of orcs he saw the face of Merry being held back by two Uruk-hai.

"Merry! Don't worry, I'm coming!" he yelled.

Peregrin reached for his sword, but found that it was not with him. He tried to stand up to run and help his cousin, and something clutching his cloak kept him back. Slowly, he turned around, and looked up to find the terrifying Dark Lord, his mighty sword poised in the air. With panic gripping his heart, he looked back at Merry. Their eyes met for a brief second, and then the Uruks stabbed the older hobbit, who instantly collapsed.

"MERRY!" Pippin screamed.

Sauron laughed menacingly, and Pippin turned around once more with fearful eyes. This was the end...he would never feel joy again...it was all over...

"Pippin...Pip, wake UP!...It's me!...PIPPIN!"

The small hobbit jumped with a start, finally opening his eyes. He was drenched in cold sweat, and was shaking violently; he vaguely knew that he was in the darkness of Treebeard's cave.

"Oh, thank Valar." Merry murmured.

"Merry! You're alive!" Pippin flung himself into the Brandybuck's arms, whimpering loudly. Merry gave a sigh of relief and hugged him tight.

"It's okay...I'm here..." he comforted. "It was all a dream...it wasn't real...it wasn't real...shhh..."

"They-th-th-they killed you, Merry," Pippin whispered. "Th-they killed you, and I truly believed I would never see you again. Then He had captured me, and I knew I was going to die. It was so real."

Meriadoc pulled away and took Pippin's face in his hands, wiping away the tears. He looked deep into the other's eyes.

"Well, I'm right here, and I always will be, so don't you worry about a thing." He gave a soft grin, and gently laid back on the bed of grass and fern. Pippin curled up as close as he could to Merry and held on to him. Merry stroked Pippin's hair as he began to drift off.

"I promise, I'll never let anything bad happen to you, Pip."

He looked at the young hobbit, and saw that he was breathing deeply. He had fallen asleep with a smile of comfort on his face.

Pippin did not have another bad dream that night, nor did he ever again.