Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. If you see any characters or any
of that stuff that you don't recognize, it's mine. The rest belongs to
Tolkien.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ali woke up with her eyes watering and vision blurry. Everything seemed so obscured to her. Ali tried to get up, but felt sick in doing it and quickly laid back down.
"Where am I?" Ali murmured.
"You are in the Houses of Healing, Mistress Ali, and you have been asleep for several weeks. Four weeks to be exact." The voice sounded so familiar, Ali painfully smiled as she listened. It sounded like Aragorn, but she couldn't be sure.
"Aragorn?" she asked.
"Yes, it is I. It was lucky Pippin found you, or you would've been dead by the time anybody had reached you," Aragorn said.
As Ali's vision cleared, she looked down and saw that her arm was bound up. She looked back up at Aragorn.
Aragorn shrugged. "You're arm was broken. It's healing quite nicely."
"I see," Ali said, looking around her. "What is the date today?"
"March the 3rd, Ali," Aragorn said.
"March the 3rd... Last time I was awake, it was in late February," Ali commented.
"Time flies by when you're not awake," Aragorn smiled.
Ali smiled back. Suddenly she remembered something.
"Has the War ended yet? Or is it still going on?" Ali asked.
"Frodo has destroyed the Ring. It is over, Ali," Aragorn said.
"Is he—is he?" Ali asked, fearing the worst.
"He is alive and well as well as the rest of the Fellowship. They are all here," Aragorn assured Ali.
Ali sighed and smiled, leaning back onto the pillows.
"I'm so tired," she murmured and soon she fell back asleep.
As the weeks went by, Ali was finally released from the Houses of Healing. Her arm was still up in a sling, but it was almost better. Ali decided to go outside and take a walk, for she had been inside for weeks on end. As Ali walked around, she heard her name being called and turned around. It was everybody from the Fellowship of the Ring. Gimili, Legolas, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Boromir, Aragorn, and Gandalf. Ali broke into a wide smile and rushed towards them, giving them all a big hug each.
"You are a strong lass, you know that?" Gimili said, when he hugged her.
"Not as strong as you," Ali replied and Gimili blushed.
When Ali reached Legolas, Ali noticed there was sadness in his eyes.
"What's wrong, Legolas?" Ali asked.
"Haldir died defending what he believed was right at Helm's Deep," Legolas said.
Ali's eyes widened and turned away, forcing herself not to cry.
"I'm sorry, Ali. He died and fought bravely, and with courage. You can't help everything that goes on. If that was possible then the world would be turned to right right now," Legolas said, trying to comfort Ali.
"I know," Ali took in a deep breath, her tears stuck in her throat. "I know."
Legolas hugged Ali hard and she hugged him back, finally pulling away from him. "There's nothing we could do. Let us remember him for what he was in life," Ali said. Legolas nodded and stepped away from her.
At last Ali came to Pippin. She hugged him hard and pulled away.
"I told you that you were going to get hurt, Ali. I tried to tell you that, but you didn't listen to me," Pippin protested.
"Well, what can you do? We can't do everything," Ali commented.
Everybody laughed and soon the ten of them went off together to look around the city. They hadn't been so happy, being together.
As the days went past, Ali felt more and more restless. Nothing seemed to satisfy her. One day, Ali and the four hobbits were sitting outside on Gondor's wall, soaking in the sunshine.
"Ali, what's wrong?" Frodo asked. He just had his bandages off his stump where Gollum had taken his finger off.
"I don't know. I feel restless, like nothing can help me. I think it's about time for me to go back home," Ali said.
"To your home far, far away," Sam commented.
Ali nodded. "To my home, far, far away," she repeated.
"Then you should leave, Ali," Merry said. "It's your task to go back home, isn't it?"
Ali nodded. "Yes, it is my task. But I don't want to leave now. I want to say goodbye to everybody."
"I'll go," Pippin said. "I know where everything is now."
Ali nodded reluctantly. "You can do that, Pip."
Pippin nodded and went off to go get everybody else. It seemed as soon as he left, a heavy heart was laid upon everybody. Ali didn't want to leave, and neither did anybody else. Finally Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimili, Boromir, and Legolas appeared with Pippin in front of them. Ali stood up as well as the rest of the hobbits.
"I think it's time for me to go back to my home. My task here is finished. I can't stay here much longer," Ali told the arrivals.
"Can't you stay a bit longer?" Boromir asked. Everybody else agreed.
Ali shook her head. "It's time. I'm going to miss you all and wish I didn't have to leave, but I do. When I was in Lothlorien, Lady Galadriel said if I wanted it bad enough and if I willed it hard enough, then I'll be able to go home."
Sam started sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm going to miss you, Miss Ali."
As everybody said their goodbyes, nobody could keep from crying, not even Legolas. Finally Ali came to Pippin.
"I wish you didn't have to leave, Ali. I'm going to miss you terribly," Pippin said, wiping a couple of stray tears.
"I'll miss you, too. I'll come back someday. And remember, I will always love you, no matter what," Ali said, wiping tears of her own. "I will always love you."
The two of them hugged each other tightly. Then Pippin looked around nervously and then slowly he bent down and kissed her. Ali kissed him back, feeling embarrassed that she kissed him in front of everybody. When Pippin pulled away, Ali saw that everybody was smiling.
"It's not what you thinking," Ali said to everybody.
"Sure it is," Aragorn said sarcastically and everybody laughed.
Ali sighed. "One last thing. Don't grieve for me when I'm gone, please. I'll always be with you in some way or another. I'll miss you all. Namaarie (farewell)."
Everybody smiled. "Namaarie," they all said together.
Ali stepped back and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She thought of all her friends and family back home and willed herself to be back there with them. That's what she had wanted. There was a moment's blackness and soon everything went black.
February 14, 2004 A/n: There's chapter twenty-six. The last chapter before the Epilogue. This has been a really fun story to write and I honestly didn't think I would get this far in this story. Like I said in the previous chapter, if it weren't for you all who have been faithfully reading the story and reviewing, I thank you very much. If I get a sequel to this story fully developed on what I want to write, then I'll put it up there. If you all want me to email you when I get it up, tell me your address and I'll email you telling you it's up. Thanks so much, everybody!
I won't be answering reviewers in this chapter because for one, fanfiction is being a buttmunch and won't let me look at my reviews so I can review and second because... yeah. I'll answer you alls in my Epilogue. Don't be offended, please, I beg of you not to be. I still like you alls!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ali woke up with her eyes watering and vision blurry. Everything seemed so obscured to her. Ali tried to get up, but felt sick in doing it and quickly laid back down.
"Where am I?" Ali murmured.
"You are in the Houses of Healing, Mistress Ali, and you have been asleep for several weeks. Four weeks to be exact." The voice sounded so familiar, Ali painfully smiled as she listened. It sounded like Aragorn, but she couldn't be sure.
"Aragorn?" she asked.
"Yes, it is I. It was lucky Pippin found you, or you would've been dead by the time anybody had reached you," Aragorn said.
As Ali's vision cleared, she looked down and saw that her arm was bound up. She looked back up at Aragorn.
Aragorn shrugged. "You're arm was broken. It's healing quite nicely."
"I see," Ali said, looking around her. "What is the date today?"
"March the 3rd, Ali," Aragorn said.
"March the 3rd... Last time I was awake, it was in late February," Ali commented.
"Time flies by when you're not awake," Aragorn smiled.
Ali smiled back. Suddenly she remembered something.
"Has the War ended yet? Or is it still going on?" Ali asked.
"Frodo has destroyed the Ring. It is over, Ali," Aragorn said.
"Is he—is he?" Ali asked, fearing the worst.
"He is alive and well as well as the rest of the Fellowship. They are all here," Aragorn assured Ali.
Ali sighed and smiled, leaning back onto the pillows.
"I'm so tired," she murmured and soon she fell back asleep.
As the weeks went by, Ali was finally released from the Houses of Healing. Her arm was still up in a sling, but it was almost better. Ali decided to go outside and take a walk, for she had been inside for weeks on end. As Ali walked around, she heard her name being called and turned around. It was everybody from the Fellowship of the Ring. Gimili, Legolas, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Boromir, Aragorn, and Gandalf. Ali broke into a wide smile and rushed towards them, giving them all a big hug each.
"You are a strong lass, you know that?" Gimili said, when he hugged her.
"Not as strong as you," Ali replied and Gimili blushed.
When Ali reached Legolas, Ali noticed there was sadness in his eyes.
"What's wrong, Legolas?" Ali asked.
"Haldir died defending what he believed was right at Helm's Deep," Legolas said.
Ali's eyes widened and turned away, forcing herself not to cry.
"I'm sorry, Ali. He died and fought bravely, and with courage. You can't help everything that goes on. If that was possible then the world would be turned to right right now," Legolas said, trying to comfort Ali.
"I know," Ali took in a deep breath, her tears stuck in her throat. "I know."
Legolas hugged Ali hard and she hugged him back, finally pulling away from him. "There's nothing we could do. Let us remember him for what he was in life," Ali said. Legolas nodded and stepped away from her.
At last Ali came to Pippin. She hugged him hard and pulled away.
"I told you that you were going to get hurt, Ali. I tried to tell you that, but you didn't listen to me," Pippin protested.
"Well, what can you do? We can't do everything," Ali commented.
Everybody laughed and soon the ten of them went off together to look around the city. They hadn't been so happy, being together.
As the days went past, Ali felt more and more restless. Nothing seemed to satisfy her. One day, Ali and the four hobbits were sitting outside on Gondor's wall, soaking in the sunshine.
"Ali, what's wrong?" Frodo asked. He just had his bandages off his stump where Gollum had taken his finger off.
"I don't know. I feel restless, like nothing can help me. I think it's about time for me to go back home," Ali said.
"To your home far, far away," Sam commented.
Ali nodded. "To my home, far, far away," she repeated.
"Then you should leave, Ali," Merry said. "It's your task to go back home, isn't it?"
Ali nodded. "Yes, it is my task. But I don't want to leave now. I want to say goodbye to everybody."
"I'll go," Pippin said. "I know where everything is now."
Ali nodded reluctantly. "You can do that, Pip."
Pippin nodded and went off to go get everybody else. It seemed as soon as he left, a heavy heart was laid upon everybody. Ali didn't want to leave, and neither did anybody else. Finally Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimili, Boromir, and Legolas appeared with Pippin in front of them. Ali stood up as well as the rest of the hobbits.
"I think it's time for me to go back to my home. My task here is finished. I can't stay here much longer," Ali told the arrivals.
"Can't you stay a bit longer?" Boromir asked. Everybody else agreed.
Ali shook her head. "It's time. I'm going to miss you all and wish I didn't have to leave, but I do. When I was in Lothlorien, Lady Galadriel said if I wanted it bad enough and if I willed it hard enough, then I'll be able to go home."
Sam started sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm going to miss you, Miss Ali."
As everybody said their goodbyes, nobody could keep from crying, not even Legolas. Finally Ali came to Pippin.
"I wish you didn't have to leave, Ali. I'm going to miss you terribly," Pippin said, wiping a couple of stray tears.
"I'll miss you, too. I'll come back someday. And remember, I will always love you, no matter what," Ali said, wiping tears of her own. "I will always love you."
The two of them hugged each other tightly. Then Pippin looked around nervously and then slowly he bent down and kissed her. Ali kissed him back, feeling embarrassed that she kissed him in front of everybody. When Pippin pulled away, Ali saw that everybody was smiling.
"It's not what you thinking," Ali said to everybody.
"Sure it is," Aragorn said sarcastically and everybody laughed.
Ali sighed. "One last thing. Don't grieve for me when I'm gone, please. I'll always be with you in some way or another. I'll miss you all. Namaarie (farewell)."
Everybody smiled. "Namaarie," they all said together.
Ali stepped back and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She thought of all her friends and family back home and willed herself to be back there with them. That's what she had wanted. There was a moment's blackness and soon everything went black.
February 14, 2004 A/n: There's chapter twenty-six. The last chapter before the Epilogue. This has been a really fun story to write and I honestly didn't think I would get this far in this story. Like I said in the previous chapter, if it weren't for you all who have been faithfully reading the story and reviewing, I thank you very much. If I get a sequel to this story fully developed on what I want to write, then I'll put it up there. If you all want me to email you when I get it up, tell me your address and I'll email you telling you it's up. Thanks so much, everybody!
I won't be answering reviewers in this chapter because for one, fanfiction is being a buttmunch and won't let me look at my reviews so I can review and second because... yeah. I'll answer you alls in my Epilogue. Don't be offended, please, I beg of you not to be. I still like you alls!
