Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. The talented J.R.R. Tolkien owns the characters and Peter Jackson owns the movie from which I got the idea for this fic.
Author's Notes: Oh, my gosh! I got reviews, and on my fic's first day up, too! Yay! Okay, anyway, thanks, right.
To PethraGirl: Thanks for your review! Sorry about the tenses, though. ::grins guiltily:: It's supposed to be in the past tense. I think I fixed all of the verbs and such that were in the present. Tell me if you see any more moronic mistakes!
To Alexis: Thanks sooo much for your review!! And about the spacing, I fixed it now. It was really late at night when I posted the chapter and I totally forgot about adding an extra line between each paragraph. Sorry! Hope it's better now!
To lady ithilmir: Thanks again for your review and your help! If you have no idea what I mean by 'thanks again', I put a little note in chapter 1 where Gandalf and Frodo are talking about Gollum. ;-)
To d: Oh, my gosh! I totally love you! You're on my side!! They really DO have too much time on their hands! Anyway, yes, more development is to come, such as how Legolas and Aragorn came to hook up and such. That's coming in the next two chapters, at least (I haven't really thought too much about it yet! A little bit, but not a tremendous amount).
To Legolas: Glad you like it! This soon enough for you?! :-)
::Jumps up and down in excitement:: I got my first flame!!! And I laughed my ass off reading it!!! Look:
"You're a sick, twisted sad fruit, you dumb fruit. I refuse to read your horrible story, for its stench drove me off. How sad and pathetic you must be to write a Yaoi fic. Don't you have things to do besides writing twisted fanfictions, like oh, maybe school, you cajone. Happy New Year, Jerkoff."
I can't help but think that this person is a bit redundant. He called me a fruit twice in one sentence. And does he realize that the New Year was about seven and a half months ago in the US??? And you can't say I didn't give you guys fair warning. It said right in the summary and the rating "SLASH!! Aragorn/Legolas. Don't like, don't read. PG-13 for SLASH and violence." In case he didn't know, slash is the same as yaoi. And yaoi and slash are both the same as HOMOSEXUALITY!!! . . . Okay, got that out of my system.
Here's the next chapter!!!
Chapter 2: Losing A Friend
The Fellowship ran between the tall rows of pillars before coming to a small doorway in the wall. Swiftly, Gandalf herded the other eight through.
"Quickly!" Gandalf said. With a last look behind him, he swept through the doorway and followed the rest of the Fellowship.
They entered a passageway with Boromir leading the group and head down a flight of steps. It ended abruptly and Boromir would have fallen to his death had Legolas not grabbed him from behind and pulled him back onto himself. Boromir and Legolas glance apprehensively below as Boromir's torch plummets into the vast underworld beneath. The hobbits barely stop short of falling over the edge as well. A moment later, Gandalf came to a stop behind them, leaning against a wall.
"Gandalf!" Legolas heard Aragorn call.
"Lead them on, Aragorn!" Gandalf replied. "The bridge is near!"
Everyone turned and looked to a long bridge spanning the gap between a hall and the face of a cliff. Behind them, the Balrog roared again. The Elf turned back around to face Aragorn and Gandalf to see Gandalf roughly push Aragorn away from him. A flame of anger rose quickly in Legolas; he hated to see anyone touch Aragorn in a way other than friendly.
"Do as I say!" Gandalf shouted. Aragorn looked hurt and confused. "Swords are no more use here!"
The Balrog roared again and that seemed to resolve Aragorn's mind. The Fellowship descended a twisting flight of stairs to the fiery depths, rising form the ground far below. The Fellowship slowed, encountering a gap in the stone stairs. Knowing he could make it, Legolas leapt easily over the space, turning around to face the others once he had landed on the other side. Another on of the Balrog's roars tore through the light. The ceiling began to splinter and crumble, sending huge boulders falling into the depths.
"Gandalf!" Legolas called encouragingly, beckoning to the wizard.
Steeling himself, Gandalf followed the Elf to the other side.
Arrows began to whistle through the air at the nine, striking the steps where Gandalf had stood a moment earlier. Legolas snatched up his bow and an arrow from his quiver, notched it, and let it fly. The arrow soared through the air and pierces the skull of an Orc. The Orc then tumbles down, dead, from his ledge to the depths.
"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir gathered Merry and Pippin into his arms before leaping to the other edge. Legolas still shot one arrow after another from his seemingly never-ending supply at various Orcs.
"Sam," Aragorn said, picking up Sam and tossing him to the other side. He then turned to pick up Gimli.
"Nobody tosses a dwarf," Gimli replied to the action haughtily, holding up his hand.
Gimli leapt across but didn't have enough momentum to make it to the other ledge. Legolas darted forward and grabbed his beard, managing to pull the dwarf back to safety.
"Not the beard!" Gimli cried. Legolas rolled his eyes at the dwarf's vanity.
The stone steps began to crumble underneath Frodo and Aragorn's feet. Legolas felt his heart leap up into his throat as he viewed Aragorn and Frodo struggling to get a steady foothold. Startled, Aragorn shoved Frodo up several steps and clambered after him, slipping and dangling off the edge of the steps. Involuntarily, Legolas took a step forward only to be stopped by Gandalf's arm halting him in his tracks. Aragorn pulled himself to his feet, the stairs now several feet shorter than before. Legolas breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Aragorn was safe. The feeling was replaced a second later by a stab of jealousy when Aragorn wrapped an arm around Frodo, though the Elf knew it was just to keep the Ringbearer from falling.
"Steady," Aragorn said cautiously, as though saying it any other way might bring the whole structure down. "Hold on!"
Legolas heard the Balrog approaching from the other hall, its demonically fiery light getting closer and closer. Stone formations around the mine entrance collapsed with each thunderous step of the beast. A boulder fell from the ceiling and crashed through the steps behind Frodo and Aragorn, creating another gap and further weakening the foundation of the steps.
"No," Legolas whispered, almost silently, his eyes never leaving the scene before him. The staircase begins to shake. Legolas's heart was pounding as the stairs shifted. Aragorn held fast to Frodo's arm.
"Hang on!" Aragorn said to the hobbit. "Lean forward!"
"Come on!" Legolas called to the stranded two of the Fellowship. Our relationship will not end here, Legolas thought determinedly. I refuse to let it.
Aragorn and Frodo shifted their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide and throwing them to their companions. Frodo flew into Gandalf as Aragorn fell into Legolas's arms.
"I thought I'd lost you," Legolas whispered to Aragorn, tears of fright shimmering unshed in his eyes.
"Never," Aragorn murmured earnestly, pressing a quick kiss to Legolas's lips as everyone turned and hurried down the steps away from the Balrog. Behind them, the stone structures collapsed, crumbling and falling into the infinite abyss. Gandalf lead them around a pillar in a fiery hall, a wall of flame whirling and burning following them.
"Over the bridge!" Gandalf commanded as everyone else hurried past. "Fly!"
The Fellowship obeyed his orders and began running across the long, narrow bridge. Gandalf does not follow, but turned and looked into the wall of fire. A giant black shadow appears, with white-hot fire for eyes and great, ash-clack horns accentuating a bull-like head. Gandalf turned back and ran after the Fellowship. A gargantuan black foot landed down in the hall, bursting into flame. Gandalf stopped in the middle of the bridge as everyone reached the other side.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf commanded, staring with hatred at the creature.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cried in panic, watching from the other side.
Huge, wing-like shadows of ash whirled around the demon. It spread its arms and burst into flames. Gandalf stood unwavering in front of it, staff and sword raised. The other eight members of the Fellowship stood in shock, watching the exchange.
"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor," Gandalf said, lifting his staff. A blazing light radiated from it, lighting up the entire bridge and encircling the wizard in a globe of light. "The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!"
The Balrog brought its arm upward, a sword of fire forming in its hand. The demon truck down at Gandalf, who fought off the blow with his own blade and, in the process, shattered the Balrog's sword. Embers of fire flew off the circle around the wizard. The infuriated monster roared at the wizard. Legolas heard Frodo gasp and saw Aragorn run forward.
"Go back to the Shadow!" Gandalf cried, clenching his teeth.
A thread of fire blew from the Balrog's mouth, and it stepped forward onto the bridge, defying Gandalf's orders. The beast brandished a blazing whip, lashing it about threateningly. Gandalf summoned his remaining energy, and raised his sword and staff together in the air.
"YOU . . . SHALL NOT . . . PASS!" Gandalf roared. He drove his staff into the bridge, causing a brilliant flash of sapphire light to appear. The rest of the Fellowship couldn't breathe. They were full of fear for their friend and guide. Menacingly, the Balrog took another step onto the bridge. The bridge collapsed under it as it advanced on Gandalf. The demon plunged backwards into the endless chasm, still welding its glowing whip. After watching the Balrog fall for a moment, Gandalf turned to face the others. At the last second, the blazing whip lashed up from the depths and caught about Gandalf's ankle, dragging him over the edge. His staff and sword were lost over the side, but the wizard managed to keep his grip.
Frodo made as though to rush forward, but Boromir saw him and slung his arm in front of the hobbit and caught him.
"No. No!" Boromir said to the hobbit.
"Gandaaaaalf!" Frodo wailed, struggling against Boromir's hold.
The wizard grasped vainly at the stone bridge. He looked up into Frodo's eyes and stop straining.
"Fly, you fools!" Gandalf whispered before letting go of the stone and falling into the void. Legolas gasped as he saw his friend fall.
"Noooooooooooooooo!!!!" Frodo screamed, fighting tears. Boromir grabbed hold of the hobbit and started to leave up a flight of stairs.
"Aragorn!" Boromir shouted.
"Noooooooooooo!!!" Frodo yelled again. Legolas looked behind him to see his Aragorn standing as if in a trance. He stared at the bridge for a moment until the Orc arrows started whistling again. Legolas was silently urging him on to hurry and catch up with everyone as the ranger dodged the arrows and took the stairs two at a time.
Author's Notes: Whoo! Chapter 2! Okay, well the next chapter should be up in a few days. By the way, does anyone want to be my beta? I need one 'cause I can be a bit of a dope sometimes and forget some things. Let me know in your review or in an email. Whatever!
And sorry about my ravings about my flame earlier. I just thing it's really ridiculous that anyone would waste their time writing a flame if they didn't enjoy the story. And there was fair warning. If you didn't want to read slash, B. Terry, all ya had to do was read the summary, 'cause there was fair warning in there!!! You might think I'm, like, mental or whatever (there aren't too many people that would disagree!), but I did think the review was funny!!!