Thanks to everyone!!! Sorry for the delay. I finished this Sunday around 4:00pm, but ff.net woudn't let me upload it (or read anything) until, like, now!!! WARNING: If any of you people really, really love/like Pippin Took and can't take terribly horrible things happening concerning him without blowing and flaming everything to a crisp, please do NOT continue reading this! I would particularly rather you did not do that to me. As of now, I don't have any other really important notes. Except SUMMER BREAK has began (more time to write!), which would rule if my main family problem did not currently exist. ::glares and growls:: Sorry. Here goes...
hyperactive forever- Frodo: "Nothing ever dampens your spirits, does it Sam?" Sam: "Those rain clouds might..."
Disclaimer: I own Lord of the Rings not. I own Evanescence and their songs not. I make money not. You sue me not. Happy we are. You, I thank.
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I Would Never Betray You,
Please Remember Me
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Lobelia came busting down upon Pippin with the knife. She quickly rammed the knife into his skin, ripping it in all types of lines, patterns, and Eru knows what else. She was destroying his flesh everywhere. Pippin screamed, and ran to try to get away. There was no where he could escape to. She was in front of the door with the equipment, for the first time he noticed that she had put bars in front of the windows. He looked around desperately trying to ignore the searing pain erupting all over him. 'There's really no way to get out!' Pippin thought thoroughly frightened. Then it came to him. '-Unless...unless I, no I couldn't...I will! I will go run through my wall! It's feeble, and-' Before he could finish the thoughts coming halfway involuntarily, he heard an incredibly horrible holler.
'YER, I WILL KILL YOU, YOU CURSED PIECE OF LOATHING SCUM!!!"
"NO, LOBELIA, GGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
Pippin began trying to run into the wall that had the most holes, but Lobelia caught on to what he was doing. With one whack of the mace she had just picked up he was down on the ground. He was still suffering from the prior morning.
"If you even try it, Peregrin Took, I swear that I will find and tear you limb to limb!" Her eyes had a dreadful shine, but they were glazed over as if she were in a fantasy as well.
'As if she's not already going to,' went through Pippin's mind unnoticed because of the pain flowing rapidly through his veins. Lobelia was swearing through her clenched teeth as she chased the now running (again) Pippin that she was going to finish him off. 'If this is truly going to be the end of you,' started the sensible survival side of his brain that rarely kept itself quiet of late. 'Then you should stand up and fight her off! Make it as noble an end as you can muster,' it urged. He decided to follow its lead. With a jump and what could have been taken as his battle cry, he picked up the pitcher (that still had the dirty water, if that's what you'd call it, within it), and crashed it down upon Lobelia's head. She screamed as the sharp fragments made what appeared to be a necklace of blood on her forehead. Then he started slapping, kicking, punching, clawing, and doing everything else he could to Lobelia. She was down for a moment, and didn't seem to be moving, but she was not anywhere near death. Despite it all, Pippin smiled. He had actually done something back to her. It had felt so good to do that.
Lobelia suddenly jumped up, growled, and kicked him with all her strength where it hurts. The quick hesitation of Pippin's to strike back, gave her time to put on the metal knuckles. She punched him on his stomach, tearing his shirt and flesh. She also punched him in the middle of his face, on his arms, and every other available place. Pippin tried desperately to move, but he couldn't. 'So much pain. Oh, gods, I need to move. I need to move...OW!!!' Tears were streaming down his dirty face. For a moment, the fresh attacks stopped. Pippin looked up. He was now tied with the rope to the shelf. It no longer looked like it would fall of any minute; it looked like an everlasting addition to the rickety shack.
"How do you like this, slave, huh? HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS?!" she screamed.
Pippin decided to act like certain animals might in such a dangerous situation. He let his head roll to the side when he was hit, and tried to hold his gasping breaths in to appear dead. This did nothing to help him. Obviously, Lobelia had never known that beating a dead (fill-in-the- blank) did nothing to help anyone. Using weapons of torture he had never seen or probably heard of she kept assaulting him. He felt himself being moved, as his eyes were still closed. After a few minutes he screamed, giving away his cover. Lobelia was trying to stretch him out! Half of him was attached to the shelf, and the other half to the wash stand, that was firmly now bolted to the floor.
"LET ME GO!!! LET ME GO, LOBELIA!!! I SWEAR I WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING BAD AGAIN, AND I'LL TRY TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT!!! OH, PLEASE..." he bursted into new sobs. Lobelia gave him a very strange look. Almost as if she was taking this into account, and headed over to his bleeding right side, hands stretched out towards his bonds.
===========================================================
"We're at the West Gate of Moria!" bellowed Gimli as he sighed and grinned.
At that very moment Frodo felt something grab his leg. He screamed. Merry looked up in horror, eyes wide, mouth gaping. 'I can't lose another friend!' After everyone fighting the giant water creature, Frodo fell down, and they all ran into the old dwarf city. Sam and Merry crowded Frodo as they ran, and hugged the stuffing out of him.
"Oh, Mr. Frodo..."
"Frodo, are you okay? I was so afraid..." Merry said forgetting to change 'I was so afraid' to 'We were so afraid.' They both engulfed Frodo in a big hug. Gandalf called to Samwise, and Frodo and Merry were kept to their lonesome in the back of the line. Frodo's spirits raised, he felt as though things would get better now that he was away from the water watcher.
"Merry, things will get better," Frodo reassured.
"I'm glad you're in such a good mood." Merry replied instead of saying what he was thinking, 'How can you say that?' in hopes of maybe Frodo would keep his beautiful smile on. Not that he could see it in the horrible lighting...
"Me, too. I hope it'll last for a while. Maybe by this time in a few months we'll be back to the Shire and Buckland, and Pippin will be out and will have forgiven us."
"Yes," It was half-hearted.
"Then...."
Merry tuned out of Frodo's merrymaking speech of what could be. He loved the fact that he was this happy and so optimistic, but Merry couldn't take it. None of that would ever happen...at least not for him. There's not a single way Pip would ever forgive him. They may never even find him. In a few months time? Well, maybe they would be through with the quest, because they would all be dead, and Sauron would have the ring. As their luck went, he believed that thoroughly. With such dark thoughts, he fell very far behind.
"Merry, come on! You're falling too far behind in this dark, little one!"
He sighed, and started jogging to catch up with the rest of the Fellowship.
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"What are you doing?" Pippin got out weakly.
"THIS, YOU FOOL!" she barked. Lobelia pulled out her whip, and started striking him in beat to her words. (every hyphen is when she hits him) "You – stupid – little- dis – graceful – death – deserving – freak – of – nature!!! I – will – fucking – kill – your – un – deserving – little – rear - end!!!"
After a few minutes of all the beatings (with more than just the whip), name callings, and everything else she quit. Pippin didn't even notice. He just lay there reminding himself to hang on and keep breathing for Diamond. That's what he kept his mind on. Pain was searing through his entire body. Pippin's breaths were remarkably short gasps, that were far and few apart.
"Do you have anything to say, Yer?" Lobelia calmly inquired.
Silence.
Pippin was in too much pain to hear her. For the first time in just a while he looked down and saw that he was surrounded by his own blood. He could've taken a bath in it. Pippin cursed this day. He was frightened though by seeing all of that bloody...well blood surrounding him (no pun intended), but try as he might, death sounded so good. He was in severe pain, which was not made worse than the panic sweat that covered his body. Pippin decided (for the millionth time in his head) that he didn't deserve Diamond anyway. Maybe she could find one who did deserve her, that was a good lad, and she'd by happy. Pippin prayed that she would find happiness. There was only one thing wrong with that. 'I want to be the one to make her happy.' Another voice in his head retorted to him as soon as he thought that though. 'How are you going to do that here? Frodo, Merry, and Sam will NEVER come back for you, and even if they did, they couldn't get you back. Your own parents can't get you back.'
"How do you feel?" There was an evil smile flashed, but it was not seen.
Silence.
"Well, if that's how it is..." she began. "Then I think it's about time I did one last thing and left." Surprisingly, Pippin answered her.
"W-w-what?"
"It speaks. Interesting. Do you know you sound very frail?"
Silence.
"Well, I'm doing something I'm afraid that you will remember," she remarked as if it was a matter as big as flicking some dirt off ones' shoulder.
"W-w-w-what are...are you ............... go-going to-to do?" he gasped out finally.
"This." She snapped.
A fresh wave hurt flew over him after he fell to the ground away from his bonds. Lobelia had taken the small spear head and carved this in taking a dreadful long time: "This THING belongs/ed to the S-B's." Now, of course the Sackville-Baggins' never called themselves the S-B's, but they knew everyone else did, so that's what she wrote. It was beyond Pippin's control now. He fainted.
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When he awoke, he had come to a silent conclusion. If this were to be the life he lived, it was not worth it. He would do all of this for Diamond, he would do anything, but Diamond did NOT want him doing all of this. It was unbearable. He grabbed the closest thing to him. If only Merry or Frodo would come! If they came he wouldn't have to do this. They would be his saviors if they showed up, and could give him something to stop the excessive bleeding. He would forever forgive them, if only they would turn up soon. They didn't. He took the object and tried to jab it into his heart, but missed and hit his shoulder. Pippin let out a small whimper and long wail. He had not the strength to do more, and was past the point of being able to be in more pain then he was right then. Pippin didn't know how much longer he could take all of this. 'Why can't I just have a quick death, so I have less pain?' he whined in his head. He let his head go and think what it wished; trying to ignore the sweat, dirt, blood, and wounds that were all over him and all around him. Pippin looked around some pieces of cloth. If he found enough of the right size, he could use them as a sort of tourniquet. He found none; Lobelia had gotten rid of all of them. He never noticed, but from the moment that he screamed when being stretched, Pippin had not stopped screaming for one second, even when he passed out.
Pippin started thinking of songs, because he had thought of the Green Dragon and dancing on a table with Diamond gawking over at him, eyes sparkling with her love for him (plus all of the ale she had consumed). He was good at making up songs (as many know, and even if they're pointless his wonderful voice makes up for it), and so his head came up with this. He felt it fit perfectly. (A/N: I just changed one word, okay? I did this by listening to the song, so if something's wrong or I forgot something which I probably did, please forgive me.)
''''''' I tried to kill the pain
But only brought more
So much more.
I lay dieing
And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal
I'm dieing, praying, bleeding, and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved?
Am I too lost?
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
Do you remember me?
Lost for so long
Will you be on the other side?
Or will you forget me?
I'm dieing, praying, bleeding, and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved?
Am I too lost?
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
Return to me salvation
I WANT TO DIE
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
My wounds cry for the grave
My soul cries for deliverance
Will I be denied Christ?
Tourniquet, my homicide '''''''
Each breath hurt more than the last when he finished the song that rushed to his head, and they were harder to create. Pippin knew this was his end. He couldn't go on like this. He was in pain, nearly starved, and bleeding way too much. He hated the thought that this could be his end. Now, he did not want to die. He wept deep within his soul. Pippin wanted his family, Diamond, Frodo, Sam, and even Merry. He needed them all. He wanted to see them all once more. The most horrible thing about all of this was the realization there was no way to see them before the end if it was soon as he suspected. He had no clue where his parents were, Diamond was in Long Cleeve with her family for the rest of the week, and he even less of a clue where his two cousins and the gardener were. If this was in fact it, Pippin was not going to stay in the horrendous shack that was a great source of hate for him; he was going to go outside and enjoy the last early morning he would probably ever have. Moving pained him, but he really wanted to get outside. His calendar was on the floor. It was 13 January 3019. 'Yep,' he thought, 'thirteen is most certainly an unlucky number.' In other circumstances he would've smiled, but he did not.
Finally he got outside. A fresh wind was blowing over his face, cooling down the fire in his body. He lay there for a long time, closed his eyes, and dozed.
In less than a quarter of an hour Pippin laid awake, relaxed fully from the heart and out, staring at the stars, trying his best to still ignore the pain flowing through him like blood and air, and the dried blood he had spilled sticking to his skin. 'The stars are as bright as diamonds, even though he (the sun for those who don't know) will be taking over soon.' He smiled remembering his beautiful wife Diamond, yet again. Pippin's thoughts drifted to his kin out somewhere in the wilderness. He prayed quickly that they were okay, and that he had not practically ordered their deaths. He also quickly prayed for the health, happiness, and good life for Diamond and his family. With these last actions and thoughts the bright, pretty stars; the shack near him; his thoughts; and all his pain faded into black. Pippin had died.
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The rest of the quest went as Tolkien described, with exception of Pippin's absence (i.e.: Frodo accidentally bumped the skeleton and such over in Moria instead of Pippin doing it; Boromir still died for Merry; instead of Pippin looking into the palantir, Aragorn did, not caring if Sauron saw him as he wanted to show himself, and Gandalf continued on; etc.).
When the hobbits finally were allowed to return home, they were ecstatic. Not only because they had done it all for the Shire, but because they were ready and willing to go find Pippin. They were in such light moods, they believed they would find Pippin right off, get him back, and go on with how their lives used to be. Boy, where they surprised when they reached the gates of Buckland and everything went on down hill until after the death of Sharky.
5 November 3019, 1:00 p.m., The Green Dragon
November 3, 3019 had brought the end of the War of the Ring. It was two days after that, and the three hobbits from the quest were all resting and staying in the Green Dragon. Sam had gone up to ask for some more beer, and to flirt some more with Rosie. Merry leaned forward over the table to get closer to Frodo.
"We need to ask, Frodo. I'm going to go nuts if I don't."
"I know we need to ask about his location, but what if they don't know? I'm pretty sure you don't want to explain, I know Sam and I don't."
"We need to find him though!" Merry stared intently at Frodo who started looking down, but then didn't.
"Do you think I don't know that?! I've been looking myself for him already, alright! I love him just as much as you and I want to find him!"
"Then you wouldn't care who you had to ask! And how close to finding him have you become?"
Frodo was silent and started glaring, and Merry joined in the match. Eventually, Sam showed up.
"What's wrong?" Sam's question went ignored and unanswered. He handed out their drinks and took a deep gulp. "Mmm...Just as good as I remember," he said to more to himself than to his companions.
"Sam," Merry began after an uncomfortable few minutes, "have you asked anyone where Pippin is, my lad?"
"Pippin?" asked a familiar, yet unfamiliar voice. "What about him?"
The three hobbits looked up to see a very pregnant hobbit lass whose eyes were beginning to look red. They at first did not recognize her, but then after a few moments their shock ebbed away, and then they realized exactly who they were looking at. It was Diamond of Long Cleeve.
"Diamond?!" All three hobbits exclaimed in unison.
"Yes, it's me. Hullo, how are you three doing?" She smiled slightly.
All of them got up and gave her a hug after saying they were fine and having a very brief conversation about the recent Battle of Bywater. Merry stood very close by her the entire time, eyeing her suspiciously, yet still grinning. Frodo was sporting a huge smile on his face. The pregnant Diamond could only be carrying the child of one hobbit, as he saw it. That hobbit had to be the one and only Peregrin Took.
"Not much has been going on, eh?" Frodo joked, softly poking Diamond on her stomach.
"Well," she blushed. "I- well I, uh... Hmmmm......... I'm not sure where to start exactly."
"Aw, come on tell us, Diamond!" said Merry grinning. "You could always start from the beginning. Like for instance, who's your husband and the father of your baby?" Merry gave her a wink, but the entire pub went silent for a few moments. After the noise began up again he said, "What? What did I say?"
A few other lasses rushed by her and gave her a pat on the back whispering things like, "It's okay Diamond, he doesn't know what he's saying, the tramp," or, "He'll find out later. You don't have to listen and tell you have more important things to do. Like trying to convince your baby it's time to be born!" She hustled them away saying she could handle it, and that they should know.
"You really don't know?" Diamond continued to the three hobbits after a few minutes.
"No," came the chorus.
"I figured that Rosie would've already told you, Sam. Oh well. Here it goes, and please excuse me if a few tears fall. I can't help them, since the baby's over a month late my emotions have gone haywire!"
"Alright," said Frodo. "We won't mind." They looked at her waiting.
"During the strange absence of you three, I married Pippin- "she was cut off.
"You did!" and they all let out their own whoop of joy.
"Yes, please don't interrupt. It's hard as it is."
"Sorry," they all said, but Merry's face clouded over. He started having horrible visions of the dream he had on Cahadras. He knew 'It's hard as it is,' couldn't mean ANYTHING good.
"Well, it was wonderful because I had secretly loved Pip for a really long time. Although, something dampened my spirits as soon as we said our vows. It turns out, his mistress, wouldn't let my Pippin live with me, or I with him. Oh yes, you probably didn't know, he got sold into slavery. Nothing that my family and I or his family did could get him out of it. That was horrible. She abused my Pippin so badly, and then..." Diamond paused, tears streaking down her face, sniffing, and then gulping, "she killed him. That b- terribly horrible, abusive, control-freak, jerk KILLED HIM WHILE I WAS AT MY PARENTS HOUSE!!!" she hollered wailing freely and very loud. The threesome comforted her as best they could. It hadn't sunk in yet, what she had said. After she got some of that out she said quietly and very controlled, "Then I found out I was pregnant with his baby, that he will never get to meet." Diamond collapsed in Merry's arms (as he'd been holding her).
After a few moments what she had said penetrated their skulls and they got it. Tears began rolling down all of their faces, and they all held each other close. Merry couldn't remember ever hating himself worse, and was mentally beating himself to a pulp. As we can all imagine, this didn't settle well with Frodo's already troubled and filled mind either. Sam didn't think anything at all, he just wept. Though Pippin wasn't always the nicest chap to him, Sam still found him special and dear to his heart. After an hour Frodo broke the long silence.
"Wh- wh- who did this?"
"I did!" Merry answered before Diamond could say anything. "It's all my fault!!! If it hadn't been for me, this wouldn't have happened; it's all my fault! Why doesn't someone shoot me with their bow, or slash through me with a sharp wood axe right now!? Why don't they! They should!" Merry went on and burst into a harder sob.
"MERRY, STOP IT!!!" yelled Diamond who had regained her composure long ago. "It's not your fault, don't say that! Don't say all that rubbish Merry! No one had better do that to you, or I will kill them! I'll kill them I tell you!" Diamond stopped, looked shocked and covered her mouth with her free hand. How could she have said all of that? How unlike herself! "I- I"
"It's fine, Miss Diamond," said Sam awkwardly.
"Merry, you couldn't have done it. You were far away on some adventure I've heard. You're nothing like who murdered my Pippin. You can't be because you're wonderful and you're my best friend that's a lad! I used to despise her, but now I hate her. I don't hate you, and you also were Pippin's bestest friend! You just couldn't have!!!"
"Oh, but you don't understand, Diamond," said Merry with a grim smile and with a sweet voice. "When we were in the Prancing Pony, Pippin told something, and then I had to-"
"Merry none of that makes since!" Diamond interrupted with wide eyes.
"Merry," Frodo began, "we should probably start from the very beginning, and just tell it all. She also has a right to know, she should know, and it'll be nice to be able to really share it with someone. Won't it?"
"Yes, I believe you're right, dear cousin," Merry breathed and gave Diamond a look and took her hand with a sigh. "Who will begin the story?"
So, for the rest of the afternoon and into the night Frodo, Merry, and Sam told of what had happened. They left out what had happened in Bree though; they were not going to tell her that until they finished the entire story. Diamond listened to their story intently, looking almost as if she were in a dream or trance, sucking up their every word and taking it in deep trying to decipher all of the meanings of their adventures. She looked thunderstruck as Frodo finished with his account of seeing Wormtongue shot down by three hobbit bows and arrows, even though she had heard of that. At the end, she couldn't say anything. Merry prodded her after allowing her about five or ten minutes to let everything sink in.
"What do you think?" Merry inquired. The first words out of her mouth were so mother-like.
"I couldn't think of a good name for my child, and I guess you've given lots of good choices now." Diamond sighed thoughtfully. The others laughed. "It's kind of hard to believe you all went through all of that. I will forever be in your dept."
"We appreciate that. What? You're not going to give him or her a good name, like say, Pippin if it's a boy, or Diamond if it's a girl?" Sam smiled after finishing. Diamond grinned back weakly.
"Pippin said that he didn't want a son named after himself, and I certainly don't want to name one of my daughters Diamond, it'd just be too strange and confusing for me. I kind of liked Faramir and I like the sound of his name."
"He's a good man with a good solid name, and I'm sure he'd be proud to have a little hobbit lad named after himself." Merry replied.
"I liked Eowyn too. She sounds so strong, and beautiful."
"She is both. I'm very close to Eowyn, she's a lovely and wonderful lass. If she were a hobbit, I think I would court her..." there was a pause with all of the other staring at him, "but she's not a hobbit, so there goes that!" There were several smart comments made with a small amount of laughter.
"Really now Merry?" Diamond raised her eyebrow with mischievousness shining in her eyes and glowing on her face. "I thought you were after my friend, Estella Bolger! You haven't given up on her, now have you?" Merry blushed slightly.
"What makes you think I like her?" he answered innocently. Everyone burst out with their evidence, and Merry looked mock-aghast that they would think such a thing.
"On a different note," Diamond remarked, "how could you blame yourself though? I heard nothing that would make it sound like you should be condemned," queried Diamond.
"That's where the rest of it comes into play," said Frodo, now frowning. "Merry, would you mind...?"
"No, I should speak of it."
Merry explained in detail that night in the Prancing Pony, and all that had happened. He explained the best he could why he suggested what he did and why he did what he did, as did the others. Many apologies flew into the air when they had finished. Diamond sat and stared at them all in shock without saying anything. This was a lot to unload on a 10 months pregnant, young, widow, hobbit lass. At any moment Frodo, Sam, and Merry expected she would explode and harm them. They knew they deserved it, and just wished she'd get it over with. Much to their surprise she did something different.
"What happened happened. It cannot be undone. You saw it fit at the time, I suppose. I just wish I knew how you of all people, Merry, could think up such a thing, and you, Frodo and Sam, could allow it." Huge blue tears threatened to fall down her face, but you couldn't tell it as her voice was extremely calm. "You wish to know who did it?"
"Yes," Merry whispered afraid of her answer.
"It was Lobelia Sackville-Baggins'."
At that very moment you could've shot them. Merry just fainted and fell down on the spot; Frodo sat back down and looked as though he couldn't breathe, and Sam stayed up and stared expressionless as if it were a bad joke.
They recovered from their shock a few minutes after Diamond left. Frodo and Sam sat on a couch speaking to each other without ever opening their mouths. Merry remained on the floor staring at the ceiling. Frodo and Sam went and lay by him after seeing he was not going to get up. Sam quickly fell asleep, but Merry and Frodo did not. They were looking at each other remembering the last time they ever saw Pippin and what he had said: "I would never betray you, please remember me." And for the rest of their lives, they did just that, they always remembered him, knew that he had not meant to do what he had, and sorely regretted that horrible night in the Prancing Pony of Bree.