Faulkner: Here's the ninth chappie! I'd like ta thank all of my loyal
reviewers!
Pinky: You make master feel so happy!
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When Boromir heard Ratchet's cry, he was immediatly at her side. So was the elf, Haldir. Ratchet's eyes were wide open and staring at something. Then she cried out again and started shuddering violently. Haldir yelled at his companions in elvish, and they took her away.
"Where are you taking her!" Pippin screamed at Haldir.
"She is being taken to the healers. There, she will be taken care of and recover from the poison and wound." he answered calmly enough.
"Will she be alright?" Frodo asked.
"We shall see. But now, the Lady wishes to see you." and he led them off.
Boromir worried all through the meeting with the Lady Galadriel. He wasn't paying attention, so you can imagine his surprise when he heard a voice in his head.
~And what of you, Boromir, son of Denethor?~ a ladies voice said. He was confused and slightly scared. Not only for himself, but also for Ratchet.
~You love her, don't you?~ the voice said again. ~But you cannot have her. She would not willingly give herself to you, just yet.~
Just yet? What did the voice mean by that?
~She has lost faith in love. The girl who calls herself Ratchet has lost her way. She has lost her path in the darkness of grief. Be her light, and show her the way back. Then, maybe, she will let you have her. But not before.~
Then the voice disappeared and Boromir was left to his thoughts.
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Ratchet was lost in a world of pain and faces. None of the faces she knew, and all of them had blond hair. She wanted to cry out, but couldn't. The seizures were taking up all of her breath. The faces were talking to her, saying something. But she couldn't hear over the roar in her ears.
Then she slept. Her dreams and waking moments blending into a nightmare. She vaguely wondered about the Fellowship and if they were being looked after.
It felt like ages to her. The pain eventually went away, but she couldn't wake up. She didn't want to wake up. Ratchet was afraid of what she would be greeted with. The nightmares had shown her things she hadn't noticed in the waking world. Things she wanted to deny, but couldn't.
"Why are you crying Aerin?" a male voice said. A voice she thought she would never hear again.
"Kokuyo?" she whispered, not daring to look up. Could it really be him? He had died.
"Yeah. It's me." he said.
Ratchet looked up and saw it was him. The same Kokuyo that had saved her from her loneliness, and delivered her into the hands of grief.
But even so, she ran into his open arms and buried her face into his warm chest.
"I missed you angel." he said as he held her close.
"I missed you too." She was happy again. Ratchet was with Kokuyo and nothing could take her away from him this time.
"You have to go back."
"Why?! I want to stay here with you!" she cried at him.
"I know angel. But what we had can never come back. We can't be together anymore. We lost that when I died." he whispered.
"That's not fair." she whispered.
"Life isn't fair. You know i'm a selfish guy. But now, i'm gonna do something for your good this time. I'm gonna let you go."
"Go where? I have nothing to keep me staying in the living world." she said, even though she knew better.
"That's a lie, and you know it." he said fiercely. "Don't do this, Aerin. You have to open up again. Like you did to me. He wants to help you, and love you. Open up, let him love you."
"No. The pain will come back. At least like this, I won't get hurt."
Kokuyo pulled her away at arms length and stared into her nearly black eyes. "You will get hurt, one way or another. But this way, you will have help. You can't stay locked up forever."
She stared into Kokuyo's eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. His hard look told her all she needed to know.
"I can't do this alone." she pleaded.
"You won't. I'll be watching. Here." he put something in her hand.
A black cat with emeralds for eyes was resting in the palm of her hand. It's outline was in silver, and on the back 'Kuroneko' was scratched on. Ratchet smiled.
"Good ol' Kuroneko. Your good luck charm." Her eyes went wide at his meaning. "I can't have this. It's yours." and she tried to give it back.
"No, it's yours now. I don't need it where I am. But you, on the other hand, need all the luck you can get. But if you lose it, i'm gonna kick your ass, Aerin Williams." He smiled again and hugged her. "Now go live." he whispered.
"Live."
Ratchet opened her eyes to a soft glow in a room where beds lined both walls. She looked around and saw that she was in one such bed. She sat up and looked into her hand.
There was Kuroneko, staring up at her with his big emerald eyes.
Ratchet put on the necklace and felt the cool metal on her skin. Then decided to look for the Fellowship. Her clothes were folded and clean next to her bed, along with her backpack. She took a quick look to make sure no one was watching, and hurriedly took off the nightgown and got into her clothes.
Her leg was stiff from the tight bandages on her leg and from the wound. But she could walk fairly easily. That is, if tripping only three times down the stairs could be counted as easily.
She grumbled to herself about the elves stupid idea of tree houses. Then stopped. Where was the Fellowship?
'Great. Juuuuuust great. Stupid Fellowship. Stupid elves. Stupid orcs. Stupid arrows. Stupid-' but her train of thought was cut off by two bodies that had just barreled into her.
"What the fuck?!" she cried out.
"Ratchet!! You're all right." two voices cried out joyfully.
"Merry?! Pippin!?" she asked. Two Hobbits looked down at her, smiling brightly. "Get off me you dimwits!"
They hopped off her and looked worriedly at her.
"S'all right. Just give me a warning before you do that!" she said as she got up. "Where are you guys staying? I haven't the faintest idea where the hell we are."
"We'll show you! The other's will be so happy to see you!" Pippin said as Merry and him grabbed her hands and pulled her along. She laughed at the Hobbits enthusiasm.
They walked past many tall trees and the elves that they saw stared at the strange trio. Merry and Pippin were telling her about Lorien and that they were so worried about her. Ratchet just smiled and listened to the happy Hobbits' ramblings.
The two stopped at a small clearing where a little camp was set up. Only Sam, Frodo, and Boromir were there.
"Hey Frodo, Sam! Look who we found!" Merry called. The two Hobbits and one human looked up and stared in disbelief.
"Hey guys! How's it goin'?" Ratchet asked cheerily. Frodo and Sam jumped up and hugged her. "Uh...guys? Ratchet can't breath!" she choked out. They let go and stared up at her with the silliest grins on their faces. Ratchet looked over to Boromir and saw the hurt in his eyes. She wondered why he looked at her like that. Then remembered what she said in Moria.
'Damn! Now I have to apologize. Especially after he helped me.' She mentally kicked herself for being such a bitch to him.
She walked over to him and asked, "Boromir, may I speak to you in private?" She sure as hell wasn't going to say sorry with an audience.
He nodded and they walked off. Ratchet waited until they had reached another clearing to stop and speak.
"Listen, Boromir. I'm sorry for what I did after we got out of Moria." She got a sheepish look. "Especially since you carried me all the way here." She studied his face for a reaction.
"There is no need to apologize, since the circumstances were very stressful at the time." he replied. The pain left his eyes. But something replaced the pain. Worry.... lust for something.... and sort of haunted.
"Is everything all right with you Boromir?" she asked.
He gave her a very fake laugh. "You were the one injured, and yet you are asking me how I am?"
She stared into his eyes. Way deep into his eyes. "Tell me what's wrong." she said in a surprisingly gentle voice. Boromir tried to break away from her gaze, and just barely made it. He wandered over to a giant tree root and sat down. She followed and sat down next to him.
"It's calling to me." he whispered. Ratchet immediatly knew what it was he was talking about. "The Ring keeps whispering to me, that if I take it, I could restore the glory of Gondor. That I would be able to destroy Sauron and make my father proud."
"You have to fight it Boromir. That Ring will never do anything like that for you. Or for anyone. It will only listen to Sauron." she said fiercely.
"I know. I keep telling the voice that I don't need it. But it is getting stronger." He was near tears, and when he looked into her eyes, she saw that he wanted to cry. "I'm afraid that I might try to take it from Frodo." That's when he did cry.
Ratchet hugged him, and he clutched at her shirt. "It's ok Boromir, it's ok. I'll help make sure you don't take it. I'll help." she whispered to him.
She whispered that she would help him and that he would not fall to the power of the ring. After he did calm down, he looked away from her.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." he mumbled.
"Hey, you're only human. I'm glad that there's some emotion in you warrior types." He looked over to her and gave her a small smile. Then his eyelids started to droop. He leaned back as if to sleep, but then shot back up.
Ratchet gave him a wry smile. "I've been sleeping for at least a whole damn day. God knows how much sleep you've had. Go to sleep Boromir. I don't think anyone will mind us taking a small nap."
He yawned. "I hope....not." he whispered as he leaned back into the tree and closed his eyes. He was a bit surprised when he felt a body next to him. He cracked open one eye and saw Ratchet staring up at him.
She grinned. "Hope ya don't mind. I'm cold." Boromir grinned back at her and put an arm around her shoulders.
"I don't know what words I can say
The wind has a way to talk to me
Flowers sleep, a silent lullaby
I pray for reply
I'm ready."
Her voice really was wonderful. Boromir thought he could listen to it forever.
"Quiet days calm me
Oh, serenity
Someone please tell me
Ohmmm, what is it they say?
Maybe I will know one day
I don't know what words I can say
The wind has a way to talk to me
Flowers sleep, a silent lullaby
I pray for reply
I'm ready......"
Two icy blue eyes watched as the human girl fell asleep on the shoulder of the human man. He glared at them for awhile. His eyes started to droop with sleepiness as well.
He blinked and shook his head, as if to banish the sleep. He silently cursed himself for being weak to the girls lullaby. He glared all the more at them. Then stalked off back towards his post.
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Faulkner: The song in there is called Melfina's Song from Outlaw Star.
CrystalMeth: Melfina's a weird chick. But she is hot!
Pinky: You make master feel so happy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Boromir heard Ratchet's cry, he was immediatly at her side. So was the elf, Haldir. Ratchet's eyes were wide open and staring at something. Then she cried out again and started shuddering violently. Haldir yelled at his companions in elvish, and they took her away.
"Where are you taking her!" Pippin screamed at Haldir.
"She is being taken to the healers. There, she will be taken care of and recover from the poison and wound." he answered calmly enough.
"Will she be alright?" Frodo asked.
"We shall see. But now, the Lady wishes to see you." and he led them off.
Boromir worried all through the meeting with the Lady Galadriel. He wasn't paying attention, so you can imagine his surprise when he heard a voice in his head.
~And what of you, Boromir, son of Denethor?~ a ladies voice said. He was confused and slightly scared. Not only for himself, but also for Ratchet.
~You love her, don't you?~ the voice said again. ~But you cannot have her. She would not willingly give herself to you, just yet.~
Just yet? What did the voice mean by that?
~She has lost faith in love. The girl who calls herself Ratchet has lost her way. She has lost her path in the darkness of grief. Be her light, and show her the way back. Then, maybe, she will let you have her. But not before.~
Then the voice disappeared and Boromir was left to his thoughts.
-------------------------------------
Ratchet was lost in a world of pain and faces. None of the faces she knew, and all of them had blond hair. She wanted to cry out, but couldn't. The seizures were taking up all of her breath. The faces were talking to her, saying something. But she couldn't hear over the roar in her ears.
Then she slept. Her dreams and waking moments blending into a nightmare. She vaguely wondered about the Fellowship and if they were being looked after.
It felt like ages to her. The pain eventually went away, but she couldn't wake up. She didn't want to wake up. Ratchet was afraid of what she would be greeted with. The nightmares had shown her things she hadn't noticed in the waking world. Things she wanted to deny, but couldn't.
"Why are you crying Aerin?" a male voice said. A voice she thought she would never hear again.
"Kokuyo?" she whispered, not daring to look up. Could it really be him? He had died.
"Yeah. It's me." he said.
Ratchet looked up and saw it was him. The same Kokuyo that had saved her from her loneliness, and delivered her into the hands of grief.
But even so, she ran into his open arms and buried her face into his warm chest.
"I missed you angel." he said as he held her close.
"I missed you too." She was happy again. Ratchet was with Kokuyo and nothing could take her away from him this time.
"You have to go back."
"Why?! I want to stay here with you!" she cried at him.
"I know angel. But what we had can never come back. We can't be together anymore. We lost that when I died." he whispered.
"That's not fair." she whispered.
"Life isn't fair. You know i'm a selfish guy. But now, i'm gonna do something for your good this time. I'm gonna let you go."
"Go where? I have nothing to keep me staying in the living world." she said, even though she knew better.
"That's a lie, and you know it." he said fiercely. "Don't do this, Aerin. You have to open up again. Like you did to me. He wants to help you, and love you. Open up, let him love you."
"No. The pain will come back. At least like this, I won't get hurt."
Kokuyo pulled her away at arms length and stared into her nearly black eyes. "You will get hurt, one way or another. But this way, you will have help. You can't stay locked up forever."
She stared into Kokuyo's eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. His hard look told her all she needed to know.
"I can't do this alone." she pleaded.
"You won't. I'll be watching. Here." he put something in her hand.
A black cat with emeralds for eyes was resting in the palm of her hand. It's outline was in silver, and on the back 'Kuroneko' was scratched on. Ratchet smiled.
"Good ol' Kuroneko. Your good luck charm." Her eyes went wide at his meaning. "I can't have this. It's yours." and she tried to give it back.
"No, it's yours now. I don't need it where I am. But you, on the other hand, need all the luck you can get. But if you lose it, i'm gonna kick your ass, Aerin Williams." He smiled again and hugged her. "Now go live." he whispered.
"Live."
Ratchet opened her eyes to a soft glow in a room where beds lined both walls. She looked around and saw that she was in one such bed. She sat up and looked into her hand.
There was Kuroneko, staring up at her with his big emerald eyes.
Ratchet put on the necklace and felt the cool metal on her skin. Then decided to look for the Fellowship. Her clothes were folded and clean next to her bed, along with her backpack. She took a quick look to make sure no one was watching, and hurriedly took off the nightgown and got into her clothes.
Her leg was stiff from the tight bandages on her leg and from the wound. But she could walk fairly easily. That is, if tripping only three times down the stairs could be counted as easily.
She grumbled to herself about the elves stupid idea of tree houses. Then stopped. Where was the Fellowship?
'Great. Juuuuuust great. Stupid Fellowship. Stupid elves. Stupid orcs. Stupid arrows. Stupid-' but her train of thought was cut off by two bodies that had just barreled into her.
"What the fuck?!" she cried out.
"Ratchet!! You're all right." two voices cried out joyfully.
"Merry?! Pippin!?" she asked. Two Hobbits looked down at her, smiling brightly. "Get off me you dimwits!"
They hopped off her and looked worriedly at her.
"S'all right. Just give me a warning before you do that!" she said as she got up. "Where are you guys staying? I haven't the faintest idea where the hell we are."
"We'll show you! The other's will be so happy to see you!" Pippin said as Merry and him grabbed her hands and pulled her along. She laughed at the Hobbits enthusiasm.
They walked past many tall trees and the elves that they saw stared at the strange trio. Merry and Pippin were telling her about Lorien and that they were so worried about her. Ratchet just smiled and listened to the happy Hobbits' ramblings.
The two stopped at a small clearing where a little camp was set up. Only Sam, Frodo, and Boromir were there.
"Hey Frodo, Sam! Look who we found!" Merry called. The two Hobbits and one human looked up and stared in disbelief.
"Hey guys! How's it goin'?" Ratchet asked cheerily. Frodo and Sam jumped up and hugged her. "Uh...guys? Ratchet can't breath!" she choked out. They let go and stared up at her with the silliest grins on their faces. Ratchet looked over to Boromir and saw the hurt in his eyes. She wondered why he looked at her like that. Then remembered what she said in Moria.
'Damn! Now I have to apologize. Especially after he helped me.' She mentally kicked herself for being such a bitch to him.
She walked over to him and asked, "Boromir, may I speak to you in private?" She sure as hell wasn't going to say sorry with an audience.
He nodded and they walked off. Ratchet waited until they had reached another clearing to stop and speak.
"Listen, Boromir. I'm sorry for what I did after we got out of Moria." She got a sheepish look. "Especially since you carried me all the way here." She studied his face for a reaction.
"There is no need to apologize, since the circumstances were very stressful at the time." he replied. The pain left his eyes. But something replaced the pain. Worry.... lust for something.... and sort of haunted.
"Is everything all right with you Boromir?" she asked.
He gave her a very fake laugh. "You were the one injured, and yet you are asking me how I am?"
She stared into his eyes. Way deep into his eyes. "Tell me what's wrong." she said in a surprisingly gentle voice. Boromir tried to break away from her gaze, and just barely made it. He wandered over to a giant tree root and sat down. She followed and sat down next to him.
"It's calling to me." he whispered. Ratchet immediatly knew what it was he was talking about. "The Ring keeps whispering to me, that if I take it, I could restore the glory of Gondor. That I would be able to destroy Sauron and make my father proud."
"You have to fight it Boromir. That Ring will never do anything like that for you. Or for anyone. It will only listen to Sauron." she said fiercely.
"I know. I keep telling the voice that I don't need it. But it is getting stronger." He was near tears, and when he looked into her eyes, she saw that he wanted to cry. "I'm afraid that I might try to take it from Frodo." That's when he did cry.
Ratchet hugged him, and he clutched at her shirt. "It's ok Boromir, it's ok. I'll help make sure you don't take it. I'll help." she whispered to him.
She whispered that she would help him and that he would not fall to the power of the ring. After he did calm down, he looked away from her.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." he mumbled.
"Hey, you're only human. I'm glad that there's some emotion in you warrior types." He looked over to her and gave her a small smile. Then his eyelids started to droop. He leaned back as if to sleep, but then shot back up.
Ratchet gave him a wry smile. "I've been sleeping for at least a whole damn day. God knows how much sleep you've had. Go to sleep Boromir. I don't think anyone will mind us taking a small nap."
He yawned. "I hope....not." he whispered as he leaned back into the tree and closed his eyes. He was a bit surprised when he felt a body next to him. He cracked open one eye and saw Ratchet staring up at him.
She grinned. "Hope ya don't mind. I'm cold." Boromir grinned back at her and put an arm around her shoulders.
"I don't know what words I can say
The wind has a way to talk to me
Flowers sleep, a silent lullaby
I pray for reply
I'm ready."
Her voice really was wonderful. Boromir thought he could listen to it forever.
"Quiet days calm me
Oh, serenity
Someone please tell me
Ohmmm, what is it they say?
Maybe I will know one day
I don't know what words I can say
The wind has a way to talk to me
Flowers sleep, a silent lullaby
I pray for reply
I'm ready......"
Two icy blue eyes watched as the human girl fell asleep on the shoulder of the human man. He glared at them for awhile. His eyes started to droop with sleepiness as well.
He blinked and shook his head, as if to banish the sleep. He silently cursed himself for being weak to the girls lullaby. He glared all the more at them. Then stalked off back towards his post.
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Faulkner: The song in there is called Melfina's Song from Outlaw Star.
CrystalMeth: Melfina's a weird chick. But she is hot!