Title: the Slayer and the Fellowship
Author: Princess Serenity
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't think I've said this already, but the website where I've been using the scriptis always, the characters are not mine.
Author's Notes: Holy crap! It has been a really long time since I've updated this. I'm really sorry about the lack of updates; I don't have an excuse. I just want to say this is probably the hardest chapter I've had to write. This is the last chapter for this, and I will be continuing with The Two Towers.
"…" Speech
'…' Thoughts
… Change in worlds
Ch.10 Unlocking Secrets
Frodo stood at the bank of the river, holding the ring in his open palm. He thought of the words that passed between Gandalf and him in Moria, before Gandalf fell.
Flashback
"I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened." Frodo said to Gandalf.
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide," Gandalf said, taking an intake of smoke from his pipe. "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." He said.
End Flashback
Frodo put the ring back on the chain and placed it around his neck and pushed one of the boats into the water and jumped in. He started paddling to the other side.
"Mr. Frodo!" He heard Sam calling him from the shore.
"No, Sam.." Frodo said quietly to himself before turning around. "Go back, Sam. I'm going to Mordor alone." He said. Sam waded into the water to his waist.
"Of course you are! And I'm coming with you!" Sam called. He waded deeper.
"You can't swim. Sam!" Frodo warned. "Sam!" He called to his friend as he went under water.
Frodo didn't hesitate to paddle over to where Sam had gone under. He reached into the water and felt around until he found Sam's hand and pulled him up into the boat. Sam coughed up water that he had swallowed and looked at Frodo.
"I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise: "Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee." And I don't mean to. I don't mean to." He said.
"Oh, Sam." Frodo said and hugged Sam tightly. Both Hobbits had tears in their eyes. After a few moments, Frodo sat back and looked at Sam. "Come on, then." He said and handed Sam an oar. They both rowed off to the other side.
Legolas knelt in front of Buffy, looking at her with worry. She was still sitting there, staring at nothing. She was breathing, but not moving. "What is wrong with her?" Gimli asked. Aragorn placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder. "She is in a catatonic state." He answered. Gimli looked up at Aragorn with raised eyebrows.
"She is lost within her mind, Gimli." Legolas explained, still facing Buffy. He hated seeing her like this, she looked as if she were turned to stone.
"Well isn't there anything we can do for her?" Gimli asked.
Aragorn nodded. "Yes, there is something. It takes a great amount of time to do. Someone must reach their minds to hers, and try to convince her to leave her prison." He explained. "How can we do such a thing? We are not Gandalf!" Gimli stated.
Legolas finally turned around. "I will do it. The ritual is legend to my people, but I believe I can do it," he said. "Although it may be awhile. Buffy has much hidden inside of her from the world. She has a past she does not want seen. You can see it in her eyes." He stated. Aragorn and Gimli both nodded in agreement. "Then you better get started. I do not want Buffy to be locked like that for much longer." He said.
Within an hour, Legolas had set Buffy on a log, and himself on one across from her. He had ordered Aragorn and Gimli away so he could concentrate. They had unwillingly agreed to go.
Legolas took Buffy's hands in his, and stared into her green eyes with his blue ones. He felt his mind leave his head and merge with Buffy's.
---
Legolas found himself in a clean, brightly-lit room. He blinked in confusion and continued to look around. There were flowers in vases, on the walls he found pictures of a man, woman, and a little girl with blonde hair. He assumed it was Buffy when she was a child.
"Hi, Legolas." A voice came from behind him. He turned around and found himself looking down at a little girl around the age of six, blonde hair in pigtails. She was holding a doll and was sitting at a table with toys all over it.
"Hello, Buffy." Legolas smiled.
Buffy looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
"Actually, I'm looking for you." He answered. "Buffy… What are you doing here?"
"I like it here." Buffy answered, she started brushing one of her dolls hair.
"But ... " Legolas knelt by her. "You know we need you. You have to come out."
"Why?" Buffy asked him, still brushing her dolls hair.
"To be with your friends."
Buffy stopped brushing her dolls hair and looked at Legolas.
"It's a big day for me."
The front door opened and Buffy quickly brushed pass Legolas, she handed her doll to him. He stood up to watch. "Mommy! Daddy!" She squealed with excitement. "You're back! You're back!"
"Hello, Buffy!" The older woman said with a bright smile. She held a little bundle in her arms. "Are you ready to meet your new baby sister?"
Legolas stood, still watching.
Buffy looked up at her mother upset; she frowned, backed away and folded her arms across her chest.
"Oh, come on now, Buffy. She's nothing to be afraid of." The man said.
"Who's afraid?" Buffy retorted.
"Don't you want to be the big sister?" Her mother asked.
Buffy shook her head stubbornly. "No, I want to be the baby."
"Buffy." Her father said sternly.
"You're gonna pay more attention to her and forget all about me!" Buffy said with a pout.
"Ohh..." Her mother said. She knelt down and placed the baby in Buffy's arms for her to hold.
Buffy turned to Legolas. "Doesn't she look funny? Like a wrinkly old grandpa." She said to him. She turned back to her mother and smiled. "I ... I could be the one to look after her sometimes... if you need a helper. Mom? Can I take care of her?"
Buffy's mother smiled at her, and stroked her hair. "Yes, Buffy, you can take care of her."
Legolas heard a noise behind him and found himself standing in front of a very large building, and an older Buffy watching from the shadows. Legolas walked up to her. "This is where it all began.." She said without looking at him.
"What began?" Legolas asked
"I was never meant to stand in the light. Never have the normal life I wanted so much." Buffy said.
She turned to him and Legolas was shocked to see sadness and defeat in her eyes. She turned back to the building and watched as a teenage version of herself sat down on the stone steps in front of the school, sucking on a sucker when an old man walked up to her. Legolas opened his mouth to say something, but Buffy spoke before he could. "Just watch." She said.
"Buffy Summers?" The man asked. The younger Buffy looked at him with a skeptical eye.
"That's me. What can I do for you?" She asked.
"You are the only one who can stop them."
"Stop who?"
"The vampires. You are the chosen one."
"Huh?"
"You are the chosen one. The vampire slayer." He tried to explain to her.
Buffy started laughing. She stood up and placed her bookbag strap over her shoulder. "Yeah, right. Vampires really exist. Listen, you might want to go to the hospital and get your head checked." She said and walked off.
Legolas heard Buffy sigh next to him. "I didn't want to believe him. But deep down, I knew he was speaking the truth." She said.
"What is his name?" Legolas asked.
"Merrick.. He was my first watcher."
Legolas nodded. "What happened to him?"
Buffy watched as the younger her walked away. "He.. he died. He died trying to protect me." She whispered. "It was my fault. He's dead because of me." Buffy walked away and Legolas followed her.
Now they were standing in front of a school, different from the first, called Sunnydale High School.
Buffy watched herself walk shyly up the steps of the school. She had felt so self-conscious that day.
"Where is this?" Legolas asked.
"Welcome to Sunnydale." Buffy answered. "This is where I went to school, after I was kicked out of Hemry. Mom and I had no choice. What we didn't know that this place was sitting on top of the hellmouth. I thought that moving would mean no more slaying, no more with being the slayer." She shook her head. "I was so wrong." She explained and walked away to a cemetery, and right into a mausoleum.
"Buffy, what is going on? You need to stop all this." Legolas said as Buffy stared at a door in the back. Buffy shook her head. "I don't want to leave here.. I'm fine right where I am." She said.
The younger Buffy then came into the mausoleum slowly and quietly. She walked up to the back door and found it heavily chained locked. She sighed. "I don't suppose you've got a key on you?" She asked.
Legolas then noticed the tall dark haired man that appeared behind her. "They really don't like me dropping in." The man said.
Buffy turned around to face him. "Why not?"
"They really don't like me."
"How could that possibly be?"
"I knew you'd figure out this entryway sooner or later. Actually,
"I thought it was gonna be a little sooner."
"Sorry you had to wait. Okay. Look, if you're gonna be popping up with this Cryptic Wise Man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name?"
"Angel."
"Angel.. It's a pretty name." She turned back to the door.
"Don't... go down there." Angel moved to stop her.
Buffy turned back around to face him. "Deal with my going."
Legolas looked at the Buffy standing next to her. Her eyes had a far away look in them as she stared at the man named Angel. She sighed. "This.." She pointed to the door. "A potential friend was killed, right down there. Beyond that door." She said. "I didn't… I didn't get there in time to save him." She added.
"I'm sorry, Buffy." Legolas said.
"Don't be sorry for me. I'm the slayer, death is my deal. You should be sorry for Willow and Xander." She said. "Who is-"
"My best friends. Jesse, the guy I couldn't save in time, was their best friend before I showed up. I guess you can say I took his place." She explained. She walked out of the mausoleum. Legolas again followed her out. "Who is that man, Angel?" He asked. Buffy stopped and looked up at the elf.
"Angel.. He was my boyfriend. He's a vampire with a soul. The only vampire in history with a soul. Everyone thought we were crazy. Me being the slayer, and him a vampire. It was never heard of. A vampire falling in love with the slayer. Xander hated him with a passion. They were always competing over me. Angel was actually jealous of Xander. Xander could be with me in the sun, and Angel couldn't." She said.
"What happened?" Legolas asked.
Buffy sighed. "There was a glitch in our relationship. We were getting close very fast. On my seventeenth birthday, we almost lost one another. We acted on our love for each other and he lost his soul. He turned into the ruthless vampire he was before his soul was returned to him.."
Buffy sighed and walked through the door and down a tunnel. She stopped when they entered a dank lair with candles everywhere. "Where is this?" Legolas asked. Buffy looked around. "It's the Masters lair.." She said.
Buffy watched her younger self walk cautiously around the lair, holding up a crossbow. "You know, for someone who's all powerful, you sure do like to hide." She called.
"I'm waiting for you. I want this moment to last." The Masters voice rang throughout the area.
"Well I don't." She searched a few moments longer for the Master. "I understand." He came out from behind her and knocked the crossbow out of her reach when she spun around to shoot. He grabbed her by the neck.
She punched him and began to run. The Master held out his hand and she froze, hypnotized. He made his way up to her slowly. He stood behind her and gently removed her leather jacket and let it fall to the floor. Buffy panted with fear.
"You tried. It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything. You're the one that sets me free! If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that!" He gloated.
Buffy was frozen in her spot, paralyzed with fear. The Master waited a beat before bending her neck over and biting into it, drinking her blood. Buffys body went limp, and he broke away. "Oh, God! The power!"
Buffy fell to her knees and went face first into a pool of water. The Mast stepped over her. "And by the way.." He turned back to her. "I like your dress." He then stepped out from his prison.
Legolas turned and looked at Buffy. She wasn't even near to tears. She just stood there, watching. "I was so scared. I have never been so scared like that in my entire life. It takes a lot to scare a slayer." She said. She kept watching until Xander and Angel came into the lair.
Angel knelt down and checked Buffy to see if she was breathing. He looked up at Xander. "She's dead!"
"No. She's not dead."
"She's not breathing."
"But if she drowned, uh, there's a shot! CPR!"
"You have to do it. I have no breath."
Xander nodded and took off his jacket and laid it over Buffy's body. He put his mouth over hers and blew air into her lungs. He came up and pumped her chest. "C'mon. C'mon!" He prodded.
Xander continued for several minutes, but no avail. He stopped CPR. Angel lowered his head. A second later Buffy opened her eyes and took in a sharp breath. "Buffy!" Xander exclaimed.
Legolas stared. "You came back to life?" He asked. Buffy nodded. "I defied my prophecy. Sure, it was written I was going to die. But it never said I was to stay dead." She said. "What happened after?" Legolas asked as Buffy started to show him another memory. "I stopped him. Killed him, then partied." She said as if it wasn't anything.
She showed him Spike and Drusilla, Ampata, Halloween, Ford, and her first meeting with her sister slayer Kendra.
"It was no surprise Kendra and I were different types of slayers. She knew she was a potential slayer since she was a child. I found out about my calling when I was fifteen." Buffy explained. "She even had a Slayer Handbook! I didn't even know about the Slayer Handbook!" She said. "Giles said he thought that the handbook wouldn't be 'any use in my case'." She said with sarcasm.
Buffy moved onto her seventeenth birthday. Legolas saw the Judge and Buffy scoffed. "No weapon forged could kill him. Took an army.. Well, obviously he wasn't up in the times. It took me a rocket launcher." She said. Legolas looked at her questionably. "You'll see.." She turned back to when Buffy came out of the sewer and into the heavily pouring rain. Angel came up after her.
Buffy followed, the raindrops never touching her.
Angel was looking at Buffys back when Legolas and she arrived in Angel's apartment.
"You almost went away today.." She whispered as she snuggled up to him.
"We both did."
"Angel... I feel like I lost you... You're right, though. We can't be sure of anything." She said between sniffs.
"Shhh. I..." He started to say. Buffy turned to look at him.
"You what?" She asked.
"I love you. I try not to, but I can't stop." He admitted.
"Me, me too. I can't either." Buffy kissed him. After a few moments Angel pulled away. "Buffy, maybe we shouldn't..."
Buffy placed a finger over his lips to silence him. "Don't. Just kiss me." She said.
And Legolas saw exactly how Angel lost his soul.
"A moment of true happiness was all it took… And it was all my fault.." Buffy whispered. Legolas turned to her. "Didn't you know that?" He asked. Buffy shook her head. "No, I didn't. Neither did he. The months' following this was the worst. He was completely evil. But I was still the center of his attention. I was still all he could think about.." She said.
She showed him the rocket launcher that destroyed the Judge with ease, the first fight between herself and Angelus at the mall, Drusilla killing Kendra, and then finally the final fight between them.
"Willow restored his soul, too bad it was a little too late.." She said.
Buffy stood in front of Angel, her sword ready to strike. Acathla stood behind him.
Angel dropped to his knees as Buffy swung her sword back, ready to cut off his head until he cried out in pain, his eyes glowed and collapsed on the floor, and Buffy hesitated for a moment.
"Buffy?" He asked confused.
He pulled himself up and Buffy stepped away uncertainly. "Buffy, what's going on? I don't remember... Where are we?" He asked.
"Angel?" Buffy whispered his name, afraid that her voice would shake. He looked over her and noticed. "You're hurt." He said taking her arm in his hands. Buffy couldn't move, her mind was frozen with too many thoughts running through her head. Her sword hung at her side, limp. The next thing she knew was Angel was hugging her tight.
"God, I feel like I haven't seen you in months. Buffy, everything's so muddled. "He said, kissing her neck as he held her. At first she was afraid, confused, but at the warmth of his touch, the overwhelming rush of his return, her eyes close and with her free arm she grips him to her, realizing he was her Angel again.
She saw Acathla open his mouth suddenly and the portal opened, ready to suck everything on Earth to hell. Buffy gripped Angel tighter to her, despair overriding her emotions. There was a rumble and Angel looked at her. "Buffy, what's happening?" He asked. Buffy shook her head and pressed a finger to his lips to quiet him. "Shh. It doesn't matter." She whispered. She brought his face down to hers and they kissed passionately, tears falling down her cheeks freely.
"I love you." Buffy said, her voice shaking.
"I love you..." Angel whispered.
"Close your eyes." She quietly commanded. He did. Buffy kissed him again softly before taking a step back and thrusting her sword into his chest, and Acathla's chest, connecting them together. There was a roar from Acathla and Angels eyes opened wide as he stared down at his chest, then at Buffy uncomprehendingly. Buffy couldn't speak -- she tried not to cry as she took another step back.
Angel reached out to her -- and the vortex closed over him, sucked him into Hell. And was gone. Acathla closed his mouth and the threat was over.
Buffy dropped her sword and fell to her knees in front of Acathla, sobbing.
A tear fell down Buffys cheek as she watched. "He was my Angel again,it's what I wanted for so long.. When I finally had him back, Isent him to hell."She quickly wipedthetearaway. "A couple of months after that he came back.. He escaped from Hell.." She said.
She showed Legolas the rest of her senior year in high school, her first year and second year at college, her mother's death and then Glory.
"She has Dawnie now.. I don't know if I can beat her. I'm way over my head. Legolas, I can't do it." She said.
Legolas turned to her and grabbed her arms. "Buffy, Dawn needs you. You can do it. You were born to do this. Fight evil-in Middle-Earth or your world." He said sternly. "I'm tired of fighting! It's all I ever do!" Buffy snapped.
"Then I suppose you really did kill your sister. You let Dawn down." He said and began to walk away.
Buffy stood, watching Legolas walk away. 'Death is my gift… Isn't it?' She thought. 'But not for others.' She ran and caught up to Legolas.
"Let's blow this joint." She said.
--
Legolas inhaled deeply after he felt himself re-enter his body. He still held Buffy's hands in his, she still wasn't moving. Legolas kneeled in front of her and gripped her hands tighter. "Wake up, Buffy.. You're sister needs you." He said forcefully. With that, Buffys green eyes held life in them again. "Dawnie…" She whispered. She started to cry and Legolas pulled her into an embrace. "Shh… It's alright Buffy. We'll get her back. As well as Merry and Pippin." He said.
Aragorn heard a woman's cry and ran towards the noise. The only person he could think of was Buffy; whatever held her in her mind must have been horrible. When he arrived, he was shocked to see Legolas hugging Buffy tightly as she cried. Aragorn had never seen the elf act so gentle with a woman before.
"Buffy…" Aragorn said. Buffy looked up and wiped her tears away. "Hey… Legolas told me everything. Merry and Pippin were taken too." She said and stood up. Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli all moved to help her but she put her hand up and stopped them. "I'm fine. Rest assured. Went through an issue and now it's all better." She explained. The men nodded. "Let us continue our journey, then." Legolas said. He moved passed Aragorn and walked back to the river. He missed the look on Aragorns face, but Buffy didn't.
When they reached the bank of the river, Frodo and Sam had already made it to the other side. "Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the Eastern Shore." He said, pushing the other boat into the water.
Grief-stricken, Aragorn looked down - then across the river, where Frodo and Sam were seen rushing off into the bushes. He sighed.
"You mean not to follow them." Legolas stated.
Buffy walked up to Aragorn. "You have another plan…" She said. Aragorn looked her in the eye and nodded. "Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." He said. "Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed." Gimli said.
Aragorn walked over to Gimli, Legolas, and Buffy. He placed his hands on Gimli's and Legolas's shoulders. "Not if we hold true to each other." He said. Gimli put his hand on Aragorns. Legolas took Buffy's hand in his. "We will not abandon Dawn, Merry, and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let's hunt some Orc." He said.
"And a crazed Hell goddess!" Buffy added.
"Yes!" Gimli cheered. Legolas smiled. They started running.
Frodo and Sam looked over at Mordor.
"Mordor. I hope the others find a safer road." Frodo said.
"Strider will look after them." Sam said.
"I don't suppose we'll ever see them again."
"We may yet, Mr. Frodo. We may." Sam said with hope.
Frodo looked over at Sam. "Sam," he smiled, "I'm glad you're with me."
--
Ending author's notes:
Phew! Finally the last chapter is here! I just want to say sorry again for the wait and thank you to the readers who reviewed:
Sweetrae, SFELlow, Raven Lee Knight, Mrs. Smith2, Moonlit Custard, Bex, CharmingStar, Reese, Saint Maverick, Megz01, Ringo's Wildrose, Spoot, Rood-Roosje, pay-day1999, Draco's Slytherin Vampiress, kelly, WW, Panther28, Story, Anne79, vampy the chosen one, LAURA26, Renna, BuffyandDracoLover, Star Fighter Chick, TigerTiger02, Laura, i-luv-potc, DarkAngelMali, zayra.
I have to say, without you guys, I probably wouldn't have gotten so far without you. Sure, I take forever to update.. But that isn't the point!
So, now I leave you with a few questions to think about for the next addition.
Will Legolas and Buffy continue to grow closer together? Will Buffy find Dawn? Dawn finds herself in the company of Saruman and Glory. Will the Scoobies find a spell to bring Buffy and Dawn back? Stay tuned to find out!