Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured in this chapter.

Forest of Fantasy

Chapter Three: A Lone Voice in The Darkness

When this stranger had arrived he and Neo had spoken for hours while the others listened in silence. Neo was hostile towards Mouse, refusing to believe what he claimed.

"It's just not possible, whatever sick game this is, I'm not playing. Mouse is dead." the stranger was shocked "what do you mean dead? I'm Mouse, I'm here so how can I be dead?"

"you tell me"

In the long silence that followed Pippin fell asleep and, in time, so did Merry, Harry and Lara. Just Mouse and Neo remained awake, facing away from each other, staring hard into the darkness.

When dawn touched the top of the trees Mouse had fallen into a restless sleep, Neo had not slept at all and the others were just beginning to wake. Lara awoke and instantly sat up, Harry opened his eyes and saw that the light was still grey in dawn twilight. He closed his eyes again.

Soon all were awake except for Mouse who was tossing and turning on the mossy ground.

He stood waiting for the others to return when his cellphone rang. Tanks voice was anxious and urgent "it's a trap, get out!" he turned and opened the curtains behind him, he could make a quick escape out the window. But the window had gone, and in its place was a brick wall. He turned and grabbed one of the metal suitcases beside him. He was obviously going to have to fight his was out. He had two machine guns to defend himself but they were no use. He was far outnumbered and it was too late. He felt a blinding heat surge through his body as the bullets ripped into him.

The group had formed a small circle around Mouse watching him, not sure what to do. His breathing was shallow and fast and he looked feverish. He cried out in his sleep and his whole body began to shake violently. Suddenly he sat bolt upright, wide awake "I'm dead" he said tonelessly "I'm dead"

Mouse was pale and silent. He was curled in a ball amongst the roots of one of the ancient trees. Lara tried to get him to speak but it was to no avail, he was ignoring the world around him with his eyes shut and his hands over his ears, refusing to communicate. Nothing anyone did could make him come out of his cocoon.

Why wouldn't they leave him alone? Mouse thought viciously as Lara's concerned voice echoed dimly through the thoughts in his head, he didn't know what she was saying and he didn't care. If only I could just block out the rest of the world, just be alone. Eventually the voices went away and then he wished that they hadn't. Now there was nothing to stop the images in his head replaying as again and again he tried to defend himself but again and again it was no use and he slumped to the floor.

Legolas was usually at home amongst trees. He was, after all, a wood elf. But this didn't feel like a normal forest, this felt more like being underground. He shivered and quickened his pace to catch up to Aragorn who had gotten ahead while Legolas had paused to contemplate.

"something is wrong with these trees" he said when he had caught up. Aragorn did not stop walking but turned towards him "what?"

"I'm not sure, this whole forest just seems ... dead somehow"

"The sooner we get out of this accursed place the better" they walked faster.

The man and elf walked side by side in silence until they came to a pathway. They needed no conference, without a word they stepped and followed the dusty track.

A night passed and another morning came and it brought them to a strange sight. It was a group of six people, there was woman carrying strange metal objects in what looked like stunted a pair sword sheaths strapped to her sides and three men all in black, the eldest of them had a cloak with a high collar and seemed to be wearing the eyes of a giant beetle over his own. The youngest, barely more then a boy, was wearing a similar robe and his black hair was ruffled and stuck out at odd angles. The third had clothes that were strange and none could see his face as he had it hidden in his knees and was crouched among the roots of a tree as if he were trying to bury himself under them.

When they had recovered from the shock of seeing these strange people they saw the last two members of the group "Pippin!" Merry shouted to his friend who, still staring at the curled figure of Mouse, had not noticed the two newcomers. Hearing Merry's joyful yell he turned to find the cause of his friends glee. Upon seeing the man and elf he said "So, you've found us then"

"are you not glad to see us?" asked Legolas with laughter on his lips "well," answered Merry "you took your time in finding us"

"I am sorry master Meriadoc," Aragorn bowed his head in a gesture of mock-graciousness "if we had known you were in these woods we would have found you sooner"

"so you did not come to rescue us from this abysmal place?" Merry frowned "no," said Aragorn "it is only by fair fortune we have met"

"I would not call it chance" Legolas mused "something in the magic of this place drew us to you"

"well however you came you are here now. Come, meet our fellow travelers. Legolas and Aragorn were introduced to Neo, Lara and Harry. They all looked curiously at the man and elf and at the weapons they carried. "And the quivering ball is Mouse"

"how appropriate" remarked Legolas, for the man seemed very mouse-like with his head down, shutting out the world.

"What's wrong with him?" Aragorn asked gesturing towards Mouse. Lara bit her lip "I'm not sure, he's obviously suffering from severe mental trauma, but what caused it I just don't understand, what he said was impossible"

"what did he say?"

"he said he had died"

Neo and Lara sat removed from the rest of the group, watching over Mouse "we can't continue with him in this state" Neo said, Lara nodded "obviously, we have to help him"

"and how do you suggest we do that?" Neo snapped. Lara was silent.

The fact that he could not heal Mouse was driving Aragorn to despair. His skills as a healer were great but illness of the mind was beyond even his ability. Legolas could sense his friends frustration "his condition worries you" it was a statement, not a question and so Aragorn felt no need to answer but asked of his friend "what can your elven senses tell of his condition?" Legolas did not answer for a moment and when he did it was nothing that Aragorn didn't already know "his mind is in great turmoil. A great darkness encloses him, though of what kind I cannot recognise"

"no I don't expect you can, the idea of death is one unfamiliar to any of the first born"

"who died?"

"I'm not sure"

They sat in silence for awhile until Legolas' voice rose in a quiet song. The sound grew and filled the air with golden notes. Everyone was so captivated by the sound that no one notice Mouse raise his head.

He was somewhere dark and empty. All he could see were the flickers of flame that edged the thoughts he needed desperately to push away. Each time a thought came to close he ran further back into the safe blackness of his mind. But then there was a sound. A voice broke through the dark and drove away the dangerous thoughts with a sound made of pure light. The song grew and filled his consciousness with its sweet sound until the darkness had lifted and he was able to open his eyed without fearing the world around.

He lifted his head and saw he had not been hearing a choir of angels sing but a lone voice. The being that was singing did not seem quit human though, he seemed more like a pixie-child but far more wise and regal.

Legolas' voice faded to silence. No-one moved but Aragorn, who continued to converse with Legolas in the same strange language that the song had been in. I t was Pippin who first noticed a change in Mouse, the man's eyes were wide open and Pippin could see a person, most definitely there behind them. He called out to the others who greeted Mouse with joyful cries. Neo stood back a little and waited until the others had calmed before speaking "I owe you an apology" he finally said "I should have trusted you sooner, now I've had some time to think about it I figure it all makes sense." Mouse was the only one who understood what he meant "how can you die in a fake world?" he said and Neo nodded "do you think this is an underworld of some kind ?" asked Lara with a chill in her voice that they all felt at the thought "of some kind" Mouse said, with a hint of irony only Neo heard. Of the group, the only ones who truly believed this were, Neo, Lara and Harry. All of them could only think of being, once again, with one who they had lost.