A/N : Hello again and thanks for reading. Seeing this story growing in size and following makes me happy to see this pay off.

64 followers and near 6 thousand views. Far more then i expected to have really when my reason for writing this is so i can read my own stuff instead of just thinking them up.

Still it's nice to know people like what i have going here and as such i continue to update as often as i can.

Like every other time i gotta say it's admittedly a slow process. Reason being that i'm trying to segway each chapter end with the start of the next and then keep that going. I.e trying to find inspiration cause it's a bit more difficult then i first thought.

With that in mind let's head back in.


As they sat - Gandalf sat in a rocking chair next to the fireplace while Raiden took his place on the floor on the wall next to him. The cyborg was mulling over what transpired just a few minutes earlier. What in god's name was that voice? Who did it belong to? And how did a piece of jewelry made him flinch in fear like that? Of course there was another pressing matter. When he heard the whispers there was one more voice. One he hoped he'd silenced once he accepted that part of himself not too long ago. He heard it in his mind, that cackling laugh. He saw the side of him that he hated nearly all his life. Those manic red eyes and that deranged snarl directed at whatever the hell that was as he held the offending item. Both ninja and wizard agreed to leave the ring right where Raiden dropped it. Now they sat in silence as time slowly passed.

Raiden desperately wanted to break said silence, if only to get some answers but as he turned his head to Gandalf and opened his mouth his words died in his throat. Gandalf was looking at the hearth with a look that was either complete absent-mindedness or deep thought as he took deep inhales from his pipe. "Riddles of the dark" he heard him mutter as the man's eyes narrowed just a tiny bit more. What dark? Deciding he had enough he spoke up "That's it star-" he didn't get to finish as they heard Frodo coming.

"Bilbo!!" he called out as he hastily opened the door " Bilbo!!" he called out again. Raiden looked at the kid as he picked up the ring and took a double take as Frodo held it with apparently no problem at all. Two, well three old men with far more experience in life and as such made of sterner stuff and it's the little hayseed that has no trouble whatsoever. Innocence of being a supposed child maybe? He lowered his head back down, not in the mood for anything after tonight's events.

The young hobbit turned to look at them or more accurately at Raiden since he noticed Gandalf was lost in his thoughts and saw the look on the guest's face. One he didn't know what to make off. "He's gone isn't he?" he half asked and half concluded. "Did something happen?"

He checked his internal clock. 25 minutes had passed since Bilbo left. "You just missed him i guess. Left half an hour ago." He said while Gandalf still sat rigid. Whatever secrets, whatever lied in the past Bilbo had, the old Hobbit made it clear he wanted them as far away from his nephew as possible and he'd do his best to ensure that for as long as he was here.

Frodo walked over to the two, ring still in palm still confused about the situation "He'd talked so long about leaving...never thought he'd actually do it." he turned to the wizard "Gandalf ?" he asked. At this point Raiden thought the old man would be higher then a kite with all the weed he'd smoked in just one day. Then again maybe he was having a few issues as well what with all this going on. If he was being frank he thought this more like some sort of elaborate, highly detailed and very high end VR environment. Depending on the corporation and the funding things like this could be simulated with no trouble at all. Get plugged in and your brain gets fed with so many stimulants you'd never even think it was virtual when your synapses get fired up just as much as they would in actual reality if not more so.

That hope however had crashed and burned When he remembered that there was no signal of any sort whatsoever and no data feedback aside from his own brain implanted processors and the rest of his functions. Neurotransmitters being on the latest line of advancements.

Lowered combat capabilities were a given due to the chassis being more focused on utility and extended operation rather then being solely designed around combat as it was built around the bio-fuel converter.

Said built in Fuel converters also fed and recharged a cache of biotic self-repair nano-paste located in his lower left abdomen which was a second generation prototype not yet released for general use. Only 5% faster repair rate but it's able to be used constantly rather then the previous one and done deal.

He lost that train of thought when the old man finally moved and took his eyes off the fire and looked at the young hobbit and the object of their latest troubles. "Bilbo's ring..." he smiled at Frodo, in Raiden's eyes the smoke finally kicking in. Gandalf held an open envelope to the young hobbit "He's gone to stay with the Elves. As such he left you Bag End" he watched Frodo insert the ring in and added "Along with all his possessions" he folded it neatly and pressed a wax seal on it.

Gandalf then handed the envelope back to the Hobbit and urged him to keep it out of site.

a moment later and the old wizard started leaving when Raiden got up and blocked him.


"Where exactly are you going" he asked. Right now Raiden was not in a good mood. All that happened thus far and now his only way of getting info is trying to duck out?! Fat chance that'd happen. The wizard tried to push but the cyborg's grip was firm and with a 'light' shove he pushed him back in to the room to his elder's clear displeasure.

"Until I get a good reason you're staying put!! Got it?" he demanded. He may have stepped on a toe here but he couldn't care less. Politeness only got you so far.

Frodo was of a similar mind, if a touch-more then a touch- polite and extremely confused.

"Gandalf where are you going?" he asked. He wasn't sure of what was happening but he'd never seen Gandalf looking so pressed for time. And while he had seen Raiden anxious and/or apprehensive like at the party he had not seen him act in anger.

"There are important matters I need to see to. Let me leave Raiden" the wizard implored. If his suspicions were right then not only was his friend and colleague very wrong on the objects fate but it also meant that the enemy was still a grave threat.

He needed answers as to the coming darkness was coming and time was not on his side, further inching away the longer Raiden was holding him here. The semi automaton had only slightly pushed him but this old body felt sore in the chest from that.

"And what the hell's so important to get you of your high and in a hurry that bad?" Despite the mocking tone there was genuine concern in that question, further reinforced by the way the man was alarmed.

"There are questions... questions that need answers" he told him, the grip still not loosening "And it is imperative that you allow me to pursuit them!!" he added with some volume

"But you've only just arrived...I don't understand." Bless that little boy's heart. Neither did he if he was honest and he told Frodo as such. He turned to face the Hobbit and layed a hand on his shoulder "Keep it secret. Keep it safe."


He turned to face his newest acquaintance and suddenly the corridor leading to the door seemed much longer. "Raiden..." he left the question unsaid.

When he saw the wizard's look he relented. He might have been rattled by a piece of jewelry but from what he'd seen and what Gandalf's biometrics read that was nothing compared to what was going through the old man's brain.

With a sigh he gestured with his head to take this mess outside for some privacy. He might let him go but damn if he wasn't gonna pump him. If there was a shit storm on it's way then he needed to know what was coming.

To his relief the wizard accepted this. Good, wouldn't do to interrogate him his way.

"Kid stay inside. No need to hear this". he said as they closed the door.


He made sure to keep Frodo's track on his radar and turned to catch the wizard by the elbow when he tried to sneak away.

"Alright start talking. What in the world was that back there? I know I heard something when I picked the damn thing up and we both know that ring's not normal. So what's going on? What are you hiding old man?" he asked, with as quiet and low tone as he could which made him sound even more gravelly.

He was sitting in the dark and his only source was driving him further in. He needed a lead, something to clear the air.

He let the old man free when it was clear that he wasn't gonna budge on the subject and with a sigh Gandalf began.

"At the moment I only have suspicions to go on with, but if I am right then dark times are approaching us. I need answers if I am to prepare."

That's a start. "A hunch? Dark times? You're saying someone's comin?" That someone apparently being very bad news.

His hunch was right when Gandalf confirmed it "Indeed someone is. An evil that should have perished long ago. A disease that threatens to take us all."

A little dramatic if he was honest but the sweat on old wizard's face had him straight as an arrow. "This evil got a name?"

Gandalf for his part was not surprised at the cyborg's lack of knowledge and gave him his first taste "In the first age he was known as Mairon, great craftsman and apprentice of Aule the smith. Now he has another name."

He wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Turns out that decision was made "He is the dark lord, the shadow of the east, the great deceiver the the enemy of the free people. Sauron" He spat the titles like curses but nowhere ear with as much venom as he did the name.

And in that moment a flash came to him on of the whispers he heard. He felt a chill down his spine "That...I heard that name in the...that thing is his?" What was going on anymore? how in the name of all things holy (And if Raiden was to be asked there weren't any left) was that possible. "Let me come with you." he said

"No. You need to stay in the Shire. If I'm correct they are all in danger."

Danger?! "Are you out of your mind? You think after tonight these people will accept that, let alone let me stay?" The answer to that was no.

"And has that stopped you before?" Gandalf retorted. Truthfully it didn't but he had fall-back plans and they were other scenarios.

He was however starting to come to a conclusion, if the the puzzle is what he imagined. "So there's a war on it's way and you want me to be a good little soldier is that it?! You're the one responsible for me being here in the first place?" He hissed which was both good and had because he was seriously close to yelling and if he was right then this whole thing was going to hell in a hand basket.

Gandalf tried to diffuse the situation "Your coming was neither my doing nor something I predicted. But yes. War is coming and the people will need your help" The people? Yeah right. Despots, monarchs, king's or whatever fucking title went by always used 'the people' as an excuse for their agendas. They were of course full of shit most of the time and History proved nearly time and again. And Gandalf here wasn't really helping either of their situation.

Raiden was sure he didn't have a full picture. However the way Gandalf was speaking felt like practiced propaganda. Of course that led to "And why should I believe you. This whole time you could have been buttering me up in order to get the setup started. Dark lord? Sounds a bit too much like a fairy tale."

"I promise I have not lied to you this far on anything. I am telling you the truth and I stake my life on it. I swore I would do all I could to get you home and I will. However this takes precedence." Gandalf tried to convince him.

This was getting nowhere. "Then I'll escort you. Get some answers of my own."

Gandalf could not believe this!! Did he not understand what was at stake here? He was well aware of the need for answers but with the ring here in the Shire he couldn't leave the folks defenseless.

"Raiden...I beg you to reconsider. I will solve all your questions but you must trust me. I will return to make sure the ring is safe. I need you to guard the Shire. Please Raiden." he tried to push through.

It seemed he failed as Raiden screamed in frustration at the top his lungs. He breathed heavily for a second and dragged his hands through his head and in his face.

This was it. He was about to tear right through the old man. But then he thought back. Of Bilbo's little back and forth chats. How his eyes glinted with thinly veiled wonder when he spoke of home. How the people of this place went on with their lives. How the kids were running around giggling.

He made a choice. "Fine. I'll watch out for them but I need you to brief me on everything you find" He opened one of the holsters on his utility belt and handed a radio to the old man. It was tuned to his internal codec frequency and was the only sure fire way he had for long distance.

As Gandalf took the device in his hands with a face that would be best described as confounded he took couple minutes to explain what it was, how it worked and how to use it. "Maximum range is twelve miles. Anywhere beyond and you won't be able to lock on to my signal. Keep it on you at all times. Don't lose it and don't damage it."


When that little lesson about what he considers to be the single best way to reach someone without beacons, he thanked Raiden and began his journey.

Minas Tirith was far and while it was to his benefit that he didn't need sleep time was very much against him.

"I am sorry for everything I push on you my dear boy. I hope you can forgive me but I have no other choice at the moment" he tried to explain.

Raiden however waved him off. "I got more questions then answers and right now I'm still on the fence on whether to trust you. Now what should I be on the lookout for?"

"Orcs. Disgusting creatures that serve him. You will recognize them quickly. They can be seen during the day but they mainly travel by night and in large packs. You might also see them ride wargs...large wolves." He informed "However if Sauron knows where the ring is he will send his greatest weapons. Be very careful with them. they move like shadows and are bound to the ring. Should you encounter them try to hold them off till the sun rises." Well wasn't that ominous. hold them off? "And who are they exactly?" Raiden asked the wizard.

The reply made him roll his neck from the pricks he felt. "The Nazgul..."


A/N : and I will leave it here. Really sorry for the long wait. Almost a year I think.

Writer's block coupled with a schedule far too tight meant that I didn't really have much time to work on this. And the few times I did manage to sit down didn't result in anything more then a sentence or two.

Admittedly last chapter being near 13k words burned me out quite a bit as well.

Hopefully things will move faster now that holidays are coming.

For those of you who had the patience to wait this long, I both thank you and apologize for the wait.