Hello everyone! Next chapter will be up next Sunday.
Review Responses:
melodieeidolem, I'm afraid this is where this story will end. I can't see past the end of this fic. Plus I have a lot of other stories I need to return my attention to.
harmoni, Yeah, things are going to start pulling together and hopefully clues I've been leaving throughout the fic will suddenly make sense. crosses fingers
John, here's hoping this battle goes well. This chapter is nothing but one big battle. I've got two more chapters planned like this.
Lightdemondarkangel, caribbeanprincess, Thank you guys so much for your reviews!
My reviewers are just awesome! Thank you guys!
A/N: Because fanfiction. net seems to have issues in allowing special characters used in these fics. When they are speaking Elvish it will look like this. When telepathy is being used, it will look like this.
Because fanfiction. net seems to have issues in allowing special characters used in these fics. When they are speaking Elvish it will look like When telepathy is being used, it will look likeSpecial thanks to my beta, PuNKyCoWGiRL.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Battle of Pelennor Fields
Buffy frowned as she looked out over the field. There were more orcs here than at Helm's Deep. She knew that this battle would make or break the world of men.
She absently rubbed her side where the arrow had pierced her. Thanks to her slayer healing ability added with the healing she got from her bond with Spike all that was left was an angry red scar. The Healers had never seen anyone mend as quickly as she had. She was healed and rested enough to fight. She could only wish that the same could be true for Faramir. His body was wracked with fever and he had fallen into a deep sleep that no one could wake him from.
At least she didn't have to worry too much about Harry during the battle. He was going to stick close to Gandalf and lend what magical aid he could.
She didn't know if either her eyes were getting used to the dark or if Sauron's power was diminishing, but it almost appeared to her as if the sky had turned from black to dark grey. If it was because his power was weakening, it meant he was spreading himself too thin and would soon be unable to control the cloud. Hoping that the latter was the case rather than the former.
Seeing that the orcs and other creatures were nearly in position she sent out a thought to Dawn. How far away are you?
At least half a day, Dawn replied after a moment. She sent out a query to Draco. How far away?
Half a days ride, he answered. We can't get there any faster and expect the horses to be ready.
Great, Buffy muttered. The orcs are here and are ready to fight.
How bad is it? Dawn asked.
Pretty bad, Buffy said with a sigh.
Let me see, Dawn said.Huh?
Just relax and trust me. I've done this with Draco before.
Ok, Buffy said skeptically.
And don't fight me on this.
Buffy mentally nodded her head and let Dawn do her thing. She felt Dawn fill her head and sort of set her gently to the side and she suddenly had no control over her body.
Dawn swept Buffy's eyes over the field and sent the image to Draco. Let Spike know that's what we're up against, I'll tell Aragorn, Dawn said as she relinquished control back to Buffy. We'll get there as soon as we can, Buffy. She said before slipping out of the connection.
The slayer was once again left alone with her thoughts as she waited for the orcs to attack.
-
Harry swallowed nervously as he looked over the approaching army. All of the orcs were finally in place and were now making their move on Minas Tirith. As soon as they were within range, Gandalf ordered the soldiers to start releasing their arrows. All the men viewed Gandalf as their commander since Denethor had not been since Faramir was injured.
The young wizard did what he could by throwing curses and hexes at anything that came within reach, but most were too far out for any of the curses to take full effect so he waited.
"When they start coming over the walls, Master Harry, try your best to stay close," Gandalf said to him.
His mouth too dry to answer, he just nodded in response.
-
As the Nazgûl swept over the city atop their winged beasts, the men around Buffy cowered in fear. She once again shrugged off her own fear that clawed at her chest and shouted at the men around her. "Don't let them stop you! Take the fear they cause in you and turn it against them! Use it to strengthen your resolve to fight them back!"
The orcs' ladders hit the side of the wall and they began to climb.
"Your fear can only stop you if you let it!" She cried. "Now push them back! Don't let them into your city!"
Huge boulders flew overhead from the siege engines and into the city. They were not aimed at the wall, but more at the upper levels of the city. Many of the boulders had been coated in oil and set on fire, causing the city to burn.
Buffy fought against the ones who had successfully made it over the wall. Far below, she could hear the orcs on the ground chanting something and then Gandalf's cry for the men to take down the trolls. Not having time to look she fought on, trusting that the old wizard would take care of the problem.
There were several loud booms and then the wall suddenly shuddered, almost driving her to her knees. She could hear yelling saying that the gate had been breached and that orcs were now filling the lower levels of the city. Thankful that she had talked Gandalf into evacuating all non-soldiers to the Citadel, she didn't have to worry about protecting civilians. She could just concentrate on taking down the enemy.
When she realized that the orcs forming around her were too much for them to take, she began ordering a retreat. The men, after seeing her prowess in battle the day before, quickly followed her lead and began making their way to the next level hoping to find some protection there.
-
To Harry it seemed as if they had been fighting for days rather than the few hours it had truly been. He was fighting next to Gandalf in the second level of the city. His sword arm was tired and he was covered in blood and gore.
Pippin's frantic voice cut through the clanging of metal. "Gandalf! It's Denethor! He's lost his mind! He's burning Faramir alive!"
Gandalf looked down at the hobbit in surprised horror. He made a move as if to go with Pippin, but Harry stopped him.
"I'll go, you're needed here."
The old wizard gave a quick nod and went back to the fighting. Harry and Pippin ran through the city and towards the Citadel where Denethor was planning the death of his son.
-
Dawn looked over to Aragorn. "The Rohirrim have made it to Minas Tirith. Draco says it looks like a bloodbath." Her body was tense with worry. She hated not being there with him. But at least she was able to pass word along to Aragorn so he wasn't walking blind into the battle.
"We will arrive in time Amaurëa ," Aragorn assured her.
But she didn't really hear him since she was too busy concentrating on Draco.
-
Draco and Éomer were among the first to crash into the waiting orc army. Using the momentum of the horses, they trampled the first few lines of orcs before pulling back slightly on the reins. Together, the two of them cut a wide path through the enemy. Every foe that the two came up against lay dead at their feet.
Risking a glance to the side, it was only then that Draco realized that he had somehow become separated from Ginny in the initial rush. He could see Spike cutting a path of his own with several other Rohirrim. The vampire mercilessly cut down any enemy that strayed into his path. He seemed to be an unstoppable force as he made his way through the enemy.
-
Ginny and Éowyn did their best to stay together as the Rohirrim worked their way to Minas Tirith. The redhead knew that she could probably make the fighting easier on herself if she only pulled out her wand. But the fear and shame of what she had done at Helm's Deep was still too close and it haunted her. So instead, she used her sword to kill the orcs.
-
Harry and Pippin broke into the room that Denethor had taken Faramir to. They saw the injured man laid upon a table with wood lying all around him. Denethor had just poured a container of oil over himself and was reaching for a lit torch when Harry yelled, "Stop! Are you stupid?" He absently rubbed his forehead as he continued. "Your people need you out there, not hiding in here like a coward."
Denethor laughed and uncovered an object that had been lying next to Faramir. As he held it up, Harry gasped as he recognized another palantír. Pain seared through his scar, but he ignored it. As Denethor looked into the orb with a deranged glee in his eyes, Harry recognized the color of light he had seen days before during his wanderings of the castle.
"Didst Mithrandir think that the eyes of the White Tower were blind? Nay, I have seen more than he knowest. For his hope is but ignorance. You may go forth and fight, but even now, a fleet of Corsair ships are heading towards us and with them our doom. The West has failed."
"That's not true," Harry said with a shake of his head. "That fleet of ships has people coming to help us."
"You would like to believe so," Denethor snarled, grabbing a torch with his free hand.
"No! Aragorn has seized control of the ships with an army of his own."
"Bah!" The old man cried. "I know that Mithrandir seeks to supplant me with that Ranger from the North. I am Steward of the House of Anárion. I will not step down to be the dotard chamberlain of an upstart. Even were his claim proved to me, still he comes but of the line of Isildur. I will not bow to such a one, last of a ragged house long bereft of leadership and dignity."
Then Denethor pressed the torch to his clothing and he went up in flame. He moved to the pyre that Faramir rested on to light it with his own body.
Harry pulled out his wand and yelled, "Impedimenta!" Denethor flew back away from his son. Harry racked his brain trying to remember an extinguishing spell, but by then it was too late. Denethor would die a slow painful death from his extensive burns that the fire had already inflicted.
"You may triumph on the fields of Pelennor for a day, but against the Power that has now arisen there is no victory!" Then old Steward clutched the palantír to him and he screamed in agony. When the fire completely consumed him and he fell silent.
Harry looked down at Pippin. "Make sure Faramir gets back to the House of Healing. He's still alive, hopefully they'll be able to save him. I've got to get back to the fighting."
-
Spike grinned maliciously as he saw the orcs breaking rank and fleeing. Perhaps winning this battle wasn't as much of a longshot as they had originally thought. He carried that brief glimmer of hope for a few minutes before the enemy unleashed its next horror. The blond vampire was only able to gape at the huge mammoth beasts that were now causing devastation.
They looked like elephants with riders, only they were five times larger than any elephant he had ever seen. Their four tusks were covered with spikes so that with every turn of their head they speared horses and men. Their large feet crushed even more. In the face of this new enemy, Spike's hopes slid away.
-
Dawn cried out and clutched her shoulder.
"Who is injured?" Aragorn asked.
"Draco," she gasped before suddenly relaxing as the link between her and Draco got severed. "The fighting is getting really bad. How much longer?"
"Not much," he assured her. "We can hear the sounds of battle from here."
She nodded and drew in deep, calming breaths.
-
Buffy began to tire as she killed what seemed to be her hundredth orc of the day. Even her wounded side was beginning to ache slightly.
"Rest for a moment," came a familiar voice. Gandalf moved in front of her and prevented any orcs from getting near her.
She smiled up at him while she leaned against a nearby wall. "Thanks." Then she frowned. "Where's Harry?"
"Up in the Citadel," Gandalf answered.
"What's he doing there?"
"Saving Faramir, I hope," Gandalf said after slicing down another orc.
"I'm sure that'll make sense when this is over, so I'll let it pass." She moved up next to him and started fighting again.
"You could have rested longer," he said, noticing the tired look in her eyes.
"The more I kill now, the faster the battle goes," she said with a weary grin. "'Sides, got that whole slayer stamina thing goin' for me."
-
Ginny heard Éowyn cry out, "No!" She turned to see one of the beasts of the Nazgûl throw a horse and its rider. As it landed, she recognized Théoden's horse and banner.
Her and Éowyn had been separated when they were knocked off their horses. She had no idea where Merry was, but Éowyn was nearly twenty yards away. She could see her friend stepping between the Nazgûl and her uncle. Her sword was up and was ready to fight.
It wasn't the black robed Nazgûl that moved to attack her friend, but the winged beast. Knowing that she'd never make it to her in time, and deciding that the stain on her soul was already there, Ginny pulled out her wand and screamed, "Avada Kedavra!"
Green light pierced the battlefield and struck the creature, causing it to fall lifelessly to the ground. She was already running towards them when the Nazgûl dismounted.
The steel masked Nazgûl towered over the Shieldmaiden of Rohan with a sword in one hand and a nasty looking mace in the other. Éowyn dodged swing after swing of the mace, until she tripped slightly and the mace shattered her shield and her arm.
Her cries of pain spurred Ginny into running faster over the battlefield. Barely noticing the orcs she cut down, she made her way to her friend.
The Nazgûl reached down and lifted Éowyn up by her throat. "You fool," came his rasping voice. Even with the mask inches from her own face, she couldn't see the creature inside. "No man can kill me. Die now."
Ginny finally reached them and ran her sword through its back with both hands. She let go of the sword and screamed out in agony as a chill settled into her hands and arms.
The Witch-King dropped Éowyn in surprise and she removed her helmet to reveal her long blonde hair. "I am no man," she said proudly. Then picking up her fallen sword, she shoved its point through the Nazgûl's head. Like Ginny, she dropped her sword as a crippling chill ran up her arm.
The Nazgûl squealed in pain and began to collapse in on itself. As it died, it released a shockwave of power that swept over the field. Streams of sunlight began punching holes in the cloud above.
-
As they pulled up to the dock at Osgiliath, Dawn could clearly hear the fighting. Hoping they weren't too late, she heard a voice from the dock. "Late as usual, pirate scum. There's knife work here that needs done. Come on now, get off your ship."
The orcs stood stunned as Aragorn and the other living beings leapt off the ship. As they moved towards the orcs, Gimli looked at Legolas. "There's plenty for the both of us, may the best dwarf win."
Dawn couldn't help but let out a giggle that relieved the tension in her stomach. The dead appeared behind them and rushed into the city and onto the field. The Rangers and what was left of the Fellowship ran with them and joined the fray. But the orcs could not stop the dead.
It's about time, Buffy said in her head.
You know me, Dawn glibly replied. I like to be fashionably late. Mind if we crash the party?
Dawn glibly replied.Buffy laughed Crash away. Then she pulled back to concentrate on fighting.
It didn't take the army of dead long to wipe out every living enemy from the field. By the time they were done, the cloud was completely gone, allowing the sun to bathe the world in its warm light. Dawn lifted her face heavenward, thankful they had won.
Hearing someone call her name, she turned to see Draco running towards her. He was covered in blood and a broken arrow shaft stuck out of his left shoulder. He held her close with his right arm and kissed her.
Their happy moment was shattered by Harry's mournful cry. They rushed over to see him cradling Ginny in his lap and they immediately thought the worst. Éowyn was lying next to Théoden who lay dead under his horse. To their relief, they saw both women's chest rise.
"I came out of the city to find you guys, but instead..." Harry gulped.
"Come on, we've got to get them to the doctor," Dawn said softly, her voice choked with tears.
Draco pulled out his wand and levitated Éowyn while Harry scooped Ginny up in his arms. They went towards the city and hopefully help for their fallen friends.