Chapter –14—Lothlorien

The fellowship stared at the woman they thought had fallen into the chasm with the Balrog and Gandalf. Haldar turned a bit and raised an eyebrow. Serenity smiled a bit and spoke softly in elvish. Haldar sighed then looked at the fellowship.

"We will rest on the talans tonight. No orc will cross the boundary of Lothlorien."

The fellowship seemed relieved and Aragorn turned to see Serenity, but she was gone, fading back into the twilight, as if she was a ghost. Some pain showed in his eyes before he masked it and worked swiftly to guide the weary companions to the tree top beds.

Serenity watched quietly from the shadows. She'd known that Gandalf had fallen, but she'd hoped that somehow he'd been saved. Guilt penetrated her heart at not being able to save him. Though the time she spent in the past had helped replenish a lot of her reserves, she felt taxed. Seeing the vision in Galadriel's mirror troubled her and kept her from being around the others.

Galadriel looked at her great-granddaughter seriously.

"I do not know what the mirror holds, and it could hold things that you wish to not see. Why do you wish to?"

Serenity sighed, looking out at the moon, barely visible. "I wish to see what I must. Even if it bodes ill for me."

The older woman looked at Serenity. She'd matured, not the clumsy shy maid that had been taken by the senshi, Pluto, to come into her powers. But, she could see that there was something…dark about her now. Worry entered her eyes as she guided Serenity to the bowl and filled it with water. Serenity looked into the bowl slowly and was drawn into its depths…

Serenity shook herself and joined the few others that would guard the fellowship that night.

Soon daybreak came and Haldar went and got the members up. Refreshed a bit from the sleep they had, they looked a bit better. Haldar lead them through the forest and into the main part of Lothlorien. Everyone seemed a bit awed by the place, though not so much Aragorn. Even Gimli grudgingly admitted that the elves had done a good job building. All the while they moved Serenity shadowed them quietly.

They came up a flight of stairs and there they halted. The lord and lady of Lothlorien came in, the members each having their own different reaction. Serenity took to the shadows and watched quietly, knowing the news that they would reveal. Soon Gandalf's fate came up and Legolas told the two what had befallen the wizard. Serenity forced back tears then heard her name. Her eyes flew open. Galadriel turned her gaze to where Serenity stood.

"She is alive, and well as she can be, though she seems to think that she must stay away from you."

Her cover blown, she sent the nastiest glare she could toward the elven queen then stepped out. The hobbits each gave a joyful cry, Gimli seemed to perk up a bit, Legolas smiled a bit and bowed his head slightly, Boromir gave a bigger smile, and then…she locked eyes with Aragorn. She sucked in a breath at the emotions that were in there and she backed up a step.

"Serenity…"

At Aragorn's voice she almost broke down and almost ran to his arms. The feelings were too much and she turned and fled. She didn't see the heartbreaking look that showed on Aragorn's face, nor did she hear any one call out to her. The memories of what she saw in the mirror haunted her and the confusion in her mind scared her. Wasn't she supposed to be the legendary Cosmos? She wasn't supposed to be this weakling who cowered whenever she felt the smallest amount of evil. She tripped, the first time in a long time and hit the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the whispering that had started to grow. The mirror had shown her, and only her, what was to come. Galadriel had been blocked for the first time. It scared her, scared her so much that she felt chilled to the very core of her.

The water in the mirror shifted and she saw a tower. The name Isengard came into her head, as if the mirror spoke into her mind. She watched as riders rode up to the tower. There was water surrounding the tower, debris floated and she dimly knew that this was from a sudden flooding. She grew worried only seeing Merry and Pippin. The rest of the fellowship was there, but Frodo and Sam seemed to be missing. She also saw other people, a king, and a man that seemed to be Nobel in appearance. Then she saw herself on a horse next to Aragorn, which she noted that her horse was tied to Aragorn's, as if to guide it. Worry entered her mind as she noted that her vision self seemed pale, drawn, as if she was sick.

A man came up; she frowned not recognizing him for the white glow around him hid his identity from her mind. He called out to the tower, his words muddled to her confused brain. Another man, but one of evil came out in view on top of the tower. He seemed angry and for a few moments the two men exchanged a heated verbal battle. Then the man on the tower threw a bolt of dark magic at the wizard. He blocked it but then there was a pitiful cry. She saw herself lurch forward and fall off the horse, landing in the water. Aragorn bolted of his and went to go to her side. Serenity felt her blood go cold when Aragorn was pushed back and she saw herself rise. Her vision self shimmered and vanished, only to reappear next to the man on the tower. She watched in horror as her vision self pushed the man to his death. She saw her self turn and look down, then the smile of a satisfied victory on her face. The people below watched with horror on her face, then she heard her vision self's voice.

"The foolish old man had it coming when he failed. The ring will be the Dark Lord's."

The vision had ended there, for the malice in her vision self had caused Serenity to stumble back then collapsed into a seizure. She'd woken hours later and though Galadriel had questioned her, she refused to speak. Now, lying on the forest floor, she shook, afraid of what was to come. It wasn't if; it was the matter of when. And if she turned on them, who would stop Sauron from taking over? Pluto and Saturn? They wouldn't be able to stop her. She didn't want to go on with the fellowship, afraid that if she did, destiny would play out and her fate would come to be. Now more then ever she felt lost, as if she had no sense of direction. She cried softly, struggling to compose herself. Though she was Cosmos, even though she had been queen, she hadn't had time to adjust.

Quiet footsteps alerted her to another's presence before she felt herself pulled up and against another's chest. She was still shaking, crying softly as she was held.

"Serenity? Why did you flee?"

Aragorn's voice cut through her troubled mind and she buried her face in his chest. Seeing that she couldn't answer, even if she wanted to, not in this state, he held her. He quietly talked to her, letting her release all of the pent up emotions that caused her to fall into this state. She cried for over an hour, before her tears started to dry and her sobs dissolved into hiccups and sniffles. Aragorn looked down to see her eyes closed and her breathing evened into the deeper breaths of sleep. He lifted her effortlessly and turned, only to find Legolas standing there with a cloak. He moved closer and put it over Serenity then turned to walk. Aragorn carried her over to where the Fellowship was staying, and no one asked what was wrong.

Aragorn sat down carefully and let Serenity rest against him. Gimli watched for a moment.

"That lass has you wound around her finger, Aragorn."

Aragorn arched an eyebrow at the dwarf, "And you aren't?"

"Aye, I am. She has all of us under her spell."

The night passed slowly into day. The next morning, everyone rose, with the exception of Aragorn and Serenity. Boromir noted how Aragorn's arms had wrapped around till they held Serenity close to him in his sleep. Silently, the fellowship got breakfast. It was ready when the two started to rise and Boromir took one plate and handed it to Aragorn as Legolas handed Serenity the other. At first Serenity made a face, not feeling hungry at all, but at the glares she received from the rest of the men she sheepishly started to eat. They heard a voice yelling then a calmer voice answering. Serenity looked up mid-bite and blinked.

Haruka came walking up with this furious look directed at the Fellowship members. Michiru was right behind her trying to calm the wind senshi, but to no avail. Serenity giggled a bit. Seeing those two here had been a pleasant shock. Apparently, they too had been reborn and when she had come back to Middle Earth, both fussed over her. Haruka came up and glared at the men.

"Alright, all of you men, Serenity is OFF LIMITS! Got it!"

Serenity's face turned an interesting shade of red, while Michiru shook her head. The water senshi looked up and gave Serenity an, "I'm sorry, I tried" look. The rest of the fellowship looked confused, amused, or embarrassed. Haruka glared at each of them. Serenity, finally getting to the point that enough was enough stood.

"Haruka, if I choose to talk to a man, that is my choice. Understood?"

"Kenoko, these are men! Besides, I'm supposed to protect you!"

Michiru laughed softly at the indigent look on Serenity's face. "Protect me not embarrass me!"

"How am I embarrassing you….Unless there is one of these men that you like!" Haruka narrowed her eyes. Serenity blushed and sent a glare. Michiru lightly smacked Haruka then looked at Serenity.

"Hime, we were coming to talk to you even though Haruka here came for a dual purpose. The others are alive and well."

Serenity stared at Michiru. The inners? Alive and well? Her closest friends? The senshi that had been there since the beginning of her life as a senshi? She stared at Michiru for a moment then her eyes darkened slightly.

"Does Fate and Destiny revive them to lure me from Lothlorien?" Her voice was bitter, filled with anger at the two fates, "They play games with my life still!"

The two senshi looked at eachother then at their friend. Serenity hadn't finished.

"They revive the rest of my senshi then place them out away from me towards a destiny I wish to avoid?" Serenity stopped there when Aragorn's hand rested on her shoulder. But her eyes stared at the two pointedly, asking if they were to destroy her. The two senshi glanced at eachother then looked at Serenity.

"You all will leave tomorrow at dawn." Haruka said, a subdued mood coming over her.

"The Lord and Lady have gathered supplies for all of you. You better get some rest."

Serenity sent a dark look at the two senshi then went toward where her quarters had been, leaving two worried senshi and a group of worried companions behind.

A/N: I know I know. I'm a lazy bum. I haven't been busy per say, but I haven't had the…will to write another chapter. That was until I went on today and saw that the hit count was over 400, heading toward 500. Anyways, I am looking for someone who will look over the previous chapters and tell me what to correct and to correct any chapters after this. I'll try my hardest to at least get this story done, though I may or may not scrap Princess Of Hogwarts. (It's just not working for me anymore). See you all next time!

Princess Silver Serenity.