Told you I'd update again today! Anyway, I know it's another short chapter, but it is longer than the last one. I hope you enjoy this chapter, please let me know. Thank you so much as always for the reviews, I forgot to say that when I posted the last chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings. I only own Aria and her family.

Chapter 26

Aria took a deep breath as she rode her horse along side Aragorn, Gandalf, Eomer, and Legolas. Merry rode with Eomer while Pippin rode with Gandalf and Gimli with Legolas. The black gates came in sight and Aria swallowed hard. "Please let Sam and Frodo be alright," she thought to herself. Legolas glanced at her at hearing her concern and smiled to himself.

"Do not worry, Aria. All will be well," he responded. Aria frowned and looked at Legolas who was smiling at her. "Can you hear me?" he asked and Aria's eyes widened when she didn't see his lips move.

"Legolas? How can I hear you and you me?" she asked very confused. Legolas turned his gaze to the path ahead.

"Our bond." Was all he said and she clearly understood. She couldn't help but smile to herself even though death may have been about five hundred feet in front of her as they stopped not far from the gates.

"Where are they?" Pippin asked as he sat behind Gandalf. Aragorn urged Brego forward and Gandalf, Legolas, Eomer, and Aria urged their horses to follow Aragorn as he stopped in front of the gates. Aria could feel the great evil on the other side of the gates. It was nearly overwhelming her, but she held her ground and looked at the gates.

"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Let justice be done upon Him!" Aragorn yelled at the gates. As everyone waited and watched as the gates slowly opened. As they saw the armies approach Aria's eyes widened. "Pull back... Pull back!" Aragorn called and they rode their horsed back to the waiting Gondor and Rohan soldiers. Aragorn remained on top of Brego while the others dismounted and stood with the men. The soldiers began to back away, but Aragorn stopped them. "Hold your ground! Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan. My brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come, when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of Fellowship, but it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you, stand, men of the West!" He raised his sword high in the sky and everyman felt their courage strengthen ten times over and even Aria felt more sure of herself as the mass of darkness marched towards them.

"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf," Gimli said. Legolas looked down at him and Aria looked at Legolas.

"What about side by side with a friend?" Legolas asked a small smile playing on his lips. Gimli looked up at Legolas and gave him a smile in return.

"Aye, I could do that," Gimli said quietly. Aria shook her head.

"I will not let either of you fall, nor Aragorn or Gandalf. Not even Eomer." They both looked at her. "Not while I have life in me," she thought as she locked her eyes with Legolas who just gave her a small smile before all three turned their attention to the marching army. Aria watched Aragorn as he seemed to slow as he looked at the eye of Sauron. After just a moment he looked back at the group and he looked at Aria and then at Gandalf.

"For Frodo," he whispered with tears in his eyes as he charged the enemy. Aria swallowed as she saw Merry and Pippin raise their swords and follow him. She along with the others soon followed. The battle raged on and more men fell as did many orcs, however, the large trolls proved to be more difficult.

Aria had dropped her sword and began to use her powers to battle the orcs, using fire, wind, and water to her advantage. However, when she saw an orc raise his sword to strike down Merry she shot him with a blast of water before she turned it to ice freezing the monster instantly. Merry's eyes grew wide but he smiled at Aria before he continued to fight. Suddenly, a foul smelling hand clasped her throat and two others held her hands behind her tightly.

"A she-elf? The race of men is foolish enough to bring a female into battle, and such a pretty one at that," the monster whispered in her ear and Aria focused her eyes on Legolas as he battled fiercely. She wanted to use their new found link and call out to him, but she knew she would only distract him and may cause him to get hurt. The orc turned his head to where her eyes laid and smiled. "Is that your mate, she-elf?" he asked with a laugh in his voice. "I think I may spare your life long enough to let you watch him die." His hand squeezed her throat a little tighter but she moved her gaze to the orc's face and glared at him. She tired to muster up her powers but she was getting little air and had a hard time focusing on anything other than the pain from her arms being held and the pain that wrapped around her throat. The orc sneered at her. "Not so easy to use that magic of yours when your life slowly leaves you now is it?" he hissed. Aria felt a growl in her throat and with as much strength as she could muster she spit in his face.

"Eagles! The Eagles are coming!" Aria heard Pippin call before she slipped into blackness after the orc sent his free hand crashing against her temple.

As Legolas battled to get to Aragorn, to help him fight the troll that had him pinned to the ground, he felt like something was missing. That part of him had disappeared but he paid no mind and continued to fight to get to Aragorn. Suddenly, the large eye broke out in large flames and the orcs stopped battling and began to flee as the tower fell with the eye of Sauron panicking as the tower slowly crumbled. Aragorn stood and a smile slowly made its way across his face as the eye disappeared in a blast that sent a shock waive through all of them. The orcs and other beasts continued to flee and as the ground broke away in Mordor causing more to perish than to escape. which left the men cheering for the small hobbit that had done what many thought would have been impossible for one so small to do. Legolas smiled as he looked into Mordor, finally feeling the evil of the ring gone and all that was the dark lord vanish completely from Middle Earth.

Mount Doom exploded and began to overflow with lava, the hobbits' smiles fade thinking that their friends had perished in the lava flow. Legolas frowned and turned to see Gimli, Aragorn, the hobbits and Gandalf well but he could not bring Aria into his sight and his heart started to pound. "That is what is missing. It is her, where is she?" he thought as he scanned the ground and quickly moved through the fall. It was then that he saw her, laying unconscious. Too many times had he found her like this, only this time he prayed beyond anything that it was just like the last time, when she was merely exhausted, however, he wasn't so sure upon seeing the gash that was near her right temple. He kneeled down next to her and cupped her cheek. He could hear her breathing in a slow and steady rhythm and he sighed deeply. "Aria?" he said gently but received no response. He frowned and focused his mind on hers and slowly began to find the missing path that would lead him to her. "Aria, wake up. Do not leave me," he spoke gently to her through their link. He felt her. He felt her slowly coming to and smiled to himself.