We interrupt this broadcast for an emergency announcement:

Sorry this has taken so long. First my muse wasn't working, then my email wasn't working, then fanfic wasn't working. But the good news in all of this is that I now have a beta reader, so you will be spared some of my stupid ideas. As soon as she gets back to me, I will post the next two chapters. I am still working on getting the format to co-operate so please bear with me.

To all reviewers: thanx so much for all your comments. I will keep plogging on as long as I know it is being read.

Shrinni: I am glad you think Bella is in character. But I wouldn't say that Sauron is retaliating against just some random Mary Sue. I have plans for her as well, I'm just not telling yet. No promises on the killing, although I can promise they will meet. evil laugh Oh, and I need to get a muse like yours.

And now, back to our regular scheduled programming...

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IIIA, 3019, 11 January

Yesterday's entry was not too clear on events, for which I apologize. Angmar had just given me the most beautiful bouquet of black death flowers (which he said he had to travel quite far to get, but won't say where...how like a man), so my head was not quite as it should be.

Today I am much better, having come back down to middle earth. How exactly that happened is quite the tale, but first I must give the setting.

These last few days, a week almost, have been used up resting from my inter-verse travel. For those who are not frequent world fliers, it can be quite draining. Added of course to this is the fact that I was coming from Azkaban, not the most relaxing spa. Fortunately, I had only been there three years. I am much more gaunt than I was going in, but at least I still have my hair. But then gaunt is attractive in this world, especially for dark warriors. (Bella, pull it together and quit bringing everything back to Angmar. One would think you are nothing but a silly school girl. Now stop talking to yourself and get on with the story.)

As I was saying, I definitely needed some rest after the recent events. During this time, I have been at Barad-dur, Lord S.'s hideout. Humph, hideout...more like scary spikey tower just begging for attention. For a semi-overthrown evil lord in danger of being completely overthrown, his audacity is both thrilling and sobering.

I can't tell even Angmar this because he would just call it culture shock, but I have wondered if it is a front for insecurities, losing one's physical shape might do that to a person. However, my Lord V., even during his current setbacks, has never had to make the legends bigger than he is. In fact they are quite paltry. Those poor mudbloods and muggle lovers don't even know the half of what he has done and is still doing. Underhanded is the name of Lord V's game, so most of my experience has been clandestine

Lord S., on the other hand and to my discomfort, believes in doing things big and flashy. And he managed it again today. My aforementioned rest was only partially for my benefit. It also allowed him to gather his minions (orcs, trolls, and all manner of malevolent creatures) for my "coronation." A proper audience for my proper dark lady, Angmar said when he saw them all gathered in neat ranks at the foot of Mount Doom.

And that is how it happened that we were seated on obsidian thrones on a raised dais protruding from the side of the mountain. Angmar, the Eight, and I were dressed in our most fear-inspiring robes, mine of course being similar in style but definitely that of a woman's. My orc of a maid had even managed to do something respectable with my many midnight tresses, which Azkaban had not yet been able to take. A great cave gaped behind us, stretching far into Mount Doom's heart of fire. I had asked Rider Number Five what was back there, but he only cryptically said something about the birthplace of power.

Just as I was going to ask what he meant by that, Angmar stood and addressed the gathered army. Unfortunately, he spoke in Black Speech, so I could not understand anything he said. As a side note, Common Speech, I had learned, was the same as English from my world, a linguistic miracle that would have made the creator of this world roll in his grave but made me give a huge sigh of relief.

As speeches go, I am sure it was mesmerizing, but not understanding what he was so eloquently saying made it a little difficult to stay focused. I tried to work on my imperial stare, but that got boring because none of the troops were close enough to feel the full effect. I thought about resorting to my favorite way as a child to combat boredom and cast a controlling curse on one of the orcs and make it hit his neighbor, but I wasn't sure my magic would work without my wand and now was not the time to try. My nodding was quickly brought to an end when Angmar suddenly switched to Common.

"And so, it is with great pride and pleasure that we introduce to you your new First Lady of Evil." Here he turned to me, bony claw outstretched. I rose as expected, but in a daze. Angmar took my hand and turned back toward the gathered peons.

"She has answered your master Sauron's call to join our ageless campaign..."

At the word 'ageless' I started. How long had they been fighting again?

"...and our common unending quest for domination..."

Wait, how long are they going to be fighting?

He turned back to me but still spoke to the crowd. "...Therefore, by the power given to me by Sauron, I hereby present you with this ring..."

Now I was really confused. Ring? What ring? Why does this sound like a wedding? I'm not even divorced yet. Who am I getting married to...this quest...Lord S...Angmar? Butterflies overcame me at the last thought, but I had no chance to clear my head, for Angmar continued on.

"...which entitles to you to all of the privileges and rights..."

Well, at least there are perks, I tried to reassure myself. I wonder if this means I get my own fell beast and tower.

"...as well as the respect and obedience demanded by the rank of Rider!"

Now that I can live with.

"You are now the Tenth Nazgul!" With this, Angmar slipped a clawshaped silver ring with a sphere of obsidian in its talons onto my right forefinger.

My finger felt the weight of the ring, heavier than I expected, as I raised my hand above my head as in victory. The troops below me responded to my gracious acceptance with a cheer that came from the depths of hell. The hoorah was accompanied by a sweeping wind that came blasting from top of Barad-dur. As the wind hit the dais, my hand turned to ice, a feeling which flooded my whole body until I was entirely numb.

A sinister voice throbbed into my head. "Aaahye ssseee youuu."

At that moment, all of my earlier hesitations about Lord S. were swept away by the power that now pounded into my head. It coursed through my body and matched only that which I had felt the night of the Longbottoms. This was no scared rabbit eye darting around, making sure his realm was safe. No, the ring on my finger tied me to the greatest power in Middle Earth, and probably all of the worlds.

"I am here to serve!" I yelled into the wind. In a rush, the wind circled around and turned back towards Barad-dur. The malevolent peons cheered again.

The butterflies returned as Angmar put his arm around me, "Our master has accepted you. Your training begins tomorrow."

All I could do was smile up at him. As we (the Ten Riders, that is) filed down the mountain, the orcs parting for us, I mused on what I had gotten myself into. From the advertisement that I had replied to in Azkaban, I had thought that this was going to be an in and out, smash and grab. From what I had just experienced, it seemed to be more of jumping into a long haul. Where in that long haul I had jumped into, I am not quite sure, but it definitely give me pause. I am generally not the kind of person who gets all giddy at getting sucked into another world, even if it is a paradise, for an unlimited amount of time.

The whole trip down the mountain I was having a mental battle with myself. My first thought was Will I ever get home? But then, home at this point means a 6 by 9 with nightmares 24/7. Definitely a reason to look at this positively. My next thought was But when Lord V. comes back to power, as he most certainly will, and I am not there? He knows I would have never fallen in battle and will think I have deserted him or, worse, turned on him. But Lord S. has much more power than him, even if he is just a big eye.

During this argument with myself, Angmar had kept his arm around me, guiding me down the mountain and back toward Barad-dur. I now looked up to him. Where did he fit into all of this? He seems to like me; he had called me 'his dark lady.' Hubby is in jail and I'm in another universe. This one is going to take some more consideration, no bimbo Lockhart-chaser am I. I shall go about this as rationally and calmly as possible, of course.

When we got back to the tower, there was a ball in my honor. Angmar got roped into being my date (he didn't seem to protest too much) and all of the other Riders had found dates. I was surprised to see other dark ladies; I had met only men so far (my orc maid does not count). I got along really well with Rider Number Two's date, a blond vampire named Erika, probably because she was visiting from another world as well. We talked about our different home world problems (hers has a problem with blood purity as well) and exploits of evil, until Angmar insisted on a dance.

After the fifth dance, I feigned tiredness and we found ourselves alone in the blackhouse, Lord S.'s personal indoor garden...he certainly knows beauty, which of course is why he hired me. But the garden was not what was on my mind, Angmar was. If I was going to go for this and stay for him, I wanted to know how much of a future we might have. I linked my arm in his as we began wandering down the rows of exotic and dangerous plants and coyly asked,

"So what are these perks you mentioned earlier?"

"Well, besides rooting for the winning side...there is all the evil you can take, fell horses or beasts (you get to pick, but we are rather short on horses at the moment), being undead..." he paused and winked. "And of course there is me."

I mentally grinned, He is flirting with me, but said, "Undead? Was that the icy feeling? Is that why I still feel a little numb all over?"

"Probably. It gets better, but you will always feel a little numb because your body has been drained of everything that would be necessary where you living. And undead is Lord S.'s way of giving us immortality."

Ahh, immortality, the very thing that Lord V. prized beyond all else, and I shall have it! I am not sure about this draining, I must have gotten a glazed look on my face because Angmar nudged me and I jumped. I shook my head to get it back to the present world.

"So, uh, how long does this mean you have been working for Lord S.?"

"The rings were forged in the mid Second Age and this is nearing the end of the Third Age...oh, about four to five thousand years." He stopped and saw the wide-eyed look on my face. "They run together after a little while, and it's not like I have technically aged. Think of it...as suspended animation...kinda...uhm...I mean..."

"No, no, no, you are getting the wrong idea. I don't think that is wild, well it is. My point is I don't think you are some old fart who is too old for me." Mentally kicking myself, I tried again, "I was just thinking..." I couldn't really tell him what I was thinking, it had something to do with mummification and his nice butt. I stopped and turned to face him. "Immortality just happens to have always been one of my dreams. And now I get to experience it with unlimited evil. That and this is just happening so fast that I am glad we don't have to worry about time. We should take this slow, if you know what I mean."

Needless to say, after that comment, we spent the half the night making out, the proper ending to a dark lady's coronation and ball.

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AN: Couldn't resist pulling in some other worlds. Brownies for anyone who can knows where Angmar got the death flowers and where Erika is from.