I hope you enjoy this chapter:) Have a good day y'all!
Chapter fifty-three
Shadowgate
Gwen woke and opened her eyes, though it made no difference, as her surroundings were dark. She sighed as she wandered aimlessly in her new environment.
Where the bloody hell am I?
The place seemed terrible to her. It held a misty air of dankness and she wondered where she could be. To her it seemed completely void of anything…
Void.
"Oh hell no! God damnit Manwë! I thought you were joking!"
She sighed again.
Well, I know where I am. Looks like I'm not even entitled to an afterlife of peace and quiet.
Her thoughts then turned to Morgoth and her eyes lit up in recognition.
Wait! I'm in the Void! Morgoth should be here too!
She then began to wander aimlessly in search of Morgoth but after what seemed like an eternity she sighed and gave up. She resorted to yelling.
"Morgoth? Sauron? Morgoth? Sauron? ANYBODY?"
"Damnit Gwen lower your voice I'm right next to you!" exclaimed Sauron.
Gwen jumped.
"Sauron? My Ilúvatar it's good to see you!"
Sauron rolled his eyes though Gwen could not see it.
"Oh shut up. I suppose you're looking for Morgoth right?"
"Yup. Have you seen him?"
"Well I ran into him a couple of times here and there. I think he's moping."
Gwen sighed.
"Poor Morgoth. Will you help me find him?"
Sauron sighed.
"Oh all right. I have nothing else better to do. I was going to wander aimlessly for a few hours but I guess I can change my plans."
Gwen laughed.
"You're too much Sauron."
"I try."
--
For the past few ages Morgoth sat in thought. He wanted to see Gwen more then anything in the world, even if it was only for a few minutes. Hearing her sing at the club made him thirst for more. From the back of his mind he could hear her voice singing.
"Centuries of forlorn fight. Last hope, the aid divine. Guardians of the world, Gods of justice and light. Came and defeated the one. The master of disharmony. All Ablaze by the glory of their arms. Swell of the trumpets filled the sky. Morgoth banished from the Middle-earth his reign never shall rise again…"
His ears perked up. This song was not in his mind but came from an outside source.
Gwen?
He looked around though he could not see anything through the mist of the void.
"Gwen? Is that you?"
Only she would have the guts to sing that song. He remembered the first time she sang it. It was to sooth little Lalaith. But he knew she was here. She had to be here. Why would that song be playing?
He wandered aimlessly in search of his beloved but became disheartened when he couldn't find her. But he then heard her voice. Not in singing but in spoken word.
"Morgoth? Are you here? Somewhere?" Gwen asked.
His eyes lit up in wonder. At first he was speechless but he then regained his composure.
"Gwen! Follow my voice!" Morgoth exclaimed.
"Oh Ilúvatar, it sounds like a terrible movie," Sauron said sarcastically.
"Shut up!" Both roared.
"Morgoth is it really you?" Gwen asked after she yelled at Sauron.
"It's really me love. I've missed you so much!" He replied.
They eventually met each other in the misty darkness. Morgoth reached out to touch her but could not.
"You're a ghost," Morgoth stated.
Gwen nodded sadly.
"Yeah, I got murdered in my apartment. Guess what the killer took. Take one bloody guess."
Gwen could hear Morgoth getting angry.
"It better not have been your virginity…"
Gwen could hear Sauron smirking next to her.
"Who says I was a virgin?"
Morgoth gulped.
"Well, I just assumed after the incident with the attempted virgin sacrifice thing…"
Gwen laughed.
"Oh calm down love. He didn't take that. He was after the necklaces you made for me. Luckily, they figured it out somehow and I was buried in my necklaces and my Skalds and Shadows dress."
Morgoth smiled.
"Beautiful," he said.
"So, did you guys figure a way out yet?" Gwen asked after a moment or two of silence.
Morgoth shook his head and Sauron sighed.
"Every possible way has been blocked. There's no way out."
Gwen smirked.
"Oh there's a way out. There has to be. Where are the doors?"
"They're right behind me. I never saw you come in, the doors of night have not opened since Sauron was thrown in here."
Gwen smiled.
Good, this eliminates trying to find the bloody doors.
"Okay boys I got an idea. Lead me to the door and I'll get us out."
Morgoth shrugged.
"Be my guest hun but we're stuck here."
Gwen shook her head.
"No we're not."
--
What seemed like an eternity later, they found the doors. Gwen looked at them for a few seconds and smiled.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do. I need you two to just be quiet until the doors open okay?"
"Sure…"
"I don't see how that's going to open the door but okay," Sauron replied.
She smiled.
"Good."
"EÄRENDIL! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! LET ME OUT!" Gwen screamed.
There was no reply and Morgoth was about to say something but she shushed him.
"EÄRENDIL! COME ON THIS IS NOT FAIR! I SHOULDN'T BE IN HERE!"
"EÄRENDIL!" she shouted again.
This time she heard a voice from the other side.
"Gwen? Is that you?" Eärendil asked.
"Yes! I guess Manwë was serious when he threatened to send me to the void."
From the other side, Gwen could hear Eärendil laugh.
"It's good to hear your voice again Gwen but I don't think I can let you out. What if Morgoth and Sauron escape?"
"I haven't seen them since I got here. I gave up looking for them."
"I still don't think I should open the door," Eärendil replied.
Gwen sighed.
"Come on friend. You know a human soul does not belong in the void. What happened to Ilúvatar's gift to men? Surely you would not deny one of his children a gift would you?"
She knew she hit the soft spot when Eärendil let out a sigh.
"I guess you belong in the halls of Mandos," he replied.
"Yes I do."
"Do you promise that they are not there?" Eärendil asked.
"Girl Scouts honour."
"What the Void is a Girl Scout?"
Gwen laughed.
"It's an earth thing."
Eärendil rolled his eyes and opened the door. Gwen quickly floated out with Morgoth and Sauron close behind. Eärendil's eyes went wide when he realised what he had done.
"You lied to me Gwen!"
Gwen smiled.
"It's good to see you too Eärendil."
Eärendil put his hand up to his head.
"I'm going to be in so much trouble…"
Morgoth patted Eärendil on the shoulder.
"No you won't. It's not like we're going to attack Middle-earth or anything."
Sauron laughed.
"Hey, would you mind telling us what year it is?"
"Why it's Forth Age year one hundred and twenty."
Gwen's eyes lit up.
"We gotta get to Middle-earth!" she exclaimed.
"Why?" Morgoth asked.
"It's the final year of Aragorn's reign before he dies. I want to go visit him!"
Eärendil shook his head.
"No! You know how much trouble I'm already in by letting you out?"
Morgoth smirked.
"Hasn't it been boring without us though?"
Eärendil thought about it for a moment and then nodded.
"I guess so."
Sauron clapped his hands together.
"Great! It's off to Middle-earth!"
Gwen cleared her throat.
"Hey, I'm still a ghost here. Give me some help please?"
Morgoth sighed.
"We'll have to go convince one of the Valar to help us then…"
Eärendil sniggered.
"You're going to get caught."
--
The three bid farewell to Eärendil and began wandering across the western most side of Valinor. The three laughed and chatted the whole way until Gwen realised something rather odd.
"Hey," she began. "Why do you two have your bodies? I mean Sauron lost his at the destruction of his ring."
"Well I've only been in the void for one hundred and twenty years. With nothing else to do I concentrated on getting my body back. That took a good one hundred years or so."
Gwen rolled her eyes.
"So where am I going to have to go to get mine?"
Morgoth pointed out into the distance. The place he pointed to seemed dark and foreboding.
"The halls of Mandos," he replied.
Gwen shuddered.
"I don't think Namo's going to cooperate," Gwen said.
Morgoth nodded.
"Yeah but he doesn't have to. I think I have a plan," he said with a smirk.
Sauron laughed.
"Oh a plan eh? Does it have an exit strategy?"
Morgoth shook his head.
"Nope."
Gwen rolled her eyes.
"They never do."
--
Before going to the Halls of Mandos, the trio took a side trip to Nienna's abode. Luckily for them, she was there instead of at her brother's halls. Morgoth knocked on the door and after a few seconds a spectral spirit opened the door. Her eyes went wide with shock but Morgoth quickly shushed her.
"Shut up!" he whispered.
"What are you doing here?" she shrieked.
Sauron rolled his eyes.
"We don't have time for this," he sighed.
Gwen would have smacked him upside the head if she could.
"May we come in?" Gwen asked.
Nienna didn't know what else to say so she nodded. The three entered her house and Nienna decided it would be a good moment to clad herself in a body for this conversation. Once she did that, she took a seat on one of her chairs. Morgoth, Sauron, and Gwen seemed to be smiling at her. It was only then that she realised who was sitting in her home.
"It's not time for the Great Battle what are you two doing out of the Void?" Nienna exclaimed.
The two pointed at Gwen.
"She got us out by tricking Eärendil," Sauron replied.
Morgoth nodded.
"I was rather impressed actually."
This still did not make sense to Nienna. But then it hit her. Her eyes went wide.
"Gwen?" she asked.
Gwen smiled and nodded.
"It's nice to see you remembered me."
Nienna would have hugged Gwen if she had not been a ghost.
"So what are you three doing here?" Nienna asked.
"We need to ask you a favour," Morgoth replied.
Oh this can't be good, Nienna thought.
She let out a sigh.
"Well what is it?"
"We need you to distract Namo while we get Gwen a body back," Morgoth replied.
Nienna jumped from her chair.
"Are you insane? Why? Why does Gwen need a body again?"
"We're going to Middle-earth!" Gwen replied happily.
Nienna shook her head.
"Oh no you don't! What would Manwë think if I aided two Dark Lords and one human female escape to Middle-earth?"
Sauron raised his hand.
"Actually Nienna, we're two reformed Dark Lords. It's not like we're going to attack Middle-earth or anything. We just want to visit Aragorn and Minas Tirith."
Nienna sighed.
"Come on Nienna, help us. I bet it's been getting a bit boring around lately. I mean there are no elves to comfort in your brother's halls besides the ones stuck there for eternity. It's not like you want to comfort Fëanor again right? It's the dominion of Men who care nothing for the Valar. Don't you want to spice it up a bit?"
Morgoth knew he hit a nerve when Nienna smiled.
"Oh all right. I'll help you," she said.
--
Nienna walked into her brother's halls. She walked past the crying souls wanting her attention but she ignored them.
Oh if they've lied to me I will be so ticked off, she thought.
Namo was slouched on his chair reading an Earth romance novel. He kept the new look Kisha gave him even though it was not as 'doom-full' as he wanted it to be. He didn't even hear his sister enter or hear her clear her throat right in front of him.
"Namo!" she finally exclaimed.
He jumped in his chair and almost dropped his novel. He looked up at his sister and sat up.
"Oh hello Nienna, what brings you to my halls today?"
This better work, thought Nienna.
She shifted from foot to foot.
"Well, I was curious about the elf process of getting a body back."
Namo furled and eyebrow.
"Why?"
Nienna shrugged.
"I'm just curious that's all."
Namo closed his romance novel and placed on the bookshelf next to his chair. He stood up.
"Where are you going?" Nienna asked.
"What better way to explain it to you then show it to you. Follow me," he replied.
Nienna pointed to the dead elf and human souls in his halls.
"What about them?" she asked.
Namo shrugged.
"It's not like they're going to go anywhere."
--
Namo opened the door to a dimly lit room. In the corner of the room was a tunnel and he pointed to it.
"All an elf has to do is when I tell them they can, they walk through that."
Nienna looked at it in false fascination.
"And when that happens they get their body back."
Namo nodded.
"Where do they go once they got their body back?"
"They are sent to the shores of Valinor. Some choose to go to Alqualondë or Tirion. Some go to Valimar as well."
Nienna nodded.
"Oh, interesting. Say, what would happen if a human accidentally went through the tunnel?"
"Well they'd get some elven characteristics but that's all we know at the moment. Nobody has ever gotten past the guards guarding the tunnel," Namo replied.
"What if someone went through who already had a body?" Nienna asked.
"They'd just get sent to the shores of Valinor. You're really interested in this tunnel right now. Why?"
Nienna shrugged.
"Well I was bored and I was just curious that's all."
"Is there anything else you want to know?" Namo asked.
She shook her head.
"Nope, well actually, how many guards guard the tunnel?"
Namo shrugged.
"Two or three, that's about it."
Nienna nodded.
"Okay well that's all I wanted to know."
"I should get back to my romance novel then. Never know when a new soul is going to come in now a days"
Nienna laughed.
"Thanks brother," she said with a smile.
Namo shrugged.
"Hey, I should be thanking you. It's so damn boring here. I'd like something to happen."
And with that he turned on his heals and left the room. When he was gone Nienna walked over to the guards.
"Are you Nienna?" one asked.
She smiled and nodded.
"Yes."
One guard smiled.
"It's good to meet you!"
Nienna laughed.
"Do you think you could do me a favour?" she asked sweetly.
They both nodded.
"Anything beloved goddess," one replied.
Nienna smiled lovingly.
"I need to get three beings through this tunnel and myself. Now, you will not speak a word of this to Namo will you?"
They both furled their eyebrows.
"But why?"
Nienna sighed painfully.
"Well, I didn't want to have to tell you this but you see Middle-earth is under attack by a new evil force. The ones I'm going to bring through the tunnel will be able to stop it."
"Are you serious?"
Nienna nodded sadly.
"Yes, but Namo does not know anything about this evil as he'll just get all doom-ish like last time. Remember last time?"
They nodded.
"So you'll let me and three others pass through right?"
They nodded again and she smiled brightly.
"Thank you ever so much," she replied.
She then turned around.
"Get in here!" she exclaimed.
The door opened and Gwen, Morgoth, and Sauron walked in. Now the two guards did not recognise Morgoth but they did know who Sauron was.
"Hey! That's Sauron!" one exclaimed.
Sauron smiled.
"In the flesh."
One guard shook his head.
"Great goddess, I don't think I can let him pass."
Nienna knew this was going to happen so she created plan B. She sighed.
"I didn't want to have to do this but…"
She blew on them and they seemed to freeze into place. Gwen looked at Nienna and furled her eyebrows.
"What was that?" she asked.
Nienna smiled.
"Sleeping dust that Irmo gave me one day."
Gwen made a 'huh' sound in wonder. Nienna turned around towards the door and then looked back at the trio.
"Quick, through the tunnel. We don't have much time."
--
The first thing Gwen felt when they arrived on the shores of Valinor was the wind through her hair. She looked over at Morgoth who was smiling brightly at her. He then picked her up and kissed her repeatedly on the mouth.
"You know how long I've waited to do that?" he asked.
Gwen giggled and kissed him back.
"I've been waiting twelve years but I know for you it's been longer."
He nodded.
Sauron rolled his eyes at this public display of affection and Nienna had tears of laughter roll down her face instead of tears of sorrow.
Gwen then looked out over the ocean.
"So, now we have to get to Middle-earth. How do you suppose we do that?"
"You're going to have to get Ulmo's help for that one," Nienna replied.
Sauron noticed Gwen had elven ears. He pointed and laughed.
"Hey look, Gwen's an elf!"
Gwen felt her ears and shrieked.
"You did know that was going to happen. Namo said it would," Nienna said.
"I don't want to be an elf!" Gwen exclaimed.
"What's wrong with being an elf?" Nienna asked.
"Girly pretty boy jewel lusting beings is what they are!"
Morgoth laughed and patted Gwen on the head.
"It's okay love."
"No it's not okay! I don't want to be an elf!"
Nienna rolled her eyes.
"Hey you should be grateful you got a body back in the first place. That doesn't happen to many humans you know."
Gwen sighed and nodded.
"Yes I know. Beren's the only one right?"
Nienna shrugged.
"I don't know."
Sauron looked out across the ocean.
"So, how do we get Ulmo to help us?"
Morgoth shrugged.
"I don't know. I suggest shouting his name or something," he replied.
Gwen then walked up to the shoreline.
"Ulmo? Hey Ulmo! Get your butt over here!" Gwen demanded.
"Are you sure that's wise? I was just being sarcastic with the previous comment," Morgoth asked.
"Don't know, don't care. ULMO GET OVER HERE!"
Hearing his name being rudely yelled, Ulmo raised the shoreline. Morgoth, Sauron, and Nienna backed up but Gwen lingered.
"Ulmo!" she called. "It's me Gwen! I need to speak with you!"
The raising shoreline faltered and then receded. From the mighty ocean Ulmo arose. He then stood in front of Gwen clad in the form of a kindly sea king.
"Gwen? Is it really you? You look…different."
Gwen rolled her eyes but nodded.
"Yes it's me. We need your help," she said.
"What do you mean 'we'?"
Gwen pointed to Morgoth, Sauron and Nienna standing behind her. Ulmo's eyes went wide at the sight of Morgoth and Sauron. He took a step back.
"How did you two get out of the Void?"
They pointed at Gwen.
"She's the brain of this outfit. We're just tagging along."
Morgoth shrugged.
"Besides, it's not like we're going to wreak havoc on Middle-earth or anything. We're redeemed Dark Lords!"
Ulmo rolled his eyes.
"What is it that you need?" he asked with a sigh.