AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you for reading the stories of the Robinson family in Connecticut the last two days! I enjoyed writing them and am glad you enjoyed reading them. In this story, we get to watch Karena introduce her daughter's boyfriend to the character he was named after, so it's a little long. I have played the video game... pretty much non-stop since I bought a GameCube, and some of my favorite parts are in this story. If you've played "The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age," you will know what I am talking about. Otherwise, there are streams on YouTube. In my opinion, this is one of the best games that was made. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," "Criminal Case," or "The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age," I only own Karena, Diana, Wesley, and Berethor Wheaton.
STORY #6: The Third Age
STORIES IN REFERENCE: For Good (Ch. 18); Diana's High School Story (Ch. 11 and 12)
NARRATOR: Karena
MAY 10, 2065 – NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA
Wilbur and I were waiting at LaGuardia Airport for our daughter Diana to arrive from Pacific Bay. I was especially excited because she was taking her boyfriend Berethor with her for the first time.
"How are you feeling?" I asked my husband, and he gave me a grin before replying.
"I don't know what I'm more excited for: Diana coming home or showing Berethor her hometown."
"Berethor must have made an impression on you to be excited to see him."
"Diana was right all along," Wilbur replied. "Berethor gave her time to heal, and he's there for her whenever she needs him to be. I respect him."
"Have you learned anything while Diana's in college?" I asked, giving him a playful smirk, and he sighed.
"Trust your children. Always."
We continued to wait until we saw a familiar black-haired woman and copper-haired man walking toward us.
"Mom, Dad!" Diana exclaimed happily.
"Hey, princess!" Wilbur exclaimed as we rushed to her and gave her a hug.
"Welcome to New York, Berethor," I greeted her boyfriend as I gave him a hug, and he hugged me back.
"Thanks, Karena. The Statue of Liberty is incredible! I never thought I would see it with my own eyes."
"That's still my favorite place to explore ever since we moved here," Wilbur replied with a smile as the two men shook hands.
"How long has it been now?" Berethor asked.
"Twenty long, but exciting years," I answered.
"Has it really been twenty years?" Wilbur asked in awe.
"Our daughter is twenty years old," I replied with a smile.
"I'm actually twenty myself," Berethor chimed in. "My birthday's not for another two months."
"Wait, I thought you were a year older than Diana," Wilbur said with a confused look.
"Berethor's only seven months older than me, Dad," Diana explained. "His birthday's July 10."
"Well, shall we grab your luggage and introduce Berethor to the Robinson House 2.0?" I asked excitedly, and the two young adults eagerly nodded.
After Diana and Berethor got their luggage, we made our way out of New York and back into Westport. We found out that Berethor was only staying the week at the Cranes' residence before he has to fly back to California, so Wilbur and I planned to make the best of Berethor's time here in Connecticut.
"I hope you two are hungry," I told them. "Wilbur's making your favorite meal, Berethor."
"Gee, thanks, guys," Diana replied sarcastically.
"Sounds great!" Berethor replied enthusiastically. "Wait, what time is it?"
"It's five o'clock," Wilbur answered.
"What in the world?" Berethor asked with panic in his voice. "It was morning when we left California! How is it five o'clock now?"
"Time zones," Diana replied with a flat expression. "Gotta love 'em. It's only two o'clock in California."
"We're in Eastern Time," I explained. "We're three hours ahead of your Pacific Time, Berethor."
"This is going to be a long night," Berethor groaned.
"But we are hungry," Diana chimed in, laying her head on her boyfriend's right shoulder.
"Did you two not eat lunch on the plane?" Wilbur asked with surprise in his voice.
"We did eat a snack and drank some water, but that's it," Berethor answered.
"Maybe we should make an appetizer, too," I suggested to my husband, who nodded in agreement.
"Well, I'm sure you two had a long flight," Wilbur said. "How about I take us for some ice cream? It's my treat."
"Ice cream actually sounds really good right now," Diana answered. "What do you think, Berethor?"
"I'm down."
We made a stop at an ice cream shop Wilbur and Diana used to stop in as regular customers, and we got our ice cream sundaes. I ordered mint chocolate chip; Wilbur ordered strawberry cheesecake; Diana ordered Superman; and Berethor ordered a root beer float.
"You didn't get a sundae?" Wilbur asked with surprise.
"As good as they are, you can't go wrong with a root beer float," Berethor answered, gingerly taking a sip of his soda float.
"I didn't even know they had root beer floats here," Diana replied.
"So, did anything big happen to either of you this past year?" Wilbur asked.
"I'll be doing an internship with the Pacific Bay Police," Berethor announced.
"Well, congratulations!" I replied excitedly. "Are you shadowing a specific job?"
"No, I'm shadowing everybody. I want to be a field officer but getting to know everyone in each position gives me the general idea of what being an officer is about."
"That's a good idea," Wilbur replied. "If I had known I was going to work for TIME, that's exactly what I would have done."
"What were you doing in college, Dad?" Diana asked.
"I was studying both history and education. I was looking for a place to complete my student teaching."
"You wanted to be a teacher?" Berethor asked with surprise in his voice.
"Well, at first, I was undecided. My going into education was a last-minute decision. I do love telling stories and I love history. But now that I think on it, I'm glad God led me down a different path. Not only do I get to do my job as a historian, I get to do what I loved doing as a kid: taking the time machine back in time and explore the past."
"That is a very risky job! Is it worth it?"
"Every day, Berethor," Wilbur answered with a wink. "I pretended I was a special agent when I was a kid. But now I actually am a special agent – have been for twenty years, saving the timelines."
"You mentioned that you were going to be the new chief of TIME. How's that going? Or are you not the chief yet?"
"Amy still wants to work, so she's not retiring yet. In her words, 'not for a long while.'"
"Ah. That's too bad," Berethor replied.
"No, no, that's alright! I'm not ready to become the new chief anyway. Heck, I love being the historian. I get to unlock so many historical secrets that I never knew before."
"Can you tell me one?" Diana asked with a gleam in her brown eyes.
"Nice try, princess," Wilbur answered with a smirk before eating his ice cream.
"What about you, Diana?" I asked. "Anything exciting happen this year?"
"My job is going well," Diana explained. "I've been saving all of my money from that. And school is going great. I've made the Dean's List again."
"What Diana is forgetting to say is that she's the top of her class," Berethor chimed in, and Diana blushed.
"Berethor! No, I'm not."
"Come on, Diana, you study smart. You're the best student in the class."
"And she still has time for you?" I asked, and Berethor nodded. "I'm impressed."
"Us both," Wilbur chimed in.
"Keep in mind, I make time for her, too," Berethor replied. "I want to make sure she's okay every day."
"And we appreciate that," I replied with a grateful smile.
We finished our ice cream, and we made our way back to the house.
"Berethor, welcome to my childhood home!" Diana said happily as we walked into the house.
"This is a much simpler house compared to the house in Todayland," Berethor said as he looked around the dining room and kitchen.
"My dad did include some Robinson things, but no travel tubes," Wilbur explained. "The house isn't big enough for that. But yes, it's a simple two-floor house that was perfect for our family."
"The living room is to your right, Berethor," I spoke up. "There's also a pantry and garage down here. And then upstairs, we have the kids' rooms, the bathroom, and mine and Wilbur's room and bathroom."
"I'll get started on that steak and potatoes," Wilbur suggested.
"I'll show Berethor upstairs," Diana replied, taking his hand and leading him upstairs.
"Where's Wesley?" I asked.
"He's at the Cranes' house, helping them get Berethor's room ready," Wilbur explained.
"That was nice of him, helping Russell and Amy out," I replied with a smile.
"It was also nice of Russell and Amy to open their home up to Berethor."
"Berethor really looks up to Amy. I hope them meeting will be everything he's hoped for."
"We'll find out."
"Meanwhile, I'm going to get the GameCube set up."
"Wait a minute, Karr… GameCubes went extinct in the 2010s."
"I found one before I moved to Todayland, and Carl and your dad fixed it up for me!"
"Wait, seriously?" Wilbur asked with disbelief. "You had a GameCube this whole time?"
"Yeah! I played The Third Age after meeting the Gondorian Berethor was named after in my journey before I met you back in 2013. It's a really good game."
"Let me guess: you're going to show Diana's boyfriend what kind of character the Gondorian was?"
"Bingo!"
I got the GameCube set up, and shortly after that, Wilbur announced that dinner was ready. Just as Berethor and Diana made their way downstairs, we heard the front door open, and in came Wesley, along with Amy and Russell Crane, both of whom had silver hair.
"Wesley, you came at the perfect time," I greeted him with a smile on my face. "Dinner's ready."
"I invited Amy and Russell over," Wesley replied. "I hope that's okay."
"I did make extra steaks just in case," Wilbur said with a smile. "Of course, that's okay. The more, the merrier!"
"Berethor, this is Amy and Russell Crane," Diana said, introducing her boyfriend to our oldest friends. "Amy, Russell, this is my boyfriend of one year, Berethor Wheaton."
"Words cannot describe what an honor it is to meet you both," Berethor said with enthusiasm, shaking both of their hands.
"The honor is all ours," Russell replied with a grin.
"This is the first time we've been greeted like that," Amy said sheepishly. "You make us sound like heroes."
"You are!" Berethor and Diana replied at the same time.
"You both are mentioned in our criminal justice books," Berethor explained. "Especially Amy, since she saved the world from an evil mastermind."
"I'm… flattered," Amy hesitantly replied, but with a smile on her face. "I really made history in Pacific Bay?"
"Yes! Is there something you're not proud of?"
"Amy had to arrest her brother for being a serial killer," I explained to Berethor, and he grew concerned.
"I guess even in the police department you have make difficult choices," Berethor replied solemnly. "But still, be proud that you worked everyday to keep citizens safe."
"That was why I chose to arrest my brother," Amy explained. "So that he wouldn't take any more lives away from innocent citizens. Remember, Berethor: family is not above the law. No one is above the law."
"I always will remember that."
We all gathered at the table, and we started dining on the steak and mashed potatoes. There were seven of us at the table, the most we've had since Wesley's fourteenth birthday two years ago.
"Alright, Berethor, your favorite food is steak," Wilbur spoke up after we enjoyed ourselves. "Who has made the best steak so far?"
"Sorry, Wilbur, but I'm still going with your mom's steak," Berethor answered with a smirk, and we all reacted with so many different emotions.
"I guess I have some work to do."
"The potatoes are excellent, however."
"I'm not the best cook in the world," Wilbur replied. "But thank you."
"Who is?" Russell asked with a curious grin.
"My grandma Lucille, hands down."
"I have to agree on that one," Wesley chimed in. "Even though she's dead."
"Well, who is the best now?" Berethor asked.
"It's a tie between Karena and my mom Franny," Wilbur answered. "They both make excellent meals."
"Diana, what would you say your mom's best meal is?" Amy asked.
"Her cauliflower tacos. No question about it."
"Wait a minute," Berethor chimed in with a confused look on his face. "Cauliflower tacos? That's a thing?"
"Yes, and they are delicious if you need to get your veggies in," I answered, giving Diana a grateful nod.
"Amelia would like something like that," Berethor explained. "She only eats the minimum amount of meat and she'll eat as many veggies as she can."
"That doesn't make sense," Wilbur chimed in. "Isn't she only in high school?"
"She's a grade above Wesley. She'll be a senior this coming fall. She plays volleyball, so we all keep telling her that eating meat is important for stuff like that."
"I can give you some vegan recipes that might help your sister," I offered, and Berethor gave me a smile.
"That would be great. When I get back to California, I'm spending the summer with my family. Maybe I can also use this opportunity to learn how to cook."
"You don't know how to cook?" Wilbur asked with surprise.
"Says the man who keeps burning pizzas," I told him with cockiness in my voice, and he gave me a glare.
"No, I don't know how to cook," Berethor answered. "At least not a lot of things. I live in a dorm, like Diana, so I've always gone to the cafeteria on campus and eaten my meals there. Sometimes I'll go home for the weekend to eat my mom's homecooked meals."
"Does Diana go with you?" Wesley asked.
"No, but sometimes I'll pick Diana up from her dorm and bring her home to just spend the day with her. My family loves her."
"You know, I've never met anyone in your family, Berethor," I chimed in with a smile. "Can you tell me more about them?"
"My mom's name is Sarah and she is an English teacher at the grade school. She is also a Sunday School teacher at the Presbyterian church in White Peaks and one of her hobbies is gardening."
"I love to garden," I replied. "What ages does she teach?"
"At the grade school, she teaches junior high students, and at Sunday School, she teaches fourth and fifth graders. My dad John is the pastor at that same church, and he has his own podcast on apologetics. He does have a musician's touch and plays guitar. Amelia, like I said, is becoming a senior in high school and she wants to go to Pacific Bay University. We are not sure what she wants to do yet."
"You should have her talk to Wesley," I suggested.
"Wait, what about me?" Wesley asked after he shot his head up.
"You convinced Adam to go to school for physical education," Diana explained. "Maybe you could talk to Berethor's sister and tell her what field she should study."
"She's undecided?"
"I can talk to her and get her acquainted with you, if you like," Berethor suggested. "I think you two would get along."
"Especially since she might be my sister-in-law someday?" Wesley asked with a coy smile, and I saw Diana and Berethor blush.
"That's… That's one way to look at it," Diana answered while still blushing.
"Oh, have you two not discussed marriage yet?" Wilbur asked.
"Diana explained that she wanted to take her time with our relationship," Berethor answered. "And I don't blame her after everything she's gone through."
"How long have you two dated again?" Wesley asked.
"One year," Diana answered blissfully. "And it's been a fantastic year."
I watched Diana and Berethor lean in to kiss each other, and I couldn't help but smile at them. They reminded me of when Wilbur and I had dated before we got married, but then I remembered something.
"Berethor, Diana, there's something I want to show you," I told them, and I led them to the family room and turned on the TV. "Berethor, when I met the character you were named after, I was inspired to play this game. I think it's time I showed you who he is."
I pushed the 'A' button on the controller to start a new game and Gandalf started explaining the history of Sauron and the story of the One Ring. After that, the screen revealed a rider on a horse.
"Welcome, warrior of Gondor," Gandalf said in the background. "Your road here will not be an easy one."
"He does look like me!" my daughter's boyfriend exclaimed. "Only without the bangs and the small scars."
"Stand aside, creature!" the warrior told them boldly, holding up his sword. "You are in my way."
I told my character to attack one of the ringwraiths, but he turned out to be immune to Berethor's attacks. We watched as the warrior almost died, but was saved by a female elf, who used a water spirit to wash the ringwraiths away.
"What grace has been given to me, let it pass to him. Let him be spared." The elf paused to heal the warrior. "To you, I bestow this gift of my people. It graces the soul and binds the hearts of others."
"I live because of your bravery, my lady," the warrior told her in awe as he stood up. "What favor might I grant you?"
"There is no time. Hurry! We must find you equipment and heal your wounds."
"Berethor, would you like to do the honors?" I asked the young man, and he smiled as he took the controller from my hand.
I watched Berethor travel as his character through the woods of Eregion, and he encountered a few orcs along the way. After he saved the game at a checkpoint, he traveled into a building.
"Inside, Gondorian, your wounds must be healed," the elf told him as she led him inside.
"Weapons! Provisions!" the Gondorian exclaimed with surprise. "The elves are very resourceful."
"Long have we kept such waystations for times of great need."
"I am Berethor, captain of the Citadel Guard of Gondor," the warrior formally introduced himself, bowing to the elf.
"And I am Idrial," the elf replied, bowing to him. "I serve Galadriel, Lady of Light. Take what you need and let us be on our way."
"Idrial? That's a pretty name," Diana said out loud with a smile on her face.
"You wanna try?" her boyfriend asked her, and she took the controller from him and switched out the Gondorian for Idrial.
"Crebain spies!" Idrial cried. "My caravan is in danger!"
"Those crows seem guided by some fell purpose," Berethor replied with worry in his voice.
"It is the hand of Isengard. The White Wizard has betrayed us. Hurry!"
Diana led her character to the caravan, and it looked like she had trouble defeating the orcs.
"Wait, what does 'Leadership' do?" her boyfriend asked, and Diana went to the menu, where there was only one option: 'Company Might.'
"It looks like it increases damage," Diana answered, and she applied it to the two warriors. "Is there anyway to give Berethor health?"
"What does 'Spirit Powers' do?" her boyfriend asked, and Diana went to the menu to find two options this time: 'Gift of Elrond' and 'Loudwater Fury.'
"So 'Gift of Elrond' heals a party member while 'Loudwater Fury' is a water attack. But I need health."
Diana proceeded to heal the Gondorian, and after that, she had no trouble defeating the orcs. She traveled to find three groups of wild men and defeated them before going into the mountains.
"You rangers from the north are full of riddles!" Berethor lashed out impatiently at the ranger Elegost after the band defeated orcs at the healing altar. The Gondorian then turned to the elf. "And who are you to speak for a ruler of elves?"
"You must help me return to Lothlorien and warn the Lady Galadriel of these dangers," Idrial answered. "Then, you will know all."
"We must find one of the enemy's altars," Elegost said as the trio started to walk away. "After what I did to him, that orc will be in need of healing himself."
"Come, Gondorian," Idrial beckoned him. "We shall attend to my matters in due course."
"Yep, that's me," Diana's boyfriend spoke up, and I turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
"What, you don't like riddles?" I asked him.
"Actually, I do tend to get impatient sometimes. But I used to absolutely despise puzzles and riddles. Ever since I started college, I make an effort to solve one puzzle every morning since I'm going into the criminal justice department. If it's too hard, I put it down and come back to it later."
"Watch out!" Berethor warned the band. "Those tentacles are powerful!"
The three of us watched as Idrial and the dwarf Hadhod moved out of the watcher's way.
"Excellent!" Hadhod exclaimed happily. "They're digging a way in!"
"He has opened the gate!" Idrial said excitedly.
"I knew he was good for something," Hadhod replied before he realized Idrial was about to walk inside. "Stand back! It should be a dwarf who first enters Moria!"
Many battles and secrets later through Moria, Diana had led her character down a case of stairs, and another scene started to play out. Idrial had run down the stairs, but stopped in her tracks as a boulder fell, dividing the staircase. Idrial let out a yell as she almost fell, clinging onto the steps.
"Watch out!" Berethor yelled, immediately running to her and holding his hand out.
"Do not worry," Idrial assured him, swinging her right hand to her side and then up to take Berethor's hand.
"I have you! Hurry! It's all giving way!"
Berethor pulled Idrial back up onto the steps. She wrapped her right arm around the Gondorian's neck, placed her left hand on his right cheek, and pulled him in for a kiss.
"Gerich veleth nin," Idrial told him, and Berethor just stood there looking dazed until she tugged his left hand. "Come!"
"What did she say to him?" Diana asked.
"You have my love," I answered, and both Diana and her boyfriend gave each other looks as though they were interested in hearing more about that development.
"I can only kill them once," the new woman companion Morwen said with fatigue in her voice after the band helped her defeat the orcs in Rohan.
"Is this your village?" Berethor asked.
"It was. Most are dead. My friends and family have fled this place."
"Where are they bound?" Idrial asked.
"I know not. Perhaps the ford, and then south to Edoras."
"That is our road," Berethor replied as Morwen pulled one of her axes off an orc's neck.
"Then you may join me. I must find them."
"What do you carry that makes you worthy?" Idrial asked with ice in her voice.
"Wrath, ruin, a few trinkets," Morwen answered, pulling her other axe off another orc's neck. "That is all that remains of my life here."
"Dude, she dies easily," Diana said with dread. "She died, like, three times in that battle."
"Don't rule her out yet," I told her. "Just use her wisely, and Morwen can turn out to be a formidable companion."
"My family would have fled this way," Morwen said with some confusion in her voice.
"They did not strike for Edoras," Idrial concluded. "They must risk more dangerous mountain paths."
"How do we find them in the midst of this?" Berethor asked, facing Morwen.
"I suggest you locate one of their maps," Idrial answered icily. "Since you now prize these people over the elves because of one pretty face."
We watched as Idrial shoved Berethor out of the way and walked between him and Morwen.
"Jealous, much?" Diana asked.
"Well, she did confess her love to Berethor," her boyfriend replied. "She has a good reason to be jealous."
"So now you're an expert on love?" Diana asked with a raised eyebrow as she guided Idrial into another battle.
"No. I actually listened to your stories and applied them to the situation. That's all."
"His hold over you is now broken," Gandalf said in the background after it was revealed that Saruman tried to use Berethor to take the One Ring from Boromir. "You are now free! He controls you no more. Do you now understand? She was your guide when your mind walked in shadow. The darkness has lifted."
"And what of you?" Berethor asked Idrial. "Are we finished as well?"
"No, we must journey into the great war beyond," Idrial answered, wrapping her left arm around his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. "There, if we survive, the threads of our lives may yet continue."
"Idrial, two," Diana said proudly. "Morwen, zip."
"Now, was Idrial talking about her and Berethor?" her boyfriend ask. "Or was she talking about the group?"
"Dude, your character returned the kiss!" Diana explained enthusiastically. "I think she was talking about the two of them."
We watched as the band ended up in Osgiliath, and another scene played.
"I've fought in this city before," Berethor reminisced. "But it has faded in my mind, dim, wraith-like."
"I traveled here often as an outrider," Eaoden, the last companion to join the team, replied. "I was caught up in the battle that Boromir led here."
"I was ordered to marry a warrior who fought on that island," Morwen said, telling her story. "For that I was banished, as was he."
"Wait a minute, I thought Morwen was banished because Denethor didn't like her father?" Diana's boyfriend asked out loud.
"You know, you could perhaps be his brother," Eaoden told Berethor. "But I'm mistaken. I hardly kept my own head in that fight."
"Stay alert!" Berethor whispered to the band. "They're almost across."
"Here they come," Hadhod replied, eager to start fighting.
"They shall find us a superior quality," Berethor said out loud.
"I know those words!" Eaoden replied angrily as Berethor approached him. "You WERE here before! You fled in dishonor!"
"Not this time, my friend," Berethor replied, firmly placing his right hand on Eaoden's left arm, and the two rushed in battle.
After Idrial was lost and we fought many battles against the Nazgul beasts, the band travelled through the sewers and eventually reached the exit.
"Get to Idrial!" Morwen beckoned Berethor. "We will hold the beach!"
"Capture that raft! We will need it to get out of here."
Berethor ran toward the island where Idrial was fighting two Ringwraiths by herself.
"Use 'Gondor Rampage'!" Diana beckoned her boyfriend, who had the controller.
"You got it," he replied, telling the Gondorian to use the five-strike attack. "And let me guess: 'Gil-galad Rampage' with Idrial?"
I watched Diana nod as he used only the two moves for the most part. I also watched him use 'Gift of Galadriel' every time one of them was weak as well as some of Berethor's 'Leadership' powers until he defeated the Ringwraiths.
"I feel I've been here before," Berethor said with dread. "What vile sorcery has been done to me?"
"You shall learn," Idrial answered, also with dread. "The Witch-King of Angmar comes."
The three of us watched with horror as we discovered that Berethor was stabbed by a Morgul blade that clouded his mind in shadow, and he was going to be used as a tool to break open the gates of Minas Tirith.
"Wait, what?" Diana's boyfriend yelled out loud when he found out that the Witch-King was immune to Berethor's attacks, but not Idrial's.
I watched as the Gondorian's turn was skipped, and the battle was cut to another scene.
"I cannot harm him," Berethor said with horror and weary in his voice before dropping his sword.
"He is immune to your power," Idrial explained. "He created you. The elves held back his enchantment so he could not turn you into one of his kind. But his fell power still exists within you, embedded deep upon the tip of a Morgul blade."
Berethor looked around in horror at this revelation, and the Nazgul beast roared at him.
"Then I shall remove it," he said with determination, and he took out a dagger… and then stabbed himself!
"Excuse me!" Diana exclaimed, suddenly leaving the room.
Her boyfriend and I continued to watch the Gondorian struggle with pulling the Morgul blade out of him, and he was finally successful, panting before throwing the dagger aside.
"I am free of you, creature," Berethor said with boldness in his voice as he stood up with strength, determination, and pride. "NOW FACE ME!"
"You are strong enough now to survive that!" Idrial said with both horror and surprise in her voice. "I did not think you would dare! Now, let us dare together!"
Idrial tossed his sword to him using her own, and he easily caught it.
"I welcome it, my friend."
"I should check on her," I told my daughter's boyfriend, but he held my hand.
"No, I should check on her."
"Berethor, there's something you should know. Diana has a very uneasy stomach. She was nauseous during an investigation on her principal in her freshman year of high school because she found out the principal wanted to expel her. She's probably nauseous—"
"Because she watched Berethor stab himself," her boyfriend finished my sentence. "Please, let me."
I nodded, telling him to check on my daughter, and he left the room while I battled the Witch-King. Just as I finished battling him, Diana and her boyfriend came back in the room.
"He falters!" Idrial cried out joyfully. "Not even a Nazgul can withstand our power!"
"Fools! I go to war," the Witch-King told them. "I leave you here to rot."
The three of us watched as the band got on to the raft, and Eaoden and Elegost started to row away.
"Gondor has abandoned the city," Idrial said. "The orcs have won this fight."
Berethor then put his right hand over Idrial's left one and looked deep into her eyes.
"You have given me so much, lady," he told her. "I do not have the words to say what is in my heart."
"He really is in love with her," Diana said in awe.
"Upon the other side, our fates shall ever drive apart," Idrial replied, taking Berethor's hand off of hers. "It is Morwen for whom you are destined."
"Seriously?" Diana and her boyfriend yelled out at the same time as Berethor stared ahead, accepting his fate.
We fought in all seven levels of Minas Tirith, even assisting Gandalf in fighting the Witch-King, and then we defeated all of the orcs and Easterlings in the citadel.
"BEAST!" Berethor's voice boomed across the hall. "You shall not defile the kings of Gondor. BE GONE!"
He threw his sword at the orc. Then, he took his sword back, walked up the steps, and took the Banner of Elendil.
"This shall rally Gondor in this great time of need," Berethor said with boldness and determination, holding the banner up high.
"Corsair ships are coming," Idrial revealed. "But Aragorn stands upon the prowl. We shall win this day yet."
Then, we battled all along the fields of Pelennor, fighting some mumakil elephants and the Witch-King alongside Eowyn. Then, we came to Aragorn's aid, and we witnessed him calling the dead quite a few times, which was a very powerful move. When we reached the end, a scene started to play of Berethor and Eaoden fighting orcs. Just as Morwen proclaimed victory, she was stabbed, and we had to fight the eight remaining Ringwraiths. We witnessed Berethor mourning over Morwen, but Aragorn pushed him aside, healing Morwen in the process, and the two Gondorians shared their first kiss.
"Dude, there was no development here," Diana said, and I could tell she was disgusted with that story.
"Well, Morwen did share some affection," her boyfriend replied.
"He didn't. For a love story to work, they both need to share affection toward each other to create a mutual feeling. Sure, Berethor accepted the fact that he was betrothed to Morwen, but he could have at least—"
Diana was interrupted with a kiss from her boyfriend, and she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I love it when your passion comes alive," Berethor told her with a smile on his face.
"I love it when you do that," Diana replied, gazing into his eyes. "Kiss me again."
I watched as the two lovebirds kissed again, and then I tapped Diana on the shoulder.
"Diana, Berethor, you have one more battle."
"We do?" they asked at the same time, and they looked at the screen to see Berethor, Idrial, and Eaoden battling the Eye of Sauron. "What is this?"
"Okay, Berethor, what strategy do we use here?" Diana asked.
"Maybe we can use 'Aura of the Valar' with Idrial," Berethor explained. "At least on herself so that if she dies, and I'll bet she will, she can come back to life."
"We should do that on Berethor, too," Diana replied. "Berethor's the strongest member of the band, and I'm not just saying that because he's the leader."
"Now, is Eaoden the right member to use for this? Or should we trade to someone else?"
"Let's keep him in there for now," Diana suggested, and they started working together to defeat the eye.
"Okay, we're not doing any damage on him," Berethor chimed in. "Let's give him some Morgul Decay."
"You got it," Diana replied, applying the Morgul Decay on her enemy.
"Wait, how am I not immune to 'Darkest Fear'?" Berethor asked with shock.
"I guess 'Darkest Fear' and 'Fear' are not the same thing," Diana answered as we witnessed the Gondorian losing health due to the effect.
I watched them struggle with battling the eye, but they continued to work together. Eaoden was swapped out for Elegost, whose 'True Shot' was effective, and then he was swapped out for Hadhod until Morwen finally came in.
"Wait, Morwen has that 'Cloak of the Plains,'" Diana said. "I wonder if it will work against Sauron."
"We can try it," Berethor replied, and Diana put the effect on the woman.
The three of us watched as Sauron did his 'Paralysis of Light' move, which meant that Idrial and Berethor could not use their spirit powers, but Morwen was not affected.
"It worked!" Diana exclaimed happily, and the rest of the battle was a breeze.
Whenever Berethor or Idrial did not have 'Darkest Fear,' Diana had Berethor do 'Gondor Rampage' while Idrial did "Gil-galad Rampage' until Berethor claimed the victory at the defeat of Sauron. After Gandalf told us the summaries of many tales that ranged from Aragorn's journey to Frodo's journey and telling Berethor that his tales were only beginning, the game was over.
It took us six days to complete the game, and the three of us laid back on the couch with smiles on our faces and the feeling of accomplishment in our hearts.
"So, Berethor, what do you think?" I asked him. "Were your parents right in giving you your name?"
"Yes, I truly believe so," Berethor Wheaton answered, looking at me with a smile on his face. "Diana's always told me I was noble and compassionate, and the Gondorian shared those qualities. He was a born leader, braving his past and looking to his future, but also not losing faith in his companions. And, Berethor started out as the captain of the Citadel Guard."
"And you're going into the criminal justice system," Diana chimed in with awe in her voice.
"Well, I'm not going into corrections—"
"But still, you two have the same idea: looking out for the community you love. It was clear Berethor of Gondor loved his home and was proud of it. And right now, it's clear that Berethor of Pacific Bay loves his home and is proud to be raised in that community. I look forward to the day you are sworn in as an officer of the Pacific Bay Police."
I watched with happiness in my heart as Diana and Berethor shared a kiss, and in that moment, I knew that these two would marry and start a family one day.