WOOHOO! Next chapter is finally finished! Sorry to keep y'all waiting, but I just got a bit of writers block and lost my inspiration for a moment. But I have returned and am now posting this new chapter, so I hope ya enjoy it. The Fellowship and Team Natsu have now entered Lothlorien to rest and recuperate from what they just went through in Moria.
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Fairy Tail or LOTR.
And also to you impatient 'Guest' reviewers out there who are saying things like "what's taking so long?", please stop it because it's rude and annoying. If you're gonna be impatient with how long I take on the next chapter then just stop reading altogether, because I can take however long I want while I'm working on the next chapter and I don't want anymore "what's taking so long?", comments. Got it? Good, now onto the story before I waste anymore time here.
Chapter 10 Rest and Recuperation in Lothlorien, and Introducing a New Ally
They soon came upon enormous trees with beautiful shelters built in their branches. What was beautiful about these shelters and the spiral stairs leading around the trunks was that they didn't seem to have harmed the trees in their construction, rather they worked with them as if in gratitude for providing shelter to begin with. Team Natsu couldn't help being amazed by the beauty of the strange forest as well as the houses that were built into the trees, though it did little to boost their spirits after the events that transpired in Moria. Especially after witnessing that showdown between Gandalf and the Balrog, it was still too traumatic for them to completely forget. And Gray for some reason couldn't get his mind off of how terrifying the Balrog was compared to Deliora, both were just as equally terrifying to him, and he was also still beating himself up over trying to pull an Iced Shell on it as he somehow couldn't figure out why he would just act simply out of fear like that. And Natsu, who was still feeling sick after devouring the Balrog's flames, was really regretting ever giving the old wizard a hard time the way he had and was now wishing he were still here with them so he could make it up to him. And the others were all still silently grieving the loss of Gandalf as well, especially Erza as she too somehow felt helpless now after failing to help save him as well.
"Stay close young hobbits," Gimli was heard telling the hobbits while beckoning them to come closer to him. "They say a great sorceress lives in these wood, an elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell..."
Frodo suddenly heard a soft gentle woman's voice in his head calling his name. Frodo. He blinked as he could be seen gazing around for the source of the voice.
"...and are never seen again," Gimli concluded with his description of this 'elf-witch'.
"Eh? R-Really?" Lucy asked as his explanation suddenly began to freak her out as she was still seen holding Gandalf's hat close to her, though she noticed that Legolas just rolled his eyes at the dwarf's over-exaggeration there.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam inquired worriedly as Frodo continued to hear the warm gentle voice in his head telling that his coming to them was as the footsteps of doom and that he brought great evil here.
Gimli then huffed. "Well here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily, I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" he boasted loudly but confidently.
This suddenly got Natsu's attention. "Bet they're no match against my dragon senses," he challenged the dwarf.
Gimli scoffed. "Is that a challenge, laddie?"
Natsu gave a cocky grin. "You bet it is, and I'm all fire u-"
Before Natsu had a chance to finish that sentence, the Fellowship and Team Natsu soon found themselves surrounded from all sides by elves having arrows pointed at them.
"The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," one elf, whose name was Haldir, told them before stepping forward and greeting Legolas and Aragorn in Elvish.
Gray smirked. "What about Natsu's obnoxious voice?" he pointed out, which Natsu was about to retort to but then thought better of it as he closed his mouth again for now after Erza gave him a look that clearly meant no fighting with each other.
"So much for the legendary courtesy of the elves! Speak words we can all understand!" Gimli suddenly demanded of Haldir who was still talking in Elvish with Aragorn and Legolas.
Haldir then turned towards him. "We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the dark times."
"And you know what this dwarf says to that?" Gimli stated as he then said something in his own tongue that appeared to be highly offensive towards Haldir and the other elves.
Aragorn suddenly placed a hand on the dwarf's shoulder and glanced down at him with a stern look. "That was not so courteous."
Haldir then glanced over at the rest of the Fellowship before pausing as his gaze fell on Frodo. "You bring great evil with you, you can go no further," he told them as everyone seemed to look over at Frodo for a moment.
The Fellowship and Team Natsu soon found themselves waiting patiently, including Natsu for once despite being bored, as Aragorn began talking with Haldir in Elvish about allowing them all to stay for a while. Frodo was sitting alone as he was still thinking about Gandalf and what had happened back in the mines, until Boromir suddenly glanced over at him. "Gandalf's death was not in vain, and nor would he have you give up hope. You carry a heavy burden, Frodo. Don't carry the weight of the dead."
Gray had also wandered over to join them as he sat down beside them. "If it helps, for me this experience was similar to when Ur sacrificed herself by using Iced Shell to seal away Deliora. It's an advanced ice magic spell that makes the caster's body become the ice itself, and that's exactly what happened back when Ur had cast it to seal Deliora. But after I joined Fairy Tail I was able to move past all that...until now," he added that last part quietly so they wouldn't be able to hear it.
Boromir glanced over at him. "This 'Iced Shell', I assume that was what you were about to call out before Gandalf had stopped you from doing so. That was a reckless act on your part back there."
Gray nodded. "I know. I don't normally act without thinking like that, but for some reason I just acted out of fear like...like a scared little boy... And I think he also somehow sensed what Iced Shell was capable of too when he saw me about to cast it. Aw man, I feel so pathetic now..." He suddenly put his face in his hands to hide the tears that were beginning to show, when Frodo suddenly reached out to touch his shoulder. "But you, Natsu, and Erza were only doing your best to try and help him back there even if you were putting your own lives at risk in the process," the Ringbearer spoke quietly and sympathetically to reassure him that he was not pathetic, understanding that Gray's past could relate to what happened recently after losing Gandalf back in Moria. Talking with Frodo like this for a while and confiding to him about his past somehow made Gray feel a little better after what they all just went through back in the mines.
Just then Haldir and Aragorn had finished talking, and Haldir approached the Fellowship and Team Natsu. "You will follow me."
Haldir led them deeper within Lothlorien to the heart of Elvendom known as Caras Galadhon where he explained that it was the realm of Lord Celeborn and Galadriel the Lady of Light.
"Wow, she must be very beautiful to have earned the title Lady of Light," Lucy commented in awe, while Wendy and Carla both found themselves agreeing with her about that as well.
They were now being led up a long staircase that spiraled around a tree until they reached the top where they were greeted by Celeborn and Galadriel as the elven couple was seen descending a small flight of step, hand in hand, down towards them to welcome them to Lothlorien. The Fellowship and Team Natsu found themselves gazing in awe at their radiance, as Aragorn even touched his right hand to his forehead as a sign of respect towards the elven couple approaching them.
Celeborn spoke first glancing at each member of the Fellowship as he told them that the enemy knows that they have entered here and that all hope they had in secrecy was now lost. "Fifteen there are here, and yet sixteen there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me where is Gandalf for I much desire to speak with him, for I can no longer see him from afar."
Galadriel glanced over at Lucy, who was still seen holding onto Gandalf's hat as her eyes were also still slightly wet with tears since leaving Moria. "Gandalf the Grey did not pass the border of this land, he has fallen into shadow," Galadriel stated knowingly as though she had somehow sensed it.
"He was taken by both shadow and flame, a Balrog of Morgoth," Legolas then spoke up as both Galadriel and Celeborn were saddened to hear this. "For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose," Galadriel said in reply.
As they continued talking, Galadriel was also sending out warm comforting thoughts towards the minds of each member of the Fellowship and especially Team Natsu to ease their troubled thoughts. Although she also happened to notice Gray's mind in particular happened to be full of traumatizing thoughts as he was still thinking of how terrifying the Balrog was compared to Deliora, as Gandalf's sacrifice had somehow hit him even harder than Ur's when she had sealed Deliora away. Galadriel glance into his mind and smiled warmly as she mentally spoke to him soothingly, her words bringing comfort to each of them; There is no need to fear the demon from your past, young ice mage, as I'm sure your master would not want you to continue to live in fear of Deliora all because another demon has brought back all of those memories you had long since moved past. And you need not continue to fear the Balrog anymore as well, Gandalf's sacrifice was not invain, as I'm sure that Ur's was not as well when she sealed Deliora away. So do not allow yourself to be consumed with a desire for vengeance that it causes to you feel the need to slay every demon you may come across here in Middle Earth. You are all safe here within Lothlorien, young wizards of Earthland.
Team Natsu all appeared to have calmer thoughts after that as they suddenly felt themselves relax a bit at hearing her soothing voice inside their heads, and even Gray found himself relaxing slightly from his past fears of Deliora -and just recently the Balrog too, as they all knew that she was right and that they would indeed be safe here. And especially Erza and Natsu, too, as Galadriel had also gently told them that Gandalf's death was not their fault despite their efforts in putting their own lives at risk in order to prevent it and to not let their minds be troubled by their failures. She especially touched Carla's mind and gently assured her that her vision was not to blame for it either which seemed to calm her troubled mind over it as the white Exceed suddenly felt more relaxed now afterwards. Though they also wondered how she could know about them to begin with when they hadn't even said anything or had the chance to introduce themselves yet.
They now found themselves being led someplace where they would be allowed to stay the night before departing the next day, while being unaware of a certain blue haired young woman watching them -or more specifically, she was seen gazing at a certain dark haired ice wizard that she only had eyes for- from behind a nearby tree as she was waiting for the right moment to reveal herself to them. That was when they suddenly heard what sounded like singing which was beautiful but not loud, soft but clear and pure. It seemed sorrowful despite it being sung in Elvish and not many in the party being privy to knowing what was being sung. "A lament for Gandalf..." Legolas said sorrowfully as the others were also all listening as well.
"It's beautiful," Wendy quietly commented in reply despite not understanding the words to the lament.
Carla smiled slightly. "Yes, I agree," she replied. "And it really is quite peaceful here after what we just went through."
Even Lucy had to agree that it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard as she proceeded to wipe tears from her eyes while still holding Gandalf's hat close to her.
"What do they say about him?" Merry suddenly asked.
"I have not the heart to tell you," Legolas replied, his face still saddened as he turned to face him. "For me, the grief is still too near."
"I bet they don't mention his fireworks, there should be a verse about them," Sam pointed out as he suddenly stands up and begins to make up his own verse about Gandalf's fireworks. "The finest rockets ever seen," he began which ended up catching most of their attention, including the members of Team Natsu who became especially interested to hear it. "They burst in stars of blue and green. Or after thunder, silver showers, came falling like a rain of flowers...oh that doesn't do them justice by a long road," Sam suddenly mutters before sitting back down again.
Erza smiled slightly at his attempt. "It was a valiant effort, Sam. I'm sure he would still approve of it if he were still here."
"Aye and it rhymed, so who wouldn't like it?" Happy agreed.
"Well I'm glad you think so, Miss Erza, and Happy," Sam replied smiling slightly at the fact that at least two people still liked it.
Natsu blinked as he suddenly felt a raindrop land on him. "Hey is it supposed to rain in an elf forest?" he suddenly asked, getting everyone's attention as they also all noticed the sudden change in the weather and began to wonder what could be causing it here in Lothlorien.
"I think I have a pretty good idea of who it could be," Happy suddenly spoke up with a knowing grin that caught everyone's attention. "And it's someone who only has eyes for Gray."
"Aw come on, Happy, don't start talkin' creepy stuff like that!" Gray sputtered out frantically in protest. "Besides, Juvia's not even h-"
"Drip drip drop," came the familiar voice of the rainwoman, well familiar to Team Natsu anyway, as Juvia Lockser had decided to make her presence known to them already though she did end up startling everyone with her appearance.
"What the...J-Juvia!" Gray sputtered, as he was surprised by her sudden appearance here in Middle Earth though not as surprised as the Fellowship as Juvia had then turned off her rain. Gray sighed as he ended up having to be the one to introduce her to the Fellowship. "Alright everyone, this is another one of our friends from Fairy Tail Juvia Lockser. And Juvia, this is-" he then pointed towards each member of the Fellowship in turn as he introduced her to them. "-Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Juvia politely told them. "And Juvia also apologizes for startling everyone like that," she added, though since the Fellowship had been steadily growing accustomed to the strange occurrences of Fairy Tail wizards the sudden appearance of one more didn't come as a shock to them but just more like surprised. Although it did leave them wondering as to how she ended up here, or if she arrived in Middle Earth the same way that Team Natsu did.
"So did you end up here in Middle Earth the same way that Natsu and the others did then?" Frodo spoke up, asking the same question that he assumed the rest of the Fellowship was also thinking.
"Right, Juvia supposes she should explain," Juvia replied, as she began to explain to the Fellowship and especially Team Natsu everything that went on after the portal had opened up on the job request Natsu had picked up off the request board. "It was then that Levy had decided to try to recreate the portal from the job request to find out where it sent all of you, so we could bring you all back. But that wasn't all...something apparently went wrong with Levy's first attempt and it somehow ended up bringing this strange old man to our guild." She paused as she then did her best to describe him as best she could. "He didn't look like he was from anywhere in Fiore at all; he had a white beard, was dressed all in white and he was carrying some sort of staff-"
Natsu, Gray, and Happy all suddenly expressed equal looks of shock at that description as their jaws all dropped in shock. And even certain members of the Fellowship who were familiar with Saruman were surprised to here this as well.
"Wait, tell me that's not who I think it is!" Gray suddenly exclaimed.
"So that Sour-Man actually did go and find some way into our world then?!" Natsu growled furiously.
"Natsu, I think you mean Saruman," Happy corrected him on that.
"Whatever, I don't tend to make a habit outta remembering the names of Fairy Tail's enemies," Natsu said.
"Ouch, that comment alone has gotta be enough to burn him down," Happy remarked sarcastically.
"Juvia, you have to tell us, did he seem suspicious at all?" Gray asked, pressing her for details.
Aragorn nodded. "Indeed, if Saruman has indeed found a way to your world then I doubt even your strongest wizards there would stand a chance against him."
"Come on, this Fairy Tail you're talkin' to here. And we always win," Natsu stated while giving his trademark grin.
"And you are far too cocky, boy, if that's how you plan on beating any enemy you happen to come across," Boromir told him while hitting him over the head for trying to be overconfident.
"Oh yeah? And just what's that supposed to mean?!" Natsu shot back defensively to argue his point as he was now up in the man's face glaring fiercely.
"That's enough, Natsu. Let's let Juvia finish," Erza told him, as Boromir didn't let himself be fazed by Natsu's remark as he just simply shoved the pink haired boy out of his face. Erza then nodded for Juvia to continue.
Juvia nodded. "Well he did seem like the type that couldn't be trusted, like maybe a dark wizard or something. And when he appeared in our guild, he asked if we had any strong wizards and demanded we hand them over for some sort of army he was putting together."
"But you guys obviously fought back, right?" Natsu asked her. "'Cause there's no way Gramps would've allowed it!"
Juvia nodded again. "Yes, that started when Gajeel stated that he didn't like his scent at all, and Master was furious as he said that he would rather die than hand over any of us like that."
"And thus beginning an all new epic battle: all of Fairy Tail vs Saruman!" Happy declared challengingly, before suddenly realizing something. "And Fairy Tail won, right?"
"Well, um, not exactly," Juvia replied a bit hesitantly. "Almost the entire guildhall was destroyed in the process, and he kidnapped Levy and left just like that, leaving all the rest of us in low spirits. Gajeel and Pantherlily took off after him to try to get Levy back, and Juvia followed as well because she knew it would also lead her to where Gray-sama was. But Juvia ended up finding herself here in this forest instead."
"Wait, so you've been waiting here this whole time before we arrived? Talk about creepy," Gray said with a deadpanned expression.
"Yes, after Juvia told her story to Celeborn-dono and Galadriel-dono they in turn told Juvia she should wait here until you all arrived," Juvia replied, not appearing at all fazed by Gray's comment.
Natsu, meanwhile, was practically seething with rage that it was almost scary -and even the hobbits had to back away from him when he was like this since it was never a good idea to be on the receiving end of a wizard's wrath, including hotheaded teenage pyromaniac wizards- once Juvia had finished explaining her story as he was now wanting to burn a certain White Wizard to a crisp for even daring to attack Fairy Tail. "He went and trashed our guild like that just for our strongest members?! Unforgivable! This means war, if he thinks he get away with attacking ours friends back at the guild like that while we weren't there! And Levy...we also gotta rescue her too!"
"Aye!" Happy agreed boldly.
Erza nodded. "And if Gajeel and Lily are now somewhere in Middle Earth as well, that'll give us two more allies to be on the watch for," she added while hoping that they would eventually run into those two soon because the people of Middle Earth were going to need all the help they could get in this war against Sauron.
Lucy, Wendy, and Carla were also just as horrified to hear what had happened back at the guild as they listened to Juvia's story. Lucy was especially horrified to hear that her best friend had ended up getting captured like that, although she knew that all she could do right now was rely on Gajeel and Lily to rescue her. "Levy-chan...," she said sadly.
Natsu was suddenly on his feet in seconds and getting out his sword. "Well, time to start training if I don't want Metalhead showin' me up once we meet up with him. You with me, Happy?"
"Aye sir!" Happy agreed.
Gray smirked. "In that case, I'll be your sparring partner. And I won't be holding back, charcoal breath."
Natsu grinned cockily in reply. "Good, 'cause that's just the way I like it. A little friendly sparring match. So bring it on, Frosty. I'm all fired up!"
"You can do it, Gray-sama! Juvia will cheer for you!" Juvia exclaimed cheerfully as Gray ended up discarding his shirt before he and Natsu began their sparring match, and surprisingly Natsu was actually exercising restraint this time which came as quite a surprise to the Fellowship while Erza was also nodding her head approvingly at how smoothly they were sparring as they also assumed that he was trying to keep the promise he made to Gandalf about how he would make himself learn restraint back in the mines before the old wizard fell.
Legolas even quietly commented on how Natsu and Gray could still have that much energy for a sparring match after what they all just went through back in the mines, especially after Natsu had also gone and devoured the flames of the Balrog like that as well, though Lucy just shrugged and stated that it was just because they're boys and that's just how they are. Although Erza also explained that eating the Balrog's flames wasn't the first time he did something that foolish as she explained about that other time back in Fiore when he had gone and eaten Etherion back in the Tower of Heaven while they were still fighting Jellal.
Lucy was now wearing Gandalf's hat as her way of honoring his memory, though she suddenly realized that with Gandalf gone they now had no one to help them return to their world once this quest was finally over...unless...Lucy suddenly turned her thoughts back to Juvia's explanation of how she ended up here, from her friend Levy attempting to recreate the portal that brought them here. She knew that she had to had faith that Gajeel and Lily would be able rescue her from Saruman, since with Gandalf gone that meant that Levy was now their alternative for returning home after they complete this quest.
Later that night Lucy found she was unable to sleep as she could be seen just sitting with her back against a tree and her knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head resting on her lap as she still couldn't get over what they just went through back in Moria with Gandalf's death, as well as thinking about Levy and what that awful wizard Saruman was putting her through even though she still hoped that Gajeel and Lily would be able to rescue her. She also couldn't understand how the rest of the Fellowship was even able to sleep through Natsu's loud monstrous snoring in the first place, and she even noticed Gray whimpering slightly in his sleep most likely due to his old nightmares of Deliora returning. She honestly couldn't blame him since she did hear him mentioning how that experience was almost similar to Ur's sacrifice of sealing Deliora away. Lucy suddenly heard movement close by that startled her as she looked to see that Frodo was also still awake and appeared to be following Galadriel somewhere. Curious, she got up and after placing Gandalf's hat on her head she decided to follow after him as she soon found herself walking down a small flight of steps, still just behind Frodo, as they were now standing before a pedestal with a basin sitting on top as Galadriel had filled a pitcher with water from a small spring that was just behind her before pouring it into the basin as she glancing over at both Frodo and Lucy -the Ringbearer having noticed Lucy's presence as she came to stand beside him.
"Will you look into the mirror?" Galadriel asked both of them, motioning towards the water in the basin.
Frodo and Lucy both exchanged glances with one another before glancing back at her. "What will we see?" Frodo inquired while advancing towards the basin with Lucy following behind him.
"Even the wisest cannot tell, for the mirror shows many things. Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass," Galadriel explained to them as both Frodo and Lucy stepped forward to peer into the mirror.
~The mirror first revealed to them a glimpse of the Shire with hobbits here and there going about their usual business before it suddenly changed from what was once a peaceful part of Middle Earth to the whole Shire going up in flames with orcs rounding up hobbits to do who knows what kind of unspeakable things to them as Frodo watched with a horrified expression at seeing this happening to his own homeland. Lucy, too, was also equally horrified at what she was seeing as she placed a comforting hand on Frodo's shoulder. ~Just then the vision suddenly changed to reveal Fiore and what was going on back at the guild as Lucy suddenly saw what Juvia had explained to them earlier when she had arrived here in Middle Earth, she saw her friend Levy's first attempt at recreating the portal that brought them here that failed which was followed by an old wizard similar to Gandalf but was wearing all white robes instead of grey -Lucy assumed this was Saruman, despite not having actually met him, as she could also see that he also had brought a small group of orcs with him that began to trash their guildhall despite every Fairy Tail wizard fighting back as best they could to defend their guild and each other. She watched in horror as Saruman then used his magic to destroy their guildhall after Makarov denied his demands to hand over some of their strongest wizards for Sauron's army declaring that he would rather die than hand over any of his children for such an evil purpose. Saruman then left the Fairy Tail guild after forcefully grabbing Levy by her hair and taking her with him to use her to open a portal for him, which was then followed by Gajeel and Pantherlily angrily charging after him to get her back with Juvia not far behind them. The scene then changed to Isengard where Levy was being held captive and forced to create the portal, and Lucy also saw Saruman putting her through unimaginable tortures if she refused to cooperate for him.~
Lucy had her hands over her mouth with a horrified expression on her face. "No... Levy-chan..." Frodo glanced up at her sorrowfully and also horrified that Lucy's best friend was being treated like this knowing that he would feel the same way if he was in her place and if this were happening to Sam, Merry, or Pippin.
~The scene in the mirror suddenly switched back to Fiore as it suddenly revealed Magnolia up in flames and everybody dead, Lucy was even horrified to see her apartment burning down, as well as the Fairy Tail guild hall as she saw that it had now been burned down to nothing but ashes remaining of what was left of their guildhall before the scene switched back to Middle Earth again to reveal a huge eye wreathed in flames.~ Lucy became frozen with terror at the sight of it while Frodo suddenly found himself leaning forward towards the mirror, as though he were being pulled into it, with the Ring suddenly revealing itself as it was now seen hovering over the image of the Eye from the chain it was hanging on around his neck. Frodo suddenly closed his hand around the Ring and ended up pulling back away from the mirror, causing the image to disappear as the water had gone back to normal as Lucy had also snapped out of her shock.
Galadriel was still standing off to the side as she just watched them. "I know what it is you both saw...for it is also in my mind," she told them before glancing over towards Frodo. "It is the future of what will come to pass, Frodo, should you fail. Not only the Shire, but all of Middle Earth, will be destroyed. Not to mention the world that Lucy and her friends are from should Saruman succeed in having this portal created and if Sauron were to reclaim the Ring." She then glanced towards Lucy. "Your friend must also be rescued before that can happen...before Saruman can succeed in breaking her into joining the Enemy."
Lucy nodded solemnly. "Yes, that's why I put my trust in Gajeel and Lily to save her. That's why they're both out there somewhere. I just hope they are able to rescue Levy, she doesn't deserve to be treated so horribly like that." She was comparing it to when Phantom Lord had attacked their guild and Gajeel, back when he was still a member of Phantom, had attacked Levy, Jet, and Droy. The situation now seemed much worse than anything Phantom could have done back then.
Galadriel nodded as she also went on to explain to both of them that the Fellowship was breaking and that it has already begun before suddenly entering Frodo's mind as she spoke this next part for just him alone to hear. He will try to take the Ring from you, you know of whom I speak. One by one it would destroy them all.
If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring. Frodo then attempted to offer Galadriel the One Ring which deeply intrigued her at seeing that he offered it to her freely as she slowly begins to advance towards him before suddenly becoming all scary-looking that suddenly made Lucy shriek in fear, while Frodo just looked afraid and began taking a few steps back, as Galadriel declared that in place of a Dark Lord there would be a Queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn and that all shall love her and despair before suddenly returning to normal again as she spoke more calmly and gently this time. "I pass the test, I will diminish and go into the west and remain Galadriel."
"But I cannot do this alone," Frodo said fearfully as Galadriel glanced down at him. "You are a ringbearer, Frodo. To bear a ring of power is to be alone. This task was appointed to you and if you do not find a way, no one will," she told him.
Frodo then realized what she meant by that. "I know what I have to do...it's just, I'm afraid to do it...," he said hesitantly, as Galadriel then bent down to be at eye level with him. "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future," she replied as Frodo then looked down at the Ring still lying the palm of his hand as he then closes his fingers over it.
Lucy then placed a hand on his shoulder as she glanced down at him smiling warmly. "She's right, and I believe in you too, Frodo," she told him gently but with a determination that would help build up his confidence as Frodo glanced up at her giving a small smile in return. "Thank you, Lucy."
Meanwhile
Somewhere within Isengard, a petite young girl about the same age as Lucy with brown eyes and blue hair that she kept tied back by an orange headband and was also wearing a sleeveless short orange dress with a white sash at the top that went up to tie around her neck while the sleeves were unattached and were just tied around her arms at the elbows, just sat staring with her eyes glued to the request paper that had brought Team Natsu -her friends- here to begin with as she sighed and began to wonder when she would be able to escape from this awful place she was brought to. Just then an orc suddenly came up and grabbed her by the hair from behind causing her to scream in pain as he forced her to continue her work on the portal for Saruman. Levy McGarden began to whimper in fear as tears began to fill her sad and frightened brown eyes and roll down her cheeks as she continued to figure out the strange writing on the request paper in order to figure out how to create the portal, though unknown to Saruman, she was working on it slowly in order to stall for time in the hopes of being rescued.
In another cavern of Isengard, Saruman was busy creating his army of Uruk-Hai and preparing them for battle as he began telling them to hunt down the Fellowship and to not stop until they are found. "You do not know pain. You do not know fear. You will taste man-flesh." He then turned to an Uruk whose name was Lurtz. "One of the halflings carries something of great value, bring him to me alive and unspoiled. And also among them are those mages who are from the same world as our little 'guest' here...you will bring at least two or three of them to me. Kill the others."
Meanwhile, unknown to Saruman and his army of Uruk-Hai, a certain Iron Dragon Slayer and his Exceed partner had somehow managed to sneak their way into Isengard unnoticed and disguised in order to blend in as they were lying in wait for the army of Uruk-Hai to leave before making their move to rescue Levy from this dreadful place. "Hang on, Shrimp, we're gonna bust ya outta here. So just wait for us, and don't let 'em break ya before we get to ya," Gajeel Redfox quietly whispered for only his Exceed partner to hear as they prepared themselves to storm Isengard and rescue Levy.
Well I hope you enjoy this chapter. And yes, Juvia will be joining them when they prepare to leave the next day. And yes, she did explain how she ended up in Middle Earth. And please don't kill me for what Levy's being put through after being captured by Saruman because I don't like it anymore than you do, but Gajeel and Pantherlily are gonna rescue her. Gihihi, yes Gajeel and Pantherlily if you didn't catch the hint when I said 'a certain Iron Dragon Slayer and his Exceed partner'. Anywho, anyone who wants me to write a chapter of Gajeel and Lily storming Isengard to rescue Levy, you can feel free to let me know. In the meantime I'll just be busy working on the next chapter now. ;)
