In the early morning light, after the gifts had been given, they got into the three canoes the elves provided. Frodo, Sam and Aragorn in one, Boromir, Merry and Pippin in the second and Legolas, Gimli and Kirito in the third. Elves stood in boats and around the river bank, seeing them off as they paddled away.
Galadriel raised a hand in goodbye as they left. Kirito returned a small smile.
And soon they left the forest behind them. Legolas, being their boat paddler, easily took the lead down the river. Gimli didn't seem to like water too much, and was constantly trying to backseat – well he was seated in the middle but anyway – drive the boat and was constantly worried that Legolas would make a wrong stroke or Kirito would lean a certain way too much and was going to send them all into the River.
"Relax, will you. The current isn't even very strong and the shore is right there," Kirito said.
"Kirito, I prefer very much not to take a swim at this hour," Gimli snapped back.
Aside from that, the first few days of flowing down the river were peaceful. They covered a lot of miles a day, then slept on a nice riverbank for the night. But as the days went on, Kirito became a little angsty just sitting in a boat all day. He got an earful when he joking rocked the boat during one of Gimli's "paddle more carefully!" rants.
However, eventually began to feel like someone was watching them. Constantly. Every now and then, they would hear a noise of disturbance from somewhere along the passing shore than put everyone on edge. But there's no way anything could be following them on foot, or even on horseback on the shore and be able to keep up with them on the river.
Luckily when they entered a canyon in which the river had carved, they became more at ease as it would be very hard to follow them in there.
As they came around yet another bend in the river, who giant statues loomed above them. Statues that were taller than the canyons walls, made to look like two armored people hold out a hand in the STOP gesture.
"What are those?" Kirito asked in awe.
"The Aragonath. They depict the kings of old, helped carved right out of the walls by the dwarves you know," Gimli replied.
"They are Aragorn's kin. Kings of the past to which someday Aragon will well live up to the legacy of," Legolas added confidently. Aragorn's kin. The Aragonath. Huh. Naming parallels.
Everyone watched din awe as they passed the ginormous statues.
Less than a quarter mile after passing the Aragonath, the river widened into a huge lake. At the other end of the lake, Kirito could see the rising mist and faint roaring of a waterfall. They're journey on the river was at an end.
Not far from the waterfall, they paddled over to shore. From here, they went on foot, but which direction was the question. Which side of the river do they walk from? Most said to Mordor.
"We'll cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue of foot," Aragorn said as they begun making camp. They planned on traveling more in the evenings and at night for safety reasons, "We approach Mordor from the North."
"Oh yes?" Gimli said then continued, "Just a simple matter of finding out way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that it gets better. Festering, stinking marshlands as far as the eye can see."
"That is our road," Aragorn replied simply, "I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."
"What's there to recover. We've been sitting in a boat for the past two weeks," Kirito mumbled. Aragorn gave him a look and then went to go get more stuff out of the boats. Legolas went to talk to him.
"Yes and we've all discovered how you are when you sit and do nothing," Gimli mumbled, recalling how Kirito would rock the boat for amusement.
In all honesty Kirito couldn't blame him. Razor sharp rocks and a stinky probably disease-radiating marshland didn't sound very appealing to walk through.
"Where's Frodo?" Merry suddenly asked. Everyone looked around, not seeing their ringbearer. But someone else was missing too.
"Where's Boromir?" Kirito asked, seeing the man's shield and pack leaning against a tree with him nowhere in sight.
"I'll go look for them," Kirito replied as he finished putting a bundle of blankets in his inventory.
"Don't stray far. I sense something…strange about this place," Legolas warned.
"Yea, sure thing. BRB," Kirito replied. The Fellowship frowned. Kirito and his weird Other World sayings.
Kirito walked further into the trees looking for any signs of the Hobbit or Boromir.
"Yo. Frodo? You around here? You shouldn't leave camp without telling the others," he called, but got no response.
Kirito continued to walk, calling Frodo's, and occasionally Boromir's name. He continued to climb the hill. As he did so, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach.
"Kirito?" a hand on his shoulder almost made him jump. He turned to see Aragron, "Have you found him."
"No sign of either of them."
"Let us search together. Legolas, and now I too, feel something may be amiss here. You have felt it as well."
"Yeah."
The two dark haired men continued to search. Eventually, they reached the top of a hill, where stood a small structure made of stone. Frodo suddenly fell off the top of it.
"Frodo?" Aragorn asked as he approached the clearly shaken Hobbit.
"You okay?" Kirito asked. Frodo scrambled back from them, like he was afraid of something.
"It has taken Boromir," Frodo stated.
"Where is the ring?" Aragorn asked urgently and stepped forward.
"Stay away!" Frodo cried and ran into the safety of the stone thing.
Aragorn pursued, "I swore to protect you."
"Can you protect me from yourself?" Frodo replied.
"Frodo, you don't have anything to fear from me. The ring doesn't like me remember. You know this. We won't try to take it," Kirito said, standing back a little to give the Hobbit some space, hoping to reassure him.
Frodo uncurled his hands, revealing the ring, not on the chain. Damnit did he put it on to get away from Boromir or something? He spoke more to Aragorn than Kirito, "Would you destroy it then?"
Aragorn took a step forward and reached towards Frodo's opened hand. Frodo frowned, seeing that behind the Ranger, Kirito was suddenly clutching his head. It was the ring, trying to call Aragorn in and push Kirito as far away as possible. Frodo simultaneously felt Pity, Jealousy and a sense of Smugness towards Kirito, though why the last one, he couldn't explain.
But most of the Hobbit's attention was towards Aragorn's hand, getting closer to his own.
But rather than taking the ring from his opened hand, which could have happened to easily, he closed Frodo's fingers around the ring and knelt down to his level.
"I would have gone with you to the end. Into the very fires of Mordor." Aragorn stated as he pushed Frodo's hand containing the ring away form him and into Frodo's chest.
But they all sensed Aragorn's want for the ring. If he was starting to break, how long until the other's followed. It was getting harder for everyone to be around the ring so much. And so, they knew what had to happen next.
"I know," Frodo replied, "Look after the othes. Especially Sam. He will not understand."
Aragorn was about to reply when he suddenly frowned.
"Go Frodo!" he said and stood, drawing his sword.
Frodo looked at his glowing sword.
"Run. Now, Get to the boats and cross the river. And whatever you do, don't look back," Kirito said and Frodo nodded and ran for it. Kirito reached back and drew his two blades, the light grey was contrasting nicely with his black sword.
Just as they walked around hhe corner of the stone thing, a hords or orcs – not these weren't orcs. They were bigger and better equipped.
Orc level 2 then, Kirito decided.
Aragorn and Kirito jumped into the fray.
They were no doubt thougher than the Orcs they fought in Moria, but they still fell quickly to Aragon Dual wielding and Aragorn's harsh slashes.
"FIND THE HALFLING!" the one seemingly in charge called.
"See you in a bit, I'm going to draw them away from Frodo's direction," Kirito said.
Aragorn nodded.
Kirito began leading them in the opposite direction Frodo ran, a large portion of orcs followed him.
He killed several of them, then made his swords glow so they could see him.
Kirito killed wave after wave of the upgraded orcs.
"Mr. Kirito!" a voice called, and Kirito found himself pushing Sam to the ground to avoid getting shot by arrows.
"Where's Mr. Frodo," Sam said worriedly as Kirito cut down three orcs. More could be seen coming nearer.
"Getting to Safety, from everyone."
Sam processed the sentence. Then tried to run, bur Kirito caught his arm and hauled him behind a tree out of the way of more arrows.
"I must go with him! I swore I'd never leave him alone," Sam yelled as he struggled it Kirito's grasp.
"We all did Sam, and we came as far as possible, but this is something he's gotta do on his own."
"YOU don't understand. I can't live, knowing he's in danger and all. Do you know what that's like?"
Sam knew he struck a chord when Kirito suddenly froze.
"You do don't you. That girl, Miss Asuna, the one you talk about sometimes. She felt the same bout you didn't she? Merry and Pippin told us about her from over hearin you conversation an all."
"Yeah, and then she technically died!"
"BUT you survived because of it! Mr. Kirito please! Frodo can't do this alone! I won't let him. That ring no good to his brain. Someone has to be there to keep him sane and to help him survive! I can't let him go alone, I'd never forgive myself for staying behind!"
A painful memory flashed in the boy's mind.
"So you want to go to someplace dangerous alone and you expect me to stay here, someplace safe? You know what would happen if you didn't come back? I'd kill myself. I'd never forgive myself for staying behind, so what would be the point in living…. I want to stay with you….."
That conversation flashed through Kirito's mind, Asuna's voice resonating in his mind.
Kirito swiped his hand down. A second later, Sam found himself holding two red healing crystals.
"I'm not sure if you'll be able to activate them, but you might as well take them with you just in case. If nothing else they could make good trading items or at least something to throw. Go quickly and keep as low to the ground as possible. You'll have to be fast if you want to catch him," Kirito said.
"Thank you, Kirito," Sam said, then as Kirito charged the next round or incoming orcs, Sam scampered off back towards the river to catch Frodo.
Kirito jumped back into the fray. His dual wielding skills at maximum. He swung and cut down orc after orc, not taking any damage. All that was on his mind was kill these worthless minion monsters who were trying to kill his friends. He couldn't let anyone else die.
After several minutes of fighting, he heard a horn sound. That was Boromir's war horn. He was in dangers. Kirito cut down everything in his path, heading towards the repeated sound of the horn.
Kirito suddenly found himself in a ring of orcs. He changed his swords up and started slashing at anything close to him, but more kept coming.
Suddenly aid came in the form of Legolas and Gimli. He saw Aragorn run past, continuing towards the sound of Boromir's horn.
A few seconds later the ring or orcs was dead and the continued to run to their friends aid.
But it was to late. Kirito saw Aragorn suddenly chop down the leader upgraded orc dude who had used to have a bow. And then below, he saw Boromir on the ground, four arrows in his chest, barley sitting up, Merry and Pippin screaming in the screaming in the distance as they were being carried off by orcs.
The orcs retreated, having gotten the Halflings they thought they were coming for.
"No," Kirito said in shock, as he raced down to Boromir, Aragorn already there, trying to tend the arrow wounds.
"They took the little ones," Boromir managed to choke out.
"Hold still," Aragorn ordered, "Kirito, can you heal this with a crystal."
"Yes. But we need the arrows out first," Kirito replied, his last red crystal already in hand.
"Frodo! Where is Frodo?" Boromir asked frantically.
"I let Frodo go," Aragorn said quietly.
"Then you did what I could not," Boromir sounded extremely guilty, "I tried to take the ring from him."
"The ring is beyond our reach now," Aragorn replied.
"You don't have to worry about it anymore. The ring won't mess with your head anymore, Frodo can handle everything," Kirito added.
"Forgive me. I did not see. I have failed you all." Boromir said, "Remember me as I was before the ring's madness."
"No Boromir," Aragorn replied, "You fought bravely. You have kept your honor."
"Stop talking like your going to die. Hold still, we need to get the arrows out," Kirito said urgently, "Then I'll heal you and-"
"Kirito. You are likely to need that crystal for Merry or Pippin, or likely for you or the others. Waste it not on me," Boromir interrupted, "Leave the arrow."
"Boromir," Aragorn interrupted, grasping one of the arrow shafts.
"Leave it," Boromir insisted, one of his hand each grasping one of Aragorn's and Kirito's, "It is over for me. The world of men will fall. And all will come to darkness and my city to ruin."
"I do not know what strength is in my blood but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail," Aragorn said.
"Our people," Boromir said, liking the sound of that. He still had a grasp on Kirito's arm, preventing him from trying to use the crystal.
"Yes, your people. You can see them again. Just let us heal you," Kirito insisted.
Boromir smiled gently, letting go of Kirito's arm to grasp his sword to his chest, so he could die with it in his hands, "There is no need Kirito." Then he turned his attention back to Aragorn, "Take care of Kirito and the others, help our people, help Merry and Pippin. Do what I cannot," his voice was getting weaker, his breathing more painfully labored.
"Nononono, Boromir, just hang on for a few moments okay," Kirito said. The situation was reminding him far too much of Diavel during the Floor 1 Boss Fight.
"Kirito, I will not survive you pulling the arrows out. Leave them. Leave me. Aragorn will take care of you, and the others." Once again, he turned to focus of Aragorn, "I would have followed you, my brother…my captain… my king."
And with that, the light faded form Boromir's eyes. Kirito couldn't bring himself to try and look at Boromir's HP bar, already knowing that it was empty.
Boromir was dead.
Kirito lost another friend. Damnit couldn't he save anyone!
"Be at peace, son of Gondor," Aragorn said, and kissed Boromir's brow, a formal goodbye.
They held a small funeral for Boromir. They carried his body back to the shore. One of the boats was alreadt pulled to the other side. Good so Sam and Frodo made it alive.
They placed Boromir in one of the canoes, his sword and broken horn laying across his chest and removed the arrows. They said their goodbyes and then let the canoe drift over the waterfall. Boromir probably deserved a better funeral, but this was all they could do for him now.
Kirito looked down. Doing his best not to cry. Damnit couldn't he save anyone! No. Not Diavel, not Sachi or the other Moodlit Black Cats, not any of the other SAO players, not Godfree, not those killed by the Skull Reaper, not Asuna, not Gandalf, not Boromir. Pippin and Merry had been kidnapped. Hell, technically he couldn't even save himself. What was the point of him beign supposedly so strong if he could never stop anyone from dying!
But they had no time to talk or dwell.
Legolas pushed their remaining boat into the water.
"Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore," the blond elf urged.
Aragorn had no reply.
"You mean not to follow them?" Legolas said.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," Aragorn said solemnly.
"Then it has all been in vain," Gimli said, "The Fellowship has failed."
They looked to Aragorn for any sort of instruction. Aragorn placed his hands on Gimli and Legolas's shoulders, Kirito standing between them, and looking at all three he said, "Not if he hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Now, leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let us hunt some orc."
Aragorn picked up one or two items and sheathed a small dagger. Legolas and Gimli shared a look.
"Yes," Gimli roared with glee.
Kirito grinned, "Well the, Rescue mission go."
And with that, they packed up a small amount of camp and took off running after Aragorn, following the Orcs and their captive friends.
Kirito may not have been able to save the others, but this time this time Merry and Pippin were NOT going to die, he'd be dammed it they did.
Sam and Frodo would be okay. They had each other and healing crystals. Kirito trusted them to get rid of the ring.
Everyone would complete their mission and beat the game.
Of this Kirito was determined.
Whelp, there's the end of the first Movie. The second one will be soon to come. JI like reviews so go ahead and do that and the next set of chapters will be up soon. Did you like it, hate it. Tell me what you all think.