A/N: Alright! So here's how this story is going to work. I'm going to post it broken up according to the movies. When Fellowship ends, the first volume of Sleeper will end, etc. and so forth. That way it'll make it easier to keep up with so those who aren't quite LotR timeline savvy. Hope all of you are enjoying it so far!

Disclaimer: I claim nothing.

~~~Chapter Five~~~ Into The Darkness

Valo stared in awe at the protective stance Legolas had taken before him. The sight of his fierce eyes glaring towards the door made something warm and tight stop his breath. Arrows pierced the rotted wood of the door like missiles. Gimli had jumped onto Lord Balin's tomb furiously, wielding two aging battle axes gathered from his fallen comrades. His face was set into a fierce scowl that Valo would surely quake to have directed at himself. Aragorn put out a hand for them, a signal to step away from the door. Sam stood in front of his friend in defense, bearing only a short sword and a sauce pan. The ground seemed to quake with the steps of their foe's approach. His heart filled with fear at their approach. He was unarmed! Defenseless! The doors shattered inward with a BOOM that had splinters of wood raining down on their company and goblins spilling through the doors. The cave troll came through the opening, club swinging. Merry and Pippin had taken up shelter behind Legolas with him, ready with their own short swords and kitchen utensils should the need arise. Aragorn was hacking into orcs left and right, being spared an unpretty demise at the end of the troll's club by Boromir's quick swordsmanship.

Valo looked around frantically. Where was Frodo?! He caught sight of the Halfling backed into a corner, trapped by the snarling troll's vicious maw. His body kicked into gear before his brain did and the teen found himself sprinting across the room, dodging sword strokes and arrows. He had to make it! He had to save him! He watched as if slow motion as the sickening creature reared it's spear back to strike. Valo was seconds away! The spear was lunged forward and his soul broke as Frodo released a horrible, pain filled cry into the air. The troll had a pleased snarl on it's misshapen face. He stared down at the scene, the vision too terrible for his mind to wrap around. He expected himself to start to cry, to do something inanely stupid and probably kill himself in the process…but it didn't come. A cool numb calm swept over him for a split second. His mind quieted, time seeming to slow around him. The moment of calm did not last though as his eyes alighted on the dying hobbit at his feet. A burning, all consuming rage took hold of him and it was as if time slammed back to reality all at once.

His eyes burned as his rage gave him new energy and strength. It coursed through his blood like a searing poison, only adding fuel to the fire that had grown inside him. Valo hissed ferally, feeling a sickened pleasure as the troll halted in it's tracks, backing away in fear. It tried to bow in submission but the damage was done. Valo had the vague thought that his eyes were on fire for some reason before he extended his hand towards the disgusting hulking thing. There was another word on his mouth, a word that felt like knives, dark and promising. There was no hesitation. He spoke it, forcing the very word itself into the troll's body.

"Avada Kedavra!" He yelled, fury taking over him completely.

A sickly green light burst from his hand leaving a tingling sensation in it's wake. The beam slammed into the troll and without another breath, the thing fell down dead immediately. He had thought naively that it would be over once he killed the troll. How wrong he was. The rage remained, bubbling up through his small body like a geyser trying to force it's way through a cap. His body was the cap though and any moment he was going to give way. The sharp sting of fear allowed him to regain his slight control, giving him thought enough to focus it. No need to cook his friends. He rolled all of that burning energy in his body into a ball, forcing it out into his fingertips. The goblins never knew what had hit them. A wreath of flame erupted from his body without warning, striking every orc in the room though passing harmlessly through his allies.

Gandalf jerked around to stare at him after the last goblin fell, followed by the rest of the Fellowship. All were staring at him in terror. Valo, fell against the wall, exhausted by the emptiness now filling him where that energy had once been. He felt surely that he had blacked out for a moment for he was brought to by Gandalf's wrinkled hands jerking him back up to standing, bringing him face to face with the old Istari.

"What did you do, Valo?! What did you Call?!" He asked desperately, shaking the child slightly.

Valo knew that they probably thought him a monster for his eyes were still the orange flaming orbs of the Dark Lord. They slowly began to fade as he calmed himself. He was a monster…His eyes only seemed to focus on Legolas at first. The elf was staring at him as if he had just seen Sauron himself. He probably thought he had. The hobbits were all understandably terrified and Boromir looked as if he would like nothing more than to decapitated him just like he had done to the orcs now scattering the floor. He forced himself to focus on Gandalf's fearful blue eyes. Call? There was a soft cough to the side, and everyone turned to the thought dead hobbit lying on the ground.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam cried, rushing over to his friend like nothing from here to Valinor could deter him.

The company gathered around the Ring Bearer that was even now sitting up as if he never been in battle at all. Intriguing creatures, hobbits. Valo stayed curled against the wall, finally allowing himself to slide down to sit on the floor. He was trying to gather his scattered thoughts while the inner voice that stayed with him always cackled gleefully at his plight. He would be lucky if they didn't just leave him in this chamber to die. Valo's lip trembled slightly. He refused to cry! Would they kill him now? Was he unnatural in their eyes?

Freak.

A dry sob caught in his throat just as he heard soft footsteps approach. Valo looked up, fearing the killing stroke or the disgusted gaze of one of the company. Instead, he found Frodo smiling down at him as if he hadn't just shot flames out of his body on accident. The Halfling leaned down to help him up happily.

"You saved me, Valo. Even though you had no weapons, you ran after me anyways. Thank you." His soft voice said calmly.

He had done good? Frodo's smile said yes but the looks that the rest of the Fellowship gave him and the way they would not approach said another story entirely. They were about to discuss what to do next when the sound of the drums continued, the chatter of many goblins at once filling the usually silent caverns. Gandalf turned to them, jerking he and Frodo over quickly.

"To the bridge of Khazad-dum!"

They ran.

Goblins were scurrying down the pillars like insects swarming a carcass, continuing with their noises that passed for speech. Valo ran as fast as his legs could carry him, sometimes being helped forward by a tug from Aragorn. The Dwarrowdelf was completely filled with goblins. They were doomed. The goblins had them surrounded in minutes, encircling them all. They teased and squawked with sharp thrusts from the stray spear but did not approach. Their babble was not lost on many of the Fellowship, for all who knew the Black Speech could understand it. Their noise was deafening in the great hall.

"The Dark One! The Dark One returns!"

"Meat! Want to feast on Man-Flesh!"

Valo hissed at a spear that got too close to Frodo, sending the unlucky orc scurrying backwards. He was starting to despair when that delicious feeling he'd felt at the Door shot up his spine like an arrow. Pleasure coursed through his blood, a drug more tantalizing than any. His trembling nearly sent him to his knees with sensation overload. He craved the darkness that now filled the hall, coming ever closer. A grating sound echoed throughout the Dwarrowdelf and a fearsome roar sent the goblin masses scurrying back up the pillars and into the darkness in terror. Valo only wished he felt the same way. He'd give anything for that enticing allure to come closer. So like his Master…He hadn't realized that not only was his state of mind suffering from the separation but his body mourned the loss of that power as well.

"This foe is beyond any of you…Run!" Gandalf ordered.

Aragorn as if sensing Valo's tremulous state of mind, jerked him along by his wrist, not leaving any way for the teen to fall behind, no matter how much he wanted to. The path they ran was precarious and the Shadow following behind them roared in fury, enraged at it's prey having been taken from it. Valo was grateful for Aragorn's strong hand guiding him because with each roar, his eyes rolled into the back of his head as sparks of lightning danced through his nerves. The bridge of Khazad-dum was just ahead and they scurried over it. His mind was in that foggy state again where nothing was reality and all narrowed down to that pleasurable feeling overtaking his senses. Aragorn had released him in order to help the others across the broken stairway. The voice inside his mind crowed in delight. Valo stopped in the center of the bridge, standing between the Fellowship and the Balrog crawling through the doorway. In the back of his mind, he heard Aragorn call out to him but it was masked by the rightness of it all. He should go to the Balrog. It was where he belonged. In shadow…He stepped towards the thing, his eyes glazed and focusing only on the creature before him.

Whispers echoed in the chasm, Black Speech dancing across his brain. They begged him to go back. Go to the Balrog. Back to his Master. The Balrog before him purred in delight at his steady approach, it's wings spread wide as if to embrace him. He was meters away. Reaching out. Mere moments…A hard muscled arm jerked him backwards around his middle and a bright white light filled his vision. The brightness of it had Valo shrieking in pain as the desire in his blood turned, reflecting the enormous creature's rage. Gandalf stood between them, shouting to the thing. Aragorn was pulling him backwards, away from it to stand with the Fellowship on the other side of the bridge. Valo stilled, the overwhelming desire lessening the further away he got. His mind slowly began to clear. What was Gandalf doing? He wasn't strong enough to defeat such a demon! He would die!

"Gandalf!" He cried in terror and despair.

It filled him to his core as he recalled all that his Master had ever said about the demons of the Ancient World. Many Sauron had brought over himself from where ever he came from before and they had been settled in the dark places of the earth. Biding their time and growing stronger and more terrible as the Ages passed. The Balrog cracked it's whip, the threat heavy on the air. Valo watched on with horror filling his every being as his beloved friend faced off against a creature as ancient than any they had faced. No…There had to be something he could do! He couldn't just stand by and-! Frodo was crying out to his mentor though Gandalf did not seem to hear.

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!" The wizened Istari yelled over the roar of flame.

The Balrog drew itself up to full height releasing a deafening, furious snarl that shook the very cavern itself.

"You shall not pass!"

He felt his whole world crashing around him as one of the only people to ever accept him stood in the path of a monster in their defense. No, no, no! It wasn't supposed to happen this way! It wasn't! The bridge gave a loud crack before giving way beneath the enormous creature's feet. The Balrog locked it's flaming eyes with Valo's once more before plunging helplessly into the abyss. He felt his face fold into relief. Everything was going to be alright…Their relief was short lived, however. With a sickening snap, the Balrog's flame whip flung from the darkness and wrapped brutally around the wizard's ankle, tugging Gandalf over the edge of the broken bridge. Aragorn tensed around him, his grip around the teen's waist nearly crushing. The old wizard gave them one last desperate look.

"Fly you fools!" He hissed before letting go of the ledge.

Valo watched him fall as if in slow motion. Poor Frodo lunged in Boromir's arms, a sharp scream on his lips. Aragorn carried him out in a rush, Legolas taking the hobbits while Boromir fought with a writhing, crying Frodo. The world stilled for Valo. Nothing really felt real. As if it were all a dream, some false imagery and Gandalf would walk over the hill smiling like he always did. He had never…lost someone before, and yet the pain felt redoubled. Acute. It pierced his heart like a knife wound, twisting and mutilating as it tore through. It felt as if he should vomit blood or something foul to rid himself of this hurt but there was nothing that could be done. A hole had been torn in his life and nothing could cure the agony but time. The hobbits were sobbing together now that they had finally reached the outside.

He hadn't even felt Aragorn set him down or start to bark instructions to the others. Frodo was walking away. Valo felt for him especially. He had know Gandalf all his life…Boromir was suddenly towering above the silent teen with a fury fueled by grief. A cruel hit was brutally delivered to his face by a sword calloused hand, hard enough that he had doubt there would be a bruise there tomorrow. Valo looked up at the Man in shock. Despite the pain he knew that he should be feeling, nothing seemed to want to register. Everything was muted. Dull.

"You brought this upon us! You drew that thing to us and now Gandalf is dead because of your witchery!" Boromir yelled as numb tears fell from hollow emerald eyes.

Valo realized quickly that the warrior was right. Gandalf had come back for him along with Aragorn. They could have both been lost…It was all his fault. He had killed one of the first good things to ever come into his life. He was a monster…The senseless hurt in the Man's eyes was the only proof he needed. Boromir raised his hand back for a second hit but there was suddenly a hand there stopping him. Aragorn stepped into view, his eyes blazing with rage at his fellow. Legolas was suddenly at Valo's side, pulling him over to the side for safety and to assess for any wounds he may have received from the misplaced anger.

"Don't you EVER lay a hand on my charge again. He is only a child and knows not what is going on." They heard the Ranger hiss, partially in anger and partially in an attempt to calm his companion.

Legolas's eyes were brimming with anger, making his handsome face tight. Valo allowed him to run a tender hand over his face, his eyes still hollow and empty as he felt.

"Are you well, Valo? Did he hurt you much?" The elf asked in that calm voice that he always possessed no matter the situation.

The Morgul teen looked up at him and a wash of feeling suddenly erupted in his chest. He felt dirty and a devastating guilt filling him from his core. He felt responsible for the crushing sorrow that tore the Fellowship to pieces.

"It's all my fault…"

A/N: Noooooooo!!! Gandalf! Bad Boromir! No cookie!