Grasp: Galadriel

It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways. ~Buddha

He holds it out to me with no care. The ease in his movements astounds me, he does it so freely. He would give me the one gift I wish for more than anything, the one gift I could never take-should never take. It glints dangerously in the moonlight, reflecting the heavenly light in a subservient, perverted manner. I study the reflection and find my mind full of thoughts, of images. A memory of my dearest daughter, Celebrían, crying on the floor, her spirit broken by the cruelties she suffered. Another image flashes almost as quickly. My daughter again, though now she stands strong and proud, her spirit unbroken, undamaged by this world. More images of what could be if I only take the ring fill my mind, images of middle earth recovered in forest, the beauty of Valinor restored on our now dying hills. Images of myself leading this rebirth. I am vaguely aware that I have raised my arms, that I am speaking my tangled thoughts. I notice the hobbits stiffen slightly, but I cannot stop myself. I know I could reach out and take this ring, take it and fix the world. I could force it to do by bidding, and force it to do good. There would be no need for a dark lord, for there would be a beautiful queen. Powerful to behold, all would love me and despair for there ugliness in light of my splendor.

Wait, my breath halts as I realize what I have almost done. I can hear my daughters anguished crys in my head. It was because of this ring that my daughter ended up broken. I would have no connection with the evil thing. I cannot take it, I will not. Though it shall mean the end of my kingdom, the end of all elvish kingdoms, I shall not take the ring.

I have passed the test. Though I had the power of the world within my grasp I did not bend down to take it.

A/N: I've always believed that the temptation to take the Ring from Frodo was probably the hardest thing Galadriel every faced. Also that she was probably really suprised by just how tempting the idea actually was. She probably would have looked back on it at her turning point. It was, I believe, the moment she decided to sail into the west.