The remnants of Fellowship of the Ring entered a forest which was Lorien. "It looks better than Mirkwood," Jim thought.
"Stay close, young Hobbits! They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell," Gimli said to the hobbits.
"Frodo!" there was a voice.
"Did you hear that?" Kerrigan asked.
"That voice sounds familiar," said Jim.
"And are never seen again," said the dwarf.
"Your coming to us is as the footsteps of doom. You bring great evil here, Ring-bearer," Frodo heard the voice.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam got Frodo's attention.
"Jim, if you've heard that voice before, whose voice is it?" the Queen of Blades asked.
"It's Galadriel lady of Lorien," Jim replied.
"You have returned, James Raynor. I sensed your presence," said Galadriel.
"Where are you, my lady?! Show yourself!" Jim shouted but there was no answer and Galadriel was nowhere to be seen.
"Is she using cloaking?" Tosh asked.
"I don't think so," Jim replied.
"Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox," Gimli spoke with overconfidence.
A battalion of Lorien archers readied their bows in front of the Fellowship and Legolas prepared his. "The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," their leader said.
"Don't do anything to provoke them. This happened to me once," Jim said to everyone and drew attention of the elf leader. "Legolas, have you forgotten that you and your people had greeted us with arrows pointing in our faces?"
"That was the time when you were with those 13 dwarves," Legolas remembered.
"Raynor, are the elves always like that?" Stukov asked.
Despite of that, the elves of Lorien took the Fellowship in. The elf leader spoke in elvish to Legolas and it was translated as, "Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil."
"Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lorien," Legolas said in elvish.
"Oh, Aragorn of the Dunedain, you are known to us," Haldir recognized Aragorn.
"Haldir," said the Strider.
"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can all understand!" Gimli spoke impatiently.
"We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days," Haldir said to the dwarf in common tongue.
"And you know what this Dwarf says to that?" Gimli then spoke something in elvish translated as, "I spit upon your grave."
"That was not so courteous," said Aragorn.
"Welcome James Raynor, we've heard a lot about you from our lady," Haldir said to Jim.
"Thank you, Haldir. We've heard her voice, but there's no sign of her around here," said Jim.
"She's waiting for all of you," Haldir then turned to Frodo. "You bring great evil with you. You can go no further."
"What's with that elf?" Alarak asked.
"It has something to do with the Ring," Artanis replied.
While Aragorn was persuading Haldir in elvish, Boromir said, "Gandalf's death was not in vain. Nor would he have you give up hope. You carry a heavy burden, Frodo. Don't carry the weight of the dead."
"You will follow me," Haldir said in common tongue as he was convinced. He led the Fellowship to a spot that a fortress was in sight, "Caras Galadhon. The heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."
"It's so beautiful," Kerrigan muttered as Haldir led the Fellowship into Caras Galadhon.
Haldir bowed and Aragorn gestured a sign of respect when a noble couple, Celeborn and Galadriel appeared. "The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. 21 there are here, yet 22 there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar," said the elf lord.
"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into Shadow," said Galadriel.
"He was taken by both Shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria," said Legolas as Gimli felt shameful.
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose. Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli son of Gloin," Galadriel mollified the dwarf. "For the world has grown full of peril and in all lands, love is now mingled with grief."
"What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost," said Celeborn.
"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true," Galadriel spoke of wisdom. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep."
The Fellowship was given beds for them to rest and Talandar approached Jim, "I don't feel tired at all."
"Since you're a robot now, I guess you'll take the night's watch."
"As a Purifier, I don't have any senses as a machine. I'll watch out for all of you."
Dehaka said to Kerrigan, "Elves are said to be fair and immortal. An essence of immortality would be nice."
"What point is it, if you are to live forever?"
"Live forever, change forever."
"It's nearly impossible to get the essence of not dying of age."
"Jim?" someone called to Jim.
"What's up, Aragorn?"
"You seem to be familiar with Lady Galadriel."
"I met her once. I was invited to a meeting with the White Council in Rivendell 60 years ago."
"It is a long time. What were you doing in Rivendell?"
"I was involved with the quest of retaking Erebor from a fire-breathing dragon Smaug. Lord Elrond helped us out in reading a map that was written in Moon Runes."
"How does it feel seeing Galadriel again after a long time?"
"Can't say. She is still the wisest woman I've ever met in my whole entire life. Now she is also troubled with Gandalf's sacrifice."
"We all grief for the wizard."
"He's the greatest friend I've ever known."
Hours later as the Fellowship was asleep, Jim and Kerrigan woke up then got off from the bed they shared. "I have difficulty sleeping," said the Queen of Blades.
"Same here," said Jim as they walked along the corridor.
Jim and Kerrigan came across an ornate stand with silver bowl in the middle filled with water. "What is this?" she asked.
"We'll find out," Jim had a look into the bowl of water and it began displaying images like a video player. The water displayed an image of a boy working in a farm, "It's my childhood."
The water changed into an image of a red-haired girl being tested for psionic traits. "It was me," Kerrigan recognized herself. Flashbacks of Jim's enlistment into the Confederate Marine Corps participating in the Guild Wars and Kerrigan's unhappy training under her instructor whom she disliked were shown.
The water shifted to Jim and Tychus being outlaws before getting involved with the Quest for Erebor when they first came to Middle-earth. Highlights of Jim's involvement were shown: Jim meeting Gandalf for the first time in Bree, the get-together with the 13 dwarves in Bag End, the fight with the orcs in the Great East Road, the trouble with the goblins of the Misty Mountains, the confrontation with Azog the Defiler for the first time, an acquaintance was made with Beorn the Skin Changer, the fight with giant spiders in Mirkwood, Legolas and his troops greeted them with arrows pointing in their faces, Jim slaying Smaug the dragon that torched Laketown, Jim leading the human survivors from Laketown, the Battle of the Five Armies, and departure from Middle-Earth.
The water changed to Jim married and had a son Johnny. Jim's wife sent Johnny to Tarsonis against Jim's wishes and she died of grief learning Johnny had died from a shuttle accident. Jim resumed being a marshal of Mar Sara until the Confederates abandoned the planet to the Zerg before Arcturus Mengsk and the Sons of Korhal came to help.
"That was the first time we met," said the present Jim as the water displayed the flashback of Jim and Kerrigan met for the first time in Antiga Prime. Then there was the scene where Mengsk betrayed her to the Zerg after she and the troops neutralized the Protoss led by Executor Tassadar.
"I will not be stopped. Not by you, or the Confederates, or the Protoss, or anyone. I will rule this sector or see it burn to ashes around me," Mengsk ranting at Jim was shown in the water. It then changed to the rising of the Terran Dominion with Mengsk crowning himself emperor and Jim stealing Mengsk's flagship Hyperion.
The present Kerrigan was horrified to see herself being infested into the Queen of Blades in service to the Zerg Overmind on Char. She was ashamed looking into her terrible past actions slaughtering billions and Jim in the flashback was stranded on Char.
The water shifted to Jim befriending Tassadar, Zeratul, and Fenix. The Terran became well-respected by the Protoss for his service on Aiur since the Zerg invasion there. Tassadar sacrificed himself to slay the Overmind and Jim covered the retreat of the Aiur refugees.
The water changed to Kerrigan requested Jim and Fenix to rescue Mengsk from the United Earth Directorate (UED). They escaped the UED's grasp and formed a reluctant alliance after the UED turned the new Overmind into their control. The Kerrigan in the present became remorse seeing herself betraying her allies after the UED was driven from Korhal resulting in the deaths of Edmund Duke and Fenix. She also kidnapped Razagal the Dark Templar Matriarch who was Vorazun's mother and blackmailed Zeratul so that the Dark Templar could slay the new Overmind. After they succeeded, Zeratul learned that Razagal was enslaved by the Queen of Blades earlier. The Swarm prevented the Protoss from escaping forcing Zeratul to kill Razagal and he was allowed to leave so that his every waking moment would be torture. Kerrigan in the past became the most dominant of the sector after repelling a joint attack from the Dominion, the UED, and a vengeful Protoss fleet commanded by Artanis.
The water shifted to Zeratul confronted Kerrigan during a quest to uncover a prophecy. The Dark Prelate sought out the Preservers in Zhakul and encountering Tassadar's spirit in Aiur. Jim and Kerrigan in the present watched the alternative future that Amon's Zerg and hybrids wiped out the Protoss, Zerg, and the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth.
The water changed to Jim making Mar Sara independent of the Terran Dominion, reunion with Tychus who was released from prison, the escape from the planet when the Zerg invaded, dealings with the colonists from Agria, the bringing back of spectres, the rebellion against the Dominion, and the retrieval of the Xel'Naga artifacts. Kerrigan also saw herself in a flashback competing with Jim for an artifact and the searching for the data of the other artifacts' whereabouts. The Terran invasion of Char was also shown and Kerrigan in the flashback was deinfested.
The water shifted to Kerrigan being taken to Umoja where Valerian Mengsk ran a test on her and the escape from the facility during a Dominion attack. The Kerrigan in the present watched Jim being captured by a Dominion Ghost Nova in the flashback. Jim in the present watched Kerrigan reclaiming a brood from Kaldir, Zeratul directed her to Zerus where she became the Primal Queen of Blades, reclamation of the brood on Char, the death of General Horace Warfield in her hands, the raid on Skygeirr Station where she was nearly killed by Emil Narud, a flashback where she broke Jim out of a prison ship, the invasion on Korhal, and the death of Arcturus Mengsk.
The water changed to Artanis assisting Jim against Amon's Terran minions in Korhal. Jim in the present also watched Kerrigan and Artanis sought out the Xel'Naga together in Ulnar as well as destroying the Void Crystals.
The water shifted to an image of the Shire where the hobbits lived peacefully. Jim and Kerrigan in the present watched in horror that the Shire was on flames. The hobbits were enslaved as they were chained by orcs while the hybrids were watching it.
"Kerrigan, Jim, you should never have followed me to this planet," Amon showed himself.
"I don't know what purpose you have in this planet, but you'll never have this world," said the primal Queen of Blades.
From Amon's visage, a flaming eye with a humanoid-shaped pupil appeared yelling at them. Jim pulled Kerrigan away from it as they landed onto the supine position.
They turned their backs and found Galadriel. "We're sorry, my lady," said Jim.
"There's no need for an apology. I've seen it all: who you are and what you have been through," said the elf lady.
"What is that thing?" Kerrigan asked.
"It's my mirror. It shows the past, the present, and the future," Galadriel replied.
"What is that flaming eye?" the primal Queen of Blades asked.
"It's Sauron's spirit," the elf lady replied.
"Armageddon, if we don't do something, the Shire would fall," Jim muttered.
"What you saw in the future is what will happen if Frodo failed the quest. He had seen it too earlier, but my mirror showed both of you more," Galadriel agreed. "You have returned to us at the right timing, James Raynor father of Johnny Raynor, after many years since the last time we met," she said to the Terran. "For you have done countless terrible crimes in the past, there are always opportunities to do good deeds," the elf lady turned to Kerrigan.
"Let's head back to bed," said Jim.
Without a notice, Talandar had followed them.
After Jim and Kerrigan left, "I know you're there," Galadriel noticed Talandar.
"Pardon me, my lady. I heard your mirror can show the past, present, and the future," said the Purifier.
"Of course, it can."
"Do you mind if I can look into the memories of Fenix?"
"I don't mind, feel free," Galadriel smiled.
Talandar looked into the mirror that showed images of the original Fenix that led the attack against the Zerg invaders of Aiur, the Zerg ruined Fenix's body so that he had to be placed into a dragoon ranged strider, his participation in the Protoss civil war, his friendship with Jim Raynor, his assistance in the raid on the planet Moria, and his death at the hands of Kerrigan.
Author's Note
The next chapter will be on the campaign in the North.