The Journey of Day and Night

by depressedchildren

He would not change what happened for anything, and neither would she. They never expected to have children together, to let their pasts go. But now they find their family breaking apart due to the struggles between the free peoples and the Eye in the East. Will they forsake Middle Earth, or become weapons of change? Sequel to "The Tale of Day and Night"

3. Chapter 3: A Knife in the Dark

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or Naruto; both works belong to their respective creators and publishers. I gain nothing but writing and editing experiences from this fanfic.

Full Summary: Ultimately, they would not change what happened for anything in the world. At long last they had a family, a family both had dreamed for since their genin days. Neither of them ever expected to have children together, nor let their pasts go. But here they were: content, and in peace at long last. But now they find their family, their peace, breaking apart due to the struggles of the free peoples against the Power in the East. Will they forsake the world they have so few ties to, or will they become weapons of change? WARNINGS: OC's, character death (not a likable character), gender-bending.

Warnings for this chapter: Character death, f-bombs, cannibalism, and a livid Aragorn

A/N: Again, you'll see a lot of overlap, and I took more sections in this chapter from Tolkien's books, so I do not own those passages. I just wanted to get the dialogue correct for I have an appreciation for all that he put into it and you notice these great little connections and foreshadowing in the actual dialogue. Anyways, hope you enjoy and thank you to those that have reviewed, and put this on alert or favorite ~ with love, depressedchildren. Edited 6/28/2015 for craziness.

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Chapter Three: A Knife in the Dark

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3017 October, 4

Naruto made sure Gandalf held onto Dusk as she meditated and focused on the fox's chakra. With her hands in a familiar cross pattern she created nine clones, and let one tail of the demon's chakra into each of them. She then loosened the control she had over the chakra in the clones. It was an arduous process, and showed her mastery of the fox's chakra, for if she worked too fast the clones would pop and there may be a backlash of demonic chakra.

Naruto opened her eyes slowly and turned to the nine crouching Kurama possessed clones. They were giving a feral smile while eying Gandalf like he was a delicious snack. The old man just stared at them with wide eyes and his mouth open.

"That energy…"

"Yes," one Kurama-clone cooed "I'm the presence from the other day." TheKurama-clone practically snarled out the word presence with clear disgust in his voice.

"Though, we prefer demon," another clone snarled with a wicked grin across its face as the clone raised its clawed, chakra coated hands in contemplation. Gandalf stood up straighter but it was clear he was unnerved by the clones.

"What are you waiting for, go!" Naruto snapped, but the clones just turned to her and cocked their heads to the side.

"Why?" they asked in unison.

"You didn't say we couldn't kill him," another clone practically sang while the others began to circle around a now alarmed Gandalf that was holding a crying Dusk.

"I will pop you all," Naruto threatened with her arms over her chest. The clones pouted and sighed dejectedly.

"Fine," one began.

"But if he strays away from you, he's fair game!" another clone stated with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"You have some Nazgûl to terrorize," Naruto still had her arms crossed over her chest, she really was not impressed with Kurama. The clones gave her put upon expressions before vanishing in a red blur.

"I feel this may have been a grave mistake," Gandalf whispered faintly before he sat atop the tumbled ring of stone that was once the watch tower. The old man shook himself and began to sing that elvish song again. Dusk began to calm down until he was just sniffing.

Shifting awkwardly, Naruto turned back to the wizard and smiled a little sheepishly. "You have to teach me that," she laughed weakly, and the old man just looked up at her with a grave expression on his face. "Uh…so for now…what should we do?" she asked in the hope that he'd put aside what Kurama had said about being a demon—she doubted demons were received well here.

"I am not sure. It may be wise to stay here, though should the riders elude that demon…" the old man trailed off and gave a slight grimace, "Pardon me, Lady Arad, I meant no offense to you."

Naruto shrugged as casually as she could; sure, she might have thought the man was making a comment at her for being the furball's container, but then he was kind and was probably more confused as to why she had the demon inside of her. She shifted slightly, "Uh…it's alright," she waved her hand dismissively but it all sounded pathetic. "Like I had said, he's sentient energy and that sentience took the form of a bastard." Naruto looked anywhere but at Gandalf.

"And the demon part? Is he really one?" he asked slowly and warily.

Naruto held out her arms for Dusk who was clam now and beginning to tug on Gandalf's beard. The old man just ignored the tugging and fixed Naruto with a look that reminded her of Sandaime Hokage when he knew Naruto had pulled a prank but had refused to confess to it. IT made Naruto feel like a little boy again, and she hated it.

"Where we're from, yeah, he's a demon but that might not mean he's a demon here," the words came out begrudgingly, but they were out and they were the truth. Still, the old wizard stared at her for a long moment with a calculating gaze, as if judging her worth but also the truth of her words.

Then Dusk tugged hard on the old man's beard and he looked down in surprise. Naruto laughed slightly at the sight because it had also broken the tense mood between them. However, that made her look back at the teme; he would have loved to see that. She sighed and moved to kneel beside him before she set his head in her lap.

She could practically feel the old man's pensive look after he had told the baby to let go of his beard. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him holding onto the baby's hands to stop him from pulling on his beard. "Could you…" he started before looking away as if he had changed his mind.

"What?" Naruto asked tiredly.

"It would set my mind at ease if you could explain how this demon came to be…part of you, but I do not wish to cause you undo stress or pain—"

"Good, because I won't answer you anyways." To answer those questions would be to bring up Konoha secrets and she couldn't…she could never do that. She looked away from the old man and began to brush her husband's hair.

"May I ask one thing?" Gandalf asked almost hesitantly after a moment and Naruto looked over at him with her eyes narrowed. Gandalf shifted slightly and seemed to think how he should phrase his question, "Can you control him?"

"Yes I can." However as the words came out she couldn't stop herself from laughing, "But don't let the furball hear you say that!" Naruto continued laughing, but gave the Istar a broad smile as she sobered. "He likes to call it a partnership," she winked and the old man began to laugh slightly.

"That is a relief then." It was quiet for a moment as he stared down at Dusk thoughtfully, "He is newly born, is he not?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied absentmindedly as she brushed more hair away from the teme's face.

"Was he born around the time your…partner could be felt the other day?" Gandalf asked this slowly and cautiously, but Naruto felt her stomach drop.

"Why would you think that?" she asked a little weakly.

Gandalf just shook his head. "No reason I suppose."

Naruto stared at him for a moment but the Istar said nothing and just looked at Dusk curiously. The silence was uncomfortable, but there was little she could do about it unless she wanted to engage the man in conversation, which seemed borderline treasonous, what with his interest in Konoha.

The old wizard sighed almost heavily and Naruto braced herself. "Excuse Arad," he said her alias uncomfortably and she wondered if he had hoped to use some title, "But am I wrong in assuming that your partner wants freedom?"

"If you were caged, wouldn't you want freedom too?" she retorted before she could stop herself. Grimacing, she cursed under her breath, but it was always a sore spot for her. She understood why the fox wanted to be let out, and she did value him as a friend and partner, so it bothered her when others just…just assumed Kurama didn't have desires like every other sentient being. She'd give him more freedom, but he couldn't be trusted. She could let him out when there was an enemy to focus his malice on, but without that focus…She shuddered slightly at the thought.

Gandalf just smiled slightly down at the baby, "Does your partner seek freedom when your body weakens? Like in childbirth?" he asked Naruto just shut her eyes as she looked away from him. "I see," the old man hummed, and she shot a surprised look over at him. He was smiling at her and it was hard to understand what exactly the look meant.

"You risk so much to bring your child into the world," he was still smiling and it made her feel…uncomfortable.

Naruto looked away from him and back down at the teme, "I'd do anything to have a family…" she murmured. She hoped the old man hadn't heard her, but when he began to sing that elvish lullaby again, she couldn't help but wonder if he had. She smiled sadly and bent down to kiss her teme. "You better wake up soon," she whispered against his lips.

…

They had not gone far on the fifth day when they left the last straggling pools and reed-beds of the marshes behind them. The land before them began steadily to rise again. Away in the distance eastward they could now see a line of hills. The highest of them was at the right of the line and a little separated from the others. It had a conical top, slightly flattened at the summit.

Tinnu watched with wide eyes at the beauty of the land, though there were large open plains, it was new and beautiful to her. She looked over at her Ojisan who pointed to the offset hill.

"That is Weathertop. The Old Road, which we have left far away on our right, runs to the south of it and passes not far from its foot. We might reach it by noon tomorrow, if we go straight towards it. I suppose we had better do so."

Ojisan didn't seem so certain; in fact, he seemed hesitant to be leading. The hobbits likely didn't pick up on this, but Tinnu had known her uncle for most of her life and knew the signs. Ojisan always seemed to shy away from leadership roles though he was constantly put into them, and it had always confused her family why he would feel that way. He was a natural leader, and when he didn't second guess himself and worry too much, he did a great job of leading too.

"What do you mean?" asked Frodo who was looking off toward Weathertop.

"I mean: when we do get there, it is not certain what we shall find. It is close to the Road." Riders, Tinnu deduced as she looked over at where her sisters were hiding in their illusions.

"But surely we were hoping to find Gandalf there?" Frodo persisted, his bright eyes widening slightly. Dawn still wasn't sure who this Gandalf person was, but she knew the chances of running into who they needed to were slim at best. She saw that clearly in her uncle's eyes. He had been thinking about this for some time.

"Yes; but the hope is faint. If he comes this way at all, he may not pass through Bree, and so he may not know what we were doing. And anyway, unless by luck we arrive almost together, we shall miss one another; it will not be safe for him or for us to wait there long. If the riders fail to find us in the wilderness, they are likely to make for Weathertop themselves. It commands a wide view all around. Indeed, there are many birds and beasts in this country that could see us, as we stand here, from that hill-top. Not all the birds are to be trusted, and there are other spies more evil than they are."

That seemed to be just about all of Ojisan's thoughts on the matter, but now the hobbits were looking about themselves anxiously and they eyed the distant hills with distrust. Sam looked up as if fearing a large bird might be hovering above them and might even swoop down upon them.

"You do make me feel uncomfortable and lonesome, Strider!" the stout hobbit exclaimed with a furrow in his brow.

"What do you advise us to do?" Frodo moved the conversation back to the matter at hand and Ojisan was clearly uncomfortable, though the untrained eye would not be able to tell.

"I think," he started slowly, as if he was not quite sure and Tinnu wanted to give her Ojisan a hug—he always seemed to second guess himself! "I think the best thing is to go as straight eastward from here as we can, to make a line for the hills, not for Weathertop. There we can strike a path I know that runs at their feet; it will bring us to Weathertop from the north and less openly. Then we shall see what we shall see."

After the short conference they proceeded on through the dreary pale day.

…

Kurama 7 smirked as it continued to chase the fleeing rider. Oh this was fun! The Kyuubi possessed Naruto clone gave a bloodlust crazed laugh as it continued to run just behind the horseman. Run, run, run, as fast you can, little horseman. You can't escape evil incarnate.

Cackling, the possessed clone sent out a chakra hand to upheave the earth in front of the horseman. The rider was barely able to maneuver the horse out of the way of the flying debris and the crater. The clone laughed loudly, and just to keep the horse on its "toes" it launched itself like a predator leaping upon its prey, and sunk its elongated nails into the horse's behind.

It gave a delightful scream and nearly bucked off its rider, but the clone let go of the horse and licked idly at its bloody claws. It would let the rider get a little ahead before Kurama 7 chased after it. Ah! To hunt again, how delicious!

…

Kurama 2 closed its eyes as a breeze came in. It felt heavenly, even though it wasn't blowing through Kurama's fur, he could still feel it. It felt so wonderful after so many years of imprisonment. And the scents, oh the heavenly scents! The heady, fresh smell of dirt mixed with the scent of decaying vegetation. Then there was the smell of the autumn wind, which was different from the Elemental Lands but no less wonderful.

Kurama 2 purred as it smelled the scent of copper, the scent of blood. It could smell its prey's fear and oh how it sent shivers down its spine. Oh and the taste of sweet, raw, dripping-with-blood meat. Horse had never been Kurama's favorite, but as the clone devoured the horse's heart, it was all worth it. Kurama 2 really must pass on the versatility of human hands to the original; they could tear and squish at the same time, and feel the blood ooze between the fingers.

Kurama 2 looked over at the pinned creature that was practically screaming in rage at it, but Kurama 2 just laughed. The rider would come next after the horse, but for now, the possessed clone was going to enjoy its meal.

…

Kurama 3 watched the rider in front of it. If it crippled the rider then Kurama 3 could do whatever it so please, perhaps it could even go after those delicious humans near the road. They smelled tainted like the riders, but they were still human, sweet, sweet human.

Kurama may not have needed to eat ever, but he had always enjoyed the hunt and then sinking his fangs into hot muscles and letting the blood run into his fur. He had even developed a taste of sorts for blood. So Kurama 3 thought it could please its original by hunting those humans over there. Mmm…but it had to take care of that annoyance trying to run away from it.

A bijudama should take care of that nuisance, or at least cripple it, oh yes, that sounded delightful~! It would feel wonderful to accumulate the chakra in its throat to spit it out at the running creature. Then Kurama 3 could get those humans on the road.

…

Kurama 9 was getting bored, the chase had lost its appeal, and the horseman's fear was no longer appealing. Seeming to flicker out of existence, it reappeared in front of the horse and its rider.

The horse whinnied and went up on its hind legs. The clone looked at the creature in disinterest and used its chakra enhanced claws to rip out the horse's heart. He looked at the bleeding muscle and crushed it before turning to look at the rider that was slowly rising to stand.

It drew its sword and faced off against Kurama 9. Oh, the little horseman was going to fight an embodiment of the great and powerful Kyuubi! This would be a laugh! It danced around the Nazgûl as it futilely tried to swipe at the clone with its over-compensating sword. Kurama 9 cackled and delivered a devastating kick to the creature's abdomen. While the creature was trying to right itself, Kurama 9 pounced and tore at the creature's jugular with its sharpened canines. That was when it burst out of existence.

The eight remaining possessed clones thought the same thing, well shit. They wouldn't be able to get the satisfaction of tearing their opponent apart limb from limb, and possibly watching it regenerate only to be torn apart again. It was a buzz killer, to be certain.

…

It wasn't long past sunrise when Naruto saw something off to the north-west. She squinted and wished she had the teme's sight. Closing her eyes to better sense the natural world she gasped and would have stood up and begun jumping up and down if her lap wasn't full of teme.

"What is it Lady Arad?"

Naruto turned to the old man and glared at him with her hands on her hips, "Okay, gramps, enough of this Lady shit. I'm not a lady." Gandalf blinked a few times before chuckling.

He had been surveying the area for the last few hours while Naruto watched her husband and son sleep. Dusk was lying on his father's stomach with the cloak wrapped around them both. Heh, it was kind of cute seeing them sleeping like that together, except that the teme wasn't just sleeping, he was likely in a regenerative coma.

"Anyways, I think my daughters are to the north-west, you can see several specks on the horizon."

Gandalf turned in that direction and gave a surprised noise. "It looks like they are going to come to Weathertop from the north."

"So should we stay here?" she asked before her attention was pulled away by an explosion to the south-east. That was a bjiudama…she closed her eyes heavily and shook her head.

"What was that?!"

"One of the clones," Naruto waved her hand back and forth while looking back down at her teme. Dusk woke up and so she reached over her husband to soothe the baby. As she rocked the boy she thought that there was likely going to be a huge crater over there. She shook her head, but what did she expect, she had given them full—Naruto's attention was drawn away from her current thought when a full tail of charka suddenly returned to her. What the…? Did that clone go suicidal?

"No! One clone bit one of those creatures and dispersed," okay, how did Kurama know that and not her!? The fox gave a long suffering sigh, "Are you truly so dense? You let my mind and chakra take over your clone; therefore, it's not really your clone, but mine."

Naruto took a few minutes to decide if that was a good thing while she rocked Dusk back and forth until he was calm again. She wouldn't be able to get the memories from the Kyuubi possessed clones, but she would feel the chakra returning to her, and she could feel the clones' chakra through senjutsu… This might be a good thing; she didn't really want to know what Kurama did in her clones' bodies.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll show you bit by gruesome bit, when you sleep" the fox cackled mentally and Naruto blanched. Oh that did not sound good.

…

Minuial had felt it growing all day. She recognized the energy from when her mother went into labor, and the day their mother had left. It was the Kyuubi, but he was spread out into in so many different places. She could feel his energy spread out in the distance but she wasn't sure where, and then there was a huge explosion right of Weathertop. She could practically feel the tremors from here.

Aragorn looked to the south-east. The hobbits were also startled by the noise. "Strider?" began Pippin cautiously, "What was that?"

If he didn't know any better he might have thought it was his friend sparring his wife. Aragorn had seen the aftermath of their "spars" and it looked like a tornado and possibly even a volcano had struck their chosen clearings.

"I am not sure…"

"But you have a guess?" Frodo looked at Aragorn critically, even going so far as to search his eyes for answer.

Aragorn sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "Last night there had been a lightning creature on the horizon, had you seen it?" the hobbits nodded with wide eyes, "That creature matched the description of a friend of mine's favorite attack."

"You have a wizard friend!?" Pippin asked excitedly, "I mean, beside Gandalf?" the young hobbit amended.

"Did Dû seem like a wizard to you, Master Took?" Aragorn asked lightly over his shoulder, he smiled wryly at the thought of his blacksmith friend appearing as one of the grizzled Istar.

"Dû?!" Merry and Pippin exclaimed in alarm.

"He summoned that lightning monster from the sky?!" Sam asked as he looked above him warily, as if the creature would appear and strike him where he stood.

"Yes," Aragorn replied to both of their answers.

"You know Dû?" Frodo questioned, and though Aragorn would have expected the suspicious question to come from Sam, he was relieved someone asked.

"Yes, his children are like my nieces," he smiled fondly at the thought and the hobbits made understanding noises, all but for Sam.

"You could be just saying that," the stout hobbit mumbled and Aragorn gave the hobbit a grim smile.

"I could, you are correct, but I am not. I met Dû and his wife Arad fourteen years ago, and they are certainly more than they appear."

"You're telling us," grumbled Sam before mumbling something about transforming into hobbits.

"I am sure you are only aware of their illusions, and Dû's lightning trick, but they know much more. Arad is a formidable warrior, and I have seen the destruction she leaves in her wake after sparring with her husband."

The hobbits were speechless and Aragorn chuckled slightly. "Come, we shall continue on cautiously. I imagine there is a greater reason as to why Arad destroyed a large a swathe of land than she and her husband having taken their spars outside of Bree." Which they always did, but that as beside the point… Aragorn looked around them once more but saw nothing amiss.

They would have traveled out here for their daughters, who for all Aragorn knew might be following them. His instincts and Frodo's may be spot on; perhaps his nieces were following them. But why then had Sasuke and Arad—for Aragorn would never feel comfortable calling that cheerful blonde woman Naruto—fought with such destructive techniques? What were they fighting? Aragorn feared the answer.

As they continued to plod along, the land became drier and more barren; but mists and vapors lay behind them in the marshes. There were a few more distant explosions throughout the day, and each one set Aragorn's hair on end.

As the sun began to set and the cool evening set in, they came to a stream that wandered down from the hills to lose itself in the stagnant marshland. From there, they went up along its banks while the light lasted. It was already night when at last they halted and made their camp under some stunted alder–trees by the shores of the stream. Ahead there loomed now against the dusky sky the bleak and treeless backs of the hills.

They were practically exposed to whatever was out there that his friend and wife were fighting. "We will set a watch for tonight," Aragorn began, much to the hobbits' dismay. He did not feel safe here… "I will take last watch," he announced, for it was the worst watch to take. However, as he tried to sleep while Merry began the first watch, he found that he could not.

His nieces were likely out there, somewhere, on this cold autumn night. They were putting themselves in danger but he could do nothing to help or stop them. The night was almost too quiet; he felt a great sense of foreboding. He looked over at Merry who was enthusiastically taking his post at watch seriously, even though it was clear he was tired. It warmed Aragorn's heart to see such earnestness in the young hobbit. Perhaps the young Brandybuck might make a fine squire if he carried his enthusiasm to other similarly serious matters.

Aragorn refrained from sighing as he leaned against one of the alder-trees. He did not see himself sleeping tonight, but he would feign it when the hobbits were looking—he did not want to needlessly worry them.

…

The freedom had been fun at first, but now it was a bore! Kurama 5 could not run through the woods tearing things down because it had to chase these stupid riders that it couldn't even touch. It was so boring, Kurama 5 felt to be near tears. So cruel, so unfair that they couldn't just tear into those damn cloaks without it being their own demise.

What a bore! And with the jinchuuriki up on Weathertop sensing the whole wide world, there was little that would escape her. They couldn't exactly just abandon post; Kurama 3 learned that when the jinchuuriki appeared while 3 was feasting on the some helpless humans. Needless to say, the jinchuuriki had vomited and then proceeded to beat the clone of most of its chakra—there were several rasengan and bijudama involved in that altercation. Still, they were not to leave a Nazgûl unguarded lest they lose most of their chakra in a fight with the jinchuuriki.

Kurama 5 was sick of playing cat and mouse; it had long since lost its appeal. Kurama 5 perked its head up and smiled maliciously. Oh, it had just gotten a wonderful idea! Making a cross pattern the jinchuuriki was so prone to using, Kurama 5 made two clones of itself to pass along its brilliant idea to its brethren. Kurama would be so proud of 5, it just knew it!

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3017 October, 5

Minuial watched as Ojisan shifted about anxiously while the hobbits made their breakfast, once they ate, what the hobbits considered to be short commons, the moved out. There was mist in the air, and it was cold yet beautiful all the same. The hobbits looked refreshed, almost as if they had had a night of unbroken sleep.

Minuial knew she looked more like her uncle who was tired but was hiding it. She and her sisters established their watch rotation the first night and had kept to it, but now it was becoming tiresome. She was hungry too! They each had a small stash of food with them that they ate while under a separate illusion from their main illusion.

It was becoming more and more difficult to stay in the shadows and not interact, but that was role of kunoichi and all shinobi. They hid in the shadows and did not blow their covers! She shook her head and looked over at Frodo tightening his belt after a comment from Pippin about how he was twice the hobbit he had been before.

"Very odd," he finished tightening his belt as they took off for the day, "considering that there is a good deal less of me. I hope the thinning process will not go on indefinitely, or I shall be come a wraith," the hobbit joked but Ojisan turned on him sharply with narrowed eyes.

"Do not speak of such things!" he said quickly with an earnestness the hobbits must have found surprising. Was there something Ojisan knew that he wasn't telling them? Was he fearful about something, was becoming a wraith truly a prospect for Frodo? He seemed like such a nice, witty hobbit.

As they marched on the hills drew nearer. They made undulating ridges, often rising almost to a thousand feet, and here and there falling again to low clefts or passes leading into the eastern land beyond. Along the crest of the ridge, Aragorn could make out what were the remains of green-grown walls and dikes of ancient stonework. Soon they would find the northern path leading to Weathertop. He was disturbed by Frodo's comment earlier in the day, for that was a very real possibility for a ring bearer. He shuddered at the idea of such a clever and kind hobbit being turned into a ghostly creature like the Nazgûl.

He had set a somber mood on their party with his comment, but he could not resist speaking out. It would do Frodo no good to joke of what could very well happen to him someday. By nightfall they would likely reach the western slopes of the hills. They would make camp there, and though it was open it had more protection than closer toward Weathertop.

…

Naruto rolled over in her teme's arms and she felt him smirk into her hair. She sighed contently as his arms wrapped around her middle tighter. Her teme, no Nazgûl were going to take him away from her.

Someone began laughing, and at first she thought it was the teme, but his voice hadn't sounded so cruel in a very long time. No…someone else was laughing. She looked up from where she rested against the teme's chest and peered around her. She was in her bed in Bree, but when she looked down at the teme, she stifled a scream. There was a black, crude, withered looking arrow sticking out of his neck. What?!

She jerked off of their bed as a fire began to spread through the room. NO! She leapt across the room toward the cradle but-but oh gods! Dusk… what was left of him was smeared across his sheets.

Despite the flames Naruto moved into the hallway before bursting into the girls' room… No… no… they were all dead, torn apart like those humans one of the clones had attacked. Oh gods, she felt sick!

The fires swirled around her and licked at her skin, but as she looked into the room, she caught something in the girls' window. It…It was an eye staring at her, staring into her. The eye was burning, it was on fire. What the hell, what the hell!?

War comes from the east, flight or flee, war comes from the east. The same voice that had laughed at her so cruelly spoke now, and Naruto just knew it was that burning eye speaking.

The downstairs door burst open and these hideous creatures began to swarm her house Flight or flee, war comes from the east. The voice mocked. She closed her eyes tightly and wished to be anywhere but this hell.

"Hahahaha," no! She was sick of that stupid eye! "How can you not even tell between a dream and reality, idiot?"

Naruto's eyes snapped open and she was before the fox's cage. "Kurama, what was that?" her voice was trembling slightly.

"You were supposed to have that dream five, almost six, days ago, but we were both too exhausted to even dream; though I had felt it…." The fox smiled, or attempted to smile, maliciously.

"What do you mean?" Naruto snapped out the question, the dream had been disturbing and she didn't want to think of any implications that might come with it.

"This world works in curious ways. I'm sure if you told that old man about it, he could give you some insight…" the sly manner Kurama was speaking in suggested he was up to something if not in on something.

"You're in an awfully good mood," she hissed at him.

"Well half of my clones were dispersed. It seems the Nazgûl learned all it takes is one hit," the fox practically cackled and Naruto shot awake and out of her mind scape.

She sensed around her and felt four of the riders approaching. The other four were still a little ways away and were being guarded by the possessed clones.

"Arad, is something the matter?" Gandalf asked and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"They destroyed half of the….umm… well doubles of myself," she really was not sure if there was even a westron word for clone. Naruto quickly crossed her hands and produced about twenty normal clones and sent them to distract the Nazgûl.

"If they are headed here, they must think there is something of significance about this place, other than the obvious advantages. We should leave this place and draw them with us."

"But what about—?" Naruto began but Gandalf's stern look silenced her.

"You still have some of those demonic things, yes? Then they can act with the doubles you have just made and begin drawing the Nazgûl's attention away from Weathertop. But we must move like we have something we want to keep away from them." His stern, grim expression made Naruto's rebuttals die.

They had to run away like there was something they wanted to keep from the Nazgûl… Naruto's eyes widened in understanding and she nodded her head. "Very well." She looked down at her unconscious husband. What to do with him, Naruto wondered.

She stood up fully and stretched her arms over her head and stretched out the kinks in her back. She had slept for a few hours and felt more energized, though that might be because half of Kurama's chakra returned to her.

Slipping on the baby carrier she looked down at her husband. Well… they would need speed and the teme was still out.

"Arad," Gandalf began when he saw her moving to pick up the teme.

"It's alright gramps. You'll just be slowed down if you have to carry him, and I can keep up." She hefted the teme onto her back in a recovery position. "Now baby me!" she demanded and the old man stared at her as if she was insane, but he eventually picked up Dusk from where he was resting and set him in the baby carrier.

"Let's go then," she chirped while she mentally prepared herself to have to deal with a screaming Dusk for a very long time. It was negligent to just let him keep screaming, but it wasn't as if she really trusted him with a clone—with her luck it might pop itself and drop Dusk. It was going on evening and it was going to be a long, loud run.

Gandalf righted himself and set a stone atop the tumbled stones in the center of the hill. "Yes, let us go."

3017 October, 6

It was their seventh day out from Bree and for the first time since they left the chetwood, there was a track plain to see; a track now used often by rangers. They turned right and followed it southwards.

Aragorn favored this path above the rest when it came to approaching Weathertop discreetly, for it ran cunningly; taking a line that seemed chosen so as to keep as much hidden as possible from the view, both of the hill-tops above and to the flats to the west. It dived into dells, and the ground on either side of it had lines of large boulders and hewn stones that screened the travelers almost like a hedge.

"I wonder who made this path, and what for," Merry murmured in wonder as they walked along one of these avenues, where the stones were unusually large and close set. "I am not sure that I like it: it has a—well, rather barrow-wightish look. Is there any barrow on Weathertop?" Merry asked in an almost shaking voice as his eyes darted up toward the encroaching hills.

If his nieces were following him, as he suspected, they would likely be amazed by the sight. He had educated them in their parents stead, and so they knew the lay of the land from a map's perspective, but seeing and being in the lands was always better. He hoped he was mistaken, he hoped the girls had decided to just run wildly through the woods and their parents were just trying to find them, and that the girls had not chased after him and the hobbits. Aragorn felt as he had all those years ago when six-year-old Dawn had been injured because she had raced out to meet him when he returned after an exceptionally long absence from Bree. He wouldn't be able to bear it if he caused his nieces injury because they had chosen to follow.

"No." Aragorn began as he attempted to shake away those thoughts by casting his gaze about. As they had made their way along the path the world around him seemed too still. There were no more explosions and it was almost too silent. I set the hairs at the back of his neck to stand on end and he felt almost restless.

"There is no barrow on Weathertop, nor on any of these hills," he paused again, and briefly wondered what horrors the hobbits must have faced to be so afraid of barrows. He could make a vague guess given the legends circling around the Barrow Downs, but he could not say for sure. The hobbits had clearly had a rough time since the Shire; after all, he had seen the fear in their eyes when he spotted them in the Prancing Pony and then before when they were outside of Bree. Perhaps he could take their minds away from their pressing fears through a little history?

"The Men of the West did not live here; though in their latter days they defended the hills for a while against the evil that came out of Angmar. This path was made to serve the forts along the walls. But long before, in the first days of the North Kingdom, they built a great watch-tower on Weathertop, Amon Sûl they called it. It was burned and broken, and nothing remains of it now but a tumbled ring, like a rough crown on the old hill's head. Yet once it was tall and fair. It is told that Elendil stood there watching for the coming of Gil-galad out of the West, in the days of the Last Alliance."

Tinnu looked at her uncle in wonder. When he told them stories and lectured them on the history of Middle Earth, his descriptions always fascinated her. The hobbits were also staring at Ojisan in wonder. Perhaps they had not expected someone as rugged as Ojisan to know the old lore, but Tinnu had always suspected there was more to her uncle. Maybe he was prince, which according to the other Bree girls, was a rich man from a noble line that knew as much about lore as about swordsmanship. Though the only princes Ojisan lectured them about was an elven prince from Mirkwood named Legolas, and some old guy called the Swan Prince? She hadn't really paid much attention to those lessons because Ojisan just rattled the names off dismissively, so Tinnu figured the Bree girls were just making princes out to being things greater than they really were.

"Who was Gil-galad?" Merry questioned while giving Ojisan an appraising look. Tinnu caught her uncle's slight smile; perhaps he picked up on how the hobbits were likely surprised he knew old lore. However, before Ojisan responded, Sam began to sing in a low murmur:

"Gil-galad was an Elven-king.

Of him the harpers sadly sing:

the last whose realm was fair and free

between the Mountains and the Sea.

.

His sword was long, his lance was keen,

his shining helm afar was seen;

the countless stars of heaven's field

were mirrored in his silver shield.

.

But long ago he rode away,

and where he dwelleth none can say;

for into darkness fell his star

in Mordor where the shadows are."

The young hobbit ended abruptly, even though there was so much more to the story. In her head, Tinnu began to sing the rest of lay that she knew—which was in sindarin.

As she mentally sang the song, she watched the amazed hobbits stare at their companion, "Don't stop!" said Merry. Likely the hobbit hadn't expected his stout friend to know the song or sing it so well.

"That's all I know," stammered Sam as he blushed under the attention, "I learned it from Mr. Bilbo when I was a lad. He used to tell me tales like that, knowing how I was always one for hearing about Elves. It was Mr. Bilbo as taught me my letters. He was mighty book-learned was dear old Mr. Bilbo. And he wrote poetry," Sam said the word almost reverently; "He wrote what I have just said."

"He did not make it up," Ojisan stated, though Tinnu could hear that her uncle was a little offended by the hobbit's final statement. "It is part of the lay that is called The Fall of Gil-galad, which is in an ancient tongue. Bilbo must have translated it. I never knew that," Ojisan mused, his voice taking on a more pleasant and even wistful tone.

"There was a lot more," Sam added, "all about Mordor. I didn't learn that part, it gave me the shivers. I never thought I should be going that way myself!" the hobbit shuddered slightly and looked positively disgusted yet frightened at the same time.

"Going to Mordor!" cried Pippin with wide eyes, "I hope it won't come to that!" he exclaimed desperately but Ojisan whirled around on the hobbits with a sharp look in his eyes…he was worried about something.

"Do not speak that name so loudly!" he almost hissed before he turned about around and surveyed the area. Did Ojisan expect some minion of Mordor to appear out of the blue? Tinnu looked over to where her sisters were hiding and wished again to be with them and to communicate her fears with them.

…

Gandalf's plan was working, though Naruto felt terrible that she couldn't soothe Dusk's tears since the Nazgûl were racing behind them. They had traveled through the night and it was now mid-day. They had probably gone the length of Tsuchi no kuni but they were still in the wide plans east of Weathertop.

They were being chased by four mounted riders and Naruto was sorely tempted to disable those horses, but then her children and the hobbits they were accompanying were on foot and she had a pretty good feeling that the Nazgûl were faster than the hobbits.

She could feel her clones and the possessed clones still chasing after some of the Nazgûl while other clones were just standing off against the riders. They were too close to Weathertop for her comfort but there was little she could do about it.

For now she would just have to keep diverting their attention to her, since these creatures couldn't be killed. "It's okay baby, I won't let them hurt you," she murmured to her screeching infant. He must be very sensitive to their energy or else these creatures just affected all beings and babies were more susceptible. "It'll be over soon…" she murmured though it felt like a lie.

…

It was already mid-day when they drew near the southern end of the path, and saw before them a grey-green bank that led like a bridge up to the northward slope of the hill. They decided to make for the top at once, while the daylight was broad; this Aragorn, hoped might reveal them of any persons nearby while the daylight warded away foes. However, concealment was no longer possible, and they could really only hope that no enemy or spy was observing them. But once upon the top of the hill they saw nothing moving, and it was unlikely that Gandalf was anywhere about.

On the western flank of Weathertop they found a sheltered hollow at the bottom of which was a bowl-shaped dell with grassy sides. Rangers often camped here, and Aragorn had used it from time to time when he wished to travel discreetly across the wide country.

He would leave Sam and Pippin there while he, Merry, and Frodo observed what they could from atop Weathertop. It would take a half-hour climb, but from the crown of the hill they would certainly command a wide view.

When Aragorn stopped he looked behind him at a panting and breathless Frodo and Merry. He refrained from chuckling, for their short legs had likely made the climb unendurable, but these hobbits were made of sterner stuff, as Gandalf reminded Aragorn time and again.

Aragorn moved to the tumbled ring of stone in which there was a cairn of broken and burned stones, yet at the top of these piled stones was one unburned stone. He picked it up and examined it carefully while the hobbits examined the land around them.

"Well here we are!" Merry stated with his hands on his hips, "And very cheerless and uninviting it looks! There is no water and no shelter. And no sign of Gandalf," Aragorn flinched slightly at the hobbit's words. Perhaps he had led them astray; perhaps they should not have come here. "But I don't blame him for not waiting—if he ever came here," the hobbit added lowly and again it was like a small blow being dealt.

Aragorn didn't wish to be put into leadership positions yet often he was the only one qualified for it. What would come to Gondor if he took the crown back? Would he lead the country to disaster? He mentally shook those thoughts away and held the stone in his hand up in a contemplating fashion.

"I wonder," he began and drew the hobbits' attention to him once more, "Even if he was a day or two behind us at Bree, he could have arrived here first. He can ride very swiftly when need presses." Aragorn wondered if perhaps his friend and wife had met up with Gandalf and were traveling with him, for it was certain that they had been near Weathertop just the day before.

He turned the stone in his hands a few times before showing it to the hobbits, "This has been handled recently," the hobbits peered down at the stone, "What do you think of these marks?"

"There seems to be a stroke, a dot and four more strokes," Frodo observed and Aragorn could tell he was matching it up with what languages he knew.

"The stroke on the left might be a G-rune with thin branches," Aragorn suggested, "It might be a sign left by Gandalf, though one cannot be sure. The scratches are fine, and they certainly look fresh. But the marks might mean something quite different, and have nothing to do with us. Rangers use runes, and they come here sometimes."

Merry had looked hopeful for a moment but it fell and he looked a little confused, "What could they mean, even if Gandalf made them?"

"I should say," Aragorn began almost hesitantly since he had let down the hobbits already, "that they stood for G4, and were a sign that Gandalf was here on October the fourth: that is two days ago now. It would also show that he was in a hurry and danger was at hand, so that he had no time or did not dare to write anything longer or plainer. If that is so, we must be wary."

"I wish we could feel sure that he made the marks, whatever they may mean," said Frodo. "It would be a great comfort to know that he was on the way in front of us or behind us."

"Perhaps," Aragorn began wistfully, "For myself, I believe that he was here, and he had been in danger. There have been scorching flames here; and now the light that we saw three nights ago in the eastern sky comes back to my mind. It is quite possible that Gandalf had met with my friend and his wife and they had been attacked on this hill-top. Based on the explosions the following day, I hope that the result was positive, but I cannot say for certain. Regardless, they are here no longer, and we must now look after ourselves and make our own way to Rivendell, as best we can."

"How far is Rivendell?" asked Merry as he gazed around wearily, and Aragorn understood, the world did look wide and wild from up here.

"I don't know if the Road has ever been measured in miles beyond the Forsaken Inn, a day's journey east of Bree. But I know it would take me twelve days, with fair weather and good health, to reach the Ford of Bruinen from Weathertop, and then another two days to reach Rivendell, should I not take the road."

"A fortnight!" exclaimed Frodo in shock, "A lot may happen in that time," he murmured sagely and Aragorn agreed.

They stood for a while on the hill-top in silence. Aragorn contemplated how they should proceed and what might be the fastest route, when Fordo clutched his arm suddenly.

"Look!" he cried as he pointed downwards. "Four black specks were coming from the south and east toward Weathertop." At once, Aragorn flung himself onto the ground and pulled the hobbits downs with him.

"What is it?" Merry, the ever inquisitive hobbit, asked in a whisper.

"I do not know, but I fear the worst," he answered; could it be the riders? As they crawled toward the toppled stones the sky began to cloud over and soon the sun would be setting. They would not be able to see what exactly those black specks were, but Aragorn suspected they might be Nazgûl. If that was the case, did that mean his friends were dead?

Aragorn looked once more over the edge of the hill and barely refrained from cursing, "The enemy is here!"

Hastily they crept away and proceeded down back to the dell in the cover of the shadows to find their companions.

…

Kurama 5 examined its nails as it watched the pathetic horsemen ride to Weathertop. Kurama 5 looked over at the cluster of clones around it, and laughed at how easy it had been. Just like their original, the clones were far too susceptible to genjutsu. Kurama may have worked with his jinchuuriki in the past, but there would always be a part of Kurama that would resent the little human for being its jailer.

Kurama 5 wasn't attacking the jinchuriki's family, these delightfully wicked riders were. It had been simple matter to teach the riders how to disperse the clones, and once four of the Kurama possessed clones offered up their chance at freedom, it was child's play to draw the blonde out. Four possessed clones popped, the riders move back toward Weathertop, and the idiot runs off to draw their attention away while sending out a small horde to watch over the other possessed clones. Simple, and predictable.

They just had to wait at the edge of sight for the hobbit company to show up, and for night to come on; then the Nazgûl could move in on them. Really, Kurama was doing the jinchuuriki a favor. An attack on the blonde's children would reunite the sickening family all the sooner and then there would be no more senseless running, and Kurama could wait for the human to get pregnant again so he can escape.

Kurama 5 stretched languidly and wondered how long it would take the jinchuuriki to figure out she had been played. It cackled to itself and stared into the distance.

…

Naruto faltered mid step as she felt something shift in the energies around her. Her eyes widened and she heard Kurama cackle in her ear.

"You did not," she mentally growled.

"Oh, my clones thought to put an end to this mindless running, you can thank me later, or when you're pushing out another baby and you let me free!"

"Just for that, I am not having any more children for a decade!" she screamed at the fox mentally before she tossed the bastard at the old man. She had timed it perfectly so that he landed on his stomach across the old man's lap.

Though she was pissed off at the Kurama, she still tapped slightly into his power. She didn't want to get any closer to the Nazgûl than she had to; however, she made sure the chakra did not coat her so Dusk would not be harmed.

From there, two chakra arms reached out for the horses and snapped their necks.

"Arad!" yelled Gandalf as he turned around jerkily with one hand, while the other kept the teme's comatose form from falling off the horse.

"Fucking Kurama, fucking backstabbed me!" she screamed as she unhorsed the other two riders. She then proceeded to use the chakra hands to throw the riders off to the south by several leagues.

"Excuse me?!" he was probably more affronted by her language than anything and Naruto wanted to scream.

"Just follow me if you can, gramps!" she then took off as quickly as she could with a still crying Dusk strapped to her chest. She would not let her babies be hurt, damn it!

…

When Aragorn, Frodo, and Merry returned, they found Sam and Pippin had not been idle. They had explored the slopes and found a spring of fresh water to refill their water skins, and they had found signs of a hasty camp. "I wonder if Gandalf has been here," Sam said to Pippin as he brought some firewood from a stacked pile. "Whoever it was put this stuff here meant to come back it seems."

Aragorn regarded the hobbit keenly, perhaps there would be more evidence of his friends or evidence of the enemy. Either way, it would be worth exploring. "I wish I had waited and explored the ground down here myself." He cursed his brashness mentally as he hurriedly looked to examine the spring and any footsteps that remained.

He sighed as he straightened, and returned to the group, "It is as I feared, Sam and Pippin have trampled the soft ground, and the marks are spoilt or confused. Rangers have been here lately. It is they who left the firewood behind. But there are also several newer tracks that were not made by Rangers. At least one set was made, only a day or two ago, by a heavy boots. At least one. I cannot now be certain, but I think there were many booted feet."

He stood there and looked about anxiously. Gandalf wore more supple boots, not heavy boots and there had been many heavy boots. He feared it was not the rangers…

"Hadn't we better clear out quick, Mr. Strider?" Sam asked impatiently with a frown marring his face, "It is getting late, and I don't like this hole: it makes my heart sink somehow."

"Yes, we certainly must decide what to do at once," Aragorn replied as he looked up at the darkening sky. "Well, Sam," he said after a minute of consideration, "I do not like this place either; but I cannot think of anywhere better that we could reach before nightfall. At least we are out of sight for the moment, and if we moved we should be much more likely to be seen by spies. All we could do would be to go right out of our way back north on this side of the line of hills, where the land is all much the same as it is here. The Road is watched but we should have to cross it, if we tried to take cover in the thickets away to the south. On the north side of the Road beyond the hills, the country is bare and flat for miles."

He would leave the decision to them, he provided them with all the information they should need to make a choice. He had led them false already it seemed, and Sam did not fully trust him yet. He hoped this earned him more of the hobbits' trust. He hoped his nieces were not hiding somewhere nearby, not with the riders so close at hand.

"Can the Riders see?" Merry asked almost skeptically, "I mean, they seem usually to have used their noses rather than their eyes, smelling for us, if smelling is the right word, at least in the daylight. But you made use lie down flat when we saw them down below: and now you talk of being seen, if we move."

Aragorn sighed in slight frustration, "I was too careless on the hill-top," he admitted and as he ran a hand through his hair, "I was too anxious to find some sign of Gandalf, but it was a mistake for three of us to go up and stand there so long.

"The riders may not be able to see, but their horses can and they can use creatures and men as their spies, as you witnessed in Bree," the hobbits nodded gravely and shuddered slightly at the reminder, "The riders themselves cannot see the world of light as we do, but our shapes cast shadows in their minds, which only the noon sun destroys; and in the dark they perceive many signs and forms that are hidden from us: then they are most to be feared. And at all times they smell the blood of living things, desiring and hating it. Senses, too, there are other than sight or smell. We can feel their presence—it troubled our hearts, as soon as we came here, and before we saw them; they feel ours more keenly. Also," he added in a whisper, "the Ring draws them." It was long past time the hobbits knew what was hunting them.

"Is there no escape!" Frodo looked around wildly, as if the Nazgûl were about to fall upon them. "If I move I shall be seen and hunted! If I stay, I shall draw them to me!"

Aragorn smiled grimly and set his hand on Frodo's shoulder to calm him down. Hopefully his nieces would hear what he was about to say, if they were in fact hiding somewhere nearby. "There is still hope," he said, "You are not alone. Let us take this wood that is set ready for the fire as a sign. There is little shelter or defense here, but fire shall serve for both. Sauron can put fire to his evil uses, as he can all things, but these Riders do not love it, and fear those who wield it. Fire is our friend in the wilderness."

Sam looked at him skeptically. "Maybe," he grumbled, "It is also as good a way of saying "here we are" as I can think of, bar shouting." Aragorn looked at the hobbit unimpressed but he could not change the hobbits mind.

Dawn felt anxious as she watched the hobbits and her uncle make a fire and then sit around it discussing traveling, food, and even folklore. She gave a heavy sigh as her uncle recited the tale of Tinúvel. It made her sad every time she heard it for she knew her uncle and his love were so much like that story.

Soon it was silent around their camp fire and Merry and Sam wandered off; however Sam returned quickly with a fearful look in his eyes. "I don't know what it is, but I suddenly felt afraid. I wouldn't leave this dell for any money; I felt that something was creeping up the slope."

"Did you see anything?" Frodo stressed as he sprang to his feet. Dawn perked up and imagined her sisters did the same. She could feel it now, like the hairs on the back of her neck were on end.

"No sir. I saw nothing, but I didn't stop to look," Sam wrung his hands anxiously while his eyes darted about the clearing.

Merry returned then, just as anxious as Sam, "I saw something, or I thought I did—away westwards where the moonlight was falling on the flats beyond the shadow of the hill-tops. I thought there were two or three black shapes. They seemed to me moving this way," the hobbit swallowed nervously.

Ojisan shot to his feet, "Keep close to the fire, with your faces outward!" he ordered, "Get some of the longer sticks ready in your hands!" he was moving about the camp as if surveying every shadow.

Dawn could feel a shift in the air and she knew her uncle felt it too, for Ojisan quieted the restless hobbits. It was then that over the lip of the dell black shapes rose and began to advance upon them. It was the riders! It was time for them to act, it was time for them to show they were brave kunoichi!

She ran through the necessary seals and her illusion fell, she then looked over at her sisters and saw that they too had released their illusions. The hobbits screamed at their appearance and she heard their uncle's worried yell but they push that all aside. They were here to protect, to fight!

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tinnu racing toward a rider advancing upon Sam. Dawn readied her bow and arrows and shot at the other advancing creatures but it did no good. It was then that she heard a whinny off in the distance. They had horses, and if her bows did no good against them like this then perhaps….perhaps she could take out their mounts so they couldn't follow them! Yes she would do that. Activating her sharingan, Dawn leapt out of the dell and proceed to search for the riders' horses.

Minuial saw her sister jump out of the dell and wondered if she was looking for a better vantage point. Her sister had never been one for short range, so she could understand why she left. But right now, Minuial had to focus on the towering shadows approaching them.

Ojisan kept throwing glances at her and Tinnu, as though his worst dream had come true. Minuial shoved the sudden shame and guilt she felt aside. She was going to going to protect the hobbits! However, as soon as the riders came to the bottom of the dell, those thoughts were driven away by a crippling fear.

She was going to die. The fear was cold and heavy, it made her arms and legs feel like lead. She had come between Merry and his advancing rider, but she couldn't move, she couldn't…even as the rider unsheathed its sword and prepared to slice her in two.

"What are you doing!? Fight if you're going to fight!" Merry cried as he flung himself to the ground. It snapped her out of whatever daze held her, and in a flash she withdrew her broadswords and raised them up in an 'x' just in time to catch the blade coming down at her.

She gritted her teeth and widened her stance to take the force of the attack. She was then able to push the rider's blade up higher as she got into range to kick it. She twisted her blades to the side in hope of disarming the creature, but it only made the creature pull its sword away. No matter, she followed her move with a twisting kick that she laced with chakra. The rider gave a surprised shriek as it was kicked to the side several yards.

She stood there panting with her eyes wide. Why couldn't she get enough air in her lungs?! Was it this horrible feeling in the air? This was the riders' ability wasn't it, they could feel each other so acutely, but the riders felt so terrible and frightening.

It was then that she heard the dying cry of a horse and it sent shivers down her spine and into her feet, but it didn't come from where Bill had been grazing. No, the noise came from somewhere outside of the dell.

She quickly looked around as the rider she knocked off its feet was righting itself. Minuial couldn't see Dawn but she had a good feeling that she was the one that killed that horse, but why? Why would she do that? But as she was looking behind her, Minuial saw that Pippin was left unprotected and the hobbit was cowering on the ground with his arms over his head. She saw the advancing creature, but something was odd about its movements…they were slowing down, more and more. As Minuial looked over at her twin she saw Tinnu moving to block and then kick away the rider much slower than she should have been moving at. What was happening? Her sister pivoted around and she caught a flash of red in her sister's eyes before she moved again. Sam shaking in his place next to Frodo who was trembling slightly.

Minuial's rider was still down but the rider before Pippin was about to strike down on the hobbit. Her eyes widened and she moved faster than she had ever moved before. She would push aside the crippling fear she felt, she would fight, she would protect, but most importantly, she would kill these creatures. She would kill this rider.

She caught the slow moving sword in with the edge of her left sword, and as the rider's blade slide along hers she threw her arm to the side to cause the sword to divert path and fall into the ground. She cast her gaze about her and saw an almost blinding source of energy behind her, but it was foul.

It came from Frodo's waistcoat pocket, but what was most alarming were the traces of chakra at the hobbits brainstem. She noticed the hobbit drop his blade and torch as his similarly chakra coated hands reached down to the waistcoat pocket. What was he doing? Was he possessed? Perhaps he was….didn't genjutsu work by sending chakra into the target's brain?

She heard Pippin give a scream of fright. She turned around just in time to see the rider moving his sword to cut her in half. She moved into the rider's guard and pivoted around it. In that brief moment she saw Ojisan move to protect Merry who, like Pippin, had his hands up over his head. She also saw Frodo becoming coated in that corrupted energy and saw her twin moving to block the rider advancing on Frodo.

But she had no time to think as she slammed her elbow against what should have been the creature's spine. She then ducked to avoid the creature's responding spin and swipe. She was within its guard now but with its arm crossed over its body it would swipe either back the way it came or cross down at where she was crouched. She managed to flip backwards and out of the way of either attack.

She fixed the creature, which was moving strangely slow, with a hard gaze. She would not fear these things, she would kill them; she would!

She charged before the rider had a chance to reposition its hands or ready itself. She was in its guard within the blink of an eye with her arms crossed over her body so that her left-handed blade would swipe across the creature's neck as her right-handed blade swiped diagonally across the creature's torso.

Her momentum was the only reason she was able to follow through with her attack, for as soon as her blade came in contact with the rider's body, a cold seeped up through her broadswords into her hands, and then into the rest of her body. Her swords were beginning to shake as if meeting more resistance than they should when cutting into an enemy. In fact, she saw in slow motion her swords disintegrating, or perhaps bursting, into tiny pieces about mid-way through her attack, but even then the cold had reached all of her and it was choking her.

Her vision began to spot out and she screamed in an attempt to get air or heat back into her lungs. Everything felt so cold, so terribly cold! Darkness consumed her vision as she fell backwards onto the ground, but it wasn't the ground any more, it was just dark.

Before her in this pressing void was the rider, but he appeared as an ethereal old man with a very long beard. He was perhaps a lord before he became whatever he was, but this wraith was the only source of light in the void.

It staggered away from her before righting itself and raising its sword. Minuial scrambled to her feet, but it felt strange… Her limbs felt so cold and heavy, as if all the energy had been sapped from her. The creature was no longer moving slowly, in fact, it was moving as quickly as her, even faster than her!

She scrambled backward out of the way of its downward sweeping attack, and shakily she drew out her trench knives. It was just them in this great, endless darkness. If she did not kill this rider in here, then she would die; she knew it, and that though alone was all that motivated her numb and heavy limbs into moving.

She jerked out of the way of another swipe and wondered why this rider was moving faster than she could! She hastily rolled to the side to avoid another downward strike. She jerked back to her feet and was now in the rider's guard. She pivoted around the ethereal creature and once at its back cut it with her closest knife. It bled, surprisingly, and Minuial was calmed by the realization this thing would die in this void.

She barely ducked the rider's responding attack, and she did her best to stay to its back, but being of almost equal speed, she was forced to withdraw from it. Her technique hinged on speed and being able to get into her opponent's guard. But this blackness, this void, it seemed to equalize them, yet she knew this creature was more powerful than her here.

She stared at it panting, unable to get enough air in her lungs. The longer she was in here, the more drained she became; as if the darkness around her sapped at her strength, her will. Minuial had to end this, and end this quickly or she would surely die.

The rider seemed to know what she was thinking for it smiled with mockingly with rotted teeth showing. It set its sword to act as a spear to skewer her, but she had to move now, she had to end this! She raced toward the creature as it knew she would. Just before the creature was about to skewer her, she twisted to the side, which caused the blade to slice across her stomach, but she was able to pivot so that she was once more at its back.

She jumped and braced herself with her left arm on the wraith's shoulder. With her right hand she reversed her grip so that she could rake her knife across the creature's throat and thus sever its arteries.

As the creature fell to its knees, she was able to touch the ground again. She was trembling all over, as if that last attack had taken what remained of her strength and will. Her legs gave out under her and she fell backwards into the sea of darkness. She could hardly breathe. She panted heavily as she lay there with her stomach dribble blood from the thin, long cut. Minuial felt herself fade farther and farther away. Farther…and farther… … away.

…

Naruto stopped in her tracks. She had been feeling her daughters' energies but suddenly Minuial's went out. Her legs gave out under her and she distantly heard Dusk crying. Something cold settled inside of her, and instead of crying she felt nothing.

She could hear Gandalf galloping far behind her as he tried desperately to match her speed, the poor horse.

Naruto looked up again and she gently touched Dusk's head, "Shh little boy, shh," she whispered, "I'll make Kurama pay and those Nazgûl too. I'll kill them, yes I will, I'll kill those Ring Wraiths for killing Minuial." Naruto rose calmly, she felt cold all over and distantly she could hear Kurama laughing in her mind.

"Oh? And how will you make me pay?"

"What was Sabaku's container before Gaara?" Naruto asked in a deadly calm voice. Kurama's laughing ceased and Naruto continued her running. Her eyes were hard and set for the dell where her child's energy had been snuffed out. She didn't care if they were immortal, she would kill them all, somehow.

…

Dawn saw it all happening in slow motion and each moment was burned into her mind. She had taken out their horses after she realized her arrows had little effect on the riders. With the horses gone they could then flee with less of a chance of pursuit. Dawn and her sisters could each carry a hobbit while the last one rode on Bill and Ojisan ran beside them. They could then put a good distance between them and the riders. But then her plans fell apart as she watched what happened in the dell below.

She saw Ojisan knock back the rider he was fighting before he was forced to protect Merry when Minuial had shifted her assault onto the rider attacking Pippin. She saw Tinnu break through her crimpling fear and protect both Sam and Frodo from their riders, for as long as she could. And despite her newly unlocked sharingan, she could not keep up the protection and had gone to Sam's aid when Frodo became coated in chakra and tried to run away. Dawn saw in horror how the un guarded rider stabbed the coated hobbit.

Dawn also saw the youngest of their family, if only by a few hours, unlock her bloodline just as her twin had. She felt such pride for her siblings, and it lifted the suffocating fear around her—but her pride was quickly replaced by horror when she saw her baby sister scream after attacking one of the creatures solidly. Minuial's newly unlocked sharingan faded away, and her eyes were wide open in horror as she fell backwards as if struck.

Minuial was so pale and Dawn could not see her chest rising or falling. Her bow and the fitted arrow fell from Dawn's hands. She was supposed to protect them and now…oh gods. Dawn shouldn't have let the twins convince her, she shouldn't have caved in! This was all her fault! Oh gods, she killed her sister, she let this happen!

He legs gave out under her. She had promised Tousan so many years ago, after she accepted the fact that Kaasan had abandoned them, that she would protect her sisters with all she had. She wouldn't let them be hurt! But she failed, she let this happen.

She saw Tinnu fall to her knees screaming and clutching at her head. Her new sharingan was changing as she screamed in agony at the sight of her fallen sister. Ojisan gave a cry and even began to move toward Minuial's fallen form while the other riders paused and stared at rider Minuial had attacked.

Her family was falling apart, they were all defenseless and once those riders got over their shock, they would attack them, and she couldn't let that happen! No! No! Dawn wouldn't let anyone else die because of her stupidity, because her irresponsibleness!

The wind picked up suddenly around. Two skeletal arms made of wind rushed at the riders frozen by her family. She saw Frodo face down on the ground with his sword under him while the one rider was frozen in shock as well. No! Frodo was as still as Minuial, he was dead too! Damn it, she failed! She screamed as a skeletal hand made of wind grabbed the rider over Frodo and threw it as wind arm could. Her sister, her baby sister was dead because of her, and Tinnu screaming grief, tormented by thoughts of being responsible for her twin's death.

Dawn wanted all the riders to go away, she had to and the wind—which sapped the chakra from her like a thirsty man gulped down water—responded to her wishes. Panting, the wind arms threw the two remaining riders away from them. The wind died down then and Dawn looked down into the dell.

The air was still for a long, heavy moment before she and Tinnu raced toward Minuial. Ojisan raced to their side as well. "Why did you follow us!" he yelled as he began to hurriedly examine Minuial. "Why damn it!?" Dawn and Tinnu jumped back at their uncle's curse, he never swore.

"Ojisan" Dawn began trembling but he shot a glare at her and her words froze in her throat.

Ojisan unfastened Minuial's cloak so he could feel for her pulse, "Did any of you even think of the consequences? Of the turmoil and strife you might have put your parents through?!

"Oh gods, she's cold as death!" Ojisan looked to be near tears, but then his eyes widened. "There's a pulse," he breathed in relief before glaring once more at his nieces. "Why?! Why did you three do this? For adventure? Look what that has gotten you?!"

Dawn flinched and Tinnu held onto her tightly as they both trembled in the face of their uncle's wrath. Ojisan was so angry and disappointed, it was terrifying. He stood up stiffly and looked down at them with a hard expression, "You are women, but today you have acted like selfish children with no regard for your lives or the lives of others."

"Ojisan…" Dawn began in a trembling voice as she dropped her head to stare down at Minuial.

"Silence," he demanded before looking over at the clustered hobbits. "Sam," he barked and the hobbit jumped nearly a foot in the air, "bring a pot of water to boil and steep these leaves in it," he ordered as he tossed a pouch tied to his hip at the stout hobbit.

"Strider!" cried Sam from where he had moved to catch the pouch of herbs. "Mister Frodo disappeared from my side!" the hobbit's voice was almost shrill in his panic, "How's boiling some leaves going to help?!" he demanded and Ojisan's expression became cold which made the hobbit flinch.

Pippin suddenly spoke up, "He's over here! Oh no!" the hobbit lamented, "He's been stabbed!"

Sam moved over to the eldest hobbit and hovered over him. "It will do more good then hovering over him will!" Ojisan snapped as he began to make his way over to Frodo, who was no longer coated in chakra. However, he threw one last look that screamed how disappointed he was with his nieces. "Move her near the fire, now!" the girls hopped to it and quickly moved Minuial closer to the blazing fire. Dawn could practically feel the coolness of her sister's skin through her cloak.

When Minuial was positioned by the fire once more, Tinnu helped Dawn set their sister's head onto their lap. Though their sister was miraculously still alive, Dawn and Tinnu found themselves crying and not with hope or happiness. This had been a disaster, and it was all her fault—Dawn had wanted to spite her mother and prove herself as a warrior…it was selfish, and childish.

She and Tinnu bowed their heads and stifled their sobs but regardless their bodies shook and they gasped for breath. What had they done?

Aragorn had tried to ready himself for the possibility that his nieces had been hiding in the shadows but all his mental preparation had done nothing when he saw his nieces seemingly materialize out of nowhere. His sudden all-encompassing panic and fear had nearly cost him his head. If he had a few days to mentally prepare himself, to be ready for the responsibility of both the hobbits and his nieces' safety, perhaps he wouldn't have been so unbelievably angry as he was now.

He was practically trembling as he kneeled beside Frodo, and the conscious hobbits gave him a wide breadth; though their anxiety for their friend made them reluctantly draw closer to him. Aragorn took a deep breath and forced himself to regain some composure. He had to be level headed and strong for them all. The hobbits were ready to break when Frodo suddenly reappeared with his sword beneath him, and his nieces were barely hanging in there, metaphorically—physically, in Minuial's case. That thought made him take another calming breath, for if his nieces had not followed them then this wouldn't have happened!

"Sam, how is the steeping coming along?" he asked through gritted teeth. They had very little time to work with, for though he had seen the skeletal wind monster that had covered his eldest niece and literally thrown the Nazgûl at least a league; he knew the Nazgûl would return eventually. He had heard horses dying and assumed Dawn had taken out their mounts, which would make it easier for them to flee the riders if they were quick with their healing.

Still, Minuial was fading fast. It was almost as if her will had been crushed by a greater will. He unconsciously glanced toward the crumpled rags of what had been a Ring Wraith, though perhaps that was the case; a greater will destroyed hers. It was hard to believe, but she had killed a Nazgûl; she had truly killed it, but at what a cost? Her life? He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. Why did they do this?!

He took a few more calming breaths as he gingerly moved aside the hobbit's tunic and vest to assess the wound. For a moment, in the flickering fire light, he saw a glint of metal, which was quite possibly a piece of the blade which stabbed him. No matter how much Athelas he used, it would do little good until that piece of the blade was removed, though Aragorn did not have the skill to do so.

He moved the hobbit closer to the fire where he could smell the sweet and reviving fragrance of the Athelas. "Dawn! Tinnu!" he called the sobbing sisters, "drench a rag in the pot and rest it against your sister's head," he ordered before turning to Sam, "Scoop out some of the steeped leaves and wrap them in a cloth for me," he ordered again. He gritted his teeth as he looked at over at his unconscious niece. He could see both Frodo and Minuial fading, and it was quite possible they could turn into wraiths without healing. They had a fortnight of travel and he was not sure if his niece would make it.

"S-Strider?" Merry began hesitantly, "Why are Dû's children here, and who's that archer?"

Aragorn turned back to the wound with his jaw clenched tightly in anger. The wound had to be purified of the Morgûl taint before it spread further. It would take elven healing, but perhaps he could hold the hobbit over until they reached Rivendell or help.

"They are all Dû and Arad's children," Aragorn replied in a controlled voice that suggested how truly angered he was, and Merry jerked back slightly. As Aragorn spoke, Sam handed him a sodden cloth, which he let the plant cool in before he set the sodden leaves against the open wound. He then used the wet cloth to wipe at the edges of the wound and clean away some of the blood. Frodo was lucky it was not a fatal wound, but without treatment he could become subdued under their will.

Aragorn took bandages from his pack and began to dress the wound. As he was doing so, he looked across the fire to see Tinnu pressing a cloth to her sister's head. Why did they do this? He felt betrayed by their actions; they knew he was on a dangerous mission that he did not want to involve their family in, yet what did they do? They got involved!

"Ah, Strider!" Aragorn was shaken from his thoughts by Frodo making a startled noise, "What's wrong?!" he asked worriedly as the hobbit hurriedly sat up. The hobbit was certainly made of sterner stuff than Aragorn had thought, but Gandalf had hinted as much.

He shook his head and finished dressing the hobbit's wound, perhaps with a bit more force than was necessary based on Frodo's wince. He then heard Frodo recount what he had seen and the compulsion he had to put on the ring. He wanted to curse the hobbit, but he was not foolish enough to doubt the seductive power of the ring. He could hardly blame the hobbit, though he would never want to be ring bearer himself. Not with his family history.

With the wound dressed, Aragorn began to move back over to his nieces while the hobbits wrapped Frodo in extra cloaks.

Aragorn knelt down beside Minuial and felt for her pulse as he took the cloth from Tinnu and soaked it once more. He couldn't speak to them, he would yell and curse them if he tried to speak. Instead, he astutely ignored them and their sobbing. He had to ignore them or he knew he would yell and blame them for what happened to his niece—to their sister. They seemed to know this too, for they just looked down at their sister in their laps and continued to cry.

The atmosphere was tense and Aragorn could feel the hobbits staring at them, and more specifically staring at his nieces.

"I can't stay quiet no longer, Mister Strider," Sam stated as he stood up with his hands folded in front of his chest, "How did they just appear out thin air? What are you all playing at?" he asked suspiciously and Aragorn snapped his head up to glare at Sam.

"Are you implying, Sam, that I purposely risked my nieces' lives just to pulling the wool over your eyes?" Sam seemed to understand his mistake and he took a stuttering step back and swallowed thickly. The other hobbits flinched and Frodo looked like he wished to interrupt, but Aragorn did not care at that moment.

"I am not in league with enemy and neither are they. Though they are foolish and selfish children, they are not evil!" the girls made a pitiful noise and he looked over at them in contempt, "And now their sister is hanging onto life by a thread for killing one of your pursuers." Aragorn turned back to the quailed Sam, but before he could get another word out he was interrupted.

"Minuial's not dead?!" Aragorn turned his head around to see Arad standing at the edge of the fire light; likely she had just jumped down here. The hobbits jumped backwards in alarm at her sudden appearance.

"Kaasan!" his nieces cried in sudden relief but the blonde had eyes only for her unconscious child. There was a sniffling babe strapped to her chest, and it gave a little wail as she moved to kneel beside her daughter.

"She's not dead?" Arad asked again and Aragorn nodded.

"She has a pulse but it is faint." Arad shook her head in disbelief while muttering something in her native language. He looked at her expectantly to see what she would do next.

Naruto did not understand how it was possible. She was going to stop in at the dell to pay her respects and explain how she would seek revenge for what had happened, but then she heard Ranger-san snapping at the hobbits about how his niece was barely alive.

This wasn't possible, Minuial had no chakra left, yet she still had a pulse.

She had made clones to take care of the Kurama clones and she could feel the epic battle taking placing off past Weathertop, but frankly she did not care now that there was hope for Minuial's survival.

"Kaasan?" Dawn asked in a trembling voice, but Naruto held up her hand. She likely did not have much time to act in and so she closed her eyes and met with the fox.

It was smirking at her and she glared back. "You're quite satisfied with yourself, aren't you?"

"I told you, you would be reunited sooner this way."

"Heal her," Naruto was not in the mood for the fox's games, not after what it had caused.

"Oh, why should I? Won't I be locked into a jar by you?"

"Not if you heal her," she replied back in a cold voice.

"Ooo!" the demon cooed with a malicious smile in place that just looked like it was baring his fangs. "You hate me so much right now, don't you, Naruto," Kurama practically purred her name as it moved its head down to stare at her, "Be careful," he sang, "Yami just might come back."

Naruto closed her eyes and breathed slowly before opening them. She softened her face and forced herself to let go of the anger and hate boiling away in her veins. If he did this, then her Minuial wouldn't die, and she had to have faith that Kurama would. She couldn't let herself go into the hate, she couldn't.

When she opened her eyes again, Kurama was frowning—well, trying to frown. The demon sighed forlornly, "Oh damn. How can you just let go of your hate like that?"

"Because you will heal my daughter," Naruto stated with a forced smile.

"I promised to heal one Uchiha for my freedom, I refuse to heal another because of some slight you feel I've dealt you."

Naruto restrained herself and breathed heavily to calm herself, "Fine, you don't have to heal the teme, just heal my daughter."

The demon tried to frown again in disappointment, "Really, you're not going to rage at me or fight me about this? Not even after all the things I did in those clones' bodies?"

Naruto shook her head as she continued to control her breathing and anger. Kurama glared at her "You are no fun anymore," the fox lamented. "Fine," he growled.

"Thank you, Kurama." Naruto opened her eyes after the mental conference to see everyone staring at her before she handed off Dusk to her crying daughters. She then positioned herself over Minuial and let the fox do his magic.

Tinnu shuddered as she felt the demon's charka move to encompass her mother and then she understood. Kaasan was using the fox to heal Minuial—who she had almost killed by agreeing with and convincing each other to go on this cursed adventure. Tinnu had heard her mother talk of how the Kyuubi's chakra healed as well as destroyed. Relief flooded her, but she saw Frodo looking at her mother warily and clutching his waistcoat pocket.

What must that hobbit be thinking at the sight of her mother's chakra? Could the hobbit even sense energies? Ojisan looked intrigued though he still looked angry if his drawn expression was anything to go off of.

Tinnu looked away from her mother, who was coated in that orange chakra, and looked over at her sister and new sibling. Dawn was holding the baby like it was a glass doll. Their sibling looked a lot like Kaasan but with Tousan's coloring. Which made her think of Tousan…oh gods, what happened to Tousan?! Where was he, had he died? He wasn't with Kaasan yet Kaasan had brought the baby.

She was starting to hyperventilate, and when Dawn looked at her, she saw the same fear reflected in her elder sister's eyes.

Oh Tousan!

Naruto looked down at Minuial when the fox was finished. She was breathing more clearly now and she could feel her chakra flickering weakly. "That's as good as I can do. She just has to rest now," Kurama murmured inside her mind "Now if you'll excuse me…I am going to admire that malicious chakra over there" the fox gave a yawn and she felt him quiet in her mind though she was left with comical image of a cartoon Kurama making googilie eyes at a ring.

"That energy was your demon, wasn't it?" Naruto looked over at a sharp eyed hobbit who had a bandage over his shoulder. She could feel the foul chakra radiating off of him and was again reminded of her cartoon Kyuubi pining after the ring like a school girl.

However, those thoughts were driven away by another. How the hell did this hobbit know about Kurama!? "Why would you think tha—?"

"Father told them," Tinnu interrupted, though she was breathing quickly and looked panicked, "Is Tousan alive?!"

Right…hadn't the teme mentioned something like that? Naruto sighed and shook her head of that thought. However this alarmed the girls and they looked like they were about to panic. "He is facing chakra exhaustion, but he's alive." Both girls sagged in relief and Naruto turned to look at Ranger-san who as frowning.

"I just told them that the Bastard is still alive just in a coma," Ranger-san just nodded though he still looked concerned.

"We need to move," Ranger-san stated as he stood up and looked back east, "Have you heard about the other Riders? Have you run into an elderly man named Gandalf?"

"Gramps?" Naruto laughed slightly, "He's watching the bastard and is about a league east," she stated quickly as she sensed them, "As for the Nazgûl the other four are unhorsed, and the bastard had uncloaked one three days ago, which makes them disappear though they aren't dead."

Ranger-san nodded sagely, "Then we should move before the ones Dawn threw come."

"I'm sorry what?" Naruto looked over at her daughter who was blushing as she cradled Dusk. "You threw them, how?! I mean, I've been tossing them left and right, but with Kurama's chakra, how did you do it?" the girl just looked down in embarrassment and Tinnu chuckled weakly.

"Two arms made of wind—" Ranger-san began to explain how Dawn had thrown the Nazgûl, but Naruto needed no further explanation

She stared at her eldest in shock, "You unlocked the Mangekyo sharingan!?" Dawn ducked her head further at Naruto's exclamation. Ranger-san looked at her in alarm and she waved her hand dismissively.

"I thought I had led Minuial to her death. I shouldn't have agreed, we shouldn't have left. And Tinnu…her eyes changed after Minuial…after we thought she died…" tears were slipping down Dawn's cheeks as she spoke and remorse was coming off of her and Tinnu in almost palpable waves.

"Oh my girls," she whispered as she enveloped them both in her arms and stroked their hair. "I can't say I'm pleased, especially since you took all the food and seals, but I can understand." Part of her whispered it was to get back at her for leaving them, but she had to believe there was another reason, so she made herself think of that instead.

"I had my great adventure so many years ago, and I know this world gives women so few opportunities to prove themselves the way kunoichi should, so I understand if you left for adventure." And she'd understand if they left to hurt her how she had hurt them, but she would not say those words. She shook her head and smiled weakly, "Your father may have something else to say when he wakes up, but I can tell you that I am so happy you are all alive," and she was. When Minuial's chakra had gone out it felt like the world had ripped open beneath Naruto's feet, but her baby girl was alright—all of them were.

A thought struck her and she laughed incredulously, "And shit! You both have the Mangekyo?" Naruto shook her head in disbelief. She thought it was only unlocked by killing a someone close, but then Dawn had said she thought she had caused her sister's death, the emotional trauma dealt to both of them, the guilt, likely unlocked it.

Naruto pulled back and looked at her girls. "With that being said," she stared after brushing the tears welled up in her eyes, "don't you dare fuckimg do that again! You scared the shit out me and your father!" they both flinched at her yell but Naruto proceed to kiss each of them on the forehead before taking Dusk who was trying to feed off of Dawn and looked quite confused about why he wasn't being fed.

"Now, this is your baby brother Dusk," she introduced their sibling to them as she threw her dress off her shoulder and began to feed the fussing babe. He had had a long and stressful day and night, and she had neglected him—though when he was hungry while they were being chased, she ran ahead and left a clone with the old man, but he was still in distress and she could not feed him for very long.

Aragorn looked away as Arad began talking to her daughters in that strange language, and the hobbits looked at them amazed.

"Strider," Frodo called and gestured him over, "What language are they speaking?"

"A language from Arad and Dû's homeland," he replied as he crouched down beside the hobbits.

"Do you know what they're saying?" Merry asked and Aragorn shook his head. Pippin lamented that fact and Aragorn sighed.

He had to smile at seeing the family reunited but he still felt betrayed by his nieces' actions, and he couldn't help but feel at blame for what happened to Minuial, even though she would recover now.

Aragorn closed his eyes in thought. They were traveling by foot with an injured hobbit and there were Nazgûl ahead of them… Even if the Nazgûl were on foot they would not be able to outmaneuver them with just walking. He also would rather get those injured, those he had failed to protect and thus were harmed, to safety as soon as possible…

"What is it Strider?" Fordo asked softly and Aragorn frowned, he may as well include the hobbits in his ponderings.

"These leaves," he gestured to the steaming pot, "are a healing plant that the Men of the West brought to Middle Earth. Athelas they named it, and it grows now sparsely and only near places where they dwelt or camped of old; and it is not known in the North, except to some of those who wander in the Wild. It has great virtues, but over such a wound as this" he gestured to Frodo's shoulder, "its healing powers may be small."

He closed his eyes tiredly, but when he opened them he saw that Frodo was looking up at him gravely, and he could read the question clearly in the hobbit's clever eyes.

"Frodo, you will need safety and eleven healing, for an accursed blade gave you that wound. I know you are made of sterner stuff than you appear, and I have faith you will not succumb to the evil of that wound," he paused and could see relief spreading over all of their faces, "however, we must be quick lest the wound grow worse and my healing incapable of helping."

Frodo nodded in understanding but it was Pippin who spoke up in disagreement, "What about the other riders? Would we be running into them if we left so soon? It's the middle of the night! Yes they don't have horses but they are far enough ahead of us that they could be setting a trap for us!"

Aragorn looked away from them all. He had thought of this already, and he turned to look at the family but turned away when he saw Arad feeding her new child. The hobbits had followed his gaze and now flushed as they astutely looked anywhere but at the blonde.

"Arad," he called while looking into the fire, he heard her make a noise that suggested she was listening, "I do not want to ask this of you, but would you transport Frodo to Rivendell?"

"Uh…" the blonde likely did not know why Frodo needed to go there, but she asked uncertainly, "Isn't that some elvish place?"

"Yes," Aragorn replied all the while looking into the fire, "it is the last Homely House and there Frodo will find healing."

The blonde woman made a thoughtful noise, "Alright," she consented. "The bastard will probably need to go there anyway…" the woman sounded lost.

"What?!" Aragorn exclaimed; his friend had been injured?!

"He attacked the Nazgul," Naruto started guardedly, "you know, shoved his fist through one."

"What?" Aragorn repeated in shock, however Pippin spoke up at this time in confusion.

"Umm… these Nazgûl you keep mentioning are the riders aren't they?" Arad and Aragorn nodded curtly, "It destroyed her swords, like how fireworks burst into pieces." Pippin gestured to Minuial, and Aragorn's face blanched.

"I know…" Arad replied softly, however she mumbled under her breath, "That's why he's stupid." Aragorn felt a bit faint; oh gods, what happened to his friend?

"So…" Arad began, "We'll take Frodo, the bastard, and Minuial to Rivendell; we could head out now," she added and Aragorn blinked a few more times.

"Yes…that would be good," though he would have preferred his nieces not to be involved.

The blonde woman finished up feeding her child and looked thoughtful if not uncertain. "The sooner we get to Rivendel the better, isn't it?" she asked with a grimace. Aragorn nodded grimly and the women sighed with clear reluctance. "Then it would probably be best to transport all of you," Arad stated almost annoyed.

"What?!" the hobbits asked in shock.

"Yeah," she shrugged and Aragorn knew it was her attempt to pass this off as something of no consequence. "So long as you all don't mind piggy-back rides?" she gave them a broad smile, but Aragorn could see it was forced.

"I wouldn't ask that of you Arad," Aragorn began in an attempt to give the woman an out.

Arad shook her head in resignation, "Listen, you all could run into those riders, so why not all of use leave? I don't know how far this Rivendell is, but I can probably get you there in at least half the time it would normally take.

Aragorn could see the relief on the hobbits' faces and knew they would give in. He bowed his head but said no more. He would leave the decision in the hobbit's hands.

"We would appreciate it greatly ma'am," Sam murmured though there was distrust in his voice.

"Yes we would! Oh thank you Arad!" Pippin cried, "You are as beautiful of a soul as you were all those years ago!" he exclaimed joyfully and Arad chuckled a little weakly.

"So it's decided then?" she asked and the hobbits nodded. Aragorn just hung his head. It did not feel right asking this of a woman who had given birth not even a full week ago.

"Alright, I'll just tell gramps, he needn't come all the way here," she chirped before handing Dusk off and crossing her hands to create a duplicate of herself that flickered out of existence. She then took Dusk back who was beginning to whine again.

The hobbits just stared in amazement and Aragorn prepared himself for the long travel ahead. He wished the hobbits were not so fearful or desperate. He really did not want to ask this of his friend's wife. Alas, he knew Arad would always do her best to help others; it was a supposed fault of hers according to Sasuke, and he now understood how such a trait could be considered a fault.

"Take the hobbits, I will meet up with Gandalf and travel with him. I will not burden you Arad." She looked ready to protest but he gave her a hard look, "I will not be swayed on this matter. Gandalf and I will protect ourselves while you protect the hobbits. Can that be agreed upon?"

Arad sighed and looked at Aragorn with a deadpan expression, "You are just like the bastard," she shook her head, "too prideful to accept my help."

"Arad that is not it," he protested but she just shook her head as if she wouldn't listen to him. Still, her persisted, "You are my friend's wife; I will not be carried by you like some invalid. It is inappropriate of me to accept you offer when I can defend myself and travel quickly on my own."

"Pride," Arad sing-sang and Aragorn just bowed his head in frustration while she made another clone to tell Gandalf the new plans. Arad could be an amazing woman but she was frustrating to deal with at times.

---

TBC

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A/N: So I hope I didn't cop out with Minuial killing the Nazgûl. I've had many a discussion with people over the "no man can kill the witch king," and after one discussion it was suggested that Eowyn was able to kill it because she was the only one that dared to, not solely because she was a woman—because that would be cop out. So it was tricky and subtle, but I hope you all are able to pick up on the intentions I gave the characters as they fought the Ring Wraiths. Also, the void battle is the battle of wills that I'm going to say Eowyn went through too because that is way too simple otherwise ~ with love, depressedchildren.