I have returned! Don't kill me! The internet has been down for a while and I have to get Wi-Fi from other places such as McDonald's or Starbucks! Hopefully, I'll get it at my house soon, but expect the slow updates for both stories.
In regards to the timelines, this is before "The Wrong Jedi" arc, so that hasn't happened. Enjoy this chapter! Warning: contains little to no action.
Chapter 12: An Old Friend
The group cautiously followed the tracks of the Hobbits. The muddy footprints made it much easier to track them, but there were still less than a day behind them. The Jedi, however, were currently focused on a certain Sith Lord that had come to this planet. The tension between the two was increasing by the second, both barely attempting at controlling their rage.
"If he hurts Ahsoka-!" Anakin snarled.
"Anakin, calm down," Obi-Wan warned, wanting to do the deed himself. "The last thing we all need is to lose you to the Dark Side."
"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan!" he shot back. "You want him dead as much as I do!"
"He killed Qui-Gon and Satine! Of course I want him dead!"
Anakin scoffed. "Some model Jedi you are. And you still have the nerve to lecture me."
"Enough!" Aragorn shouted.
Surprisingly, both men ceased their arguments.
"Your bickering is loud enough to alert the presence of unwanted company," Gimli explained.
"Yes, we are all concerned about Lady Ahsoka and this Darth Maul," Aragorn assured, "but need I remind you that our two friends are still in danger?"
Rex spotted some berries with a gross liquid on them. One look and smell told him all he needed to know.
"Blood!" he announced, drawing their attention.
"Is it...human?" Anakin tentatively asked, preparing for the worst.
To their relief, Rex shook his head. "Judging from the smell and color, it's Orc blood."
"And here is the Orc himself," Obi-Wan stated.
The Orc's body was crushed as if something stomped it to the ground, which was the most likely cause of death. Whatever crushed the beast left giant tracks heading deeper into the forest.
"These are strange tracks," Aragorn noted. "They are not that of a troll, but something different."
"The air is so close in here," Gimli added, clearly uncomfortable.
"This forest is old," Legolas said. "Very old."
Not another one of his trances. Anakin complained to himself.
The Elf continued. "Full of memory...and anger."
The moment those words left his mouth, the trees began to creak and moan. Instinctively, Gimli raised his ax while looking around for whatever enemy could arrive. Rex did the same with his blaster, but the others remained calm yet alert.
"What's going on?" Anakin asked.
"The trees are speaking to each other!" Legolas answered, his eyes full of wonder.
Rex, surprised, lowered his blaster. "Talking trees? Tell me you're joking."
"I have to admit that the idea of talking trees seems...ludicrous," Obi-Wan admitted, "but given everything that has happened so far, are talking trees really far off?"
"Gimli!" Aragorn snapped. "Lower your ax."
"They have feelings, my friend," Legolas added with a slight glare.
Reluctantly, the Dwarf did as he was told.
"The Elves began it," the Elf continued, going into his trance yet again, "Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."
"What do trees have to talk about?" Gimli asked. "Except the consistency of squirrel droppings."
Anakin stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait!"
"I sense it too," Obi-Wan stated.
"What is it?" Aragorn questioned.
Anakin closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force. "Someone's coming. I can feel his power."
"The White Wizard approaches," Legolas realized.
Instantly, all the men took hold of their weapons, prepared to do battle. While the normal Men would not be much of a challenge for Saruman, at least the Jedi could give him a run for his money.
"Do not let him speak," Aragorn whispered. "He will put a spell on us. We must be quick."
Obi-Wan, while preparing to ignite his lightsaber, mentally counted as he felt the wizard coming closer.
Three, two, one...now.
A sudden blast of white light flashed behind the group, causing them all to turn around. Gimli tossed his ax, but the wizard hit it aside with his staff, breaking it. Legolas fired his arrow and received the same result. Rex opened fire with his double blasters, and the wizard deflected them. The weapons in Rex, Aragorn, and Obi-Wan's hands started to burn, forcing them to drop their weapons. Anakin, however, held his lightsaber with his mechanical hand so he wouldn't get burned. He charged at the wizard, but was blasted back by a powerful, telekinetic push. He crashed into a rather sturdy tree, knocking the wind out of him. Each and every one of them could do nothing against this wizard, whose light was blinding them all.
"You are tracking the footsteps of two, young Hobbits," the wizard stated in a distorted voice.
Anakin and Obi-Wan raised their eyebrows. The voice sounded familiar, but they couldn't place it.
"Where are they?" Aragorn interrogated, daring not to get closer.
"They passed this way the day before yesterday," he answered, his voice constantly changing. "They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"
"Show yourself, coward!" Anakin demanded, summoning his lightsaber to his mechanical hand.
The bright light faded as the man stepped forward.
Two things happened simultaneously: Anakin dropped his lightsaber and every man dropped their jaw at the sight of the wizard who was before them. It was none other than Gandalf.
"Impossible!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, flabbergasted.
"It cannot be," Aragorn stated, stepping closer.
Gandalf's appearance changed since the last time he was with them. Instead of a wooden staff and gray robes, he bore a white staff and white robes. Even his hair and beard were pure white. Obi-Wan's well-groomed beard was put to shame as of this moment.
Anakin was shaking his head. "I don't believe it. This has to be some sort of trick."
"I'm a neither a ghost nor an illusion, Anakin," the wizard assured.
"Forgive me," Legolas pleaded, kneeling down. "I mistook you for Saruman."
"I am Saruman," Gandalf corrected. "Or, rather, Saruman as he should have been."
"But we saw you fall," Rex protested.
Gandalf nodded, his expression turning into a haunted one. "Through fire...and water. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought with the Balrog from Morgoth. Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and every day was as long as a life age of the Earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done."
"You came back from the dead!?" Anakin exclaimed, his shock becoming more apparent.
Obi-Wan was at a loss for words. How could someone be powerful enough to rise from the dead? Every Jedi and Sith could never come close to this.
"Words cannot describe how happy we are that you're back, Gandalf," the Jedi Master stated with a smile.
To his surprise, the wizard looked confused. "Gandalf?" After a moment, it all came back to him. "Yes. That was what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name."
"Gandalf!" Gimli said, ready to burst into tears.
The old man's smile grew "I am Gandalf the White! And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide..." His expression became grave again. "...and with a warning for our Jedi friends."
"Warning?" Anakin echoed confused.
Gandalf nodded. "You both are seeking vengeance on a creature that has plagued your lives in different ways. Should these dark thoughts consume you, your vendetta may be completed but at a terrible price that will haunt you until your dying days."
"He killed my master and a woman I...cared about," Obi-Wan shot back. "He deserves nothing less then death!"
"Do not be so quick to act, Master Kenobi," Gandalf warned firmly. "The satisfaction of revenge is only a temporary one."
Anakin looked down at the ground in response to that statement. He knew exactly the price of revenge all too well.
The wizard went on. "Treat him as you would treat any other foe in the battlefield. Do not completely focus your attention on this one demon when there are other lives at stake."
Obi-Wan sighed in defeat. It wasn't the Jedi way to act out of revenge anyway. However, since they were currently in a war right now, he practically had permission to kill Maul when he engages him in battle. There was no way he would be losing sleep once he had killed him.
"What about Ahsoka!?" Anakin suddenly exclaimed. "That Sith has her and is torturing her as we speak!"
Gandalf bowed his head sadly, knowing the horrible truth he would have to tell him. "I am sorry, Anakin, but you cannot rescue her at this time!"
"ARE YOU TELLING ME I SHOULD GIVE UP HER!?" Anakin exploded, part of him wanting to cur his head off for saying that. "IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!?"
"No!" the wizard replied sharply, but not in the weather-changing attitude. "Isengard is too heavily fortified. Saruman's army continues to grow as we speak. While you can hold your own against a Black Rider, Saruman is too powerful, even for you. Middle-Earth is on the brink of ruin and we need your help to save the Free World of Men." He put a hand on the young man's shoulder. "I am asking you to trust me. Lady Ahsoka is stronger than the enemy gives her credit for. She will understand if you do not rescue her right away."
Anakin turned his back to the group, his mind at a crossroads. Once again had a choice: save Ahsoka, or save the world. The choice seemed obvious, but what if Middle-Earth fell anyway? What if all their fighting is for nothing?
There is still hope! He reminded himself. Gandalf came back from the dead! If he can do that, then why should I doubt that this world can be saved? And Ahsoka...I care about her. There's nothing wrong with that. I want to save her, but...
He suddenly remembered what Gandalf told him back in Moria: "Trust your heart and not your desires."
"Fine," he said, returning his gaze to them. "I'll help you, but if we get an opening, I ask you to let me save her."
"You won't be alone," Rex promised. "I have a soft spot for the commander, sir. I would hate to lose her."
"We do not abandon our friends," Aragorn reassured. "When the time is right, we will save her."
"I would expect nothing less," Gandalf responded. "But we can linger no more."
The wizard led the way out of the forest in a rush with the group in tow.
Rex mentally slapped himself for forgetting the reason they came here. "Pardon me, Master Gandalf, but what about the Hobbits?"
"They are with an old friend of mine," the wizard assured. "They are quite safe as of this moment." He continued to talk, but at a quicker pace. "One stage of your journey is over. Another begins. We must travel to Edoras with all speed?"
"Edoras!?" Gimli questioned, worried. "That is no short distance!"
"Where is this place?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"It's a city in Rohan," Aragorn answered before turning to Gandalf. "We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king."
The wizard nodded, stopping. "Yes, and it will not be easily cured."
Gimli's patience was wearing thin. "Then we have run all this way for nothing? Are we to leave these poor Hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested-?"
He immediately bit back the words at the sounds of the trees rumbling with anger.
"I mean, charming! Quite charming forest!"
Anakin shook his head in amusement. "You know you're in a strange place when insulting trees could lead to your death."
"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn," Gandalf pointed out. "A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains."
"Pippin is good at starting avalanches," Rex muttered, remembering those foolish incidents the Hobbit caused.
"Well, Gandalf seems to look at this one at a positive light," Obi-Wan stated, stroking his outclassed beard.
"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend," Aragorn observed. "You still speak in riddles."
Gandalf and Aragorn shared a small, but much needed, laugh.
"So, care to explain the riddle?" Anakin asked. "Suspense was never something I enjoyed."
"A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days," the wizard explained, a glint in his eye. The Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong."
"Strong!?" Gimli repeated, slightly fearful. "Oh, that's good."
"Ents?" Obi-Wan questioned.
"The shepherds of the forest," Legolas explained. "Since time began, they have cared for the forest and kept it under their protection."
"So, stop your fretting, Master Dwarf," Gandalf rebuked. "Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be."
"This new Gandalf's more grumpy than the old one," the Dwarf muttered.
Once they exited the forest, the Fellowship was delighted to see that the horses were waiting for them.
"You'll have to ride with either me or Aragorn," Obi-Wan pointed out, "unless you can fly."
Gandalf chuckled. "No need, Obi-Wan."
He began to whistle that seemed to echo in the plains. The whistle itself was an unusual one, for the whistling seemed to sound like a bird that was auditioning for choir.
In the distance, a neigh was heard, but the sight that greeted them took them aback yet again.
It was a horse, but the most beautiful one they had ever laid eyes on. This horse was pure white, of course, and no blemishes were on him (they could not classify the horse as an it) whatsoever. A truly majestic horse for a majestic wizard.
Legolas was shocked beyond words, but he still spoke anyway. "That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell."
"By the Force," Obi-Wan breathed. "He, or she, is...amazing."
"Shadowfax," Gandalf introduced as the horse nuzzled him. "He's the lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers."
Newly energized, the Fellowship rode onwards to Edoras at full speed. Gandalf could probably ride faster than any other person alive, but he chose not to. Anakin had a good feeling about this for a change, but he thoughts still lingered on his Padawan.
Hold on, Ahsoka! I beg you! Hold on!
Saruman thought that the Uruk-hai were the most terrible mortal creatures imaginable. He thought that no one could ever be as brutal or behave like a feral beast than the creatures he created.
He was wrong! Dead wrong!
When Darth Maul arrived, specifically crashed, outside of Isengard, he sent Orc scouts to investigate. When they did not return, he sent more scouts of a greater force to investigate. The report he received shocked him. The Orcs were found brutally killed by being sliced in half, beheaded, and sometimes, they found teeth marks on the necks of the dead Orcs.
Then, Isengard was attacked by a tattooed creature wielding a double-bladed sword of red light that could cut through anything. The appearance alone made many of the Orcs flee in pure terror. His yellow practically burned through them like Sauron's never-ending gaze. His body was mutilated, as if tortured for days. Not to mention, his legs seemed mechanical, much to Saruman's astonishment. This creature was the abomination. He possessed great and terrible power. With simply one gesture, he could blast the forces away with telekinesis or snap their necks. As he killed, he laughed, clearly insane. The thrill of killing was greater than perhaps Sauron's.
Saruman himself intervened and made it out alive...barely. The creature could block many of his spells and redirect them all the while screaming out names like, "Kenobi," and "Sidious." His staff could barely block the blows of the insane Sith, who was incredibly quick despite his horrible injuries. Maul's defeat, however, came when both were exhausted. One final blast from the staff knocked the Sith creature out.
The wizard was going to kill him, but Sauron, through the Nazgûl, prevented him from doing so. Maul was brought to the tower of Barad-dûr that contained Sauron and he was healed completely. Even his missing limbs regrew. Sauron planned for when he returned, Maul would become his new vessel. Such a terrifying creature would suit him better than the suit of armor he wore before his demise. For now, Maul was Sauron's servant.
The stories Maul had were unbelievable ones, but the gist was that he was defeated by a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi and was betrayed by his former Master, Darth Sidious, who killed his brother. For hours, Sidious would torture Maul purely out of enjoyment, but he underestimated Maul's growing anger. When the Sith left one day, Maul killed the guards with his teeth like he did with the Orcs and escaped. He fled off the planet (Saruman still had a hard time with that one) and went to another planet called Naboo to retrieve his weapon and ship. Once the authorities were alerted, he escaped by making a blind jump into space and crashed onto Middle-Earth.
The technology Darth Maul had was truly impressive. He had a machine called a speeder that could let him travel across land quicker than the Fell-Beasts the Nazgûl rode. He also had three objects called probe droids that could allow him to survey an area without needing to be there. At Saruman's request, he sent to of them to Edoras where they would...deal with any protestors quietly. They were great executioners! When Maul wasn't insane, he was a cunning adversary for Men.
When Saruman watched Darth Maul torture the young Togruta, there was truly a moment that he felt pity for the she-creature, but it quickly vanished. The wizard he once was would never surface again. Still, he was impressed with her ability to not give in to death. Whether she was electrocuted, thrown around the room, and beaten by metal rods, she would not die.
"What do you have to gain by torturing her?" the wizard asked once Darth Maul exited the room. "You haven't interrogated her once."
"I seek a new apprentice," he answered offhandedly. "She is strong in the Force and once she is broken, she will beg me to stop and give in to the Dark Side. She will be my servant!"
"And if she won't?"
"Then I will keep torturing her. The satisfaction of it is truly wonderful."
Saruman could not fathom this creature's mind. "She could be telling us information that would help us in the war."
Maul brushed the wizard off with the wave of his hand. "I care not for your problems, old man. Feel free to ask her, but your problems are not mine."
Saruman wanted to strike Maul down for brushing him off like a common servant, but given that Sauron had a use for the both of them, he would do well not to anger the Dark Lord.
"And the other Jedi?" he questioned, holding back his anger.
Maul clenched his fist. "I will kill them both. The time of physical and mental torture is past. The time to execute them has come. I will engage them on the battlefield and slaughter them. Fortunately, slaughtering the innocent can enrage them. Their unbalanced anger will prove to be their undoing."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of soft crying in the room.
Maul grinned like the animal he was. "She is beginning to despair. She is close. I can feel it."
Ahsoka could not hold back her agony. For the past week, she felt abandoned, alone, tortured, and never-ending pain. Death was starting look good right now. Really good now. She had failed to save her friends, she had failed to aid Frodo when he and the other Hobbits needed her, and she failed in saving herself. There was only one thing to do.
Weakly, she raised her bloody hand to herself. She had little to no strength left, and she most definitely couldn't escape from both Maul and Saruman. She had to escape this fate. It didn't matter anymore. One powerful squeeze would be able to silence her forever and she would be one with the Force.
She took a deep breath and prepared herself for her own demise when suddenly...
Hold on, Ahsoka! I beg you! Hold on!
Instantly, Ahsoka halted her suicidal efforts. It was Anakin! He was still alive. That single thought encouraged her, gave her strength. She knew that he would save her, but she needed to hold on. She needed to give him time. Maul will torture her without mercy, but he will not break her obsession to stay alive. She will cry now, but she will live through this!
Anakin was once again restless during the night. He could not bear to sleep at the thought of his Padawan at the mercy of Maul. He knew from Obi-Wan's experiences that Maul was unpredictable, deadly, and cunning. He would draw out this torture for his enjoyment and Ahsoka would have to bear it.
"Don't give up hope for Lady Ahsoka," Aragorn said, equally restless and keeping the fire lit. "Gandalf has not been wrong before."
"I wish that I could rush over to her and rescue her from that Sith bastard," he replied, clenching his teeth. "I feel so helpless."
"You will reunite with her," Aragorn assured. "You truly care for her. I see it in your eyes."
"She's like my daughter," Anakin admitted. "I love her like I love Padmé. They have kept me going through the Clone Wars and kept me sane."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" a voice questioned.
"Tell you what, Obi-Wan?"
"Your marriage to Padmé," the Jedi Master iterated. "Did you really think I would have turned you over to the Council if I knew beforehand?"
Anakin did not meet his former master's gaze. "I wanted to keep it a secret. There was a part that believed you would tell them. I overlooked at how good of a master you've been to me."
"You are my brother, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, hurt by his words. "I could never betray you like that. When we return, I will not tell the Council. That is up to you."
Anakin could barely smile given everything that was going on, but he managed to pull off a small one. "Thank you, Master."
"How can your Council forbid marriage?" Aragorn wondered, clearly shocked by this revelation.
Anakin scratched the back of his head. "Well, technically, one member on the Council is married to five wives, but that was because his species was on the verge of extinction."
Quickly, the two Jedi explained about the attachment rule and how love was put at the same level.
"To not love is to not be human," Aragorn stated, shaking his head at the outlandishness. "And I am sure the other species are capable of love as well."
"Well, once we return, I'm nominating Gandalf to be on the Council," Anakin said. "He can rival Master Yoda with his wisdom
"Thank you for your kind offer, Anakin," Gandalf, who was overlooking the edge of the hill replied, "but I do not see myself traveling to another world once the war has ended. Should such an instance occur, I may meet this Council."
"What are you looking at, Gandalf?" Obi-Wan asked, approaching him.
"The veiling shadow that glowers in the east taking shape," he answered cryptically. "Sauron will suffer no rival. From the summit of Barad-dûr, his Eye watches ceaselessly. But he is not so mighty yet that he is above fear. Doubt ever gnaws at him. The rumors have reached him of the Sky Warriors that seek to end his reign for good. With your courage, you will bring hope to Men and inspire them."
"Just like back home," Obi-Wan realized, remembering that whenever they were on Coruscant, the people adored him and again more than the Jedi because of their heroic actions.
"The Sky Warriors," Anakin repeated. "Has a nice ring to it."
"And there is another that has reached him," Gandalf added, turning to Aragorn. "The heir of Númenor still lives. Sauron fears you, Aragorn. He fears what you may become."
Aragorn became uncomfortable at that statement.
"And so he'll strike hard and fast at the world of Men. He will use his puppets Saruman and this Darth Maul to destroy Rohan. War is coming! Rohan must defend itself and therein lies our first challenge for Rohan is weak and ready to fall. The king's mind is enslaved; it's an old device of Saruman's. His hold over King Théoden is now very strong. Sauron and Saruman are tightening the noose. But for all their cunning we have a secret advantage: the Ring remains hidden. And that we should seek to destroy it has not yet entered their darkest dreams. And so the weapon of the enemy is moving towards Mordor in the hands of a Hobbit. Each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom."
"Wait until Sauron finds out that he was defeated by a Hobbit," Anakin said with a grin. "I can't wait to see the look on his face, or Eye, in this case."
Gandalf smiled back. "I am glad to see you still bear enthusiasm, Anakin. In these dark days, levity is needed." Seeing Aragorn's downcast face, he said, "Do not regret your decision to leave him. Frodo must finish this task alone."
"Samwise is with him," Obi-Wan assured.
The wizard was surprised at this update. "Is he? Is he, indeed? Good. Yes, very good. Get some sleep, my friends. The journey is far from over."
Longest chapter so far. Review, vote, etc.
Spoiler alert: Darth Maul has the Darksaber with him and someone from the LOTR universe is going to wield it at one point. I'll let you guess which person or persons wield it.
Next chapter: Gandalf frees Théoden from the spell and the king makes an important decision.