Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

by E4me100

The world has changed. With the absence of the Fellowship, Sauron's power has been growing in ways that none could ever have imagined. Destruction and doom are on the horizon, and with the assistance of Kaia, Kathryn, and Erin, the Fellowship must now race to complete the mission they once left behind. Part 2 in a series (obviously). Self-inserts. Not the plot you'd expect.

16. Promise

Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

Chapter Sixteen

Erin's POV

That night at camp, things were...tense, to put it simply. I could hardly tear my eyes away from the elf, worried that if I looked away from him for too long, when I looked back, he would be gone. He kept insisting that he was fine and he'd be okay and that we should stop fussing over him...but still, I worried. I saw the way he grimaced when he thought no one was looking, and I noticed how much weaker he looked; how much paler he was and how slowly he moved. And I kept telling myself that it was just because he was hurting...that it would go away. Because Legolas said so. He said he'd be okay, he said he'd heal. He'll heal. He will heal.

Sleep didn't come easily that night to me, either. Kathryn and Boromir seemed to drift off easily enough after Legolas volunteered to take the first watch, but I remember laying there for what seemed like hours, staring at a starless sky. And I heard his quiet gasps and hisses of pain every now and again as I laid there, too. I nearly sat up once to talk to him, but for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to. I didn't want to talk about him being hurt. I didn't want to dwell on it any more than I needed to. And I don't need to. Because Legolas is going to be fine, he promised. He said he would heal. He will heal.

That morning, Kathryn woke me up. I must've drifted off at some point, though I certainly didn't remember it. The four of us sat and talked quietly for awhile, Boromir changed Legolas' bandages again – there was still fresh blood – and we ate a small breakfast.

I remember sitting there, absentmindedly chewing on a piece of bread as Boromir spoke to the elf seriously. "Are you well enough to run?"

He nodded, swallowing another wince. "I will be fine," he answered. "We must press on...the Emyn Muil are close."

"That is still another day and a half of running, maybe two," the Gondorian warned. "Are you certain you will make it?"

Legolas nodded again, no hesitation, a firm determination in his eyes. "I will."

Boromir looked at him for a moment longer uncertainly, but finally exhaled in defeat as he stood. "Let us hope your stubbornness is good for something," he said with a small smirk. Legolas also smiled a bit, but it faded quickly as Boromir and Kathryn began to pack everything up. I sat there, watching him for a minute, my eyes following his good arm as he cradled his side with it gently. He was staring blankly at his feet, something in his eyes that I couldn't read.

I stood up and crossed over to sit with him, holding out the rest of my bread. "Here," I said quietly. "You can have it."

He shook his head. "I am not hungry, thank you."

I frowned a bit, still on edge about his wounds. "Legolas..." He finally raised his eyes to meet mine. "Don't do this to yourself if you don't think you can take it."

"It will not be a problem, Erin," he responded softly, eyes flicking downward again. "Do not worry about me."

"You know I will anyway," I said, and he managed a tiny smile at that, but I wasn't even remotely in a joking mood. "Legolas, please." I reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to meet my gaze. "Promise me you're going to be okay. Seriously." I held his stare, searching his eyes for even the slightest sign of hesitation in them. Please...

To my surprise, the elf smiled again, a genuine one this time. "I will, Erin. I promise."

I waited a moment longer. Everything was riding on his word now. I had to trust him, I had no other choice. Legolas had never lied to me before, he had never broken a promise before...so I finally nodded "...Okay. Let's go, then." Because I want to believe him. I have to believe him.

oOo

The dark clouds that had been tailing us since our escape from Mirkwood caught up to us not an hour after we started running again, and it wasn't long before we were all drenched from the rain. The ground beneath our feet became soft and muddy, but we slogged through it with Boromir leading the way. I did my best to keep an eye on Legolas, who was understandably at the end of the line now. We were all worried about him. Our pace had slowed considerably so that he could keep up, and we were ready to stop at a moment's notice if he showed any signs of needing rest.

But time went by without a word from him. First one hour, then two with nothing. And I kept telling myself that I was freaking out over nothing. He'll be fine. Everything will be fine. We're gonna reach Emyn Muil, and he'll get more help there. He'll make it. He'll heal. Everything will be-

Suddenly, my mantra was broken as I heard a grunt from behind me, and then a thud. I stopped and spun around, my eyes widening as I saw him crumpled on the ground. "Legolas!" I ran to him, collapsing by his side, my hands on his shoulders as I helped him lay on his back. He cried out in pain. "Oh, Oh God!" My eyes fell to his side, stomach twisting as I saw the familiar red stain seeping through his shirt. "Oh...I-I'll do something, we can change the bandages-"

"No, Erin..." he said softly, swallowing and taking a breath.

"No, no, you need help!" I said, frantically reaching to lift up his shirt. But then my eyes locked with this, and I froze, realizing what he meant. "...No..." I whispered, hands shaking. "No, you're not gonna do this now. You're gonna make it, you hear me?"

But the prince only shook his head, coughing weakly in response and wincing at the action. "I have done all I can..." he breathed. I heard Boromir and Kathryn come running up behind me, stopping short. "...It is over, Erin."

I stared at him, feeling like I'd just taken a blow to the chest. "N-No!" I choked. "It's not! It can't be!" I felt tears in my eyes, rolling down my face as an uncontrollable anger suddenly came over me. "You're not going anywhere. Think about your father! Think about Tauriel!" I shouted. "Don't do this to them! Don't do this to me! You promised me! Don't break your promise, Legolas! You promised me!"

He took another shuddering breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "Tell them...tell them I am sorry..."

"No," I shook my head. "No, Legolas, don't do this. Please. Please." I swallowed thickly, my voice breaking. "I need you here."

He opened his eyes to look at me, and I choked back sobs, seeing a dullness sweep over the once brilliant blue. "...If I could stay..." He coughed again. "...I would not leave you."

"Don't," I whispered, my hand reaching to grab his own. "You can't..."

"I am indebted to you, Erin...you have done so much...so much for me..."

"Legolas," I warned. "Legolas, don't you dare..."

He took another faint breath. "H...Hannon le."

I bit my lip hard, trying desperately to keep it together. "No...no, please..." I paused, my face falling when he didn't answer. "No, no, no! Legolas!" I grasped his shoulders, shaking as the unfathomable realization came crashing down on me. "Legolas!" I sobbed. "Don't leave me! You can't, you promised! Wake up! Legolas, wake up!" Unable to control myself any longer, I curled my head into his chest, shaking and crying harder when I found no heartbeat. "...I promised I would keep you safe," I whispered. "I promised..." I heard Kathryn and Boromir behind me still. She was crying softly as he whispered a prayer of peace under his breath. I wanted to go to them, I wanted to get up and hug them and lean on them for support, but I just couldn't. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I felt suffocated by guilt, and grief, and anger...everything.

I don't know how long it was before I finally sat up, but as soon as I did, Kathryn was there, wrapping her arms around me in a bone-crushing hug, and I broke down again. We cried on each others' shoulders for awhile, faces buried in each others' hair, and eventually I felt Boromir kneel down beside us, also placing a hand on each of us in comfort as we all huddled together in the rain. I didn't know whether or not Boromir cried. I didn't care. All I knew was that he was gone and he wasn't coming back and I had failed. I had failed him, I had failed Thranduil, I had failed Tauriel...I had failed myself, and it broke me.

After what felt like an eternity, we quietly discussed what was to be done with the body. Boromir suggested that we bury it nearby as best as we could, and then inform the others of its location once we reached the Emyn Muil so that it could be retrieved and taken back to Mirkwood for a proper burial. Kathryn and I agreed to that silently, and Boromir began to go about the process of digging a temporary grave. Eventually, Kathryn got up to help him, but I still couldn't bring myself to move from Legolas' side. I just sat there, staring, thinking. And before Boromir came to take his body away, I reached underneath him and unhooked the scabbard from his back, withdrawing the knives and cradling them in my lap. I would return them to Thranduil someday...I certainly didn't deserve to keep them forever. But for now...for now, I needed them. And as I watched Legolas' body slowly sink beneath the earth, catching one last glimpse of his shining blonde hair, I cried. I had broken my promise, and I had lost him forever. He wasn't coming back.

oOo

Kaia's POV

Things were awkward for the next couple of days. Aragorn and I hadn't really been speaking to each other, and the hobbits all picked up on that fact pretty quickly, realizing something was wrong, but none of them asked me about it. I felt so isolated, and grew more and more eager to leave the camp every minute. And even though I knew it was sort of out of line to snap at Aragorn like I had...I still couldn't convince myself that we would be fine on our own. Call me a pessimist, but hey. It was realistic thinking.

And that's what led to me sealing myself away in some other secluded area of the camp in the middle of the afternoon, shutting everyone else out so I could just have some time to myself and think. I analyzed any and all options we had, thinking up all the pros and cons that were physically possible with each one. It probably wouldn't be smart to go back to Lothlórien, in all honesty. Saruman knew that's where the Fellowship was originally, so that area's probably crawling with scouts and God knows what else. I leaned back against the wall, staring blankly ahead. Maybe we could go to Rohan. They've got allies over there, and it's close by. We could probably get horses there, too, which could be incredibly useful. Gondor would be another option...but that's getting really close to Mordor. I'd rather not take that risk if I don't have to.

But then I thought back to what Aragorn had said, and I frowned. Does any of it even matter, though? I don't think there's anything I can do to make him change his mind. He's dead set on waiting it out and heading straight into Mordor from here. And I just...I can't let that happen. There's no way it would work, we'd be at such a high risk of being killed... I groaned in exasperation, running my hands over my face. "God, why does this have to be so fucking hard?"

And then my head snapped up in the most cliché way possible, eyes widening as an idea hit me. ...What if...I just did it? I mean, it's crazy, and if Erin was here she'd definitely be pointing out how utterly stupid of an idea it is...but...if that's what needs to be done, I've never been one to back out of a challenge. If I have to ride to Rohan or Gondor or all the way to the Shire, for fuck's sake, I'll do it. Yeah...yeah, I'll do it. If Aragorn doesn't want to go get help, then fine. I'll do it myself. I probably could, right? I just...I'd need a map...and probably a lot of food and shit...yeah. Yeah, I can totally do this! I sat upright, proud of myself for the sudden stroke of genius.

...And then immediately slumped back against the wall a second later with a huff. No, that's fucking stupid. Who am I kidding?

After wrestling with ideas for awhile longer, I eventually just got tired of it and gave up. I guess there really is no point in fighting this anymore. Aragorn's made up his mind, and I don't want to start shit within our little group. That'll just end up going badly for everyone, I'm sure. Bitterly accepting the fact that there was nothing more to be done with it, I picked myself up off the ground and slipped out of my little hiding place, back out into the flickering torchlight that bathed the camp. It was just past sunset now, with nighttime slowly crawling in, and I wondered if the elves had brought us anything for dinner yet as they usually did.

I started to make my way back to where we were being housed, but I didn't get very far before a shout from somewhere nearby caught my attention. I looked up to see one of the elves standing at the lookout post that was concealed at the top of the rocky wall that enclosed us and frowned. He was pointing at something, shouting down to the others in elvish. The hell?

Whatever he said must've been important, because the others reacted to it immediately and burst into a flurry of action. The first thing that came to mind was terror, and I stopped in my tracks as the thought hit me. Oh God, are we being ambushed? But no...no, that couldn't have been right. None of the elves were running for weapons. In fact, most of them weren't running to grab anything. Everybody just seemed to be rushing to the northern entrance to the campsite. My frown deepened. What's going on?

Now deeply interested in what was happening, I ran forward as well, pushing my way through the crowd of pointy-eared men to try and get close to the front. Thank God for me having years of experience pushing through mosh pits and the like at concerts, because it wasn't that difficult for me to get closer. Eventually though, I came to a stop, trying to look over the shoulders of the last dozen or so elves that stood between me and the entrance that was hidden by a sheet of thick moss that had grown over most of the rocks on that side.

I turned to the elf next to me as I saw two or three of them run out with torches in hand. "What's happening?" I asked. "Why is everyone down here?" Unfortunately, this particular elf knew no English, so whatever response he gave me was rattled off in some form of Elvish I didn't understand. I sighed. "Never mind." I turned forward again, still completely lost, and tried to push through the last of the crowd again so I could at least get some breathing room. "Excuse me...pardon me...Oh, shit! Sorry! Move, please! Move!" And just as I broke through the last line of elves, the entrance's covering was pulled back, with a larger group of people coming through than what had left.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head, and my jaw could've hit the floor as cheers went up through the crowd surrounding us. "Kathryn?!"

At the sound of my voice, her head instantly snapped up, and I nearly crashed to the floor as her gaze met mine. "Kaia!" She jumped forward and collided with me in a huge hug. "Oh my God...Oh my God, you're really here!"

"I could say the same to you!" I exclaimed, pushing back quickly so I could look at her. "Holy shit, where have you been?!" Even though I kind of already knew the answer...I just couldn't believe it.

"Running halfway across Middle-Earth to find you!" she replied, hugging me again. I laughed, returning it, and my smile widening even more as I saw Boromir standing behind her.

He nodded to me solemnly. "Lady Kaia."

"Oh, come on." I pulled away from Kathryn again to step up to him, rolling my eyes. "Don't even try and pull that 'Lady' thing on me again." He smiled a bit, and I chuckled. "It's been awhile." And then I felt another wave of happiness swallow me whole as I saw another familiar brunette standing behind him. "Erin!" I stepped aside to wrap her in a huge hug as well. "Oh my God, you guys are finally here! Took you long enough!" I laughed, but then stopped suddenly when I noticed that she wasn't. I stepped back, a slight frown pulling at the corners of my mouth. "Dude, everything okay?"

She smiled, and I could tell she was happy to see me, but something was off. "Kaia...Oh God, I don't think I've ever been so happy to see someone in my entire life!"

But I could still tell something was up. "No, seriously. What's going on? Are you okay?" And then I blinked, looking around when I realized that I'd missed someone. "Where's Legolas?"

Immediately, something in Erin's demeanor changed. I almost didn't notice it at first, but looked back to her when I saw her bite her lip and look down. ...Oh shit. I know that look. "Erin..." I said slowly, grabbing her arms gently. "Where is Legolas?"

She looked up at me again, and I felt my heart sink at the deep sorrow painted all over her face. "He...There was a pack of Wargs, and..." No. She blinked, looking down again. "...He's gone."

"...What?" I don't know why I said it. The news just...it hit me hard. I didn't know what else to say. I pulled Erin into another hug, feeling her shudder, and now taking note of the twin knives strapped to her back. Oh my God...no... I looked over at Boromir, who only nodded with the most somber look I'd ever seen on his face, before staring off into the crowd blankly again.

oOo

Breaking the news to the others was so hard. It crushed me to see the happiness on the hobbit's faces when Erin, Kathryn, and Boromir walked into our room change so quickly into complete devastation when they learned that Legolas had died. I still couldn't even wrap my mind around it. Legolas was...he was supposed to be the invincible one. He was the elf that had super stamina and was agile and never came out of any battle with more than a scratch. And he was just gone.

Aragorn hadn't taken the news lightly, and I felt horrible for him. I knew how close they'd been. Legolas had been almost like a brother to him. It affected all of us, really. We'd just lost one of our best members of the Fellowship. That wasn't an easy blow to take. And Erin...God, I pitied her. She was crushed, you could tell. She just had this whole daze about her, zoning out a lot and staring at nothing while deep in thought, and I knew she was thinking of him. And it felt awful, having to sit there watching all my friends grieve, and knowing that there wasn't a whole lot I could do to help them.

We spent a good bit of time like that...hours, maybe...just sitting together, not talking, only processing the news. And then eventually Boromir summarized their whole journey from Mirkwood down to here, which then prompted Aragorn to recount what we'd been through so far as well. I was silent through most of it, just sitting with Kathryn on my left and Frodo on my right, listening. In fact, no one else really got into the conversation until Aragorn started talking about what we were planning on doing next.

Boromir was nodding as the ranger explained his initial plan. "Of course we would continue the quest. We have no other alternative."

And then I was totally thrown off-guard when Aragorn gestured to me. "Kaia, however, thinks it would be wiser to introduce a few new members to the Fellowship before we leave for Mordor."

Suddenly, all eyes were on me, and I stumbled over my words as I suddenly straightened up. "Uhh, y-yeah, I...I, uh, I don't think it would be smart to go into Mordor straight from here. Especially not now, since Legolas is gone," I added quietly. "We don't have enough seasoned warriors to protect everyone if we were to be attacked, and I can almost guarantee you that it'll happen."

"I agree," Erin also said softly, but firmly. "It would be smart to have a couple more people join us."

"We were...in much debate about this," Aragorn said. "I do not believe it would be in our best interest, lest more people learn the nature of our quest than we would need. I do not wish to compromise the safety and secrecy of our mission."

"I can understand that," Boromir began, and I nearly rolled my eyes. Oh my God, no. Please don't do this. "But I also do see the sense in recruiting others." His eyes flicked to Kathryn here, and I raised an eyebrow at the little exchange while he spoke. "We would simply have to ensure that we speak with only those who are truly trustworthy. If my brother would be willing, he could prove to be a useful ally."

"He's an archer, isn't he?" Pippin asked. "I...I suppose we could use another one now." Boromir nodded, and I swear to God I saw Kathryn give him an exasperated look.

Storing that in the back of my mind for later, I spoke up again. "That's not a bad idea, actually. And since we're nearby, it might be worth visiting Rohan too. You guys have allies there, right?"

But now Boromir was shaking his head. "Traveling to both Rohan and Gondor would take too much time. We cannot go to both."

"And I was told that Rohan was completely destroyed," Erin cut in. I cringed. "Saruman overtook them awhile ago, so we won't find any help there."

"Okay, but I don't think just Faramir will be enough to help us. No offense, Boromir," I said quickly. "If we could just get one more person...we might be okay."

"But who else would that be?" Kathryn asked just as I picked up on the sound of footsteps slowly approaching the doorway to our room. "We don't know anybody else that we can trust enough to help us and still keep everything a secret."

"That, my dear Kathryn, is not entirely true."

We all turned to the new voice hovering just past the canvas that hung over our doorway, and I blinked as I looked at the faint silhouette standing there. Who the fuck is this? The canvas slowly lifted, and I'm pretty sure Frodo nearly shit his pants when he saw who was standing there, his robes a brilliant white as he smiled down at us. I heard gasps of surprise from nearly everyone, and found myself at a loss for words. Frodo was the one who broke the silence, his voice filled with awe and shock as he spoke the name that matched the familiar face.

"Gandalf?"

A/N: WOW WHAT A CHAPTER

LEGOLAS DIED

THEY MADE IT TO EMYN MUIL

GANDALF SHOWED UP

MAN WHAT AN ADVENTURE THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE AMIRITE?

...don't hate me for Legolas please omg omg omg I was crying when I wrote that hsdkjahdkjas

(also oh my god I did not mean to go on a random little hiatus there I just totally fell out of the writing groove I'm so sorry I am trash)