A/N: Wow. I'm actually really upset with myself for not updating this fic for so long. :/ My deepest apologies, you guys. I seriously did NOT mean to leave you hanging like that. Hopefully that won't ever happen again.

...Like, I'm just...really? Over a month? Really?!

Ok, ok. No more rambling. Life happened. I'm sorry. Updating now. Story time. Bam.

Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

Chapter Eighteen

Erin's POV

I roughly started shoving the few precious belongings I had into a small burlap sack that I'd snagged, preparing for the journey ahead. I felt an unnatural hollowness in my chest, but whether it was from Kathryn's harsh words or anxiety over the fact that we were going out into the world again, I didn't know. Maybe it's because all my friends are dying, I thought dryly. Obviously that's not having a very positive influence on my life. The scene that had taken place not ten minutes ago replayed itself over and over in my head. 'Every Lord of the Rings fan's dream,' indeed.

I sucked in a breath and bit my lip, trying not to think about it too much. Why would she say something like that? Why? What possible excuse could she have for being so insensitive? I blinked, unfolding my cloak and throwing it around my shoulders, fingers lingering on the small silver clasp that held it in place once I clipped it together, another small voice in the back of my mind suddenly speaking up. Come on, don't be a dick about it. You know she didn't intend to hurt you. She was just trying to cheer you up. But just as quickly as those consoling thoughts had come, they were gone again. Still...of all things to joke about, she chooses our dead friends? My gaze shifted downwards and landed on the set of knives that I treasured now more than ever, throat tightening as -

No. Don't do this to yourself. It happened, it's done. There's nothing you can do about it. Suck it up.

Refusing to break down again, I quickly gathered up the weapons and strapped them to my back, still not used to the weight of them there. It was just then that I heard a quiet, hesitant voice from behind me. "...Erin?"

I turned, my expression hardening immediately as I saw Kathryn standing there. "None of your stuff is back here," I said pointedly. Please leave.

She blinked, and I could see how my words stung her. "I know. I just came back here to say I was sorry. I shouldn't have said that, and I-"

"You think?" I scoffed, a hot anger simmering in my stomach. "Why did you even do it? Thought it would be funny, joking about that?" Can we not talk about this now? I'm really not in the mood.

Now she actually did wince. "No, no, I didn't think it would be funny! It was just an accident, I didn't mean-"

"That's great, Kathryn," I hissed, "but the mistake's already been made." I really didn't have the patience for this right now. All I wanted was to get moving and finish this godforsaken mission. Or just fall asleep and never wake up. Either one would've worked.

"I know, I know," she said, looking down. "And I didn't mean to, I swear. I was only trying to lighten the mood-"

"Lighten the mood?" I laughed, but not happily. "Well, you're doing an excellent job with that!"

Suddenly she frowned, clenching her fists in frustration and glaring at me. "Would you stop cutting me off? I'm trying to explain myself and apologize, and you're not even letting me!"

"I don't need your apologies!" I snapped. Please don't push me. Please don't.

"Well what else am I supposed to do to help you?!"

"Nothing!" I shouted, my resolve finally breaking. "Can't you understand that? Your pity and your sympathy doesn't mean shit to me. Because none of it makes it hurt any less than it does! None of it changes the circumstances! None of it is bringing him back!" STOP. STOP. STOP.

"I realize that!" she replied. "And I'm trying to help you deal with it as much as I can! I know how much you cared about him, Erin. I'm your best friend, I want to help you."

"But listen to what I'm telling you! Your help does not do a goddamn thing!" I was fuming by this point. "If you really want to make good out of this situation, you can start by leaving me alone. I don't need people fussing over me right now when this just happened three days ago!" PLEASE LEAVE.

At that, Kathryn seemed to finally get my point, almost seeming to deflate a bit as she took a deep breath before raising her hands in defeat. "Okay then, fine. If that's what you want, then whatever. Just...You know I'm here. Whenever you decide that you need me." We stared at each other for several seconds, angered hazel against injured brown before she broke it, turning and walking out without saying anything more. I continued to glare in her direction for a bit before returning to my packing, praying to the gods of Middle-Earth that the rest of the journey wouldn't be this testy.

oOo

Kaia's POV

"Kathryn!" I called, ducking and dodging through the campsite to reach my dark-haired friend. "There you are! I was looking everywhere for you!"

She stopped and turned to look at me. "Oh, hey."

Instantly, I frowned. She sounded...upset. "...Something wrong?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head. "I just fucked up again. What else is new, right?"

My frown deepened as she moved to step past me."Woah, what the hell?" I stopped her from walking off again. "What do you mean? What happened?"
"I...I said something really stupid to Erin, and now she's mad at me."

"What did you say? And when did this happen? I just saw you two like, five minutes ago!"

"A lot can happen in five minutes, I guess," she said with a shrug. "She and I were still sitting in that little meeting room after you left, just kinda talking; joking around and whatnot. And I...I only wanted to cheer her up, I wasn't even thinking when I said it...but I accidentally made a joke about how we're stuck in Middle-Earth with half our friends dead."

My eyes widened. "Oh, shit."

"Yeah," she grimaced. "Erin didn't take that too well."

"Did you apologize?"
"I tried," she said, "but she wasn't having it. She got all mad and told me to leave her alone."

I frowned again. "Really? That doesn't sound like her."

"Well, she kinda did just watch one of her best friends die three days ago."

"True," I nodded, exhaling. "So I guess she hasn't been handling it well?"

Kathryn shook her head. "Not at all." A much more serious expression formed on her face as she pointedly locked eyes with me. "I'm worried for her, Kaia."

"I am too," I said quietly. "The last thing I want is for her to slip into serious depression or some shit because of this."

"Same," she nodded back to me. "I just don't know what else I can do now."

"Don't worry about it," I said dismissively with a wave of my hand. "She's probably just really emotionally unstable right now, so don't freak out if she's pissed at you. It'll all blow over eventually. I'll keep an eye on her, though."

"Okay." Kathryn sighed, glancing down again. "I still feel like an idiot, though," she muttered.

"You're not," I reassured her. "It was an accident; you didn't mean it. Give Erin some time to cool off, and then go apologize again to her when she's calmed down. It'll be fine." Kathryn didn't say anything back, and I eyed her warily before speaking up again. "Did you finish packing yet?"

"No, I still gotta get all my stuff."

"Okay. Meet us by the south entrance when you're done. We're gonna leave soon."

"Where's that at?"

I laughed. "No fucking clue."

She narrowed her eyes at me, though still smirking. "Thanks," she said sarcastically as I started to back away.

"Ask some people!" I threw my hands in the air. "I don't know!" She just shook her head at me again, and I made a face before turning around fully and starting to head in the direction I'd last seen Gandalf. Hopefully he knows where we're going.

My mind still spun with the information I'd just gathered from Kathryn as I walked, though. Not necessarily on the whole fight between my two friends, but on Erin's mental health. Is she really that stressed over Legolas? I mean, I wouldn't expect any different since she cared about him so much, but Christ! She rarely ever snaps like that. Not good. Definitely not good. I'd definitely have to keep up on my promise to watch her, it seemed.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't even pay attention when going around a corner, jerked out of my thoughts when I felt myself crash into another moving body that had also been making a turn. "Shit! Sorry!" I swore, stepping back and looking up at the person. My gut twisted when I noticed who it was, and I cleared my throat. "I mean, ah...yeah. Sorry." I tucked a stray hair behind my ear that didn't need fixing, doing everything I could to avoid Aragorn's gaze. It just had to be you. He gave a slight nod, but said nothing as he continued on past me. I kept my eyes rooted to the ground, not moving a muscle until he was gone. Only then did I emit a small whine of frustration and start walking again.

We still hadn't ever formally made up for our argument. We hadn't even really spoken to each other since then. As much as I hated it, I knew in the back of my mind that eventually I was going to have to stop being so stubborn and just apologize to him. It was my fault for yelling at him and calling him out on stuff I had no right to criticize him for. We were both guilty of saying things we shouldn't have, sure, but I was the one who'd been worse. And I didn't want to spend the rest of the journey awkwardly avoiding him...it was so much harder that way. I just needed to give up some of my pride and admit that I was wrong. I knew I'd been wrong.

...But I sure as hell wasn't about to admit that to anyone else yet.

oOo

Kathryn's POV

Dawn broke quietly and calmly over the campsite that day, which I found ironic considering that our little Fellowship 2.0 was anything but calm at the moment. The sky was still its normal ashen grey as we all stood in a clump just outside the southern entrance to the camp, about to set off on the next leg of our adventure. I was next to Boromir, as usual, with Merry and Pippin standing just in front of us. Kaia was not too far off next to Erin, and I felt a dull stab of guilt as I glanced in their direction. I was trying my best to just give Erin her space as both she and Kaia had told me to do, but that definitely wasn't easy.

Luckily, Gandalf suddenly turned to face us and being his little farewell speech, banishing my troubled thoughts. "...A new journey now lies before us," he began. "A quest...to bring back the peace to these lands, and rid this world of darkness forever." His eyes swept over our group. "To those of you who pledged to follow Frodo into the very fires of Mordor from the beginning, and now still hold to that oath, your loyalty is most commendable. And for those of you who are joining us for the first time..." Here he looked directly at Kaia, Erin and I. "...Know that you have sworn no such oath. You need only travel with us for as far as you may wish." And then Gandalf's voice took on a more somber tone, his expression hardening. "Already too many valuable lives have ended in tragedy on this quest. Let us pray that the Valar shall bless us so that we should not endure another." We were all dead silent at that, and I noticed Aragorn dip his head out of the corner of my eye.

At that moment, the two elves that had been hosting us emerged from within the campgrounds, looking as pristine and elf-like as ever. The taller, blue-eyed one, who I'd been told was named Erurainon, stepped forward with a respectful nod to us. "Mithrandir has told us much of what you have endured," he said lowly. "We wish you the best of luck on your journey. Should any of you ever find your path leading this way again, we will gladly offer to you whatever we can."

"Thank you, Erurainon," Gandalf replied. "You have been most hospitable."

As Erurainon continued to say a couple customary farewell statements, I noticed that Neurion, the other one, was staring at someone intently. I shifted my gaze to see Erin staring back at him almost defiantly and frowned. What's that about? I watched as Neurion nodded ever so slightly, a subtle gesture to something, to which Erin responded with a firm shake of her head. I was confused about the whole ordeal until Erin slowly reached up and grasped the leather straps that held Legolas' knives to her back. She shook her head again, and I blinked, finally understanding. She's keeping them. I looked back to the elf, wondering if he would force her to hand them over anyway, but he didn't. Surprisingly, he seemed to sympathize with her, finally just giving her a short nod and looking back to his taller companion again. I glanced back in Erin's direction, but quickly looked away as her eyes met mine next.

"...and may the Sun forever shine on your path," Erurainon finished, taking a step back. He an Neurion both raised their hands to their hearts and then extended their palms out to us in a final farewell. "Namarië." (Farewell.) Without another word, they turned and silently disappeared back through the entrance to their camp.

Gandalf turned to the rest of us again, exhaling deeply before offering us a hopeful smile. "Well then. Let us not waste any more daylight while we still have it. Time is our greatest enemy."

A/N: Ahhh my god this is such a short chapter I'm so sorry D: D: D: That was just a perfect place to end it, though! I will do my very best to update again soon! Again, so so SO sorry for the short and late chapter! Hope you like it anyway!