A/N: Woo! Chapters are coming faster now. ;) I told you I'd probably be finished by the end of March, and I intend to meet that goal!

Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kaia's POV

Just like that, my world had been turned completely upside down. Just like that, Erin was gone. Part of me still couldn't totally believe it, and I half expected to look up at some point with her standing right in front of me, a smile on her face, laughing about how good of a joke it was.

But it wasn't a joke. It wasn't a prank...it was real.

I don't remember how long it was before the person carrying me finally stopped and set me down. I was still gasping for air, wiping tears and blood and hair from my face as the arms peeled off of me. A gentle hand grasped my chin, lifting my face to look at theirs. "Are you all right, my dear?" Gandalf's low voice rumbled.

It was so hard to get the words out. "Erin...E...she-"

"She is gone, Kaia."

"Gone..." I repeated. Hearing myself say it only made it more painful.

"Yes," the wizard replied. "And she left this world in the most courageous and honorable way any man or woman ever could." I couldn't bring myself to answer him, my eyes darting everywhere. I saw faces, trees...earth. But not Erin. I wouldn't be seeing her ever again. "Kaia." My dark, glassy eyes snapped back to the wizard's. "Erin gave her life for the good of the quest," he said slowly. "She saw herself as leverage and provided us with an opportunity to escape. Had she not done this, we would have all been slaughtered."

"But...why?" My voice broke. "I don't understand, Gandalf. Why?" Why did she have to die in order for us to get away?

At that, Gandalf closed his eyes, as if it pained him to explain. For several seconds, he was silent, but when he did speak, his tone was hushed. "There was an...incident in Minas Tirith. Erin came into contact with a palantír, and unintentionally revealed herself to the Enemy."

My jaw dropped. "T-To Sauron?"

He nodded gravely. "Sauron believed Erin to be the Ringbearer. He sent that army to hunt her down and kill her."

"...And she...she saw a way out," I stuttered. Still, tears dripped down my face.

Another nod, and then Gandalf leaned in a bit closer, grasping my shaking hands in his own. "Know that this was not any fault of yours, Kaia," he whispered. "Erin made the choice. It was nothing you could have prevented."

If only that was comforting to hear. But I simply nodded, still in a daze. This was happening. This was really happening. As the wizard stood up and walked away, I could hear her voice echo in my mind. They're not chasing Frodo. They're chasing me. And in that moment, despite all my loyalties to the small hobbit, I knew I would've thrown both him and the rest of the Fellowship into Sauron's own hands if it meant that I could get her back. Hell, I would throw myself into Mount Doom if it meant that Erin and Kathryn lived.

Kathryn. I raised my head again, scanning the area to find her. She was still sobbing, with Boromir hugging her tightly as she let it all out. She was my priority now. Fuck Frodo Baggins. Fuck the One Ring. The only thing that mattered now was that Kathryn made it out of this alive.

But then I remembered something else, and instantly I was on my feet, eyes flying everywhere. "Knives..." I whispered to myself. "Where are the knives?" Then I spotted them, lying on the ground a few feet off to my left. Thank God. I hurried over to them, dropping to my knees in the dirt and gently picking them up, cradling the weapons in my arms. These were to be returned to Thranduil now, by Erin's request. I made sure both knives were returned in their sheaths before hooking them around my chest, feeling the weight settle on my back. From Legolas, to Erin...to me. And the first chance I got, I would be Mirkwood bound, putting them back where they belonged. At the very least, I had to honor my friend's last wish.

It was then that I heard shuffling behind me, and I stood up again, turning just in time to catch Kathryn as she crashed into me, shaking, face buried in my shoulder. That was all it took to break my composure again, sinking back down to the ground with her as we cried.

oOo

Boromir's POV

I sat at the edge of our impromptu campsite, facing the darkness that surrounded us. Gandalf had declared that we were all weary in body and mind, and would rest here for the night now that we were out of harm's way. I had offered to take the first watch, and was supposed to wake Faramir hours ago for the second, but I hadn't bothered. I knew I would find no comfort in sleep tonight. Even my dreams had become haunted by the Ring. I refused to turn around and face the others, knowing that my eyes would be drawn to it. My eyelids grew heavier with each passing second, but I was too terrified to lie down. If I did, horrific nightmares would be waiting for me.

But I was running out of time. I knew I was. I could remember this feeling...the want; the terrible need for it. It was just as I had felt when leaving Lothlórien...just before we had been pulled into another realm. Oh, what I would give to be sent back there again. In that world, it was powerless.

A hand suddenly landed on my shoulder, and I jumped, hearing a light chuckle from behind me. "Be calm, brother!" I turned my head, blinking at Faramir as he sat down beside me. "It's only me." There was silence between us for a long time before he cleared his throat. "...You were supposed to wake me."

"You needed the sleep," I muttered.

He shot me a skeptical look. "If anyone needs sufficient sleep around here, it's you." I stiffened. "Don't think I haven't noticed how tired you've been. How little you've eaten since we left the city." I did not reply. Faramir's eyes dropped downwards. "You did not bring your sword and shield?"

I took a deep breath. "No, I left them at my bedside. I...I did not want to risk..." I was too ashamed to finish.

My little brother was shocked. "Boromir-"

"Frodo lives. That is my goal."

"You would never-"

"How do you know?" I snapped suddenly, whispers hissing through clenched teeth. "How can you promise that nothing will happen? I love you dearly, little brother, but we both know that if I wanted to put a knife in Frodo's chest, not even you would be able to stop me!" I shuddered at the thought and how tempting it sounded. My chest tightened, and I returned to a soft whisper. "...I cannot take that chance."

Faramir also lowered his voice. "If you want to win this internal battle, Boromir, you must learn to trust yourself. You cannot shroud yourself in paranoia – it will be all too easy for the Enemy to win that way."

At that, I raised my head, looking at him with wide eyes as I recognized the quote. "...I told you that," I said slowly. "Years ago, when I taught you how to be a captain."

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. It's become automatic. I put all of your advice to good use once I became Steward."

Despite all my despair, a smile began to grow on my face. "You've been quoting me all this time, haven't you?"

"Perhaps," he admitted, smile widening. "But I did learn from the best, you know."

I shook my head, chuckling. "You never were good with subtle flattery."

"I suppose that's why all the women flocked to you."

"Oh, they were all worthless." I rolled my eyes, remembering how foolish I'd been in my youth. "Looking back, I wish I hadn't spent so much time chasing after them." And then a sudden thought popped into my head. "Have you had your eye on any lately, little brother?" I asked, smirking.

Immediately, his cheeks went red. "Absolutely not."

"Faramir..."

"I don't!" he cried, and I openly laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest like a child. Like the Faramir I knew.

"You are absolutely smitten," I realized. "Infatuated!"

Finally, he gave up the act, exhaling and bracing his hands on his knees. "...Possibly."

I beamed. "Faramir, that's fantastic! What's she like?"

As soon as I asked, I saw his eyes sparkle. "Beautiful in every sense of the word. Long, flowing blonde hair...grey eyes with a shine that even the stars themselves envy. And she has enough heart to win over all of Minas Tirith, and then some."

It was touching to see him as lovestruck as he was. I couldn't remember Faramir ever having serious affections for another woman before. "What's her name?"
"Lothiriel," he answered, "of Dol Amroth." Then his voice grew quiet again as he looked at his boots. "...If I return, I intend to marry her under the stars."

I started to smile even wider, but the grin completely disappeared once I realized what he'd said. "...If."

He turned his head to me again. "I did not want to make a promise of marriage without knowing..." He trailed off.

I felt a dull throb of pain in my heart as his face fell. "...Go."

"What?"

"Go," I said again. "Right now. Go back to Minas Tirith and marry her."

"Boromir, no! I joined this quest-"

"And you've done a fine job so far," I interrupted him. "But you know how slim your chance of survival is for this. I will not have you throw away your own happiness so rashly."

"It would not be happiness if it meant I had to abandon you," he retorted. "I nearly lost you once, Boromir. I'm not letting it happen again."

The tightness in my chest returned. Faramir...the only family I had left in this world. And here he was, forsaking his own chance at a life of peace. For me. I stared at him for a moment before nodding once, just enough for him to see my thanks. He returned the gesture before we turned to face the wall of night at our fingertips, remaining beside each other until daylight crept over the tops of the trees.

oOo

Kathryn's POV

What. The. Hell.

That was the only consistent thought running through my mind at the moment. My best friend was dead. What the hell. My best friend had committed suicide in order to save the rest of us. What the hell. My best friend had saved my life, only to lose hers minutes later. What the hell.

I wanted to go home. I wanted this to all be a really long bad dream. I wanted to wake up in my own bed, in the middle of summer, without a care in the world. I wanted to not have to worry about the safety of myself and the people I cared about all the time. I wanted confirmation that we'd make it to the end of this damn mission. I wanted...something. Anything to pull me out of this hell hole I was in now.

I don't know how much I'd cried. I expected that I'd be crying some more in the future, because I couldn't think about yesterday at all without getting a lump in my throat. When Kaia had woken me up this morning saying it was time to go, I nearly broke down just because I didn't want to get up and face the cruel world that had taken my best friend away from me. Don't get me wrong, I was really thankful for still having Kaia and Boromir around for support, but...they could only do so much. I was exhausted emotionally and physically, and the last thing I wanted to to was sit down and have another crying session with everyone. I just...I didn't want to do anything. I wanted to fall asleep and never wake up again.

After we got moving again, it didn't take us very long to get back on the right route into Mordor. Luckily, the Orc pack hadn't run us too far off course. But of course, on today of all days, it had to rain, so within an hour we were all soaked from the constant drizzle, hiking through mud and slush. Soon enough, the path turned to stone and the rain lessened slightly, but this did nothing to improve the air of our company.

From up ahead, I heard Pippin's timid voice. "Gandalf...is something wrong?" He could sense the wizard's tension just as much as the rest of us.

"We are entering a foul place, Peregrin Took..." the wizard mumbled. "...Everything is wrong here." Suddenly, we came to a bend in the path, and it was here that he stopped us. "Now, you must all listen very carefully to what I say. Just beyond these rocks is a place of fell things. You may be tempted to stray from our path, but you must not do it! To stray too far is to sentence us all to death." Once he was sure that we were all freaked out by his cryptic warning, he turned and pointed to a specific spot at the base of the mountain. "That is where our road lies. Follow me straight there, and stay in the shadows. Do not stray from the path! Now come, quickly!" He turned and began sneaking around the mass of rocks hiding us from view.

One by one, we emerged, and when I came around the bend I nearly screamed. A long, flat bridge of stone shot across a lake concealed by low-lying smoke and fog. The bridge stretched on to meet the entrance of a place glowing a ghastly green light, with tall spires and walls climbing high into the sky. And despite it being the middle of the afternoon, it was dark beyond belief in the surrounding area. The whole place reeked of death and decay. I didn't even want to imagine what kinds of horrible things were hidden inside.

Merry seemed just as terrified. "What is this place?" he breathed, not daring to speak any louder.

"Minas Morgul," Aragorn answered him. "Home of the Nazgûl."

"A-Are all nine of them in there?" the curly blonde stuttered.

"No," Aragorn replied, "but that does not make this a safe place to linger by any means. Move quickly." He motioned for us to go, and a second later the three of us were following the rest of the group along the path.

Gandalf was leading us across the bridge in the most discreet way possible, weaving us around rocks and fallen structures and keeping to the darker areas. I tried my best to focus on sticking with the others, but it was so hard to look away from such an intimidating place. I felt like if I even blinked for too long, the gates would fling open and an entire army would come pouring out to cut me down. I was afraid to breathe too loudly. And yet...there was something about the statues. There were two of them, carved out of stone, perched atop pillars on each side of the bridge. Whatever creatures they were, they had long claws, curved horns, and snakelike tongues that stretched out towards me. Their eyes were narrow and menacing, but still...I couldn't look away. There was just something so...hypnotic...

I was snapped out of my trance by an inhuman roar that shattered the silence. My heart started pounding, and everyone in the Fellowship froze. Oh God, what did we do? Is someone missing? I tried to do a head count, but before I could find everyone, the roar sounded again. I looked up, and my eyes connected right with the eyes of the statues. In an instant, it was like all the rest of the world fell away. I stood there, staring at them, unable to move. I heard someone shout, and I saw people scatter, but I just couldn't bring myself to look away. A sound like a heartbeat came from inside Minas Morgul, and I felt it like it was beating with my own.

Suddenly, I was being yanked back with an insane amount of force. I tripped and fell, supressing a scream as I was dragged along the ground by none other than the slimy creature who'd deserted us last time. Gollum pushed me down into a clump of bushes just off to the side of the bridge, hiding me among the branches. "Mustn't go that way, miss! Dangerous place, it is! Full of nasty things!" He was looking at me with frightened eyes, and I could only stare back at him in shock.

Just as I was about to speak, I felt another hand on my arm and twisted around to see Frodo's eyes rolling back into his head. "Frodo!" I cried. "Frodo, no!" I grabbed his other hand as it slipped up inside his shirt, reaching for the Ring. "Not now! You can do this, Frodo, co-"

I was cut off by an ear-splitting screech that made my blood run cold. There was nothing, living or dead, that could make a sound like that. I lifted my gaze to see an enormous dragon-like beast rising up out of Minas Morgul, with a rider cloaked in black perched on its spine. Even from here, I could see the spiked crown of iron on his head, and I felt like I was being choked by some unforeseen force.

Gollum screamed in fear as the Witch-King let out another shriek. The sound felt like it was ripping my insides apart, and I clapped my hands over my ears in an attempt to block it out. Frodo's hand left my arm, and I turned his way to see him clawing at his shoulder, screaming in agony. "Frodo!" I shouted, dropping my hands and going for his. "It's okay, Frodo! You're going to be okay!" Another shriek, and I screamed with it. I'd never thought that hearing something could be so painful. "Wraiths!" Gollum cried, writhing in the dirt beneath the bushes. "Wraiths on wings!"

The giant beast rose up into the air, its massive wings beating against the air with the same heartbeat thud I'd heard earlier. My eyes were darting between it and Frodo in paralyzing fear. It was right there. Right there! If we were spotted...

Again, the monster roared, and the Witch-King screamed again, longer and louder. "They are calling for the Precious!" Gollum warned.

I squeezed Frodo's hand, half of it due to my own terror and half of it to help him out. He was breathing hard, cringing. "I can feel his blade..." he groaned.

"It's okay, Frodo," I whispered. "It's okay."

The beating of the wings was getting louder. I looked up one last time and nearly shit myself as the thing came swooping down from high up in the sky, sailing low over the ground and passing right over our hiding spot. My heart dropped to my stomach – it was so close, I felt a breeze on the back of my neck as I ducked my head. We are fucked. We are so dead! I stayed frozen still as it circled, passing over us one final time before the roars and screams finally started to fade.

Only when Gollum spoke did I feel safe enough to move. "They are gone, Precious. They have left us, Master!"

Frodo coughed, still wincing as he rubbed his shoulder. I helped him out of the bushes, brushing myself off too as we quickly ran over to where the rest of the Fellowship had gathered. My eyes stayed on Gollum the whole time, amazed that he had saved me in the midst of all the panic.

Needless to say, he was not immediately given a warm welcome. In seconds, Kaia was on him, eyes blazing with anger. "You!" She lunged out and grabbed him by the neck, slamming him up against a rock with little effort. "You led us right to those Orcs, didn't you? You set us up!"

Gollum gagged, pulling at her hand to try and get some air. "We did not, Precious! We swears to protect Master! We did not know about the filthy Orcses!"

"You dirty fucking liar! I'll kill you!"

"Kaia!" Gandalf intervened. "That's enough!" The wizard clapped a hand on her shoulder, whispering something in her ear. She reluctantly dropped the creature to the ground a moment later, a venomous look still on her face. "Now." Gandalf turned to face Gollum as he retched. "I do believe you are under contract as our guide, yes?"

"Yes, Precious..." Gollum replied.

"Good. Lead the way." And just like that, we were off again, this time following Gollum's lead as if nothing had happened.

But something did happen, and I was very unsettled by it. "Gandalf!" I quickened my pace to catch up with the wizard, who still insisted on staying in the shadows until we were far, far away from Minas Morgul. "Why did the Witch-King leave? That was the Witch-King, right?"

"Yes, Kathryn, it was," he said. "And in truth, I cannot tell you why he might have left his lair. But in any case, the reason could not have been good." His gaze flicked to the north, following the direction of the undead servant. "We are running out of time."