Chapter 35.

I can't tell you how much I hated writing this chapter. I just wasn't feeling it. Moria and Lothlorien are my two least favorite places to write about. So, forgive me for skipping some things.

Thank you so much for your reviews! :D I've got some replies/thanks on the bottom. Just trying something new. :) Thank you guys so much. It means a lot to me.

Okay, so... Last chance. There's a poll on my wall. You get to decide who Kristy ends up with. Vote now, or forever hold your peace!

I don't own Lord of the Rings; official disclaimer on my profile.

(Kristy)

Dreams are funny, you know.

You go to sleep in a cute little inn room, with the happy din of drunks coming from the bar downstairs. Then all of a sudden, you're flying a rainbow horse above Europe, while little candy bits with eyes fly by, staring at you.

Hey, I'll take all of the dreaming I can get. I'm just surprised that I fell asleep so easily.

Unfortunately, there's never a happy ending to sleep. You either have a nightmare, wake up too late in the day, wake up and can't go back to sleep, or someone else decides to wake you up before your time.

Either way, sleep is a curse in disguise.

A knock came from my door, followed by Eowyn's voice. "Kristy? May I come in?"

With a grumble, I rolled over onto my back and looked out the window. It's hardly sunrise!

"Go for it. It's unlocked." Don't know why I keep forgetting to lock that blasted door... It might be a wise decision, however.

Eowyn walked in and frowned. "Oh, forgive me! I did not know that you were asleep. I am an early riser, as you may have guessed... I can come back later, if you'd like?"

"No, no, it's fine!" I laughed and rolled out of bed. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I came here to invite you to dine at Meduseld, today. Beorn told me of your incident in the market; you do not speak our native tongue. It is an unfortunate fact that Theodred and I had forgotten... It would be much better for you if you were to dine with us. Unless you would prefer to argue with people who don't understand you?"

My mind shifted back to the past morning. That old man Beorn saved me a heck of a lot of trouble. "You know Beorn?"

"An old family friend." She smiled. "So, is that a yes?"

"Most definitely!"

We walked the short distance between the inn and Meduseld, passing by the royal stables as we went. There was a thin fog over Edoras, and the morning chill Eomer walked out of the stables just as we passed, leading his horse out for a morning ride. He was wearing a loose shirt, and he looked kind of like one of those men on the cover of those cheesy adult romance novels that no one reads. They just sit there in the library with no one to flip through their dusty pages...

Anyways.

Eomer glanced our way as we passed, but he didn't say a word.

"Doesn't he have to eat, too?" I asked, watching him lead his horse down the dusty path towards the main gate.

"Eomer always eats early. He likes to go out every morning for a ride. It clears his head."

Ah...

Meduseld was a beautiful sight from outdoors, but the inside was even more lovely. This was the beauty that Sophie gushed about.

The walls were adorned with tapestries of rich colors, showing many great battles of old, and Rohan's flag was hung right above a great throne. Deep reds and dark greens colored the walls, while golden details wrapped around the pillars. It looked a lot smaller from the outside, to tell you the truth. But now that I've seen it, I guess that I was wrong. This is a mighty hall for kings, indeed.

Several long tables were lined up through the hall. Several servants bustled about setting the tables, while the higher-ups dragged themselves in for breakfast with tired eyes.

The only familiar face in the room was Theodred. He sat at a table alone, munching on some toast and reading a leather-bound book. He looked up and smiled as we approached. "Well, it's nice to have a new face around, here." He stood and bowed. "I am pleased to see you again, Kristy."

I gave a little curtsy, myself. "I'm glad to be here. It'll be nice to have a home-cooked meal, for once." Lembas bread when traveling to get here, and nothing but cold rolls ever since my arrival... Shudder...

"Well, our Hilde makes some of the best food in the country. I'm sure that you won't be disappointed."

And boy, was he right. Their cook prepared eggs- the first eggs I've had since I left the Shire. You know, I never liked eggs, but there's something about eating them that reminds me of home. All of those all nighter attempts with Collin, Sophie, and James, just to fall asleep and wake up to the smell of mom's scrambled eggs. Collin always brought chocolate covered bacon, too, because we just knew that we'd fall asleep, anyways.

I miss home...

"Allow me to warn you, Miss Kristy." Theodred knocked the smell of chocolate covered bacon right out of my imagination. "I showed Eomer Sophie's little drawing, last night..."

"Oh no..."

"Yes..." The prince laughed. "Please, have mercy on him. He's just a boy! He knows no better."

Oh, yeah. 'Just a boy.' "You tell him that I won't hesitate to resort to violence, if he gets on my nerves. I can suffer a little teasing, but I wouldn't push my buttons."

Eowyn chuckled. "Oh, you sound just like Sophie."

"She does, doesn't she." Theodred laughed. "It is going to be good to have you around."

That little person living inside of me wanted to scream.

I love Sophie, I really do. She's one of the best friends anyone could ask for, even if she does get a little annoying. Even so, I hate it when people compare me to her. It's like that situation where the younger sibling always has to live up to their older brother or sister... Only in this case, it's me trying to live up to Sophie, Collin, and James.

Everyone expects me to be hot-headed, because I'm James's twin sister. Everyone expects me to be carefree, because I'm friends with Collin. Then, everyone expects me to be just like Sophie: funny, risky, excitable, and adventurous.

Well, I'm hardly like any of them. Whenever they wanted to go paintballing, I'd stay on the sidelines, avoiding getting hurt. When they wanted to go swimming with sting-rays spring break of senior year, I chose to go to the turtle farm, instead. Whenever they'd ride roller coasters, one of them would have to ride with a stranger, because my fear of heights far exceeds my hunger for fun. I was also the voice of reason whenever they wanted to do something stupid, like play polish ping-pong.

That's me. The stick in the mud.

I guess that's just what I get for hanging out with three of the most exciting people in town... Senior superlatives? James got "Life of the Party." Collin got "Most Likely Never to Grow Up" with Sophie, as well as "Most Likely to Make You Smile." Sophie herself got "Clumsiest." Wanna know what I got?

"Parent Approved."

Yep. That's me. The loser who did nothing exciting.

Woo...

Oh, and Most Likely to Succeed, but who really cares about that? Especially now that I'm in a man's world.

"Are you alright, Kristy?" Eowyn put her hand on my shoulder, bringing me out of my sad high school reminiscing.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled. I guess I'll just learn to deal with it.

"Good." She stood and dusted her skirts off. "Well, I am going to begin today's work. Would you like me to walk you back to the inn?"

"No, no. That's fine. I'll find my way."

Theodred stood up, as well. "I'd best go check on father. He is ill, as you know. He'll be waking, soon."

Oh, I've heard about their king, and I'm not in the mood to meet him. Old, cold, and distant? Not in the mood for that. I'm probably just gonna go home and go back to sleep after pondering on my life, some more.

"If you need anything, you know where to find us!" Theodred then went off to do whatever it is princes do.

Sigh...

I left Meduseld and walked down the stairs to the inn. That's when I saw him.

Greasy black hair, cold, dark eyes, and wearing fancy black robes. It was Grima. Collin described him in great detail, one night, and it wasn't a pretty picture. The man stood out in among the people, because his hair and overall air were entirely different. It was an air of awkward authority, and he was headed right in my direction.

In a panic, I ran to the closest hiding spot I could find.

The royal stables.

I hugged the wall and held myself silent. The last thing I wanted was a run in with this guy, especially without Theodred or Eowyn to back me up.

The sound of footsteps approached, but went right by, and continued to Meduseld.

I sighed in relief.

"You again?"

My heart stopped as I turned to see Eomer watching me bemusedly.

"I thought that you did not ride?"

I quickly tried to regain composure, and dusted myself off.

"I don't. I was avoiding someone. I thought you were out riding your horse?"

Eomer nodded in understanding. "Wormtongue, I presume. I do not blame you... As for me, I was just getting back." It was silent for a moment as he put away his horse's saddle. "Might I ask why you don't ride, milady?"

"There's no real need for it, in my world." We have a lovely invention called cars, actually. Oh, do I miss those.

"You are no longer in your world, are you?" Eomer questioned, a smirk on his lips.

"No, I'm not." I sighed.

"So..." The horse-lord began. "Why don't you learn?"

Goodness, there's just no pleasing this man, is there? "Because, I have reasons, milord. Why are you so set on this topic? Should you not be pestering me about Sophie's little drawing?" Honestly, I'd rather be teased about that than reveal my terrible fear of horses. It took Glorfindel ages to make me comfortable enough atop his massive steed. If Eomer found out this fear, I'd never hear the end of it.

Eomer raised an eyebrow at me. "Why would I bother you over that?"

Seriously? "Because it's absolutely humiliating? Besides, Theodred made it quite clear that I should prepare myself for it. You did seem to enjoy making me uncomfortable upon our first meeting."

The prince chuckled. "Oh, I have my moments. So, let us go back to the point. What would it take for me to get you on a horse?"

"What would it take to get you to leave this topic alone?"

"Quite a lot, milady."

"How much?"

Eomer shook his head and laughed.

"What?" I demanded.

"Nothing, nothing! I just never expected it!"

"Expected what?"

Eomer rolled his eyes. "That you are afraid of horses."

Sigh... "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

"Absolutely not."

(Sophie)

"Gimli?" I watched the poor dwarf with curiosity. He was on his knees in front of his cousin's final resting place, looking like the world was falling down upon him.

I'm sure that it was. I can't imagine how it feels to walk in on a massacre of your own people. The worst I've seen is a massacre of fighting dogs on the news. This... This was a whole new level of horror.

"I'm sorry, friend..." Collin placed a comforting hand on Gimli's shoulder, and the dwarf let out a sigh.

It's hard to believe that he actually believed that there would still be life down here. Simply walking in was enough to convince me that this place was a death trap. Still, maybe he had hoped that the others had gotten out alive...

A loud crash nearly scared me out of my wits. Everyone turned to see a baffled looking Pippin, staring into a well. He looked at us with wide, innocent eyes.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf cried, whacking the hobbit over the head.

A low drumming began to echo through the walls. It was distant, at first, but it slowly began to get closer and closer.

"Collin?" I looked to my friend for confirmation on my biggest fear. The worried look in his eyes was enough.

"They are coming!" Gandalf shouted. "Block the doors!"

The men ran forward, grabbing anything and everything that could be used to barricade the doors. Spears, axes, random bits of wood; nothing could save me, though.

My heart was pounding, and my head was spinning. We'd gone so long without the slightest hint of an orc. Now, Frodo's elven blade was glowing a bright blue, and we were about to be trapped.

Boromir peeked out of the door, but pulled back just in time to dodge two arrows to the head. He slammed the doors shut and turned back with a tired look in his eyes. "They have a cave troll."

A cave troll? They have those here?

I took out the dagger that Boromir gave me, the only weapon I had. It would hardly be enough to protect myself, even if I did know how to use it. So, I looked around the room. It was large, but there were no hiding places. A pillar could not keep me concealed for long. Panic nearly consumed me, were it not for a light touch on my arm.

"I've got you, Sophie." Collin gave me a small smile, even though his eyes were full of fear. "Stay with Gandalf!"

I ran to the wizard, who was standing in front of the hobbits as a shield. The doors began to shake and break. Terrifying snarls could be heard coming from the other side, and I clung to my small blade with everything I had.

Legolas began to shoot arrows through the holes in the door, but there were too many of them. The doors broke open, and disgusting creatures spilled into the room.

I ducked down behind Gandalf, trying to make myself as invisible as possible. It was kill or be killed, and I was not a fan of either. When an orc fell dead beside me, I panicked. My first instinct was to get the heck away from it, but after I caught sight of the thing that was a cave troll, I actually managed to amaze myself. With hardly a thought, I crawled under the dead and reeking creature; the most reliable hiding place. Did I throw up? A little. Did I care? No, because I was out of sight.

My mind was racing. Did anyone I know die, yet? Would they die? If they did, then what would happen to me? I don't know how to get out of here, and I'd be lost without Gandalf's light. I'd rather get killed by a cave troll than live without my friends beside me.

There was so much noise. Screaming, blade-on-blade, the smashing of rock as the cave troll attacked everything in sight. The sound of the battle seemed to be dying down when Frodo screamed.

My heart sank. If Frodo got hurt, I'll never forgive myself for cowering under a dead orc.

So, I pushed the corpse off of myself, and jumped up wielding my dagger.

It would have been quite heroic, had there been something to kill.

I gained my nerve just as Legolas finished off the cave troll. Just as quickly as I gained confidence, I lost it, and threw up all over my former hiding place. The stench was unbearable, and thick, black blood covered the floor. It was spattered on the walls, and on my friends. Even I was covered in blood, thanks to the dead orc that acted as my shield. James ran up to me and rubbed my back.

"You okay, Soph?"

"Sophie!" Collin ran to me and gave me a hug, despite my current state of grossness. "Thank God you're alive!"

"We must keep moving! To the bridge of Khazad-dum!" Gandalf cried, helping up a pained looking Frodo. He was rubbing his chest, which was covered in a bright, pale armor.

"What happened?" I questioned as we began to jog for the door. "What happened to Frodo?"

"He got stabbed with a giant spear!" Collin yelled out, like it was no big deal.

... "And he's alive?"

Collin winked at me. "Mithril armor, my dear!"

So that's what Gimli's been gushing about ever since we entered Moria... Where can I get some mithril?

We chased after Gandalf, who was leading the way to safety. Things were crawling down from the ceiling, and out of holes in the ground. They surrounded us, with wide, hungry eyes and long, jagged blades.

"There's too many of them!" James cried, looking like'd he'd given up hope. The man has a wife and child waiting for him... He didn't need to die like this.

Collin looked around us, a tear in his eye. "This really is the end, isn't it?"

But it wasn't. Out of nowhere, everything that just wanted to kill us vanished, and a new enemy was upon us. There was a growing glow of fire heading towards us, and the Fellowship just stared at it with wide eyes.

I'll never understand why I did what I did. Perhaps it's because I was terrified out of my wits, and I'd lost my mind. Or maybe it's just because I knew deep down that we stood no chance against whatever just scared an army of orcs away.

"RUN!" I bolted down the hall, away from the fiery glow.

James and Collin, my two true followers, took off after me, screaming at the top of their lungs. Finally, Gandalf kicked the others into motion, too.

"It's a Balrog! Run!"

James quickly got ahead of me, followed by Legolas and Boromir. We turned a sharp corner and ran for some stairs. James slipped, and nearly tumbled down through a gaping hole in the staircase, were it not for an unexpected hero. Legolas, his arch nemesis, grabbed him and threw him back to safety. The look in James's eyes would have been priceless, were we not running for our lives.

"Quick, this way!" Gandalf cried, and we all followed, careful to avoid falling into the giant pit of death below.

Finally, after a near-death experience with another hole in the stairs, we all made it to the thin bridge that led to the outside world. For the first time in three days, I actually saw sunlight streaming in through the distant doorway. We ran across, one at a time. I turned to see the Balrog, and I'll say that it's a sight I'll never forget.

It was massive. Like a minotaur, only on fire and wielding a whip of flames.

Of all the people to go out and face such a beast, the old wizard stepped forward.

"You shall not pass!" He cried, waving his staff. He continued to speak, but my mind went blank.

Everything happened so fast. Gandalf slammed his staff onto the bridge, shattering the ground that held up the Balrog. It fell, but he remained. For a second I actually believed that everything would be okay.

I should have known better, with our luck.

The flaming whip cracked, and grabbed hold of Gandalf's ankle. The old wizard fell into the dark abyss, just barely holding onto the bridge.

"No!" Collin ran out to help him, but it was too late.

Gandalf let go.

.

.

"... Tell me, where is Gandalf?" Galadriel, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, asked as she studied our sad little group. Although she may be beautiful and well respected, her words still cut deep like a knife.

"He fell..." Aragorn sighed, looking down to the ground.

"It was a Balrog..." Legolas added. "Of Morgoth. It dragged him into the shadows, for we went needlessly into Moria..." The last bit of his words were filled with an obvious anger towards the dwarves, even though it was not the dwarves that slayed Gandalf. They were as much victims as he.

"Needless were none of the acts of Gandalf..." Galadriel shot back. "His true motives are lost to us, but we must not ponder over them for long. There is yet a task to be done; do not dwell in your sorrow..." She looked over our group, her eyes seemingly staring into our souls.

As she looked upon us, one by one, each member of the fellowship seemed to fall under her gaze. Everyone looked down to the ground, when finally her gaze fell on me.

"Sophia Marseden..." Her voice rang in my ears.

"Yes?" I replied, out loud.

That's when I realized that there's something terribly wrong with this she-elf... Every gaze in the room fell on me, and I earned a few glares from the elves guarding their leaders.

"Wait..." Realization hit me: her lips weren't moving.

Galadriel smiled, and once more her voice sang in my head. "May you find peace in your stay..."

Okay, she couldn't have just told me that in a real-life manner? Cave trolls, balrogs, and now mind readers? Is there no such thing as normal, anymore?

(Collin)

"Collin..." Her voice whispered in my ears.

I opened my eyes and looked around. She was doing that mind-tricky thing, again.

Sigh... Guess that's my cue to get up.

"Ughhh..." I sighed as I forced myself to stand. Is it too much to ask for, a good night's rest? I can hardly get a few hours in when someone wakes me up, either for watch duty, or just because they enjoy getting into my head. I like my dreams, thank you. I'd like to have more of them, if that's not a crime.

Of course, I shouldn't be complaining so much. That woman is probably listening into my thoughts, right now.

I feel bad for her. Who would want into my brain? Not me, that's for sure. It's a bit hectic.

I followed her voice through the trees, and wound up next to a really neat bird-bath. Galadriel smiled at me as I entered the garden.

"I don't suppose that you brought me here to teach me how to read minds?" That'd be so cool... I could finally understand what's going through an orc's brain.

On second thought... I don't want to know.

Galadriel smiled once more. What, no laughter? "I want you to see something."

"And this couldn't have waited until the morning?" No disrespect, milady, I'm just a bit tired. If you want me to stay awake, make your elf friends stop singing. Gandalf's lament is a lovely lullaby; Sophie fell asleep within seconds.

"This might be of interest to you. If you wish to rest, by all means, go back to your bed."

Hmm... "Is it going to be like seeing into the future?"

She gave me cheeky look. "Perhaps. Perhaps you may see into the past. Or, you could see something that is happening at this very moment. It is not my decision to make."

"Ah, heck, why not?" I clapped my hands together in anticipation. "So, what am I doing?"

Galadriel gestured to the bird bath. "Look into it, but do not touch the waters. I must warn you, though, you may not like what you see."

Heck, I like everything, lady.

Even so, Galadriel worries me.

The fact that she's in my head... It's been getting to me.

So, I slowly approached the water, and looked into it just as she asked.

At first, it was like looking into my own life from another perspective.

I saw Sophie and I playing in the leaves together as children, the first day of junior high, the time that James got into a fight with the quarterback of our football team. I saw homecoming freshman year, back when Sophie had braces, and when James had dyed Kristy's hair blue. I saw myself going to prom with Sophie, and how beautiful she looked... Then, all of my memories of Middle-earth came flushing back in. Getting found by Gandalf, meeting Theodred, Eomer, and Eowyn. Seeing the Shire for the first time, nearly getting killed by orcs at Isengard... I even saw Kristy arguing with Eomer in Edoras.

It was beautiful. Even Galadriel had a smile on her face.

Then, things got dark... I began to see things that I didn't want to know. I began to hate myself for all of my ignorance, and I wanted to go punch a certain Gondorian in the throat. A fear arose within me, and my eyes began to well up with tears.

"Why are you showing me this?" I whispered, hardly able to tear my eyes from the scenes that were unfolding in front of me.

"To prepare you." She stated simply.

"What's this have to do with the ring? Of what importance is this to you?" I demanded, far more angry than I should ever be.

Galadriel stood her ground patiently. "It is of no importance to me. I saw you in the mirror, and felt that it would be important to let you see for yourself. I do not know what part you are to play in the future. It could be significant, or it could be nothing. I felt the need to show you, and I did. My part is done." She then turned and silently left the garden.

I took a deep breath and splashed the water out of the mirror.

Thank you, elf, for giving me knowledge that I didn't want. The frustration within me was running so high that I couldn't think straight. I need to be alone...

I need time to think.

I'm so pumped for the next few chapters! :D Once I get out of Lorien, writing gets a bajillion times better. The Fellowship story line is so unhappy to write about. So, stick with me, loves! I haven't been torturing myself over the last half of this story, for nothing!

It's gonna be good. :)

average-ninja I'm glad you like this story so much! Yeah, initially I knew exactly what I was gonna do with Sophie's love life, and I'm actually really surprised that people want her to be with Collin so badly? He's the mirror image of my best friend, so I'll have to tell him how much people love him. XD Haha, don't worry. I've come up with an ending that's sure to please.

kapibarasan Yeah, Gimli's one of my favorite characters, so I always love writing with him. :) I try to make the characters more complex than in the movies and books, so I'm glad you like it!

Phoenix Retribution Did I really write that? XD I dunno what I was thinking! I've always planned on them coming along. I might have written that in a haze.. Well, I hope you like what I did with it!

PhilosopherStone909 Yeah, everyone's hopped the Boromir boat to Collin's. XD Don't worry, I've constructed an ending that's very happymaking. So I hope you stick with this, even when it gets rough! Because it'll be well worth it.

Eva Sirico I'm glad you like this! XD Midterms suck, but keep on reading! I may surprise you!

rex133668 I love Danny for Collin! His voice is almost exactly like Collin's. :)

Review thanks to Jovie Black, dizzydaydreamer, Gwilwillith, Adriatic Rose, Darklight Dragons, Alekcendra Evans, Lucy and Caspian forever young, Artemis Sherwood, and anyone I may have missed! Forgive me, I'm sleepy!