Alas, the fellowship had entered Moria and now there was no going back. Whatever lurked outside in the water had seen to that. Was it a nameless being? A pet of Sauron? A giant squid? Whatever it was, it didn't matter now.

Everything was black. The darkness pressed on your eyes, you wondered if this is how it feels to be blind. To never have seen.

"Ouch!" came a hushed voice.

"Sorry," another responded quietly.

You smirked as you assumed one of the hobbits had trod on someone's foot.

"Who will lead us now in this deadly dark?" Boromir questioned, sounding rather aggravated.

"I will and Gimli shall walk with me."

Suddenly, a light appeared! A glowing, beautiful, light emanating from Gandalf's staff. You felt drawn to it like a moth, but Aragorn's firm grip on your hand held you in place. He had pulled you into the mines when the watcher in the water attacked.

Despite the light from Gandalf's staff, the darkness was rather impenetrable. For the most part, all you could see was that there was nothing to see as the chambers grew larger and the light could no longer touch the walls of the old kingdom. In some places, you could see streaks of bright silver on some far off wall reflecting back the light of the staff. It was Mithril, the most valuable ore in all of middle earth.

The fellowship ventured through Moria in silence. It seemed as though everyone were afraid of speaking and waking some ancient evil. At times, you could hear Gimli mutter excitedly whenever he saw something of interest. You knew that he sorely wished that he could explore this place and to have seen when it was in its glory all those centuries ago. Moria likely had been a sight to behold long ago, but now it was a graveyard. A grim memorial of the fading realm of the dwarves.

As you trudged along the dark corridors of Moria, behind Legolas and ahead of the young hobbits, you noticed that you were becoming better able to see through the darkness and could make out distant shapes and artful carvings on the walls. It was beautiful. Though the way through had gotten dangerous over the years and was filled with many holes and some gaping chasms, these you were able to see and warn the fellowship of.

Finally, the walking came to a halt.

"I have no memory of this place at all!" said Gandalf. He stood under an arch, holding up his staff trying to determine which passage was the one that would lead them to the exit. There were three to choose from. The left one went down, the middle went on-wards level, and the right one climbed upwards.

With Gandalf stumped and the fellowship weary from traveling in darkness all day, it was decided that now would be a good time for everyone to get a proper rest. With your newfound night vision, you were able to find a small room nearby for the fellowship to shelter in. You gently pushed the door and it swung open quietly. Merry and Pippen pushed their way forward but you stopped them.

"Steady, boys!" you cried out. "Let me look in the room first, we do not know what is inside yet."

You cautiously peered around the door, Gandalf beside you casting his light so everyone could see. There in the floor was a large round hole, the mouth of a well.

"There," you said, pointing to the hole. "One of you might have fallen in and still be wondering when you were going to strike the bottom."

This seemed to put things into perspective for the two young hobbits and they stayed far away from the well. Gimli observed that the room was likely an old guard room made for watching the three passageways.

While you were making a bed for yourself, you heard a noise.

Kerplunk!

"What was that?" cried Gandalf. Everyone in the fellowship looked alarmed until Pippen admitted to dropping a stone down the well. "Fool of a took!" Gandalf growled. "This is a serous journey. Throw yourself in next time, and then you will be no further nuisance!"

Then all was quiet for a few minutes until faint knocking sounds, hammers tapping, could be heard echoing up from the well. This went on for some time until it quieted down and Pippen was thus given the first watch.

In the morning, Gandalf had made up his mind. The fellowship would be taking the right passage and climbing upwards again. So the fellowship traveled on. After a couple days walking, you reached a large chamber and could actually see light pouring in from outside. Finally, everyone was able to behold the old craftsmanship of the dwarves. Gimli appeared to be rather mournful. Off to the side of the great hall was another smaller room containing the grave of a dwarf and a journal. Gandalf read it aloud and puzzled over the words. It appeared as though all the dwarves who had come here from the Misty Mountains had been slain by orcs and some other powerful beast that had taken up residence in the depths below.

Then suddenly a noise was heard. A great drum beat.

Doom. Doom. Doom.

An army was coming.

Doom. Doom. Doom.

Quickly you and the fellowship attempted to secure the small room from the coming onslaught of orcs. Boromir managed to close the door and everyone else hurriedly looked for another exit. Oh what a coincidence it would be to die trapped in the very room containing the graves of dwarves.

With no certain exit being immediately noticeable, everyone prepared to fight. You took a place between Legolas and Aragorn and drew your sword. It's cold steel glinted cruelly. Even the hobbits were putting on a brave face and readying themselves for battle.

It was not long, only moments perhaps, before the doors came crashing open, wood splinters flying everywhere. Orcs poured into the room like water. Many of them were quickly killed. You felt quite at home battling orcs alongside your comrades. Your fighting was impeccable. You skillfully slayed orc after orc, sustaining only a minor cut on your left arm when you saw an orc cheiftain running towards Frodo with a spear in hand.

"Frodo!" you shouted too late, the orc had gotten to him first. You tried to battle your way over to Frodo's seemingly lifeless form but before you could get there, Sam had fearlessly attacked the creature and fought it off with the help of Aragorn. Now there was a lull in the fighting as the orcs retreated after sustaining such heavy losses from a small group of travelers. They had not expected the defense to be so fierce.

"Now!" shouted Gandalf. "Now is the last chance. Run for it!"

Aragorn scooped Frodo up in his arms and everyone ran for the back door to the room which the orcs seemed to have forgotten about for now. In spite of himself, Legolas dragged Gimli after him away from the tomb of Balin. You made sure the other three hobbits were along with you as well and pushed Merry and Pippin ahead of you. Down the steep stairs everyone went. Except for Gandalf. Gandalf had stayed behind momentarily to try to stop the orcs and cavetroll from being able to give chase.

"Put me down, I can walk," gasped Frodo, causing Aragorn to just about drop him in amazement.

"How? That spear would even have killed a wild boar!" Aragorn said, bewildered.

"It appears there is more to the hobbit than what meets the eye, but now is not the time to find out," said Gandalf, shoeing everyone down the stairs.

Suddenly, you felt it in your heart, there was a powerful being nearby. In that moment, you knew that the spells that Gandalf was attempting to cast against the door to seal it shut from the enemies would not last.

"Whatever monster lives in Moria is now behind us," you say shakily. "I can feel it. It's an ancient being... One of fire and darkeness..." You pause. Everyone is staring at you, wondering how you know this and willing you to go on. "A balrog, one that was asleep beneath the Earth until the delving of the dwarves aroused his slumber."

Just then, Gandalf came flying down the stairs.

"I have done all I could, but I have met my match. We will have to go on for some time without light. Where are you Gimli? Sky? Come ahead with me," Gandalf bidded.

Together, you, Gimli, and Gandalf lead the way. You could still hear the menacing sound of the drums of the orcs. It was dull and muffled but still, you knew they were following. They had not given up on the pursuit of those who had slain many of their kin.

The passageway kept descending and the air was getting hot. Gandalf had the fellowship stop for a short break and instructed you and Gimli to look for a left turn further along.

"What happened up there at the door?" Gimli asked the old wizard.

"I do not know," he answered. "I found myself faced by a thing that I have not met before. Even the orcs were afraid of it. They called it ghash in their language."

"Fire..." you whispered to yourself.

Gandalf eyed you up, "yes, fire. What it was I cannot guess but perhaps you can."

"It was a balrog. I could feel its power from the bottom of those stairs."

Gandalf still stared at you with his keen eyes. "The chamber is destroyed now. The power struggle between us was too great for it to withstand. Balin is now buried deep and perhaps if luck is on our side, the balrog is too."

After resting for a few minutes, the fellowship continued on. You could see a red light in the distance. Gandalf continued to ponder over what the orcs had said. He thought perhaps that the lower levels were on fire. From a distance, it appeared that perhaps it was true. As the light grew, it also began to flicker like that of flames dancing.

Finally, you reached the hall. You could see that there was indeed a great fire in there in a large chasm that would have served as a trap if you had come by a different road. The drum beats started to grow louder.

"Let us hope that the fire now lies between us and pursuit. Come! There is no time to lose!" urged Gandalf. "If the sun is shining outside, we may still escape. After me!"

Gandalf streaked across the floor of the hall, the fellowship on his heels.

The orcs fired arrows into the air, some of them narrowly missing you and Frodo.

Boromir laughed. "They did not expect this! The fire has cut them off!"

Everyone continued to fly towards the bridge which was treacherous and narrow with no railing or curb. Now, the chasm could be seen in its fullness. It was black and deep as the depths of the void. One misstep on the bridge would mean certain death.

The fellowship paused for a moment at the bridge. Gandalf ordered Gimli as the leader with Pippin and Merry behind him, then Frodo, Legolas, yourself, and Aragorn. Gandalf himself would be last.

Before anyone could move, the orcs fired more arrows. One of them hit Frodo and bounced off. Another found its mark in Gandalf's hat. One struck Boromir's shield. Legolas took this opportunity to fire back at the orcs and actually succeeded at killing one despite the great distance.

Then something strange happened. The ranks of the orcs parted and fell back, seemingly afraid. Something great and dark was coming up behind them. You knew what it was before the others did. It was the balrog. It was a shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form of a great man. What you perceived as power was what others perceived as an aura of terror which went before it.

The balrog came to the edge of the fire and leapt across it, igniting the shadow form. A black smoke wreathed itself around the balrog, filling the air with a great reek.

"We don't have time to waste. Quickly! We must cross over the bridge!" you urged the fellowship, but no one listened. They were awestruck by the balrog.

Boromir raised his horn and blew, the challenge of it rang and echoed in the halls. Even the balrog stopped for a moment but then began advancing again, more menacing than ever before.

"Over the bridge!" cried Gandalf. "Fly! This is a foe beyond any of you!"

Finally, everyone started to move after Gandalf urged them on-wards. Aragorn and Boromir stopped at the far end of the bridge, ready to run up to fight alongside Gandalf if needed.

The balrog reached the bridge and Gandalf met him, standing in the middle of it.

"You cannot pass!" he cried out. "Go back to shadow!"

The balrog paused for a moment and the fire in it seemed to die out but the darkness within it grew. It stepped cautiously onto the bridge and drew itself up to a great height, extending even its wings to the fullest extent. Out of it's shadowy being, it seemed to pull a sword of fire.

Gandalf drew his sword, which in the moment appeared to be of white fire. The two swords clashed and the balrog's sword broke.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf repeated.

Then it all happened so fast. The balrog had leapt completely onto the bridge and had pulled up a great whip of fire. Boromir and Aragorn ran forward to the aid of Gandalf but before they could get very far Gandalf had struck the bridge with his staff. The bridge cracked and broke and the balrog fell into the depths of the chasm. Its great whip seized Gandalf by the knees and dragged him along with it.

"Fly you fools!" Gandalf cried out and was gone.

The fires went out and the mines of Moria was once again a dark void. The fellowship stood there as if dumbstruck until Aragorn roused them with a cry.

"Come! I will lead you now!" Aragorn called, grabbing your arm and pulling you behind him. When you came to your senses you helped to guide him and the fellowship out of the darkness and into the light of day.