Chapter 14: And In The Darkness Bind Them

The rest of the journey through the Mines of Moriah was thankfully uneventful. After the encounter with Drufa Flamebrand, no more Sues or other foul monsters assailed the Fellowship and they continued on in darkness and silence for what seemed like hours.

Hawk was noticeably even more grim than usual at the head of the procession, holding her torch high so that the others could follow. Even the hobbits and Sauron were subdued, the former from their usual chatter and the latter from his usual smart-mouthed remarks. There was an air of grave purpose that hung over all of them.

Porter was visibly struggling. After the second time that he stumbled and nearly fell, Faramir and Eówyn wordlessly came alongside him and looped their arms through his, helping to support him. He cast them grateful glances, and the ranger and the shieldmaiden each gave him a solemn nod.

Finally, when they were all secretly beginning to think that the darkness might go on forever, they entered a chamber larger than the rest that they had passed through. Light filtered down from somewhere far above, glinting with silvery dust motes and illuminating the vast stone door directly in front of them.

Gimli stepped up to it and grasped one of the great metal rings in his hands and pulled with all his dwarven strength. There was a heavy grinding sound, then the door swung open, spilling golden light over the rest of the Fellowship.

They made their way out onto a green hillside that sloped downwards into the flat lowlands of south-eastern Middle Earth, which stretched off into the distance as far as they could see. Everyone breathed a massive sigh of relief as the darkness of Moriah released them. Even the sight of the overly blue Sue sky and overly flowered Sue landscape was a welcome sight.

Hawk swung her crossbow off her shoulder. "Take a break and get some food, everyone. We'll regroup and carry on in an hour."

Porter joined her at the crest of the hill. She glanced at him with concern. "How are you holding up?"

He grimaced. "Not well, Hawk. I feel okay right now, but I could relapse at any moment." He rubbed his arm. "I'm gonna be honest, I don't know if I'm going to make it another day."

There was a tight feeling in Hawk's chest, like a locked up scream that wouldn't come out. Instead, she gripped her crossbow so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "That's not going to happen, Porter."

Porter sighed heavily. "No, I think it is."

Hawk shook her head violently, gritting her teeth, hoping that would keep any treacherous tears from making an appearance. "And here I thought you were the optimistic one. I'm supposed to be Miss Doom and Gloom of the two of us."

Porter chuckled tiredly. "Well, for the record, I do think the Quest will be successful, and I think you'll find a way to defeat the Sues and save Middle-earth. I just don't think I'm going to be there for the ride."

"Don't say that."

"It doesn't do either of us or the Fellowship any good to ignore what's happening. The next time I start fading, I might not just wander off into the darkness by myself. I think we need a contingency plan on what to do if I become a threat to the completion of the mission."

Hawk turned her head away, unable to say anything because she knew her voice would choke up if she did.

Porter laid a hand on her shoulder. "If it was you, would you be upset to give your life for the Fellowship and for Middle-earth?"

Hawk refused to look at him. "No."

He attempted a small smile. "Then don't worry that it's going to be any different for me."

Hawk pressed her lips together tightly but didn't say anything.

Porter lowered himself down onto a rock with a deep sigh. "That's not what I came over here to talk to you about though. I wanted to talk to you about Aura."

Hawk's expression instantly shifted from pained to sharp. "What about her?"

"The two of you have got to sort yourselves out. We're in the last stretch of the Quest, Hawk. We can't have any holes in our armor at this point, and we can't afford to be going at each other's throats anymore. You're going to have to sort your differences out and figure out how to work with her."

Hawk grimaced. "I'm never going to be able to trust a Sue, Porter."

Porter rubbed his hand over his knee, his expression closely mirroring Hawk's. "You're going to have to try. For the Fellowship and for Middle-earth. And for me." He looked up at her, serious. "Maybe it's the poison inside of me, or maybe it's just this whole world getting to me, but I can't shake the feeling that she's going to change the fate of the Quest."

"By betraying us all and turning us over to this Queen Sue," Hawk muttered darkly.

Porter shrugged. "Well, Gollum betrayed Frodo, but the Ring would never have been destroyed if he hadn't." He huffed a little as he pushed himself up. "Just a thought. But I do know that this Fellowship isn't going to make it to the Hearth of Doom unless we do it all together."

Hawk watched her friend and fellow Sue-Slayer slowly and painfully make his way down the hill and felt the knot in her heart tighten.

~o~o~o~

They carried on, down into the lowlands of Middle Earth, heading South. According to Aura, they were about a day's steady travel away from reaching Isinguard if they pressed on through the coming night. And if nothing attacked them or went wrong.

Merry and Pippin attempted a game of Twenty Questions, but even that fizzled out after a few rounds. It seemed as if an air of exhaustion and dread had settled over the ten companions.

Finally, Eówyn spoke up, breaking the malaise that seemed to be hanging over the entire Fellowship. "We're nearing the end of our Quest. Don't you think we should know what awaits us when we reach Isinguard?"

Everyone looked at Hawk with interest.

"According to what we know from Eledhil's limited records, it's a great fortress in the southern reaches of Middle Earth," Hawk said. "It was created by the Suethor who made the Pen and was her dwelling place for years before she was defeated by Eledhil. Beyond that, we don't know much, but it has been a place of Sue power for a very long time and as such, we can assume that it will be dangerous. Not only is it sure to be guarded by Sues, but there is an evil power there that will attempt to twist our minds. Whatever we have faced up until now will be nothing compared to what awaits us."

"Well, that's cheerful," Eówyn said grimly.

"What is our plan for getting in?" Faramir inquired.

"You'll need me to get inside." Everyone turned to look at Aura, at the back of the procession. She gazed around at all their wary faces. "The Queen has put powerful enchantments around her fortress. Only a Sue can bypass them."

"How do you know this?" Faramir asked.

A flash of emotion passed across Aura's exquisite face. "I've been there, once a long time ago. When the Queen asked me to join her cause to help her claim the Pen."

Hawk shot her an appraising glance. "You've been inside. Do you know where the Hearth of Doom is?"

Aura looked abashed. "No, I didn't see anything like that. I was only admitted to the first courtroom where the Queen spoke to me. After I refused to join her…" Pain flickered briefly in her eyes. "…Well, after that, I wasn't welcome there again."

"I don't think we have to worry about finding the Hearth," Legolas put in. "Once we get inside, I have a feeling I'll know where to go." He grimaced. "The power of the Pen is getting stronger. I can tell we're getting close."

"I've only been inside that one time," Aura continued, "but I've explored the surrounding area many times, though it was years and years ago. I used to hope I would find a way to travel through one of the portals that sometimes opened up near Isinguard, but wherever they came from, they were always very closely guarded. However, I have a fair memory of the area. There's the huge main gate, but it's sure to be heavily guarded. But there's a side gate, hidden, and that's where I intend to get in."

"And it won't be guarded?" Merry asked.

Aura looked grim. "No, I'm sure it will be, but hopefully less so than the main gate. In any case, I think it's your best chance for getting in."

There was a long, solemn silence as everyone continued walking. Hawk looked around at all of them. "I know what everyone's thinking: we don't stand a chance. Yes, I know things don't look very good right now, and I can make no promises that our Quest will be successful in the end." Her lips tightened. "But what I can promise you is that I will lead you as straight as I am able and I will protect all of you, to the best of my ability, until my dying breath." Her eyes strayed to Porter. "We both will." She smiled, a grim, determined expression. "As long as the Fellowship holds together, all we can do is hold on to the hope that it will be enough to get the job done. There's nothing left for us to do except trust one another and press forward to the end, whatever it may be."

~o~o~o~

"Where have you been? I was so worried about you," Dena exclaimed in relieved delight as the squirrel rogue nimbly unlocked the cell door. It swung open with a slightly rusty creak.

"Reconnoitering. Gathering information. Avoiding the Sues." Figlock grimaced. "Not going to lie, it ain't good from what I've seen and heard. That bloody Sue in white is planning to take over all of Middle-earth, and she's got a shot at doing it too from what I've seen. She's got a whole blooming legion of Sues who seem to exist for her beck and call. She and Saruman left to march on Minas Tirith first, not long after she tossed you down here. At this rate, that omadorm will have all of Middle-earth under her control before help even arrives."

Dena looked pensive. "Why haven't reinforcements from the Hub arrived yet, Figlock? They should have seen the readings on the Sue radars and sent backups long before now."

Figlock flicked his tail. "I wasn't able to overhear much, but I think the Sue has a mole planted somewhere in the Hub. I overheard Saruman asking her the same question, and the Sue said that her ally had it all taken care of. It would also explain how she got her grubby hands on some of our equipment." He shook his head, ears twitching. "I hate to say it, but we might be on our own for a while."

"They took all of our equipment away," Dena said. "Do you still have yours?"

Figlock pulled his miniature medallion out of his tunic. "I've got you, mates. Now, let's get out of here."

They turned left, the opposite direction that Dena and Pixie had taken when they ran into Thor. A maze of dark corridors yawned open in front of them, but Figlock seemed confident in leading the way, leaping nimbly ahead of them as they ran. After several minutes of winding passages, Pixie suddenly ground to a halt. "Hold up. I'd swear I just heard someone callin' out."

They investigated down a side corridor where they quickly found several occupied cells, the first containing Aragorn and Boromir and the second containing Théoden, Éomer, and Háma.

While Figlock worked his magic on the cell door, Théoden approached the bars. "We stood no chance against the Sues," he said gravely to Dena and Pixie. "They swept over Rohan like a flooding river. Those who did not transform into demons like them fell into trances where reality mingled with the impossible. When we came back to ourselves, we were prisoners." There was a haunted look in his eyes. "It was terrible."

With the five humans rescued, they continued on, still led by Figlock, who continued to fill them in on what had been happening in the last twenty-four hours since Saruman's betrayal and their capture. "Of course, the first thing I tried was to go back to the Hub to get reinforcements, but my medallion was deader than a fish on a plate. Bloody thing hasn't been working since we arrived in Isengard yesterday." He made a frustrated chittering sound. "There's some enchantment that's blocking its powers or else it chose the world's worst time to malfunction. But I'll bet a bushel of candied chestnuts that it has something to do with the same interference that's stopping anyone from the Hub from coming to our rescue. Let's just hope it starts working again once we get out of Isengard, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you," he concluded, leaping up a flight of stairs ahead of them.

"I've never seen a Sue with this sort of power before," Dena said as she quickly followed him up the flight of stairs.

"I dinnae care what powers she has," Pixie growled. "When I catch up t' her again, she's goin' t' get my fists straight in her smug mouth."

Finally, they emerged up into the main level of Isengard. The place was noticeably deserted, and the few Sues they saw were easy to dodge. "They've all gone to war with that Queen Sue," Figlock commented. "Ah ha, here we are. The main entrance is just through there."

No one stopped them as they burst out of the main gates of Orthanc and hurried through the spooky silence of the ring of Isengard. The only sounds were the hoarse caw of a few stray crebain and the creak of machinery in the heavy wind that blew down from the mountains.

An hour later, once they were well beyond the reaches of Isengard, they stopped to regroup and plan. "We have t' find a way t' contact th' Hub," Pixie said. She ground her teeth. "I've never seen this number o' Sues in one world before. It's a full scale invasion, an' that foul Sue in white is goin' t' pick us off one-by-one – characters and Sue-Slayers alike – if we don't match her in strength."

"I must agree," Aragorn put in. "I fear that even the strongest and greatest among us will fall like leaves before her powers. This is a power from beyond our world."

Figlock pulled out his medallion and checked it, then flicked his tail in irritation. "Still nothing. Just as dead and useless… Wait a second!"

Suddenly, the medallion clicked to life, glowing faintly, and the dials started to spin wildly. Before any of the three Sue-Slayers could react, the air around them Bent. And the next moment, two newcomers appeared on the grassy field before them.

Both were dressed in KI uniforms, though different in style to Dena, Pixie, and Figlock, indicating that they'd come from a different setting. They wore crisp, long-sleeved uniform tops with black pants and sleek phaser guns instead of crossbows at their hips.

The first was a slim woman with a haircut as austere as her expression. Her skin had a faint greenish tint and her ears were pointed, though they curled distinctively upwards unlike an elf of Middle-earth. Her companion was a tall man who appeared nearly human except that his skin was as pale as alabaster with a faint metallic sheen and his eyes were an uncanny pale gold.

Dena's face lit up when she saw them. "T'Var! Iso!" She ran up to them and clapped both on their shoulders delightedly. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you right now."

The woman arched one slanted eyebrow. "I presume then that the situation here has not been progressing smoothly?"

Pixie glanced back and forth between the two women, frowning. "Wait a second, I thought your two fandoms didn't get along."

T'Var gave her a long, severe look. "An entirely illogical conclusion. Beyond the use of starships as a mode of transportation, my world has very little in common with Dena's. Hence, there is entirely no need for any competition or hostilities."

"What's been going on back at the Hub?" Dena asked eagerly. "How were you able to get here?"

T'Var frowned. "Yesterday morning, all our systems started malfunctioning left and right. The Sue radar completely crashed, leaving us with no idea of what was occurring in any of the worlds. With all of our equipment glitching, the President called for a complete lockdown in case anyone got stuck in another world. Our best technicians have been working on getting everything up and running again for the past twelve hours, but whoever messed with the systems knew what they were doing. Luckily, whatever – and whoever – was causing the malfunctions was no match for a Soong-Type android." She gave Iso a little quirk of her lips, which was probably the Vulcan equivalent to a smile. "Even for Iso it was a challenge, but he got our systems back up and running, and the first order of business was finding out what was going on here in Middle-earth. So what is going on?"

Dena and Pixie quickly filled the two new Sue-Slayers in on what had occurred and the Sue invasion that was currently underway.

Iso flipped open a KI tricorder, the Final Frontier's equivalent of the Middle-earth Sue medallions. "My readings indicate four hundred and twenty-three non-native lifeforms," he said. His eyes flicked sideways briefly, as he accessed KI records. "There has not been a congregation of Sues this extensive for one thousand, three hundred and fifty-nine years since the time of President Eledhil."

"The last info we had, they were heading to attack Minas Tirith," Dena said.

T'Var nodded sharply. "Iso will send an alert for Hub reinforcements to join us immediately. We will proceed to Minas Tirith." She looked even more grim than usual for a moment. "I fear however that it is a logical conclusion that we may be in for the fight of our lives…and of all the canon worlds."

~o~o~o~

Over the last hour, Saruman had witnessed the utter devastation of Minas Tirith. At the command of the Sue in white, the army of Sues had swept down upon the white city in a relentless wave of obnoxiously perfect hairdos and exquisitely beautiful faces. To their credit, the race of Men had put up a decent fight, led by Prince Imrahil and Captain Beregond, but there was no stopping the Sues. One half-dragon Sue with massive bat wings and several Sues with pet giant eagles had flown over the gate. The Dragon!Sue held back the Gondorian soldiers as the others opened the gates, allowing their sisters to pour in.

Saruman had felt a tiny trickle of dread spreading across his back as he watched the Sues. They deflected arrows, swords, and spears almost effortlessly as if they had trained their entire lives under Aragorn and Glorfindel themselves. From some of the Sues, there spread vines covered in pretty flowers every color of the rainbow, along with a soft glow like moonlight, starlight, and sunlight all combined. Those touched by the vines or caught in the Sue glow appeared to struggle against some unseen force, but they inevitably stilled. Some of them transformed into Sue or Stu versions of themselves that followed after the Sue army with zombie-like complacency, while others stared off into space with goofy smiles on their faces, as if seeing visions of all their dreams coming true. The few who had strong enough wills to resist were overpowered and taken prisoner.

In less than an hour, the entire city was secured and the race of Men was under the complete control of the Sues.

The Sue in white glanced over at Saruman, her perfect ruby lips curving into a smirk. "You see, Saruman? This world does not stand a chance against my powers." She waved her hand airily. "Shall we go down and survey my newest conquest?"

They walked through the streets of Minas Tirith together. All around them were characters who had transformed into Stus and Sues. More unnerving to Saruman were the men and women wrapped in the Sue glow, staring off with unseeing eyes at whatever AU visions the Sues were imposing upon them.

Finally, they reached the top of the Citadel, where the Sues had gathered the few characters who remained in control of their senses but who had been subdued. Imrahil and Beregond struggled against their captors at the sight of the Sue in white, their faces furious but also pale with dread at the same time.

"What is the meaning of this?" Denethor drew himself up to his not-unimpressive full height, looking grim and lordly.

The Sue in white barely gave him a glance. "Your city is under my control now," she replied dismissively. "A new era has come to Middle-earth, and you can count yourselves blessed to be the first race to be ushered into it."

"This city has stood proudly for three thousand years," Denethor declared. "You and your kind have no place here nor any claim to this land. I am Denethor, son of Ecthelion, twenty-sixth Steward of Gondor, and I will not-"

The Sue slapped him across the face.

Saruman blinked in shock but otherwise didn't react. He himself wasn't the biggest fan of Denethor (he was too pompous for his own good), but he still recognized that the Steward was one of the most powerful people in Middle-earth. The casual disregard, not to mention blatant arrogance, of the Sue's action was in a way more chilling than her takeover of the city.

The Sue turned her back on the few surviving characters. "Hmm, I've always wanted to do that." She waved a hand contemptuously to a few of her Sues-in-waiting. "Find somewhere they can be locked away until I am ready to deal with them." As the Sues hurried to do her bidding, she turned to Saruman. "I will proceed to Mordor and seize control of Barad-dûr next. With their lord gone, I expect little to no resistance from the villains. Sooner or later, our dear friends from the Hub will fix their systems and realize what is happening here in Middle-earth. They will send agents, but they will stand no chance." Her eyes glittered. "I sense that the power of the Suethor's Pen draws close. Tomorrow, the fate of Middle-earth will be decided."

~o~o~o~

The Fellowship traveled on throughout the night, stopping briefly a few times for rest and food while they took turns standing guard.

It was during the third such stop that Hawk took her turn as sentry, perched on a slight hillock while the remainder of the Fellowship laid their heads down and caught a brief nap. There seemed to be a perpetual full moon in Middle Earth, and everything was cast in a silvery glow, allowing Hawk to see fairly well. So far, they had run into no trouble, but that in and of itself was slightly disturbing to Hawk. The deeper they got into Middle Earth, the more Sues they should have been encountering, but everything instead was ominously quiet.

She glanced down the hillock towards the other nine companions. Everybody had been sticking close together of their own accord, but it was still obvious who the two outcasts of the group were. Seven of the companions were curled up together in the small hollow, catching some quick, if fitful, sleep. Over on the far side of the hollow, Sauron was sitting with his back to the slope, his eyes closed, though Hawk suspected he was awake. Although, she mused, his ramrod straight posture might also have to do with his full body armor. She frowned thoughtfully. So far, the Dark Lord had given no signs of betraying the Fellowship, but the fear still niggled in the back of her thoughts. After all, Sauron was known for playing the long game and they were nearly at their destination. If he was going to betray them, he'd have to do it soon.

Finally, on the other side of the hollow, Aura sat separated from the others. Her legs were drawn up to her chest and her chin was resting on her knees.

As Hawk glanced between the two of them, Porter's words reverberated in her mind again. If the Fellowship was going to face whatever fate awaited them tomorrow, they had to do it together. She couldn't allow herself and her mistrust to be the weak link of the Fellowship.

She did a perimeter check and stopped on the slope just above where Aura was sitting. The Sue looked up at her, a wary expression on her beautiful face. "Can't sleep?" Hawk asked.

Aura shook her head, and Hawk nodded towards the hillock. "You can help me stand guard, if you want."

Aura gathered up her skirts and followed Hawk back over to the hillock. Together, they stood and looked over the dark lowlands for a few silent minutes. Then Hawk turned to her. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. In the Mines."

Aura hugged herself, her red ringlets bouncing in the slight breeze. "I get it. I'm a Sue, and that makes me untrustworthy."

Hawk drew her cloak in about herself. "Yet somehow, I have to figure out how to trust you. It seems like the Quest depends upon it."

They were silent for a while longer. Then Aura spoke again. "Why do you hate us so much? Why do you hate Sues?"

"You threaten the canon worlds," Hawk answered, "and it's our job to protect the canon."

"We're not trying to though," Aura said. "Well, I mean, maybe the Queen is, but the regular ones of us aren't." She hugged herself tighter. "I don't remember much about my Suethor, but I do remember that she loved your world. She thought it was beautiful. Why would she want to threaten and destroy something she loved so much?"

For once, Hawk didn't have an answer.

Uncomfortably, she fidgeted with the threadbare ends of her cloak. "How much further until we reach Isinguard?"

Aura pointed. "You see that ridge in the distance? We'll be able to see it from there. We'll reach it by morning if we don't stop again."

Hawk picked up her crossbow. "Then we should probably get moving."

As she headed down the slope towards the characters, she cast a quick glance back up the slope towards Aura, a frown curving her lips. Something stirred in her heart. For the first time in her career, Hawk Sue-Slayer wondered if she was the one in the right.

~o~o~o~

They reached the ridge just as the sun was rising above the hills.

Before them, the ground sloped steadily downwards until it reached a grassy plain. In the middle of the plain, at the base of the mountains, was a great walled fortress.

There was a moment of stunned silence at the size of it. The main tower rose dark and tall from the center, but it was surrounded by a wild mishmash of Disney princess turrets and cathedral-like halls, all surrounded by a tall stone wall set with a ridiculously gigantic gate. To the left side of the fortress was a sandy beach with diamond-encrusted waves beating scenically on it, while the right side of the fortress was hidden by a sea of darkness: a forest of sinister trees.

Aura pointed towards the forest. "The hidden gate is at the base of the fortress among the trees. We'll reach it in about two hours if we walk steadily."

Aura's prediction proved spot on. In almost two hours exactly, the Fellowship found themselves at the edge of the forest, looking up at the dark canopy of intertwining branches.

Sauron stiffened, looking around at the dark trees. "I can sense evil here," he said ominously.

"Yes, we know, you're standing right there," Eówyn said, but the comment wasn't quite as biting as it would have been at the start of the Quest.

Sauron shot her a malevolent look, but it also was not nearly as scorching as it would have been just a few days ago. "There is an evil beyond me here," he elaborated sarcastically.

Hawk held up her hand, forestalling any further bickering. "The last time Sauron gave us advice, we didn't listen." She sighed. "I didn't listen. And it nearly ended in disaster. This time, I think we should listen to what Sauron has to say."

For a split second, Sauron's expression registered surprise. "Well," he said, as if caught off guard that they were actually listening to him, "it's obviously a trap. No villain worth their title would leave an avenue to their fortress unguarded, even a supposedly hidden one. You see, what you do is let your enemy think they've found the chink in your armor, and then you close your teeth around them. It's very simple."

"What do you say, Aura?" Hawk asked, putting effort into sounding genuine rather than suspicious.

"He's right, the forest is dangerous," Aura said. "I don't know exactly in what ways, especially for you characters, but it's sure to have enchantments. But I do know you have a better chance coming this way than trying to go through the main gate."

There was a tense silence. Hawk silently weighed her options. If either Sauron or Aura was going to betray them, this would be the perfect place for them to do it.

The fate of Middle-earth might very well hang on her decision.

"We go through," she said finally. "But stick close together and keep your wits about you. Sauron, you're up here with me. If you sense anything, let us know immediately."

The ten companions headed into the forest. Immediately, they were surrounded by the gloom of the dense, overhanging branches. There was a stuffiness under the trees that made it hard to breathe.

They pressed on, though it was hard to tell how far they'd come or how much time had passed. As in the Mines, they had paired up as before, except that Sauron was at the front with Hawk, and Aura and Porter were in the middle, as Porter continued to struggle.

As they continued deeper into the forest, a mist began to creep around them, swirling first about their feet, then rising to their knees, then drifting up to their hips. It was silvery and sparkled strangely despite the lack of light. It clung to the spaces between the trees like cobwebs, making it difficult to see what direction they were going.

A deep sense of unease settled over Legolas, and he pulled his cloak tighter about himself. The pull of the Pen had been growing stronger all night and day. What if they weren't able to get into Isinguard? What if their enemies were waiting for them? At what point would the odds against them justify using the Pen, and if he did, what effect would it really have? No one had actually told him what using the Pen would do. Had the Sue-Slayers ever tried to use it, and if they hadn't, how could they know for sure that its powers would be evil. Maybe he could use it to write something small and insignificant – like sending away this mist – and just see what happened…

His keen eyes darted to a spot between two trees off to their left. Had he seen movement? For a moment, he could have sworn he saw a dark figure staring out at him from a gap in the trees, but now that he looked, he could only see the mist swirling forlornly.

"Legolas?

It was only at the sound of Gimli's voice that he realized he'd stopped walking. How long had he just been standing there? The dwarf eyed him with concern. "Do you see something, Legolas?"

Legolas shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "No, no, I think it was just this cursed mist."

Gimli grunted in acknowledgement as they started walking again. "It certainly seems like something doesn't want us going this way."

Legolas nodded, but he was having trouble thinking straight and his feet seemed heavy as if they were dragging through thick mud. He was suddenly glad to have Gimli at his side.

"You know," Gimli said gruffly. "I'm starting to wonder if we're going the right way after all. The Sue-Slayers have never been here before, any more than we have. How do we know she's not leading us in circles?"

Legolas frowned. "I guess…we don't. We just have to trust that we're going the right way."

"Well, I don't like it. There's something out there in the mist, I can feel it, and we're walking right into its grasp. Maybe it would be better if we turned back."

For a moment, Gimli's suggestion made perfect sense to Legolas. They could just go back, out of this mist, out of this forest, out of this world. He could go back to Middle-earth and Greenwood the Great and his father's woodland palace. But he shook the thoughts and yearnings for his home out of his head. "No, if we don't get to Isinguard, the Pen doesn't get destroyed. And then there won't be anything to go back to."

He realized suddenly that he and Gimli had fallen behind. There was a gap now between the two of them and Hawk and Sauron in front of them. The Sue-Slayer and the Dark Lord were nearly obscured in the mist, just faint outlines moving in front of them. A chill began to settle over the elf prince.

He stepped closer to Gimli, trying to shake off the creeping sense of foreboding. "We are going to destroy the Pen," he said, more for his own sake than anyone else's, "and then we'll go home." He smiled. "And then maybe I can finally convince you to move out of that ridiculous mountain and try living in a tree for a while."

Silence answered his light-hearted jest. Frowning, he turned to Gimli. The dwarf had never turned down the opportunity to renew their friendly argument of the merits of trees vs mountains. "Gimli," he said, thinking that maybe the dwarf hadn't heard him, "I'll convince you to try out a proper home in the trees."

Gimli looked at him blankly. "What?"

Legolas frowned. "Trees. You're supposed to tell me that mountains are better."

"Why would I do that?" Gimli asked, and his eyes were empty.

Legolas suddenly knew that something was terribly wrong.

~o~o~o~

At the back of the procession, Eówyn slipped her hand into Faramir's and shivered. "It's getting colder, can you feel it?"

"Yes, I can feel it," Faramir answered as he grasped her hand back.

"It feels like what the Black Breath felt like," Eówyn murmured, fighting against the dread that those memories aroused. Her feet felt leaden, as if encased in ice, and each breath felt harsh and cold in her throat.

"There is evil here," Faramir answered. "An evil no less than the Nazgûl, I fear."

Something shimmered in the darkness off to Eówyn's right, half obscured in the mist. For a moment, she thought she saw bright blue eyes looking back at her, the glint off a breastplate, and the shimmer of golden hair. She blinked and shook her head, but it was gone.

"Did you see that?" she asked Faramir.

"See what?"

"I thought I saw something in the mist."

Faramir squeezed her hand. "It's all right. I am with you."

They walked on silently for a few steps. Ahead of them, Merry and Pippin were nearly invisible in the mist, mere shadows moving ahead of them. Eówyn wanted to tell Faramir that they needed to speed up to make sure they didn't lose their companions, but for some reason her mouth wouldn't form the words.

"I've been thinking," Faramir said. "What chance of success does this Quest really have? We could find somewhere, you and I, and settle and get married finally. We were right on the edge of a happy ending and then we let ourselves get pulled away into this Quest. What if it goes wrong and we lose everything? Maybe we should go back."

Eówyn frowned sharply. "You know we can't do that, Faramir. Just because we could find a happy corner somewhere doesn't mean we should abandon our friends. Would you just abandon your brother or ask me to abandon mine?" Anger sparked in her heart. "Those are cowardly words, and I'm shocked you would even suggest that."

She tried to pull her hand away from his, but he kept his grasp firm. "Eówyn," he said placatingly, "why would you say that? You know I just want what's best for you."

"Then you know I would never allow myself a moment of peace if I knew I had abandoned my Quest for fleeting happiness." She pulled angrily at her hand again. "Let go of my hand!"

Faramir did not let go of her hand, and that was the moment that Eówyn knew that none of this was right.

~o~o~o~

Elsewhere in the woods, Faramir was beginning to have his own serious doubts about the Eówyn at his side. "Eówyn," he said, his voice breaking, "how can you say that I am not deserving to be on this Quest? I know I'm not a warrior like my brother, but what have I done to make you believe that?"

Eówyn shrugged, her demeanor cold. "I'm just saying, you're not exactly cut out for this sort of thing. Maybe it would be for the good of the rest of the Fellowship if both of us went back now."

"And desert our friends?" Faramir demanded fiercely. "I know you, Eówyn. And I know you'd never throw away your honor like that. The woods must be affecting you somehow. Please, Eówyn, snap out of it."

He reached for her, but she slapped his hand away roughly. "We're heading to our deaths," she said, her eyes wild yet strangely empty at the same time. "We're fools if we let that Sue-Slayer lead us right to our doom."

"We knew this mission would be dangerous," Faramir responded, "and yet we took it on willingly. Since when have you feared death?"

Something moved in the mist and darkness beyond Eówyn. Faramir thought he caught a fleeting glimpse of an oddly familiar mottled green ranger's cloak. He startled. "Did you see…? I thought I saw… What is going on?"

A hand grabbed his arm. He whirled around with his hand on his sword hilt, the weapon half-drawn.

"It's me!" Aura cried, holding up a hand. "The real me."

"What is going on?" Faramir demanded, his heart pounding with adrenaline and fear.

"The forest," Aura said. "It's creating doubles of all of you, trying to separate each of you from the others. And it's working."

Faramir looked around. Eówyn had vanished and none of his other companions were in sight. The thick mist swirled all around him.

"How do I know you're real?" he asked Aura.

"I'm a Sue. The enchantment doesn't affect me," she answered. "We have to find the others before they stray too far or they'll be lost forever."

"How do I know that's not a trick too?" Faramir asked, his head feeling dizzy and foggy.

Aura looked sad for a moment. "I suppose you can't, beyond this. The forest wants to do anything it can to divide you, but I'm trying to bring you back together. You have to trust me." She held out her hand to him. "Take my hand and no matter what you see or hear, don't let go."

~o~o~o~

Hawk stumbled. Her brain felt full of dense fog that was making it hard to think or concentrate, and her feet didn't want to work correctly. All around her, she saw drifting shadows and flickers of illusive movement that disappeared the second she tried to focus her eyes on them.

She was vaguely aware when Sauron abruptly stopped moving.

She turned to him slowly. "We have to keep moving," she managed to say, though her tongue felt thick and woolen. "I'm sure we're almost there."

"We are." There was an evil light in Sauron's eyes. He lifted his hand and a glow of some dark magic appeared above his gauntleted palm. "But this is as far as you go."

Hawk stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Sauron laughed. "You really thought I was going to let you finish your Quest? Look around, the forest has taken care of all the rest of this ridiculous Fellowship, and you're all that's left, just the way I hoped it would be from the beginning. The Pen will be mine to take, and with it I will rewrite this and every other world to my vision. That's the only reason I came along, you know, the only reason I've put up with all this heroic nonsense for as long as I have. Because I realized I could order, not just Middle-earth, but all worlds to my will. I guess I should thank you for that, Sue-Slayer. Without you, I never could have dreamed of stretching my hand so far."

Crushing despair pressed down on Hawk, along with a little bitter voice in the back of her thoughts saying I told you so.

Evidently, Sauron could see the despair in her eyes. His mouth twisted into a cruel smile. "Yes, it appears you have put your trust in the wrong people all along, Hawk Sue-Slayer. You led this Fellowship to their doom. I'm only taking advantage of what you brought into being for me." His smile widened. "That seems like a fitting thought to leave as your last."

The dark fire in his hand burned more fiercely as he lifted it. "Good-bye, Sue-Slayer. Know as you die that I will wield the Pen, and then I shall claim every world for the Light."

"The Dark," Hawk said, forcing the words out through dry lips that did not want to move. "You're the Dark Lord. You'd claim it for the Dark."

Sauron faltered for a split second, the fire still burning in his palm. "Yes, yes, of course," he answered. "That's what I said. For the Dark."

"You're not the real Sauron," Hawk said, managing somehow to draw herself up. "It's the Sues who fight with Light." She stood up straight, her mind clearing slightly. "The Quest hasn't failed, not because of me, not yet." Her voice grew stronger. "This world hasn't won yet and I don't plan on letting it."

The false Sauron's lips twisted into a snarl. For a second, the fire in his hand burned more intensely, then the mist swirled violently around him and he vanished.

"Hawk! I've got you, Hawk!"

A hand grabbed hers.

She looked up to find Aura with her hand firmly grasped in the Sue-Slayer's. Hawk's eyes locked with Aura's.

Behind the Sue, Faramir was holding Aura's other hand. Eówyn had a tight grip on Faramir's other hand, and behind the shieldmaiden were Merry, Pippin, Gimli, Legolas, Sauron, and finally Porter. The whole Fellowship.

Hawk grasped Aura's hand back.

As soon as she closed her fingers around the Sue's hand, the mist rose up in a whirling, howling tempest around them. Darkness mixed with brilliant glittering silver light raged about them, but the Fellowship remained linked, hand-in-hand, in the center of it.

Finally, with something that sounded like an enraged scream, the wind fell away and the mist dissipated. As one, the ten members of the Fellowship turned.

They had reached the edge of the forest. Directly before them was a high stone wall with a metal gate set directly in the center of it.

The Fellowship of the Pen had reached Isinguard at last.