Here it is, but this time unlike the last one I took my time writing it, I know some people would have doubts of not coming sooner but as said in the last note that I took a break and I enjoyed it, all writers need a break ever now and then, so I hope you enjoy reading this, but if there are who haven't read Kingdom Hearts X-over LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring yet, I insist you do but the choice is entirely up to you because I understand, also remember they'll updates and rewrites in future to help improve it in case you might see it, also I'm not forgetting to proof-read it as well.
Kingdom Hearts X-over LOTR: The Two Towers
(KH rights goes to Disney & Square Enix, LOTR rights goes to J.R.R Tolkien)
(Last time)
In Moria, the Fellowship crossed the Bridge of Khazad-dúm to get away from the Balrog, Gandalf was the last to cross it but he stops in the middle of it and everyone turns and watches.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf yelled.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cries out but was ignored, Sora tried to run and help but was held back.
The Balrog stops at the beginning of the bridge and then stretches its wrongs and draws itself to full height in front of Gandalf.
"I am the Servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor." he exclaimed as he holds his staff out in front of him glowing white from the shield he summoned and at the same time the Balrog draws a flame sword and hold it above its head high "The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udún!"
The Balrog brings its sword down upon Gandalf who protects himself with his staff, bringing a crash and flash of light, the demon's sword gave away and roars at the grey wizard.
"Go back to the Shadow!" The Balrog puts out a cloven foot onto the bridge while the Fellowship continues to watch in shock, then the demon pulls a fiery whip above its head.
"You... shall not... pass!" Gandalf yells as he raised his sword and staff high and then brings it down hard on the bridge.
The Balrog snorts at him as the grey wizard stares at him, the demon then raises its whip and takes another step forward, and as it does, the bridge collapses and the Balrog falls into the chasm as the Fellowship looks in shock and Sora stopped struggling.
Gandalf grunts as he looks down and then turns to walk away, but then the tail end of the Balrog's whip snakes up and around his ankle, dragging him down and he clings onto the edge of the bridge.
Frodo dashes towards him but Boromir holds him back "No! No!" the hobbit didn't listen to what he said as he still looks towards the grey wizard "Gandalf!" he screams and Sora was held back again and telling his friends to let go.
Gandalf tries to climb back up but he failed and held on by his finger's tips on the edge and then looks at the Fellowship "Fly you fools!" he told them before he falls into the chasm.
"Nooooooooo!" Frodo screams and at the same time the grey wizard continues to fall deep into the chasm.
He was falling even faster and was catching up to the Balrog as he starts noticing it and makes a grab for his sword and thrusts it downwards and soon lands on the demon ignoring the smoke and fire while it roars, Gandalf swipes at it making it roar in pain.
Soon they hit the wall of the chasm and then he thrusts his sword down into the demon's chest as sparks and flames flew out of it, the Balrog then knocks Gandalf off and shortly grabs him.
The Balrog was knocked against the wall again making it release Gandalf and at the same time he made a grab for the horns and then flings himself up onto the demon's head and then stabs at the back of the head, the chasm they fall through empty's out towards an underground lake, the Balrog with Gandalf on top of it lands face first in the water.
"Gandalf!" Frodo yells as he wakes up from a bad dream and sits up and takes deep breathes.
Sam woke up next to his friend and puts his hand on his shoulder "What is it, Mr. Frodo?" he asked in concern.
"Nothing." Frodo said and then lays back down with his breathing relaxing "Just a dream."
Emyn Muil was a rough terrain of rocks and which the two hobbits were using to cut across to get to Mordor, with the Ring of Power in the fate Frodo Baggins, and his closest friend Samwise Gamgee, who made a promise to Gandalf to never leave his friend's side.
Right now, they were climbing down the rocks using the rope Sam was gifted which was tied up top tightly.
"Can you see the bottom?" Sam yelled down to Frodo who was below him "No! Don't look down, Sam! Just keep going!" Frodo responded before looking up to his after looking down to see which was surrounded by fog.
Sam was struggling a bit but continued to climb down with a tight grip on the rope and then suddenly he slipped as he grunts and a small box fell from his pack and tried to reach for it.
"Catch it! Grab it, Mr. Frodo!" Sam yelled and Frodo looked up to see the box falling and reaches his hand out and catches it, he then loses his footing and slips down the side of the slope "Mr. Frodo!"
Frodo fell with one hand still on the rope but he then landed on solid ground on his two feet and didn't fall far enough to hurt himself "I think I found the bottom." Frodo said as the fog gives away and surveys his surroundings along with Sam who was close to touching the ground.
"Bogs and rope, and goodness know what." Sam complains and soon touches ground "It's not natural. None of it."
Frodo then looks at the box he caught for Sam "What's in this?" he asked as he turns around and faces his friend.
"Nothing. Just a bit of seasoning." Sam explains "I thought maybe if we was having a roast chicken one night or something."
"Roast Chicken!?" Frodo chuckled.
"You never know." Sam thought out loud.
"Sam. My dear Sam." Frodo smiled as he opens the box to look at the contents which was salt "It's very special that. It's the best salt in all the Shire." Sam explained.
"It is special." Frodo nodded in agreement and closes the box up then hands it back to Sam "It's a little bit of home." Frodo commented and walks up to the rope they came down from "We can't leave this here for someone to follow us down." he told his friend.
"Who's gonna follow us down here, Mr. Frodo?" Sam questioned "It's a shame, really. Lady Galadriel gave me that. Real Elvish rope." he puts the box back into his pocket before walking up to the rope.
"Well, there's nothing for it. It's one of my knots, won't come free in a hurry." Sam said and then pulls on the rope which comes untied at the top easily and then falls to the ground to where the two hobbits are.
"Real Elvish rope." Frodo said amused as Sam looks kinda stunned as he looks at the rope and back at the top of where it fell.
Later on, they were climbing the rocks to the top and as soon as they reached it, they stopped to breath as they look across to Mordor to dark clouds and red sky was.
"Mordor. The one place in Middle-earth we don't want to see any closer." Sam comments "And it's the only place we're trying to get to. It's just where we can't get." he said because the trouble of crossing Emyn Muil and then turns to face Frodo.
"Let's face it, Mr. Frodo, we're lost." Sam said to Frodo before he looked back to Mordor "I don't think meant for us to come this way."
"He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Sam... but they did." Frodo pointed out as he saddens of remembering Gandalf, the two hobbits look across to Mordor once more, Frodo then feels and then sees the Eye of Sauron with a look of terror before gasping and collapses to the ground while taking deep breaths, Sam took notice as his eyes widen.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked in concern "It's the Ring, isn't it?"
Frodo just sat there still breathing but his friend wasn't wrong "It's getting heavier." he said as he reaches and clutches the Ring to his chest, Sam then sits down taking off his backpack and looks through it.
Frodo's takes a drink of water from his pouch as soon his breathing steady's "What food have we got left?" he asked.
"Let me see." Sam sifts through his pack as he soon pulls out a wafer wrapped in green leaves "Lovely. Lembas bread, and look." he pulled another "More Lembas bread." he takes a piece and gives some to Frodo before taking a piece for himself and takes a bite of them.
"I don't usually hold with foreign food, but this Elvish stuff, it's not bad." Sam commented liking the bread with Frodo looking towards him.
"Nothing ever dampens your spirits, does it, Sam?" Frodo smiled as his friend smiles back and then hear what sounds thunder "Those rain clouds might." he sighed.
In the evening Frodo & Sam were clamped against the wall and covered by their cloaks and hoods up when rain clouds were over them and started pouring down and thunder sounding off.
Above them without the hobbits noticing, it was the creature known as Gollum who has been following them for a long time, even before separating from the rest of the group, the creature's breathing was loud and was blocked out from the storm, Frodo looks to the rocks where he thought he heard something, he looked around nervously before curling up more and looking back down.
Later after the storm cleared up, they tread carefully on which was a labyrinth of sharp rocks as they've been going for a while now through the mist.
"This looks strangely familiar." Sam recognises as he looks at the terrain, and Frodo stops for a bit "It's because we've been here before. We're going in circles." Frodo said in annoyance as he recognises the terrain too.
"What is that horrid stink?" Sam questioned as he looks across the edge while he smells something bad "I warrant there's a nasty bog nearby, can you smell it?" he asked Frodo who walked up next to Sam.
"Yes, I can smell it." Frodo confirmed as he checks the surroundings before looking towards Sam "We're not alone."
At night the hobbits were sleeping on the rockface with their cloaks over them and a full moon is shining in the sky, it was peaceful but then Gollum appeared above them on the cliff as he climbs down slowly.
"The thieves... The thieves. The filthy little thieves. Where is it? Where is it? They stole it from us, my precious." Gollum grimaces as he gets closer "Curse them, we hates them! It's ours, it is", and we wants it!" he reaches his hand out to Frodo.
Suddenly surprising Gollum, Frodo & Sam jumps up wide awake and each grab hold of the creature's arms and pulls him down from the cliff as he screams raspily pushes them away from him making them causing them to fall down, Gollum spun around on the floor before looking towards Frodo and pauses and notices the Ring hanging on a chain around the hobbit's neck.
Gollum lunges for him to try grab the Ring but was being held back from Frodo, Sam crawls over and tries to get Gollum off his friend but was slapped away him and tries to make a grab for the Ring again, Sam grabs him from the arm before his fingers can reach for the Ring, but as he was pulled back, he threw Frodo to the other side.
Gollum got away from Sam again and climb the cliff and lunged for Frodo again almost grabbed the Ring, Sam came up behind Gollum and grabbed him by waist and lifting him in the air, Gollum slapped Sam again and then turns around in the grip and bites on his right shoulder as he yells in pain.
They fell to the ground and Sam was gripped by the neck around Gollum's arm choking him, Frodo unsheathes his sword Sting and runs up to the two and grabs Gollum by the head with his sword on his pointed at his neck.
Gollum pauses and raises his right hand in slight surrender while growling.
"This is Sting. You've seen it before. Haven't you, Gollum?" Frodo said while Gollum still had a grip around Sam "Release him or I'll cut your throat." he threatened.
Gollum does as he was told and loosens his grip on Sam as he moves away and at the same time Gollum starts to wail in the night.
The next morning, the sun was shining through the peaks of rocks while it was rising, but sadly the peace was shattered as screams echoed throughout.
Gollum was tied with Sam's Elvish rope leashed around he's neck screaming and flailing around while Sam was pulling him and Frodo was leading finding their way out of Emyn Muil.
"It burns! It burns! It freezes!" Gollum moaned in pain while being pulled from the other end of the rope "Nasty Elves twisted it. Take it off us!" he pleaded to Frodo who looked back.
"Quiet you!" Sam yelled but Gollum leans back while cries out before Sam turns to Frodo "It's hopeless! Every Orc in Mordor's gonna hear this racket. Let's just tie him up and leave him." he suggested.
"No!" Gollum looks up begging "That would kill us! Kill us!" and then rolls around on the ground wailing.
"It's no more then you deserve!" Sam yelled at Gollum while Frodo looks towards him in pity.
"Maybe he does deserve to die." Frodo said as he looks at Gollum while feeling sorry "But now that I see him, I do pity him." Gollum heard what the hobbit just said and stops wailing before sitting up on his knees.
"We be nice to them if they be nice to us. Take it off us." Gollum pleaded to Frodo to take the rope off his neck but the hobbit struggled "We swears to do what you wants, we swears." the creature bows his head.
"There's no promise you can make that I can trust." Frodo said while Gollum looks puzzled before walking up a bit.
"We swears... to serve the master of the precious." Gollum swears to serve "We will swear on... on the precious." he before choking his name while Frodo walks up to him.
"The Ring is treacherous. It will hold you to your word." Frodo said and Gollum nods.
"Yes... on the precious." Gollum promised and crawls even closer looking up to Frodo "On the precious."
"I don't believe you!" Sam yell scaring Gollum as he tries to run away and climbs the rock but was pulled back down "Sam!" Frodo yelled stopping his friend.
"He's trying to trick us." Sam said "If we let him go, he'll throttle us in our sleep!" Frodo looks towards Gollum who was wheezing from the yank on the rope around his neck and then he walks up to him.
"You know the way to Mordor?" Frodo asked.
"Yes." Gollum breathed and moves back at bit after Frodo kneels down.
"You've been there before?" Frodo asked once more.
"Yes." Gollum nodded with fear in his eyes and remembering the cursed land was like, Frodo then removes the rope around his neck much to Gollum's relief while Sam stood back in concern.
"You will lead us to the Black Gate." Frodo told Gollum and which was soon followed by a nod and then rushes off with the hobbits trying to keep up.
"To the gate, to the gate! To the gate the masters. Yes!" Gollum talks to himself while against the rocks "No! We won't go back. Not there. Not to him." he said in anger as his face switches gentle to angry "They can't make us. Gollum! Gollum!" he chokes and continues to move on with the hobbits following him.
"But we swore to serve the master of the precious."
"No. Ashes and dust and thirst there is, and pits, pits, pits. And Orcses, thousands of Orcses." Frodo & Sam watches as he talks to himself "And always the Great Eye watching, watching." he moaned as he hides his face and turns around screeching at the two hobbits before running away as fast as possible.
"Hey! Come back now! Come back!" Sam yelled while him and Frodo give chase and turned around the corner and lost him "There! What did I tell you? He's run off, the old villain. So much for his promises." Sam pointed out to his friend.
"This way, hobbits." Gollum reappeared behind a rock where they heard him "Follow me!"
Frodo quick glances to Sam before he ran to follow Gollum while Sam stood with an expression of anger and annoyance before following behind Frodo.
In another part of Middle-earth which is far away from the hobbits and Gollum, the Uruk unit that were tasked to find the hobbits were running across the terrain while Merry & Pippin were being carried on the back of two Uruk-hai, Pippin was okay but he saw his friend with a cut on his forehead and wasn't awake.
"Merry! Merry!" Pippin whispered but his friend didn't wake up, after a moment the Uruk tracker at the front of the unit raised his fist up gesturing a halt to the unit as he checks the surroundings, soon a unit of Orcs appear from behind the rocks and gathered in front of the Uruks.
"You're late." The Orc leader reported and the Uruk Leader beside the tracker look at each other before back at the Orc "Our master grows impatient; he wants the Shire-rats now." he demanded.
"I don't take orders from Orc-maggots." The Uruk leader threatened as he snarls "Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them." he said before turning away, and the Orc leader shows his dislike for the Uruk already.
Meanwhile Merry was looking sick and moaning at the same time with a look of concern from Pippin "Merry! Merry? Wake up." he whispered and received no response from his friend but he saw a Uruk drinking from his leather pouch.
"My friend is sick." Pippin said which caught an Uruk's attention as he snarls at the hobbit "He needs water. Please!" he begged and soon the Uruk leader came up to them from hearing what was going on.
"Sick, is he? Give him some medicine, boys!" The Uruk leader ordered as the rest of the unit laughs and one pours the pouch into Merry's mouth making him drink something which wasn't water.
"Stop it!" Pippin demanded and soon Merry coughed up the horrible drink waking him up and spitting it out.
"Can't take his draught!" The Uruk leader laughed along with the other Uruks.
"Leave him alone!" Pippin yelled.
"Why?" the hobbit looked towards the Uruk leader "You want some? Huh? Then keep your mouth shut." he threatened the hobbit before walking away to the front of the unit.
"Merry." Pippin called out to his friend after looking away and to see he was okay and was looking feebly at the Took.
"Hello, Pip." Merry weakly said.
"You're hurt." Pippin said in concern.
"I'm fine, it was just an act." Merry smirked while Pippin looked shocked "An act?"
"See? I fooled you too." Pippin smiled a bit from what his friend said "Don't worry about me, Pippin."
At the front of the unit the Uruk tracker sniffed the air and looks around as soon the leader came up to him "What is it? What do you smell?"
"Man-flesh." The tracker reported as the Uruks look around and the Orcs did the same and whined a bit.
"They've picked up our trail." The leader believed.
"Aragorn." Pippin whispered when he heard what the Uruks said and believed it was their friends as he smiles a bit once again.
"Let's move!" The Uruk leader ordered and they moved out with the Orcs joining them, Pippin had an idea and uses his teeth and tears off the leaf-brooch of his Lorien cloak and then spits it out onto the trail while Uruk feet trample on it pushing it further into the ground.
Further back was Aragorn who had his left ear against the rocky terrain and listening to the ground, Sora was beside him as he looked ahead of them waiting for the ranger who is now faintly hearing the sound of many feet.
"Their pace has quickened." Aragorn said as the spiky-haired boy looks down towards him who shortly raises his head from the rock and looks in the direction "They must have caught our scent. Hurry!" the ranger called out before running ahead.
"Let's go!" Sora yelled down to Riku & Kairi who were walking the hill breathing as they go, they haven't stopped to rest ever since they left Amon Hen along with others lead by Aragorn.
"How does Sora even keep on running?" Kairi asked herself as she stops for a bit and bends over to breath.
"He has journeyed to many worlds. Guess he is used to it." Riku pointed out and receiving a nod of agreement from the princess of heart and the two continued on.
Legolas caught up running up the hill "Come on!" he said to the Dwarf below the hill and to Ven who was beside Gimli after pausing and then following Aragorn and the others in front.
"Three days and nights pursuit." Gimli said as he pants "No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry, but what bare rock can tell." he moaned as he climbs the hill again along with Ven who nods in agreement.
Aqua & Terra came up walking ahead heading of them as they climb the hill much like everyone else who was exhausted like them.
The Fellowship continued on running along the top of the mountains and hills where there was a view with a river at the bottom, and crossed the rocky terrain, some were falling behind but was catching up.
Soon they were on the path the Uruks stopped before their trail was picked up, Aragorn stops as he sees something on the ground and kneels to pick it up and Aqua came along side and noticed it too.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall." The ranger said as he looked forward on the path and the woodland Elf stops to look before he can run past them.
"They may yet be alive." Legolas believed and at the same time Aqua noticed something different about the footprints as she walked over by the rocks and saw the same ones which made it look like in her mind they were gathered.
"Orcs were here." Aqua examined and soon Sora & Kairi came up behind her and heard what she just said "They probably were waiting for the Uruk-hai, and then joined them." the auburn-haired girl theorized receiving nods from her friends.
"Less than a day ahead of us. Come." Aragorn told them and followed the ranger, behind them was Riku, Terra & Ven and shortly after Gimli came rolling down the hill and was helped back up.
"Come, Gimli! We're gaining on them!" Legolas yelled before looking back on the path with the other four following behind them.
"I'm wasted on cross-country. We Dwarves are natural sprinters." Gimli commented "Very dangerous over short distances."
"And stubborn." Riku laughed along with Terra & Ven and soon caught up with the others while struggling through a boulder covered area, but then came to a small cliff that overlooks a land of green and rocky terrain, gives everyone a chance to breath as they looked.
"Rohan. Home of the Horse-Lords." Aragorn said as the wielders look in amazement "There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us."
"He's right, there is a darkness on the land that supports the enemy, while it slows us down." Terra sensed along with the few wielders who nodded in agreement, they walked down the cliff while Legolas & Ven were ahead of them to scout.
"Legolas! What do your Elf-eyes see?" Aragorn shouts over to him.
"The Uruks turn northeast." The woodland Elf sees in a far distance alongside Ven who sees with his normal eyes.
"He's right!" Ven said after glancing over them before looking over the distance again and soon his expression changed to shock "They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!" he yelled.
"Saruman." Aragorn said while the wielders turned shocked as well as they knew what it meant.
(Isengard)
The forges in the chasms were lit with fire as smoke emerges from them to the surface and the Orcs continued the work which ordered by the evil white wizard Saruman, in which he was in the Tower of Orthanc with his eyes closed and his hand over the Palantír which is glowing with flames.
"The world is changing. Who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard... and Mordor?" Saruman speaks in his mind to Sauron.
Meanwhile at Mordor, Legions of Orcs were marching out of Barad-dúr while the tower goes high revealing it to be fully rebuilt.
"To stand against the might of Sauron and Saruman... and the union of the two towers."
"Together, my Lord Sauron... we shall rule this Middle-earth."
At the highest point of tower was the Eye of Sauron, who is able to see anything above at the clouds, with Mt. Doom over the distance away.
Back at Isengard, Orcs were chopping and pulling down more trees to feed the forges more wood as they fell into them with Saruman watching the progress.
"The Old World will burn in the fires of industry. The forests will fall."
The Orcs pour more molten metal in the moulds to make weapons and armour, the evil wizard sees more helmets piling up along with the swords.
"We will drive the machine of war with the sword and the spear and the iron fist of the Orc."
In another part of the chasm where the Uruk-hai is born was being inspected by Orcs from each one hatched.
Saruman was on the surface overseeing the production from the side standing on the platform "I want them armed and ready to march within two weeks!" he ordered to the Orc who oversees production.
"But my lord, there are too many! They cannot all be armed in time; we don't have the means." The Orc pointed out.
"Build a dam, block the stream, work the furnaces night and day." the evil wizard ordered before stepping off the platform.
"We don't have enough fuel to feed the fires." The Orc reported.
"The Forest of Fangorn lies on our doorstep." Saruman said as he looks over to the very forest "Burn it!" he ordered.
"Yes!" The Orc said evilly as he looks towards forest himself before walking off to give the order.
Saruman was back in the Tower of Orthanc sitting on his throne with a man standing in the centre of the chamber.
"We will fight for you." The Wildman swearing his allegiance to the evil wizard.
"Swear it!" Saruman demanding proof, the wildman pulled out a dagger and then cuts his palm in which made the evil wizard grinned evilly.
The wildman then closes his hand with the blade of his knife soaked in blood proving his allegiance and some emerging from his fist as he clutches it.
"We will die... for Saruman!" The wildman yelled.
Outside the tower, was a large group of Wildmen armed with torches and poles.
"The Horsemen took your land. They drove your people into the hills to scratch a living off rocks!" Saruman yelled to Wildmen.
"Murderers!" one of them said and the others yelled in approval.
"Take back the lands they stole from you. Burn every village!" Saruman told the Wildmen as they start to move out while yelling and the evil wizards walk in another direction.
"We have only to remove those who oppose us."
After they charged out of Isengard and into Rohan, the horde of wildmen were seen carrying flaming torches and weapons heading towards a village next to a lake while the villagers were running for their lives.
"Too long have these peasants stood against you. But no more."
"Éothain! Éothain!" The mother called over her son and daughter after she saddled the horse, the son came up first with his sister following behind "You take your sister. You'll go faster with just two." she said before helping him up on the horse.
"Papa says Éothain must not ride Garulf. He's too big for us." The daughter pointed out while she was lifted onto the horse in front of her brother.
"Listen to me. You must ride to Edoras and raise the alarm. Do you understand me?" The mother told her children what to do.
"Yes, Mama." her son fully understood but her daughter starts to weep "I don't want to leave... I don't want to go, Mama."
"Freda," The mother held her daughter's head with both hands "I will find you there." on that note she kisses her on the cheek, she then hears a scream and then glances to see masses of Wildmen closing into the village "Quickly!" she told her children then they start to gallop as fast as they can to get away as they mother watch.
"Go, child."
A moment later the Wildmen ravage the village, killing every villager that didn't get away in time and burning the huts, screaming while trying to run away, Éothain & Freda was now far away from the now burning village on a hill as they see their home burning, Freda has been crying the whole way when they got away, they galloped away after looking away.
"Rohan, my lord, is ready to fall."
In another part of Rohan, a storm was raining down on the forest and fords which also there was a group of slain soldiers of both Rohan & Isengard, another group of Rohan soldiers on horses arrived who was led by Éomer as they stop and see the massacre.
"Théodred... find the King's son!" he ordered his men, they dismount their horses and looked around bodies seeing some were human and orc.
"Mordor will pay for this." one of the soldiers enraged when he continues look around.
"These Orcs are not from Mordor." Éomer corrected as he kicks the head of the dead Orc and reveals the white hand of Saruman on his helmet.
"My Lord Éomer, over here!" one of his men called over as he rushed over and to see it was Théodred and looks astonished "He's alive"
After they found him Éomer mounted up along with his cousin unconscious sitting in front, along with his men as they guard their leader, they depart the fords and rides out, it stopped raining when they left the forest and started racing across the valleys and hills.
They arrived at Edoras as they went through the gate with Éomer first to enter with his men following behind, after that Éowyn ran up the steps and hurried into the great hall and then towards her cousin's room.
She opened the door when she got there and sees Éomer by Théodred's bedside who was badly injured, she rushes over and sits down on the bed next to him.
"Théodred." The young lady whispered and the prince only flickered his eyelids and moved his head a bit before letting out a small breath, Éowyn looks towards Éomer who gives her a grave look and motions to his cousin's wound as she lifts one of the bandages on his abdomen.
Éowyn grimaces at the sight before looking away to face Éomer as they share the same look.
Later on, Éowyn along with Éomer who came up and patted his sister on the back when they entered the darkened throne room approaching an old and worn looking man who was sitting on the throne.
"Your son is badly wounded, my lord." the young lady spoke first.
"He was ambushed by Orcs." Éomer spoke next and received no response from the king who looked unresponsive and uncaring "If we don't defend our country, Saruman will take it by force."
"That is a lie." a man appears around the corner before taking his place by the king's side while the two that spoke before look at him in irritation "Saruman the White has ever been our friend and ally."
"Grima..." The king called out the man's name as he kneels beside him "Grima." he said once more before whispers something unintelligible, Grima said his name to the king after that.
"Orcs are roaming freely across our lands." Éomer argued trying to reason with the king as Grima glances over before standing back up "Unchecked. Unchallenged. Killing at will. Orcs bearing the White Hand of Saruman." at that Éomer throws down the helmet he took from that dead Orc back at the fords and showing the emblem on it.
Grima casted a quick look at the helmet and the young lady looks back up from and stares at him.
"Wy do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind?" Grima said as he knelt back down facing the king "Can you not see? Your is wearied by your malcontent... your warmongering." staring at Éomer who stares back.
"Warmongering?" the horse-lord repeated as he grabs the manipulator by the neck and drags him away from the king and pushes him against the column.
"How long is it since Saruman brought?" Éomer questions Grima "What was the promised price, Grima? When all the Men are dead, you will take your share of the treasure?" gritting as he spoke, but Grima then glances to the other side of the room as Éomer follows and see he was staring at his sister for moment and then she leaves the room.
The horse-lord grasps Grima's face harder "Too long have you watched my sister. Too long have you haunted her steps." Éomer threatened, the snake face relaxes in delight as guards come up behind the horse-lord and grab from behind and pull him away.
"You see much Éomer, son of Éomund, too much." Grima stated before one of the guards punches the horse-lord in the gut making him lean over forward grunting in pain as he stares at the snake.
"You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Rohan and all its domains under pain of death." Grima declared as Éomer struggles to break free from the guard's grip.
"You have no authority here. Your orders mean nothing!" The horse-lord yelled before he was punched again.
"This order does not come from me. It comes from the king." Grima smirked before showing the horse-lord the contract of banishment "He signed it this morning."
Éomer was shocked of the outcome before he yelled to try rush for Grima but was escorted out of the hall.
Meanwhile, the Uruk unit that was now joined with Orcs continues to run through the valleys while the Fellowship who were still in pursuit to save Merry & Pippin, some of them lagging behind but didn't let them stopped them as they continued to breath and run at the same time.
"Keep breathing. That's the key. Breathe." Gimli told himself as they pass a rocky terrain.
"They've run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them." Legolas said while everyone else had face of determination and in hopes of rescuing the two Hobbit's before the enemy reach Isengard, the sun begins to set as they continue to run into the night across the valley.
At night, the unit decided to take a break outside a forest and Merry & Pippin were dropped to the ground by the Uruk's that carried them.
"We're not going no further... until we've had a breather." one of the Orcs said while breathing for air.
"Get a fire going!" The Uruk leader ordered agreeing with Orc that spoke, while some of the unit went to the trees to get some wood to make a fire, Pippin crawled over to Merry.
"Merry! Merry!" Pippin whispered in concern and was relieved to his friend was doing okay despite the wound on his head.
"I think we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pippin." Merry said while the Took grins.
The Orcs and Uruks began chopping at the trees with their axes to get some wood for the fire but at the same time a low loud groaning noise was which caught the hobbit's attention as Merry looks up to the trees.
"What's making that noise?" Pippin asked in wonder.
"It's the trees." Merry explained making Pippin look confused "What?"
"You remember the Old Forest, on the borders of Buckland?" Merry recalls while Pippin listen "Folks used to say there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall... and come alive."
"Alive?" Pippin couldn't believe his ears as he looks at the trees hearing more groaning.
"Trees that could whisper... talk to each other... even more." Merry looked to Pippin when he told him who was still surprised.
"I'm starving." one of the Uruks moaned "We ain't had nothing had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days." complained as he threw the bad bread to the side.
"Yeah!" one of the Orcs agreed "Why can't we have some meat?" asked before his eyes widen and looks down at the hobbit's who caught notice of the Orc staring at them "What about them? They're fresh." other Orcs agreed while the Uruk leader along with the others stood in front of them.
"They are not for eating." The Uruk leader told the Orc who cracked his neck, the hobbits were picked up by the Uruk making them stand on their feet.
"What about legs? They don't need those." The Orc leader said while look in shock at the thought of losing their legs "Ooh, they look tasty." then tries to grab one of them.
"Get back, scum!" The Uruk leader pushes him away as the Orcs yell and get rowdy and the Uruks roared at them.
"The prisoners go to Saruman." The Uruk leader said "Alive and unspoiled."
"Alive?" The Orc leader questioned before looking towards hobbits behind the Uruks "Why alive? Do they give good sport?"
"They have something. An Elvish weapon." The Uruk leader explains almost surprising the Orc leader who held his expression "The master wants it for the war." while that the Orc from before was slowly sneaking up behind them as he licked his lips.
"They think we have the Ring." Pippin whispered to Merry who shushed him "The sooner they find we don't, we're dead." he pointed out.
"Just a mouthful." The two along with the Uruk leader looked behind them and see the Orc raising his weapon "A bit of the flank." suddenly surprises the Orc slicing his head off and hits the hobbits shoulders before it hit the ground, Merry & Pippin looked behind them to see the body fall the ground before looking back at the Uruk.
"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys." The other Uruks yells in approval before throwing the hobbits to the ground and having away at the Orc body that the Uruk leader cut the head off.
"Pippin, let's go." Merry whispered as they crawl away while the Uruks and Orcs were busy fighting each other.
Pippin then felt a foot on his back before was turned around facing the Orc leader "Go on, call for help." grabs the hobbit by the chin "Squeal! No one's going to save you." as he lifts his blade, suddenly a spear struck the Orc in the back causing him to shriek in pain before falling over.
The hobbits along with the unit heard what sounds like horses neighing and then riders appear out of the darkness charging at the enemy killing them.
"Pippin!" Merry called to his friend while they were in the middle of the attack while avoiding the fight around them.
Pippin looked around fright before he rolled onto his back and finds himself under a rearing horse as he screams before it stomps on him.
...
In the morning, the sun rose shining on the Fellowship who still tracking the Uruks and Orcs, Legolas & Kairi stopped as the woodland Elf looks around.
"The red sun rises. blood has spilled this night." Legolas stated before carried on running.
"Something's happened to Merry & Pippin." Kairi agreed as she feels strange in her heart along with the wielders who felt it too.
They all stopped at a clearing while Aragorn checks the ground for tracks while the others checked the surroundings.
"Where are they?" Terra concerned while the other wielders didn't know and expressed their concerns for the two hobbits too.
Suddenly they hear what sounds like horse neighing in the distance, Aragorn stands up and gestures for the others to move over to the rocks to hide, Sora quickly pulled Kairi closer to the rocks as the sound of hooves beating on the ground got closer.
They start passing by them as they witness it, the wielders wondered who they were but Aragorn recognises who they are and steps out in the open.
"Riders of Rohan! What news from the mark?" the ranger called out and the horsemen turn around and gallops to the Fellowship who all soon stepped out in the open.
The riders then began to circle them and surround them, after that they draw the spears out towards the group as they held their hands up in the surrender, the leader of the riders appear before them on his horse.
"What business does an Elf, a Man and a Dwarf along with six strangers have in the Riddlemark?" the Fellowship looked towards the leader who spoke.
"Speak quickly!" he demanded.
"Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine." Gimli spoke first.
"We're not your enemy, we're friends." Sora spoke next which kinda drew eyes from his companions to him and to Gimli.
The leader hands one of the riders his spear before dismounting and matching over to the two, Aragorn had his hand on Gimli's shoulder and at the same Kairi had hers on Sora's.
"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground." he mocked before turning towards Sora "And I don't trust a word of a boy, friend."
Legolas quickly draws an arrow and aims for the leader's head and Riku summons his Keyblade up to his neck for mocking Sora.
"You would die before your stroke fell." the woodland Elf threaten with the silver-haired teen as the spears got closer, Aragorn & Aqua steps between them and lowered their weapons.
Aragorn looks back at the leader who still stared at Legolas & Riku.
"I'm Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland Realm." the ranger introduced.
"I'm Aqua." she introduces next as she stepped up before gesturing to her friends "This is Terra, Ventus, and Sora, Riku and Kairi."
The leader stared at each of them when Aragorn & Aqua announced who they were "Don't mistake my friend's words, he's not lying." Kairi confirmed but the leader still didn't quite believe them.
"We are friends of Rohan, and of Théoden your king." Aragorn finished, the leader remained quiet for a moment before looking back up to them.
"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe, not even his own kin." the leader explains and removing his helmet revealing to be Éomer.
The Fellowship was startled from the horse-lord just said as it confuses them, Éomer gestures to his men to raise their spears.
"Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands." he explains as the Fellowship look at each other and then look towards the area.
"My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished." explained his side of what happened.
"We're sorry to hear that." Ven feeling sorry for Éomer and his company with the few wielders nodded in agreement, the horse-lord looked only for a second before back at Aragorn.
"The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say... as an old man hooded and cloaked." Éomer warned the Fellowship and believing every word and knew it was Saruman.
"And everywhere, his spies slip past our nets." Éomer stares at Legolas & Riku who threaten him with their weapons.
"We are no spies." Terra told Éomer "We may be strangers to these lands but we do not support the evil deeds."
"He's right, we track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain." Aragorn explains as the horse-lord turns away from Terra "They have taken two of our friend's captive."
"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night." Éomer explained shocking the Fellowship as they look in concern.
"But there were two Hobbits. Did you see two with them?" Gimli asked in concern.
"They would be small. Only children to your eyes." Aragorn described.
Éomer then looks regretful before looking towards them "We left none alive." he told them as they turned sad "We piled the carcasses and burnt them." the horse-lord points to the edge of the forest of where they attacked the Uruk-hai during the night and see a pillar of smoke.
"Dead?" Kairi muttered as a tear falls from her eye and Éomer nods his head to her confirming it.
"I am sorry." Éomer apologised to them as they feel disheartened as they look toward the ground and the wielders try to comfort each other.
Éomer gives a sharp whistle and calls over six horses, three white and three brown and gestures them to come over to give them to the Fellowship as they look at them.
"May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters." Éomer wishes them luck "Farewell." he bids before putting his helmet back on and remounting his horse.
Sora walked over to one of brown horses along with Kairi and strokes his mane as he neighed liking the stroke.
"Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope." Éomer warned the Fellowship as they look away from the horses "It has forsaken these lands." as he looks around.
"We ride north!" Éomer calls out to his men and they all started riding out leaving the Fellowship behind as they watch.
Sora looked down on the ground as soon Éomer and his men departed, he looks up to his horse and then mounts the horse and held a hand out to Kairi who was confused but she reached and was pulled and sat behind him.
"We should go, there has to be chance our friends survived." Sora gestured to the edge of the forest, the other wielders had doubts but said nothing and mounted their horses.
Aqua took one of the white ones and Ven was the passenger while Terra was controlling the brown horse he chose.
Aragorn looked at the others before looking towards the smoke that Éomer pointed out before he left.
A moment later, Aragorn was on the last brown horse and Legolas & Gimli were on the white horse with the wielders staying together, soon they arrive at the site of the battle the night before seeing Uruk heads on spears in the ground and weapons and helmets strewn everywhere, some of the wielders looked disgusted before they all dismounted their horses to look around the pile of burnt corpses.
Sora breathed heavily as he looked around for the hobbits, Gimli brushes through the pile with Ven using his Keyblade while everyone else looked at the surroundings.
Gimli then picked something out of the pile and Ven notices it with widen and takes it out of the Dwarfs hand to inspect it which was covered in burnt ash.
"It's one of their wee belts." Gimli distressed, at that Ven got to his knees looking at the belt while tears begin to fall from his eyes, the other wielders fell in sorrow too.
"Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath." Legolas expressed the rights in Elvish, which Aqua & Kairi understood as more tears fell from their eyes.
Aragorn then kicks a helmet hard and letting out a cry of pure grief before sinking to his knees looking down to the ground.
Sora did the same but tears fell at the same time, he didn't know do anymore as he just sat there letting depression claim him, not even Riku & Kairi can lift his spirits at the moment.
"We've failed them." Gimli said.
Aragorn then glances around the floor as his instincts kick in and starts feeling the ground to attempt to retrace the hobbit's final moments.
"A Hobbit lay here." the ranger described catching everyone's attention as they notice him examining the ground "And the other." then he narrows his eyes scanning more of the ground.
(Flashback)
Pippin was on his back when screamed at the horse as it comes down on top of him, but he manages to roll out of the way just in time.
Aragorn brushed through the grass and scanning as he carries on "They crawled."
Pippin was crawling along the ground while looking around to make sure no one was following him.
"Their hands were bound." they follow Aragorn as they listen to him.
Pippin saw a fallen axe as he crawled over to it and begins to cut away the rope around his wrists.
Aragorn picks a broken piece of rope that was hiding in the dry grass "Their bonds were cut." he said before dropping the rope back on the round and Sora's hope rises along with the others as they follow the ranger and scanned the grass themselves.
Pippin helped untie the ropes around Merry and then helps him to get away from the fight, dodging the horses and Orc and Uruk bodies dropping on the path as they try running away.
"They ran over here." Aragorn saw the footsteps as they followed them, but he also saw a different footprint in pursuit of the hobbit's "They were followed."
Merry was grabbed by the belt by the Orc leader they thought was dead after stabbed by the spear thrown at him and was growling at the hobbits.
"The belt!" Merry yelled as he undo's his belt and runs away while the Orc throws the down and crawls after them "Run!" the hobbit's ran away from the battle.
Aragorn ran as he followed the footsteps with the rest following him as they see the steps "Tracks lead away from the battle..." he said to everyone.
Merry & Pippin then ran into the forest where they heard the groaning earlier.
(End)
The Fellowship then stops outside the forest as Aragorn looks towards it before they did "Into Fangorn Forest."
"Fangorn? What madness drove them in there?" Gimli muttered as the Fellowship look at the vast forest in wonder, Sora was wondering how they were going to find the hobbits in there which looked like to him it goes on for miles.
Last night, Merry & Pippin kept on running through the forest and jumping over the roots, they then stumble to the ground panting.
"Did we lose him? I think we lost him." Pippin smiled along with Merry after they looked around, but then they hear snarling in the bushes and then loses their smiles and sees the same Orc that was after them before getting and running away again.
"I'm going to rip out your filthy little innards!" The Orc yelled with his blade in his hand.
The two hobbits then ran behind a large tree hiding.
"Come here!" they heard before ran away again and then stops before looking around.
"Trees. Climb a tree." Merry suggested to Pippin as they start climbing one together, Pippin soon reached the top while Merry was in the middle and peaked between the branches "He's gone." he said in relief.
Suddenly was being pulled down by the foot and dragged down to the ground as Pippin looks down to see the Orc standing over his friend, Merry kicks the Orc in the nose, looking more bloodied and angrier, Merry then crawls backward to get away but cannot escape.
"Merry!" Pippin yelled and at that moment, the tree he was holding on opens a pair of eyes and moans, the hobbit glanced a bit and then realises what he just saw and slowly looks over to the face of the tree in surprise and fear.
Pippin then let's go of the tree as it closes his eyes and reopens them looking straight at the hobbit as it groaned from his rude awakening, Pippin lost his grip as he falls backwards but is caught in the tree's hand.
While that was happening, the Orc was focused on Merry ready to stab him "Let's put a maggot hole in your belly!" he said.
Merry then looked up to see the tree moving, the Orc heard something behind him and felt a few pebbles on his head and starts turning his head to see, the tree then stomps on Orc squishing him and Merry gets up in shock of what he just witnessed.
"Run, Merry!" Pippin yelled, his friend did and hoping to get away but the tree takes two steps and picks up Merry in his other hand as the two hobbits grunt in the grip, the tree brings them up to eye level as he examines them while walking slowly.
"Little Orcs." the tree spoke shocking the hobbits.
"It's talking, Merry. The tree is talking." Pippin said while petrified.
"Tree? I am no tree! I am an Ent." The Ent explained while Merry looked amazed "A tree-herder, a shepherd of the forest."
"Don't talk to it, Merry. Don't encourage it!" Pippin feared.
"Treebeard, some call me." The Ent told the hobbits his name, which some called him.
"And whose side are you on?" Pippin questioned.
"Side? I am on nobody's side. Because nobody is on my side, little Orc." Treebeard replied "Nobody cares for the woods anymore."
"We're not Orcs! We're Hobbits!" Merry corrected.
"Hobbits?" Treebeard wondered "Never heard of a Hobbit before." he said before tightening his grip around the hobbits in anger as they grunt in pain "Sounds like Orc mischief to me! They come with fire. They come with axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning!" Treebeard yelled as he stomps the ground in anger "Destroyers and usurpers! Curse them!"
"No! You don't understand. We're Hobbits! Halflings! Shire-folk!" Merry yelled with Pippin nodding to confirm before grunted in pain again.
"Maybe you are... and maybe you aren't. The white wizard will know." Treebeard told the hobbits who looked at the Ent confused
"The white wizard?" Pippin said and shortly Merry looks fearful "Saruman..." he realised.
Treebeard then releases the hobbit's as they fell to the ground and then slowly looks up to see the white wizard staring down at them.