634Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Lord of the Rings.
A Shinobi of Middle-Earth
Chapter 33: Many endings and beginnings
"Talking"
"Thinking"
"Spirits/Ents talking"
"Spirits/Ents thinking"
(Location: Frodo)
As he lay there in the comfortable darkness, he felt calm and relaxed. It was the first in several days that he felt like that. For too long he had been restless in his sleep, always worrying what he had carried ever since that night Gandalf back to the Shire, fearing that it would corrupt him. And in the end, it did. In the heart of Mount Doom, when he had the chance to throw it away, he had taken the One Ring for his own. If it wasn't Sam, he would've been lost to that accursed Ring.
But his dearest friend had been there to pull him out that darkness, telling to not let go. Together, the two of them fled the volcano as it erupted and self-destructed with the loss of the Ring. It felt like they had barely made out of there before the place collapsed into lava. They had laid there on a bare patch of rock that was large enough to make the lava flow past it. The last thing Frodo had seen before falling into welcoming unconsciousness was a purple fox of titanic size reaching them and taking them both in its paws, with Sasuke and someone else inside it.
And now, he was there in that darkness, feeling safe and comfortable even as he came out of unconsciousness. It felt like he was back at Bag End, in his own bed. There were birds singing in the air and he could feel warm and gentle light on his face. He no longer felt tired and worn but refreshed. But he didn't know why he felt those things.
"I must wake up," he thought to himself. His first attempt to open his eyes didn't work as they were sticky from sleep. But then he tried again and they opened, letting him see the light that he had felt. He also saw that he was in a bed and in new clothes. But the most surprising thing that he saw was the person who stood at the edge of the bed. "Gandalf?" he asked, hope in his voice. He hoped that this was not all a cruel trick by Gollum or Sauron.
But it wasn't. The Wizard was there, just like he had been there at Rivendell. His color may have been different, but it was him all the same. At the sight of him waking up, Gandalf smiled and he couldn't help but smile back. Soon those smiles broke out into laughter. Why were they laughing? They weren't sure themselves. They were just joyful. Joyful at the fact that all they had gone through and suffered were finally over and that they were alive.
They must've been laughing very loudly, for the door to the room opened and Merry and Pippin came in. "Frodo!" Merry said at the sight of his friend. He and Pippin were glad to see him again, alive and well. Without warning, they ran to the bed and leapt onto it, shaking their friend with gleeful energy. He didn't turn them away, but held them in hugs and laughed with them.
A loud roaring laugh came from the door, making Frodo turn his attention from the hobbits to look at the newcomer. "Gimli!" he cried joyfully at the sight of the dwarf, happy to see him again. His joy increased twofold as he saw Legolas come into the room and Aragorn followed. Together, the Man and the Elf joined the Dwarf beside the bed.
As he was glad to see that most of his friends were alive and well, Frodo's eyes kept searching for one more. And when he saw Sam standing at the door, dressed in clean clothes just like he was and smiling, he was relived. He smiled back at Sam, glad to see that he didn't look at him in distaste or disgust.
"Don't just stand there," Sasuke's voice told Sam as his hand gave the hobbit a hard enough shove to send him into the room.
Sam stumbled a little but was able to regain his balance. "There was no need to push me, Mr. Sasuke," he told the man at the door.
"There was when you're standing there," he answered as he walked in with Izuna following behind him.
"Sasuke! Izuna!" said Frodo with joy in his voice at the sight of the two. The half-elf truly looked different from he last saw him at Amon Hen. There, he looked unsure of his path, always looking towards his teacher for guidance. But in the time since, he had grown into his own confidence and was no longer unsure.
"Hello, Frodo," the half-elf said to him with a smile. "You are healing well."
"Indeed he is," Gandalf agreed.
"Is it over?" the Ringbearer asked the Wizard. It felt like a dream, to have his friends surrounding hi like this and he wanted to be sure it wasn't.
"Yes, it is," he answered with a grandfatherly smile. "You did a brave thing, Frodo. And for that, I am proud of you."
"What he did was nothing short of stupid," Sasuke said harshly. He scowled at Frodo. "You took one person alone with you as you traveled into the homeland of the enemy. Not even Naruto is that stupid and I've called him a dobe countless times! You could've gotten yourself and Sam killed!"
He stopped for a moment and the rest of the Fellowship thought that he was simply taking a breath to yell again. "But," he began, "you came back mostly intact and you did what you set out to do. I can't fault you for that." He turned his head to look over at Sam. "You kept him out of trouble?"
"When I could, Mr. Sasuke," the gardener answered honestly and truthfully.
"Sasuke, I thought I saw you riding a purple fox in Mordor," Frodo said to the shinobi.
"You did," he answered.
"But you weren't alone. Who else was with you?"
"My friend, Naruto," he answered again. The blonde and the Konoha shinobi hadn't been seen ever since they started coming back to Minas Tirith. He had briefly wondered if they had left to go back to the Elemental Nations.
"Oh, that reminds me," Izuna said, turning his attention to Pippin and Merry. "I talk to Lord Naruto on the march to the Black Gate and I asked him if he had seen any Ent-Wives."
"What did he say?" Pippin asked, eager to know.
"Ent-Wives?" repeated Gimli, feeling rather nervous about the sound of that. He had seen what male Ents could do and knew enough to respect and fear women, especially when they're angry.
"What is this you're talking about?" Sam asked, equally confused.
But the half-elf continued like he hadn't them. "That's the part that confused me. He said he didn't know but he became thoughtful." He looked over at Sasuke. "Sensei, what did he mean by, 'that just might explain the Forest of Death, though?'"
A spark of recognition appeared in Sasuke's eyes at those words. "Ah, I see. That might explain it indeed," he thought to himself. But to his student, he said, "I'll talk it over with Naruto, just to be sure."
"Oh, okay." It was really all he could say. But he hoped that the Ent-Wives were there.
"Now there's only thing left to do."
"What's that?" Merry asked him.
He looked down at Frodo. "Tell us what happened since Amon Hen."
All eyes turned to the Hobbit. He swallowed a gulp of air and then began telling his story. He told it all and no one stopped him. They listened as he told them about Gollum tracked them, them capturing him, and then him leading them to Mordor. He spoke of seeing Haradrim, being captured by the Rangers of Gondor, meeting Faramir, taken to Osgiliath, and then released (when he learned of Faramir's relation to Boromir and the latter's death, he wept).
He spoke of how he could feel the Ring growing heavier with each step he took to Mordor and how thoughts of wanting it for himself plagued his mind. They were told of Shelob and how he was captured and then rescued. And finally, he told them of Mount Doom, how he succumbed to the temptation of the Ring and would've fled with it if not for Gollum. They had fought for possession of the Ring and tumbled over the edge, with Gollum falling into the lava below, never letting go of the Ring. He would've followed, if it had not been for Sam.
For Sasuke, he felt a chill in his spine while he listened, even though he did not let it show on his face or body. There was one too many similarities between him and Gollum to be ignored. How they had obsessed over something, letting it drive them on to an edge that they wouldn't have been able to stop themselves from going over. The only difference between them was, like Frodo, he had someone to pull him back up. But unlike the hobbit, he hadn't gone willingly.
In the silence that followed, the only thing that broke it was when the shinobi turned to the Wizard and said, "I guess you were right back in Moria."
The coronation of Aragorn as King of Gondor and Arnor as well as the High King of the Reunited Kingdom took place a week later. Both the leaders of the Elves and the Dwarves traveled to Minas Tirith to attend the ceremony.
King Thorin III, also called Stonehelm, led the Dwarfish attendees, of which the remaining members of Thorin's Company were a part of. He brought sad news to the city as his father, King Dáin II Ironfoot, had fallen in battle in Dale when Sauron's forces tried taking it and the Lonely Mountain. But that sadness turned to joy and happiness at the sight of Gimli meeting his father in a hug and raucous laughter. There was even a moment of pride in their eyes when they saw the mithril armor Sasuke wore.
The Elvish attendees were led by Galadriel, Celeborn, and Legolas' father, King Thranduil. Haldir was also in attendance, following his lord and lady. There was a brief moment of tension when the Dwarves and the Elves met, especially between Thranduil and Thorin. But it was quickly taken care of by Sasuke and Izuna, with the shinobi pointing out to both parties that a fight while in the hospitality of Minas Tirith was not a good idea and the half-elf looking threatening with Aeglos in hand and Sharingan ablaze (both were quite positive that Galadriel had smirked during the entire thing).
Once everything had calmed down between the two groups and everyone had settled in, the ceremony began. It took place on the highest level of the city, before the doors to the hall of the King. There, Aragorn knelt on the steps before Galadriel, clad in regal armor that showed his status as a king and a warrior. In her hands was a crown that had been crafted by the dwarves long ago for his ancestor, Elendil. It was as those of the citadel guard, except loftier, pure white, with wings of pearl and silver in the likeness of a seabird. On it were set seven gems of adamant, and at the crown of the helm was set a single jewel, the light of which went up like a flame. It had been given to her by Izuna, who had offered it humbly before stepping back into the crowds. And now, she placed it on Aragorn's brow.
"Now come the days of the King," Gandalf declared for all to hear. "May they be blessed."
The newly crowned King stood up from his kneeling position. He took a deep breath and turned to face the crowd, his hand finding reassurance on Andúril's hilt. He saw the Tower Guard standing at attention and keeping the people out of the way of the path, allowing him to walk straight to the tree and beyond. The sight beyond the city was still something he was getting used to. Gondor had been sight of the black smog of Mount Doom for far too long. But now, the darkness covering Mordor was now gone and the mountains did not look so menacing.
The people of Gondor began to cheer at the sight of their King, who had finally come again. As soon as the cheering died down, he spoke. "This day does not belong to one man, but to all. Let us together rebuild this world, that we may share in the days of peace." They cheered again, much more loudly. Even his friends clapped in approval at his words.
As the cheering continued, a gentle wind blew in the air, causing what the blooming petals on the white tree to float on it and fall gently to the ground. It was a beautiful sight to be sure, even more so when the King spoke the words of his ancestor. "Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta (Out if the great sea to Middle Earth I am come. In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the end of the world)." The way he spoke the words were like he was singing an ancient song that was almost lost to the world. He sung it gently, making it sound like a promise instead of stating boldly like a declaration.
Then he walked down the steps and through the crowd. With every step he took, he saw the people he had fought saw the Steward of his kingdom and the Shieldmaiden of Rohan standing by one another, dressed to befit their stations, bowing their heads to him as he passed. The new King of Rohan stepped out of the line of guards, a deep green cloak hanging over his armor. He bowed his head but never lowered his eyes. The King of Gondor was not offended by such actions as they were both kings. The Bell Man was dressed in his mithril armor and his student wore his grandfather's armor. Both inclined their heads to him as he passed and he took notice of similar their faces looked.
As he walked, the Prince of Mirkwood came towards him. He did not wear any armor, only formal clothing and a thin silver circlet on his brow. Behind him was an honor guard of his people, following their prince. The High King met him and clasped his shoulder as he did the same to him. "Hannon le (Thank you)," the Man said to the Elf.
He just smiled and stood off to the side. The King turned his eyes to the banner that stood before him. It was a banner of Gondor, with its tree and stones. He felt nervous at the sight of it. But as it pulled away and he saw who was behind it, his nervousness vanished and was replaced with joy. For it was his foster-father, Lord Elrond, his foster-brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, and the woman he loved, Arwen, who held the banner in her hands.
She was dressed in a green gown that radiated in the light and wore a circlet that did just the same. When she saw him, a smile appeared upon her lips. They walked towards one another, like they were in a dream and they were afraid that they might wake up. But as they stood before one another, able to see the love they had for another, they knew it was no dream. He reached out and took the banner from her with a gentle grasp, handing it quietly off to Legolas. She looked down, breaking eye contact with him and confusing him somewhat. He reached out and lifted her chin so they could see one another's eyes.
They came together in a great and passionate kiss. The crowd cheered at the sight of their King kissing his beloved, twirling her around in the air. It was quite obvious what that meant. Not only had their King return to them, but they were also getting a Queen as well. Among the happiest were Arwen's father and brothers, who were glad to see her in the arms of the one she loved.
When they were done, they continued walking forward, hands clasped together as they went around the tree to the other side. The crowd parted ways for them, allowing them to see the four Hobbits standing amongst them. They wore what little finery they could get in such a short time, which consisted of clean shirts, pants, and brightly colored vests. They bowed their heads to the King.
"My friends," Aragorn said to them, making them raise their heads up. "You bow to no one." To their great surprise, the King of Gondor bent the knee before them and lowered his head in respect to them. Arwen, the Elves, the Dwarves, the other members of the Fellowship, and the people followed his lead and bent their knees in respect to them.
The four hobbits just stared at them all, hardly believing the sight. They had not expected it. They had come to honor their friend and instead, they were the ones being honored. But amongst them, Frodo felt like he shouldn't be honored. He had almost let Sauron win because he had desired the Ring. But these people did not know that and he knew that it would not be wise to tell them such a thing.
"Uh…we're not interrupting anything, are we?" the voice of the Seventh Hokage asked as he stood in the middle of the crowd, turning the attention onto him and his people. They had just appeared from out of nowhere, causing no small amount of surprise amongst the crowd (although keener eyes would later remember that there had been a brief flicker of a shadow above before they showed themselves).
"As usual, his timing is amazing," Sasuke thought to himself with no small amount of sarcasm. "As a matter of fact, you are, dobe," he said to his friend as he stood back up. As he did, so did everyone else.
"Oh, what are we interrupting?" the blonde asked with a small amount of sheepishness in his voice. He might've actually scratched his head with his hand if he wasn't holding something in them. In fact, they were all holding something.
"His coronation," he answered, pointing at Aragorn.
But instead of looking even more embarrassed, Naruto actually perked up. "Oh good, we're not late. I was afraid that we would be."
"What are you talking about, dobe?"
Instead of answering him, the Seventh Hokage walked forward towards the newly crowned king with his subordinates following right behind him. Mostly everyone unconsciously held their breath for what might come next, unsure of what it would be. "King Aragorn, I apologize on my behalf and the behalf of my men," he said to the King. "We left your side because we felt that a gift was required for your coronation."
"And what gift do you bring?" Aragorn asked him.
He looked back at the shinobi and nodded once. They dropped what was in their hands, sending it all to the ground with a loud CRASH! People flinched back at the sound but it was a momentary thing. Once the sound had passed, they leaned in to see what had been dropped. What they saw were weapons and banners, all orc-make and bearing the Eye of Sauron.
"We bring the gift of Minas Morgul being cleansed and purged," Naruto announced. For a brief second, there was silence. And then, there was cheering and loud celebration. The city that had been lost to Gondor and had been tainted by the Enemy's dark sorcery was theirs once more. Minas Ithil had come again.
But that was not all the shinobi had to offer. "Hey, I see the tree started blooming," the Seventh Hokage remarked as he stared at the white tree behind him once the cheering had finally quieted. He had seen it leafless during the day after the siege and called it a sad sight.
"Yes, it began to bloom as we returned," Aragorn said to him. For him, he was glad to see the white tree of Gondor blooming once more.
"But it's the wrong season for it to bloom, it could die. Plus, it still looks a little sickly."
"You know, you really shouldn't be saying things like that out loud, dobe," Sasuke remarked pointedly. Already he could see the angry faces on the city's people. "If you're trying to get yourself run out of the city, you're on the right track."
But Naruto was calm. "Relax teme. I know what I'm doing."
"Really?" he asked. "It looks like you're trying to piss off the city."
"What? You don't have any faith in me?"
"Very little," he told the blonde. But it was a lie and they both knew it.
"In any case, why don't I help out a little with it?" Naruto asked rhetorically. Before anyone could reply or even tell him no, he turned and started walking towards the tree. As he came to a stop before, he looked at all of it, his eyes not missing a single detail.
"What is the lad doing?" King Thorin wondered aloud.
"I don't know," Glóin answered his king. He turned an eye over to his son but Gimli looked just as confused as they were.
Naruto reached out his hand and placed it against the bark of the tree. Then he activated the chakra of the Kyūbi. Those who hadn't seen him do that before were stunned and awestruck by the sight of him being engulfed by bright yellow flames without being burned. They thought that one of the Maia or possibly even one of the Valar had come before them. A presence filled the air, lying on their shoulders. It was a comforting presence, filled with warmth and gentleness. To them all, it felt like a friend was there, watching over them.
As he held his hand against the tree, Naruto pumped the chakra into it, bathing it with a warm light. As it took in the chakra, the tree began to bloom. At first it was with the petals of spring but then they quickly turned into the leaves of summer, shinning pristine white in the light of the sun. The tree itself seemed bigger and fuller of life as he stepped back and let the chakra vanished from sight. The people of Minas Tirith cheered at the sight of it now. No longer was it was a dead thing, stating that the King was gone. Now it had a full head of leaves and stood tall, proclaiming that the King had returned.
Soon enough, the entire city was swept up into a celebration. From the lowest level to the highest people were in the streets with good cheer and celebrations on their minds. The Enemy was gone, their city no longer stood under threat, and they had a new King and Queen. There was plenty to celebrate. The taverns were fit to burst with people as they celebrated, toasts to the King and Queen going up every few minutes it seemed. Even the dwarves and the elves had made peace one another to enjoy the celebrations (with another round of drinking between Legolas and Gimli and the possibility of their fathers doing the same).
But as all this happened, Sasuke and Izuna were not a part of it. They were being through the streets to the Houses of Healing, which had been emptied so the healing people could celebrate as well. "Okay, what's going on, Naruto?" Sasuke asked the blonde as they closed the door behind them and started walking down the corridor. Gríma followed them at a distance of five paces, not saying a word. "Why are we here?"
"There's something that Izuna needs to see," Naruto answered as he led the way.
"Then why am I here?"
"For support," he said shortly. "Sakura's waiting up ahead for us."
"So that's where she went." After the party had started, she had vanished from sight. Apparently, she had come here.
They approached the entrance to the first hall. "Sir, why are we here?" Izuna asked the Hokage, coming to a stop.
The blonde looked at him with a grim sadness in his eyes. "When we took Minas Morgul, we found someone in the dungeons, someone who had been there for a long time and kept repeating a name again and again."
Izuna's eyes went wide in surprise at those words. "You, you mean that…?" He couldn't even finish the question, only looking at the entrance with a jerky motion of his head. Naruto only nodded once. The half-elf shouldered his way past him and into the hall. Both shinobi waited a moment before following him, ignoring Wormtongue as he trailed after them.
Izuna looked around the hall, trying to find anyone that was there, becoming more and more frantic as he continued to see no one. "Where are they?" he asked himself. "Where are they? They aren't here!" Then he saw Sakura sitting on one of the raised platforms, holding what looked like another person in her arms. The second person's face was hidden from him and the body was shaking with sobs.
He went still at the sight of them both, uncertainty and fear halting his steps and his throat. Distantly, he heard his sensei and Naruto coming up behind him. But his attention was solely focused on the person in Sakura's arms. "Mother?" he said, forcing the word out.
The sobbing stopped as the hooded person lifted her head slightly. "Who's there?" she asked with a voice that was hoarse from too much shouting and screaming. "Who are you?"
"Mother, is that you? It's me, Izuna, your son."
She stiffened. "Am I dreaming?"
"No, you're not," Sakura told her reassuringly. "He's right there."
Izuna came forward and placed his hands gently on her shoulders while Sakura let go. She lurched back for a second and then forward, grasping her son in a tight hug, weeping greatly. The hood fell off as she held Izuna, giving Sasuke and the others a look at her face.
Wormtongue was the only one who made a noise, which was a gasp of surprise, shock, and horror at the sight of her face. But even though he was the only one who made a noise, it didn't mean that he was the only one who felt like that. Sasuke was horrified by the sight. Bile threatened to rise up out of his throat by what he saw, only to be forced down by his will. "What did they do to her?" he said quietly to Naruto.
"We don't know," Naruto said quietly. "But what she looks like is only after Sakura and Ino had healed her. What she looked like in the dungeon, I hope to Kami I will never see its like again."
Gríma walked around and towards Izuna and Gilrin. "My lady, here," he said quietly as he took out a handkerchief and held it out for her.
Both mother and son looked at him. "Who are you?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.
Izuna came to his rescue. "This is Gríma, Mother," he explained quietly. "He serves me loyally and faithfully. You can trust him." Wormtongue looked at him with surprise. Ever since he had betrayed Rohan, everyone who knew him had looked upon him with distaste and distrust, if not outright disgust. To hear someone call him that and mean them too was something he never thought he would hear again. And he was glad.
But what was even more gratifying to hear was when Gilrin reached out, took the handkerchief from his hands, and said to him, "Thank you, Gríma."
"Mother, I'm so sorry for letting you be taken that day," her son said to her, his voice thick with emotions and tears appearing in his eyes.
Tears appeared what remained of her eyes as well. "No, I'm sorry for leaving you like that," she apologized.
Seeing the two reunite made Sasuke smile a little. He knew that his student hadn't been happy about the fact that his mother had been in Minas Morgul all this time. But now she was safe (horribly disfigured, but safe). But there was something about seeing the love they had for each other that made him want to do something he never would've done. "Naruto, we need to talk," he said to the blonde quietly.
Naruto only nodded in silence before subtly signaling Sakura that they would be stepping out. They turned and walked to a different hall, one that was empty. "What's up, Sasuke?" the Hokage asked him once they were alone.
The Uchiha felt nervous about what he was about to say. He didn't really know how to say it and he fear that it would end their friendship. But the truth had to be told. "It's about the night before we had set out for the Black Gate," he began.
But before he could continue, Naruto did for him. "Sakura came to your room and the two of you slept together."
He stared at the blonde with a shocked look on his face, unable to hide it or even try. "How do you know that?" he demanded. Had he spied on them?
The truth turned out to be something else "Because I was standing outside, keeping guard and making sure you two weren't interrupted," Naruto told him without a hint of malice or cruelty.
Those words shocked him even more, but they also knocked his head back into thinking and he soon figured out what was going on. "The Council put her up to this," he said.
"Yes and no," the Hokage replied. "Yes, the Shinobi Council would like an Uchiha back in Konoha and the way they figured it, if it wasn't going to be you, your child would work." His serious face softened a little. "But like I said, that's only one part."
"And what's the other?" Sasuke asked with a slightly angry tone to his voice. He felt like he had been cheated and used. What was worse was that his friend seemed to have known about it.
"Sasuke, do you think I'm a blind idiot? I see things, I watch, and I listen. Sakura may have given me three children and may be marrying me but I don't have her entire heart. There will always be a part of her that will belong to you."
He froze at those words, letting them repeat themselves in his head. It almost sounded like Naruto was lying just to please him, but he knew that the blonde would never do something like that. He sounded sincere and truthful. "Are you sure?"
The blonde nodded. "She wasn't coerced, manipulated, brainwashed, or forced into doing what she did. She did it of her own free will. I even asked to make sure that she was and she said yes."
"And you just let her?" There weren't a lot (if any) of people who would let that kind of thing just happen.
"Sasuke, she might not love me entirely but I love her," he answered. "She's the mother of my children and she's going to be my wife. When she has your child, I will raise it as a part of my family. Some people might get rid of either the kid or the wife, but not me. I will love them and cherish them. That's why I kept watch." He looked at his friend closely. "Do you love her?"
That night came back to Sasuke quicker than he thought. For a moment, he imagined what life would've been like if he was with Sakura. It was a nice image but that's all it was, an image. He had his chance with her and it wasn't there anymore. "I cherish her," he finally said to Naruto, choosing his words carefully. "And I wish the both of you a very happy marriage."
The Seventh Hokage smiled. "Thanks, Sasuke," he said in reply. "But that doesn't mean you're out of being my best man at the wedding, you still are. And I want you to do something for me."
"What?"
"Stay around until the baby's born. If you're going to leave again, you should at least see your kid before you go."
"…Alright."
It was two days later when the shinobi left Middle-Earth for Southern-Earth, for the ship that had brought them had arrived. Oddly enough, it was the same ship that had brought Sasuke to Middle-Earth all those years ago. But what had been the most surprising was when Elrond had hugged the captain of the ship and called him "Father."
There were many goodbyes from each side, as the shinobi had made friends with the Fellowship and the others in the short time that they had been there. But there was nothing as heartfelt as Sasuke's goodbyes to the Fellowship. In a rare display of emotion from him, he hugged each and every one of them, even Gimli who tried to protest. There were tears in the eyes of the Hobbits as he said his goodbyes, they took his hug and returned it vigorously.
The last person who he said goodbye to was Lady Galadriel. She thanked him for watching over and teaching Izuna, who had decided to come with his sensei to Konoha where he would learn to be a shinobi (his mother was coming along as well as Gríma, for he had decided that the penance for the traitor of Rohan would be to care for Gilrin for the rest of his life). But she also told him something else. "Middle-Earth has not seen the last of you nor you it. You will come back, Thorcan."
The ship soon sailed away and night quickly came, sending everyone to their cabins. Sasuke shared one with Jūgo and Izuna. That night, he dreamed.
The first dream he had was a hall of the whitest marble he had ever seen. Even the hall of the King in Minas Tirith paled to this sight. But while the marble was beautiful, the hall was plain in detail and yet, it didn't detract from it. There was a hallway behind him as he leaned against the entrance and he could hear the sounds of birds in the air from the other end.
But what dominated the room were the fourteen titanic thrones and the men and women sitting upon them. When he looked at them with his Sharingan, he deactivated the eyes almost instantly. The presence that they commanded showed that they weren't human.
He then noticed that both Izuna and Gilrin (who hadn't taken off the cloak she wore to hide the damage done to her) were standing before the thrones, looking up at the man robed in blue. Together, they both knelt down to him. "Lord Manwë," Izuna said in greeting.
"Rise Izuna the Untainted, son of Madara," the Elder King said in a voice that was like the sky, encompassing all who heard it but gentle.
Izuna did rise to his feet but did not look the Valar in the eyes. "You do not need to fear, Peredhil," the woman sitting next to the right of the Elder King said to him. Dressed in a white gown that sparkled in the light, she was Varda, the spouse of Manwë. "You are here to be given a choice."
"A choice?" he repeated, still avoiding them with his eyes.
"You are Half-elven and you have served alongside good men and women in defeating the Enemy," Manwë spoke again. "As such, I offer you the same choice that has been given to all Peredhil: will you choose the Elves and become immortal, or will you take the Gift of Men?"
For a long moment, he did not answer and Sasuke wondered what his student would do. Finally, he said, "I will take the Gift of Men. But may I ask something in return?"
The Valar did not seem surprise by his request. "You may," the Elder King told him.
"I wish to live as a normal man, not as one of the Dúnedain. If I am to live as a Man, I would not live long past the deaths of my friends."
"Very well, if you wish it to be so," Manwë said, agreeing to it. Then he turned to the half-elf's mother. "Gilrin, know that you were not abandoned while Minas Morgul. What was done to you will be undone."
Before he could see or hear anything else that would've been said, Sasuke felt a cold breath on the back of his neck. Suddenly, he was yanked out of the hall and was being pulled through the air. He could see the world below him but it was blurred and out of focus, disappearing faster than he could look at them. The sky grew darker and colder as he was dragged away from everything he knew.
Finally, he was tossed to the ground. He was able to recover his balance easily and get back onto his feet. The first thing he saw was the large open doorway and what lay beyond, which was nothing. All he could see beyond the door was darkness. But from that darkness a voice came, whispering in his ear. "You made a promise."
Even though he had never heard that voice before, he knew it and knew who it belonged to. He also knew where he was, as Indra had been here before. "I wasn't the one who made it," he called out to the darkness.
"You are him, you bare the power I gave you all those ages ago," the voice of Melkor told him, making his left hand itch and burn at the same time. The doorway was still open and the darkness was calling him.
But he did not want to go. He remembered his conversation with Aragorn in Moria, but he did not want to go. "Can it not wait?" he asked. "At least let me see my child before I fulfil the promise."
"You won't have to," Jūgo said from behind him.
He quickly turned around and saw him standing there. "What are you doing here?" he asked, completely surprised.
"Helping my friend," he answered before striding past him to stand before the doorway. "I offer myself in place of him," he declared to Melkor, his voice almost echoing in the darkness.
"…You would do this of your own will?" the original Dark Lord asked. "You would give yourself up to my darkness to save the one who made me the promise?"
"He didn't make the promise, his ancestor did. But yes, I do offer myself."
"If it is freely offered, my brother has no right to take it from me. I accept you, monster. Step through and our agreement shall be made."
"Jūgo," Sasuke as he saw the orange-haired man take a step towards the door.
He stopped and looked back. "Don't tell me to stop, Sasuke. You have much to live for and you won't be able to see it in here. Besides, he has the right of it. I am a monster. But I can do this evil thing for a good reason."
"I wasn't going to tell you to stop."
"Then what were you going to say?" he asked.
"…Thank you for being my friend."
He smiled. "Thank you for keeping controlled. Goodbye, Sasuke. I hope this is the last time we see each other." He stepped through the doorway and the great dark doors closed shut behind him.
The sound of them closing woke Sasuke up from his slumber. He sat up in his cabin's bed, seeing that he was still on the ship. For a moment, he would've thought that all he had dreamt was just that, dreams. But then he looked over and he saw two things.
The first was his student, Izuna, who was still sleeping. His blonde hair had darkened to complete black, the same color as his, and his pointed elven ears were now rounded. The second was that the bed Jūgo had been sleeping on was now empty. He was gone, willingly offered to Melkor. Jūgo would be gone now. What came next would be the third Dark Lord.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.
Personally, I think that the coronation of Aragorn would've worked better if emissaries had been sent to witness the even. We're talking about the crowning of a king, that's an event that needs to be witnessed.
I will be perfectly honest with you all; I don't have a good grasp of the languages Tolkien created. If there's anyone who does have that grasp, please tell if I went wrong somewhere. The name that Galadriel gave Sasuke, Thorcan, is what I believe would translate into Eagle-caller but I have my doubts about it.
Izuna being given the choice of mortality and immortality was always going to happen. This isn't D&D. You can't just stay a half-elf. In this universe, you have to choose one side or the other. You can delay, but you have to choose.
Jūgo going to Melkor was also always going to happen too. It goes back to Sasuke's belief in balance and whether a person could do an evil act for a good purpose and vice-versa or not. Plus, Jūgo was more fitting really. He is, after all, a monster.
By the by, when you have the chance, I want you guys to go over to the Author Dreaming of the Sky and read his story "The Colors of Darkness." Once you do that, drop a review to the Author about what you think of the story.
Now, I know it's already been two weeks and I'm sure that you've all heard about this already, but Sir Christopher Lee passed away on June 7th. For most of us younger people, we knew him best as Saruman the White Wizard from the Lord of the Rings and as Count Dooku from Star Wars. But the man was more than that. He had served in WWII and was an author and a singer along with being an actor (he also made a heavy metal album, not kidding here). He starred in several Hammer Horror films as Count Dracula and played the villain in the James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun" (an interesting fact about the man was that he was actually a step-cousin to the 007 author himself, Ian Fleming). And he was the only person in the Lord of the Ring's cast to meet J.R.R. Tolkien himself. He was one of those people who could do anything that he set his mind to and outclassed the rest of us.
So, once you start sending me reviews about this story, I would like all my readers to, at some point in the review (preferably in the end) to say hail to Sir Christopher Lee, one of the titans of the modern day world. We shall miss you and your classy evil characters.
I'll see you all next chapter!