"What he says is indeed true..." Elrond states as he paces back and forth on the stone floor of a quiet room from Frodo's chamber.

"What happened in Mordor?" I ask in haste.

The only others that are in here at the moment are Sam, Gandalf, Legolas, Thranduil, Arwen, and Aragorn.

"We went through it alone," Samwise says. "We had found the creature Smeagol for a guide but he was eaten by a fell beast while climbing the secret stairs. We had to improvise from there... We disguised ourselves as orcs but were discovered. The last thing I knew we were running across the plain towards the mountain of fire... We knew we were going to die but we decided to just get this done for Middle Earth... But Frodo was caught and-we tried, we tried to finish it-"

I sigh. I know that it was Morier that had eaten Smeagol. It hits me now. Regurgitating that loin cloth... he must have gotten lost after the fall from the MistyMountains... and well, fell beasts have to eat...

"You did your best, young Sam," Gandalf says. "That is all we had asked."

Aragorn still hasn't spoken as he stands in deep thought with his arms crossed on his chest.

"What are we going to do?" I breathe.

"There is nothing that can be done," Aragorn finally says, looking up at me.

"But..." thoughts begin flooding through my mind of panic. Was this all for nothing? All the wars, the death, the suffering... Sauron has the ring... the only thing we strived to keep from happening was just turned to folly. It is over.

But as I tell myself this, a part of me believes that this isn't over. But what can we do?

"That is it then... The dark lord needed only the ring to end the world..." Gandalf says.

"But it cannot be over. Not after all we have been through," Arwen argues.

"It is as if history is repeating itself," Legolas says.

"The shadow of Mordor will cover these lands soon enough-" Thranduil says.

"And we are meant to stop it," Legolas frowns with determination.

"How?" Aragorn demands. "Sauron's forces would be stronger than ever, what makes you think we can claim victory with only the allies that are left?"

"And I suppose the story of Isildur means nothing to you?" I say fiercely to him.

He eyes me.

"Go cut off his finger!" I say pointing like a mother sending her child to their room.

"It is not that simple," Gandalf says before Aragorn can reply.

"We cannot get to him with just us. Our numbers are too few..." Thranduil says to me.

"Go to Mordor. Use the eagles to fly to where he-"

"Sauron is not in Mordor," Elrond says grimly, finally speaking.

All of us pause and look at him.

He is facing away from us with his eyes shut but he turns around slowly as the silence falls in the room. His eyes skip about the faces before him as he frowns.

"Then where is he?" I ask.

"He is to make his final stand... on a world not of ours."

I hold my breath and feel my eyes become wide with realization.

"Lady, Vilora," he approaches me. "If you wish to help us and if you truly do not want to give up then you must find a way back to your home."

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I sit on the stone bench outside the city with trembling hands. This is no longer on little Frodo's shoulders but mine. How am I to find a way back? I do not even know how to use my power correctly.

What If I can't do it? All hope is lost then. Sauron won't be satisfied with the remains of my world. And he will return to this one once he realizes this. With the armies of Mordor and the armies bread on earth combined, they will overrun Middle Earth like they did to my world. Legolas is right. History is repeating itself. Do I have the power to change it?

And if I do? I don't know how to use it, or if that alone would save us.

All of these thoughts flood my brain until it works no more. But that doesn't stop the worry from reaching my heart, or lift the weight from my shoulders.

I hear soft footsteps approach me from behind and sense someone sit beside me on the stone bench.

A familiar finger gently tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "Do you remember that night in FangornForest, on the eve of the siege of Helm's Deep...?"

"Vaguely," I mutter sarcastically.

"You had no hint of what to do..."

I look down at my knees that are pressed together under the thin fabric, remembering all I felt that evening... the doubt I had... but I also knew that Gandalf needed me to help. And I knew that the people of Rohan were back at the Hornburg in a slaughter. And I wanted to do anything I could to save them.

It is the same now.

"But you discovered your inner strength that night. And I saw who you really were. A warrior... an unstoppable force. You cannot be broken."

"I was broken when I thought you were dead... I am not so tough as you suggest."

He hesitates at this. I suppose he hadn't believed that I could be hurt so easily by his absence. And he did not realize how attached I am to him.

I feel his hand slip behind my neck, his thumb at my cheekbone as he pulls my face to his and rests his forehead to mine gently. He breathes in and so do I. "My love," he says, "you are as strong as a lion. And I say this with confidence. I know you can do this." 

I don't respond but place my hand over his on my face.

"Even after death, nothing would stop me from loving you and only you for eternity."

I try to keep myself from smiling but fail. "Why would you waste your time with someone like me?" I chuckle but bring my face closer to his, letting our lips come together like a key and a keyhole. So soft are his against mine, no matter how much pressure we create between us. My other hand rests on his shoulder as he holds my head in both of his.

We part and I take a deep breath, the familiar smell of honeysuckle filling my nose.

"Vilora...," he sighs gently. "You must try to do this for us... and I know you can."

"But I don't know how."

"You will. It will come to you like it did in Fangorn. You just have to believe you can and think hard... Okay?"

"Okay..." But all I can feel is his nose feathering mine and his smooth skin of his hands on my cheeks as his thumbs stroke them.

He pulls away gently and stands up, his hands leaving my face.

I open my eyes with longing and look up at his blue eyes. He holds out a hand for me and I softly wrap my fingers around his.

He leads me from the area with an encouraging smile and I follow with my hand in his. We walk down the steps, letting the breeze blow through our hair and hearing it rattle the leaves.

But we walk further down and over a bridge, travelling through a roofed walkway until we reach the familiar platform where he and I had landed Morier on the day we came to gather Rivendell's army.

We stop at the center and he turns around, facing me and hold up our hands that are connected.

He gives me a look of determination; that he believes in me. It's a serious look and I know that. I lift my chin and return it.

He backs away from me and I do the same, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I stare towards the center of the circular stone platform and expand my lungs with the scent of fresh leaves.

I try to focus. What was it in Fangorn that I did? I suppose I just spoke to the trees after all. Was there anything in that book that I read that would help now?

"Do you know of anything particular your brother did to open portals?" I ask in a serious tone.

His eyebrows are pulled together and he looks off into the distance in thought. "Nothing that I would notice. He did it mostly on his own and did not even have to speak."

"Did he do it often? Or does this only come once in a while?"

He shakes his head. "I do not know... I am sorry."

"It's fine..." I look down and think hard. How am I to do this?

Then it hits me. I also used spells to awaken the trees... I try to remember what spells I learned from the books in Mirkwood and from what Nin told me... I think I know something... I might try it.

I shut my eyes and breathe. I try to remember... and suddenly the words appear in my head as quickly as they would on a screen. "Lema ed' ando en' templa," I whisper them.

I open my eyes and look before me to see the wind grow as still as ever, so silent you could hear the grass grow. But Legolas is right. I know I can do this.

I walk along the edges of the circle, keeping my eyes to the center. As I get closer to my love he begins walking the opposite direction.

I concentrate everything I have to that one spot in the center... I can do this... I can do this...

I reach my hand out to where my palm faces the area and shut my eyes. "Lema ed' ando en' templa," I repeat a bit louder than last time.

The wind arrives around us and blows the branches of the thin trees so hard they curl. Leaves fly past Legolas and I and swirl through the air. My hair is thrust before me, covering my mouth as his is yanked behind him.

The skirt of my dress pulls away from my legs, as if trying to reach the outer edge of the concrete. My sleeves tug on my arms the same way as I squint. Legolas looks around him at the restless trees that are disturbed by the weather.

My attention is on the small spot in the middle of the platform where a tiny pile of leaves lie. But what catches my stare is the fact that they stay still... they begin to be blown around each other like a hint of a tornado.

This is it...

I don't stop. I focus my attention on the leaves, my gaze concentrating on the pieces of green as they swirl about. I notice the wind follows this pattern as it blows us around where we stand.

I look up and repeat the words, "Lema ed' templa," strongly.

But my eyes had been so still I had not notice a beam of light that appears subtly in that very spot, like a star.

Then all of the winds stop abruptly as the star brightens and is consistent. My elf is looking at it with wonder. The air is now still again like before... so quiet that my footsteps echo in my ears as I walk carefully forward.

I approach the ball of tender light as it sits there. Then with hesitation, I hold my fingers up. With a graceful gesture I spread my hands apart, the star turning to color (or lack of) as an image appears in the ring of white and grows when I stretch my arms out.

It is a haunting image... but a familiar one. Grey streets and black skies... dim light from somewhere highlights tiny subtle things like pieces of rubble around the broken homes and shops of a city. I don't know what city it is... but it's one I have never been to before... or at least I think. All of the places seem to blur together with a musk of grey and darkness.

The image becomes as large as a doorway as I allow it... though I want only to crush it now as it sends chills down my spine like a nightmare.

I feel my face show disorientation as Legolas comes up to my side with a gaze of awe.

I hear a breath escape his mouth as he smiles.

I reach out with my finger extended slowly towards the picture before me... I feel Legolas hold his breath as my fingertip nears the image... and then a shadow is cast on it, as the environment is changed on my hand... the light coming from no where now as I feel the wind chill my skin.

"You did it..." Legolas breathes.

"I did it..." I mutter in a repeat, trying to believe what just happened.

"Vilora?" I hear a woman ask behind me.

My head looks over my shoulder at Éowyn that walks down from the steps, staring with amazement at the portal before us, not able to tear her eyes off it.

"This will take us there..." I murmur. "Where are the others?" I ask her more clearly.

She looks behind her at Lord Elrond, King Théoden, Thranduil, Gandalf, Aragorn, and Arwen that walk down to where we are with the same look on their faces. Clearly this type of magic had been unknown to them to where even the wizard is fascinated.

As they gather around us without speech I finally ask, "What's the plan?"

"We must find out where Sauron makes his final stand... on your world..." the king of Gondor eyes me. "From then we can find out what to do next."

"So we'll have to find him and his army..." I mutter. "That could take months."

"Not if we have a tracker," he says stepping up closer to me.

Arwen looks as if she wishes to protest, not knowing what dangers her love would encounter on my planet.

I look up at the ranger with worry but he returns my gaze with confidence.

"And if with life or death, my friend," Éowyn says to me, walking to us, "I will fight with you."

I smile at her with gratitude, though I do not wish anyone I love to enter this wretched place of disaster. I fear they might not know what they have gotten themselves into.

"And I," I familiar, deep voice says.

I look up at King Thranduil who steps forward with his eyes fixed on me, assurance in them.

I breathe and look over my shoulder. "The quickest we get started the better..." I say. "Every moment we wait his army gets stronger."

"Shouldn't we get supplies?" Éowyn asks.

"It wouldn't matter in there... I'll find us some gear from the houses," I say peering into the abandoned neighborhood.

"But you might want this," Elrond says, holding up a package of-

"Our Lembas!" I breathe, taking the bag from him.

"We had found it in the white city when we came back. Lady Éowyn said it belonged to you."

I hug the elf with gratitude, making sure he knows how much I am in his debt. And I think he knows this. If it was not for him, Legolas would be dead. And so would his father.

He can sense that I am saying "thank you for everything" in this act and I part from him, turning back towards my fate.

I take a deep breath and walk forward, feeling a hand clutch mine. And with that, my elf and I run forward, leaping into the black hole before us and disappearing into darkness.

The thin leather of my sandals under my feet hit against the concrete as we stumble forward and regain our balance. The world before me makes my stomach churn. I don't want to be here. I want to turn right back around and jump to Middle Earth. I want to be in Rivendell, Edoras, or Mirkwood... but not here.

I look over my shoulder as Thranduil, Aragorn, and Éowyn come through to join us, eyes flashing about the place in either disgust or curiousness.

I approach the portal where I see the eyes of the White Wizard looking at me. He makes an expression of reassurance and nods.

I let out my breath and stretch out my hand, making my fingers into a fist. The portal shrinks back down to a star and erases the faces of my friends. The star disappears there...

I take a deep breath, the smoke of past fire filling my lungs. Though there is no scent of fresh death. This place looks like it has been long abandoned. The people here had probably evacuated a while ago, though the concrete buildings still look in descent condition.

I face my companions as the wind moans in the dry air. "I hope you all know what you've signed up for..." I lift an eyebrow.

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