Ilmarë had bidden Éowyn farewell in her chamber, perhaps for the last time ever. She started walking toward the main hall for a final meeting before they met their doom. There were certainly no guarantees that Ilmarë or any of the others would survive this attack, but she felt no fear in her heart. With the belief that this was their place and duty as the last of the Fellowship of the Ring, there was not much to be afraid of. Riding out to face Sauron at the Black Gate would give Frodo and Sam the chance they needed to destroy the Ring and end this war for good. It was all as it was meant to be.

Legolas was standing not far away as he had been waiting for her. Ilmarë smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder and let him embrace her. Legolas kissed her forehead lightly and she tried to keep the warmth he gave her so that she would have courage throughout the day.

"If we die, we will do so side by side," Ilmarë said quietly and running her finger over his bottom lip. "And for the cause of something good. For our home, Middle Earth, no matter where those ships could take us if we wanted to. Our lives here have been well - I would not change a thing."

"I would change one thing," Legolas said and frowned. Ilmarë waited for him to continue, wondering what could have possibly been better. "I would have followed my heart sooner and asked you to marry me as soon as I realised that I was in love with you."

Ilmarë smiled and chuckled, he was so silly. Legolas was convinced that they could only be together when they were married, but for Ilmarë, it was not like that. She had spent the last decades loving him unconditionally, and they had been on two adventures together. Ilmarë wouldn't have traded their time together for anything in the world, not even a wedding.

"You do not understand," she said and cupped his cheeks carefully. "You have never understood, Legolas. I have always been yours, Legolas. Even when we were apart I was yours and I will remain yours when my time comes to leave these lands."

"If we survive this Ilmarë, I promise you that we will have a wonderful life together", he whispered, promising this with all his heart. "We will stay in Minas Tirith, not go back to my home and live under the dark trees. We will travel to all those places we have talked about, and eventually we will settle together somewhere where we can start our own family."

"Sounds like a fair plan", Ilmarë mumbled, wanting nothing more than just that. Legolas chuckled lightly. He lifted her chin with two fingers and pressed his soft lips against hers as passionately as he could. He wanted her to remember this kiss until the end and beyond that. Ilmarë placed her hand on his chest to push him away slightly, only so she could embrace him tightly and hide her face in his neck.

"Of course this is where you are." Ilmarë turned her head towards the red-headed dwarf who grinned as teasingly as ever toward them. She chuckled and rolled her eyes, not even feeling abashed about him seeing them together. "I don't mean to interrupt, but we are riding towards the black gate soon."

Both Ilmarë and Legolas smiled towards him and Ilmarë gave the Dwarf a kiss on his forehead when she passed him. Legolas patted him on the shoulder and then grabbed Ilmarë's hand gently, kissing it.

*

The men lined up in rows as they had finally stopped in front of the black gate after a day worth of riding. The gate was mighty and high yet so dark and full of evil hidden behind it. The darkness of Mordor had terrorised Middle-Earth long before any of the people standing there had anything to do with it and stretched back all the way to the First Age and the wars fought then. On this day it could all end, for good or evil, as the final battle awaited.

The company that had set out from Rivendell close to a year ago had been right to fear this place of evil yet when they stood there, only seven out of ten companions, ready to meet whatever their fate had in store, nothing happened. The gates kept shut and no sound, not one, was heard.

"Where are they?" Pippin asked and a frown appeared on his quite dirty forehead.

Aragorn had no answer to his question, so he took off, riding towards the black gate on Brego. Legolas, Gandalf, Ilmarë and Éomer all followed him and stopped right in front of it, looking up as far as they could. Pippin was sitting in the same saddle as Gandalf while Merry shared Aragorn's horse. Gimli was, as usual, sitting behind Legolas, and Ilmarë kind of wished that she had a little Hobbit too so she wouldn't feel alone.

"Let the Lord of The Black Lands come forth!" Aragorn shouted for Sauron to hear him through the gate. "Let justice be done upon him."

After the plan had been decided in Minas Tirith, Aragorn had taken upon him to be who he had always been. He had dressed in Gondor Army, bearing a cloak with the Gondor tree on the back. He took pride in who he was now - and he was the leader of this small army.

The gates slowly opened but just enough for a horse to fit through the gap. Out came a terrible creature, Ilmarë did not know what it could be. Its mouth was absurd and the upper half of its face was covered with an iron mask, but you could still see its pale, almost completely white face. He rode on a black horse with bloody, broken hooves, slowly towards them. The horse was nothing compared to this creature's mouth though, with huge teeth and blood spitting out of it every time it took a breath.

"My master Sauron the Great bids thee welcome," he said and smiled - a smile that made them all shiver down their spines. There was dried blood between his teeth and his tongue was rotten, in dark colour green that was almost black. "Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?"

"We do not come to treat with Sauron," Gandalf spat to the creature. "Tell your master this. The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return."

"Ah," the filth said and smiled patronisingly as he glared at Gandalf. He seemed to recognise the wizard. "Old Greybeard. I have a token I was bidden to show thee." He reached under his black cloak and showed something white, and shining, almost blinding them with its light since the sun was shining its rays upon it. Ilmarë quickly recognised the chainmail as the one made of Mithril that Frodo had received from Bilbo before leaving from Rivendell. She gasped a little because if this creature had this, it meant that Frodo had been caught.

"Frodo," Merry whispered, and his voice was trembling.

It was impossible to believe that the little Hobbit and his friend could have failed and that they had been caught and probably killed. Ilmarë shook her head in disbelief as she tried to come up with any ration explanation but her mind was blank with fear and sadness. The filth that came from the mouth of this horrid creature had to be true, though, for how else would they have gotten Frodo's chainmail. Ilmarë's heart bled for Frodo and Sam, the two bravest creatures she had ever met.

Sauron's messenger threw Frodo's Mithril toward Gandalf but Pippin caught it. The Hobbit started crying for his friend, believing that he truly was dead. The news had crushed the company's heart, even Éomer who had not even met the Hobbits had a sad frown upon his face.

"Frodo!" Pippin cried.

"Silence," Gandalf said as he did not want the creature of Mordor to know that the Hobbits had meant everything to them. If they couldn't keep their mask, the whole plan would be destroyed. Perhaps there was still something they could do?

"No!" exclaimed Merry.

"Silence!" Gandalf said louder, but Ilmarë could hear the heartbreak in his voice.

There was probably no one there that cared more for the Hobbits than what Gandalf did, he who knew them the best and had in many ways initiated the start of their journey from their home. Gandalf held a great responsibility for the Hobbits and would blame himself if anything happened to any of them.

"The halfling was dear to thee I see," the creature said with yet another stomach twisting smile. "Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would've thought one so small could endure so much pain? And he did Gandalf, he did."

Ilmarë shook her head, biting the tears away at the thought of the poor Hobbits being tortured to death. He turned toward Aragorn who had started riding closer to the creature, a blank expression on his face.

"And who is? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a King than a broken Elvish blade."

That was the last they heard of the horrible creature, for Aragorn raised his sword and chopped his head off quickly - ended the small talks. The creature's head rolled away while the body fell off the horse. Aragorn turned back to the others, a very determined look on him now.

"I guess that concludes negotiations," Gimli muttered.

"I will not believe it," Aragorn said and shook his head with pure fire in his eyes. "I do not believe it!"

Ilmarë glanced at Legolas and saw the same determination in his eyes that she had in her heart now. Even if Frodo's chainmail had ended up in the hands of the enemy, it did not mean that he was dead nor that he and Sam had failed in their mission. Anything could have happened for it have gotten lost and Ilmarë refused to believe that they were dead. As long as they stood strong, nothing would be in vain.

Right after the head of the creature rolled over the hooves of the horses, the gates fully opened and the entire mass of Mordor's army came out marching toward them. Ilmarë widened her eyes of the amount there were of them, more than triple the numbers of the men Aragorn had brought together.

"Pull back," Aragorn said and turned his horse towards his men again. "Pull back."

They rode back fast for they had not much time to gather their army. Ilmarë took one glance at the Orcs again and knew that this was the end. They were too many, but nonetheless, they would do whatever it took to keep them away from Frodo and Sam.

"Hold your ground!" Aragorn told the men who had obvious looks of fear in their eyes. They knew that this was the end for them too, and they did not look as determined as the Fellowship.

"Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fail when we forsake our friends and break all sorts of bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and the shields of men come shattered and crashing down. But it is not this day! This day we fight, by all that you hold dear on this earth and beg you stand, Men of the west!"

Aragorn's speech brought chills to Ilmarë's skin as all the men in his command pulled their sword as an answer to his call. Whatever happened this day, Aragorn had proven himself to be the leader that they all needed, even if they were to meet their end.

The Orcs marched in from every angle, closing in on the army who stood in a ring in the midst of it all. All they could do was wait for the Orcs to stop and for the battle to begin and they were ready to fight until their death. For death, they would surely meet as there were no possibilities for a victory. Surprisingly, it did not bother Ilmarë as much as she would have thought it would. She felt at peace as she stood there next to Legolas and her dear friend Gimli. They had let their horses go and now stood on their feet in the very front with Aragorn, Éomer and Gandalf. There was nothing more to do than to wait for the enemy to surround them and fight until the end.

"I never thought I'd die side by side with an Elf," Gimli muttered to Legolas and cleared his throat. Gimli glanced up at Legolas and then at Ilmarë. "Nonetheless a Maiar... I grew up hearing bad things about Elves, how you cared for nothing more than yourselves. Yet here you are."

"How about side by side with a friend?" Legolas asked and smiled at the Dwarf. Ilmarë was pretty sure that Legolas had thought the same of Dwarves until he met Gimli, and was now happy that the two had become friends that stood beside each other in the end.

"Ai, I could do that," Gimli said and Ilmarë saw a little smile on his lips. She smiled fondly at the dwarf, thinking about all they had been through together. "The same goes for you, Ilmarë."

Ilmarë smiled back at him and was glad that she had found yet another friend in a Dwarf. It would be her last thought before the end was nigh. This was Ilmarë's greatest adventure and this was how her life would end in Middle-Earth - as a proud member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Ilmarë sighed and glanced at Legolas, smiling at him.

"I love you," she said to him.

"I love you," Legolas said back and smiled, grabbed my hand and intertwined their fingers. Ilmarë squeezed his hand tightly and felt the warmth of his body rush through hers, and she tried to remain happy.

Legolas and Ilmarë both turned their heads to Aragorn, released each other's hands and saw how he walked slowly towards the Eye of Sauron almost looking hypnotised by it. He saw something that the others could not, something that made him raise his sword as a defence. He turned around all of the sudden, looked at them all with shiny, teary eyes.

"For Frodo."

He started running with his sword high in the sky and soon Merry and Pippin came after, being the bravest of all of the men there. Only seconds later they all started running toward the Orcs, Ilmarë drew her bow and aimed a shot toward them. She heard Legolas' arrows shooting, and Gimli's battle cry. For a second she thought about their contest and the fact that she had won the last time before their forces met the Orcs.

They fought for all they had - Ilmarë fought for Arwen, for her grandmother, for her love to Legolas and for Frodo and Sam. She fought for all that was dear to her, shot a down a Nazgul from a great distance and threw one of her daggers at an Orc that was about to strike toward Gimli. They were surrounded in every way, which made this even harder, but none of them gave up. Every now and then Ilmarë turned around to see if the others were still alive, and every time she did so they were still fighting for their lives.

A large Goblin charged forward toward her but Ilmarë fought him off quickly, shooting him in the neck and killing him instantly. She stepped over it and shot two other Orcs at the same time when her arrow went through their heads and into the others. Another screech in the air gained Ilmarë's attention and she saw another Nazgul and one of the wraith's riding on its back. But Ilmarë didn't have to start shooting them again because large, brown eagles came flying toward the battlefield.

"The Eagles!" Pippin said from somewhere behind her. "The Eagles are coming!" And indeed they were.

Ilmarë suddenly felt a jerk as something pulled at her hair. She turned around and saw Legolas kill another Orc that had been trying to get to her. She smiled faintly at him as another Goblin suddenly rushed toward them. Her powers were once again released from her, and the light blinded the Goblin and made him fall to the ground. Legolas penetrated its skull with his dagger and stepped back, glanced at her.

Ilmarë turned around to continue to fight, but in the corner of her eyes she could see Aragorn fall to the ground and how a Goblin neared him, almost making her think Aragorn would not get on his feet. And he didn't - he laid on the ground as the Goblin stepped on him and Legolas hurried to get to his friend. Ilmarë tried to help them both - killing all Orcs that were in the way of Legolas getting through the crowd.

Then all of the sudden, the eye of Sauron, being stationed on the tower started burning and a deafening sound came from the Barad-Dûr. It was as the whole world paused, no one fought each other until suddenly the forces of Mordor ran - they fled from the fighting ground. Ilmarë turned to Mount Doom again and saw how firey lava began erupting from it. She almost didn't dare to think the thought, that Frodo and Sam had actually succeeded. But what other explanation could there be for The Eye to start to burn ever brighter than before, as if it was killing itself? Mount Doom moulded fiery lava and the rocks hit all over the lands of Mordor.

"Ilmarë!" Gandalf called, stretching his hand out.

Ilmarë hurried toward him, grabbed his hand as they looked to Barad-Dûr together. She knew what Gandalf wanted of her, and together they conjured the strongest spell of magic Middle-Earth had ever seen. A strong gust of wind almost swept them all away as it aimed toward Barad-Dûr, and soon the tower was cleaved in two as it fell into the abyss. Mordor itself was destroyed from the ground and to the borders to Gondor; after all this time of fear it's very foundation was erupting. Frodo and Sam had done it, after all this time they had finally defeated the odds and freed Middle-Earth of evil for good. Ilmarë couldn't help the tears started to form in her eyes, tears of relief as she watched Mordor crumble away.

"Frodo!" Merry shouted in a victory cry. "Frodo!"

Ilmarë allowed herself to smile as she embraced Gandalf dearly; the Wizard who was once her teacher had finally made her into the Maiar she was supposed to be. Now it was all over; the quest, the fellowship, the darkness. It hit her with such great relief and happiness, all meanwhile there was a hint of sadness inside her. After all this time on Middle-Earth, their time was ending.

They continued to look at Mordor as it disrupted, but to their horror they realised that Mount Doom seemed to be destroyed as well. In there was Frodo and Sam, and there was not a chance that they would survive the flames and heat. The tears of joy were instead replaced with sadness for the loss of their friends; the true heroes of Middle-Earth. The two small Hobbits had sacrificed their lives for this quest and were now gone too.

Pippin cried and fell to the ground and as Ilmarë glanced at Gandalf she noticed the tears in his eyes; this made her realise that he too believed there was no hope for the Hobbits. Ilmarë felt her shoulders being swept into a warm embrace and as she turned she saw that Legolas was holding her dearly. Even though the quest was over, even if they had victory, the fellowship had now truly been broken.