Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2003 21:08:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Silven Fox Subject: Destiny of an Earth - 7 Disclaimer: I don't know Nsync. I don't know Justin Timberlake in real life. This will be a Justin Timberlake centered story. This story is in no way meant to imply that he is homosexual in real life. This story is simply the work of a fan and is pure fiction. I don't own The Lord of the Ring or any other works of the series. The rights of the series goes solely to the series author JRR Tolkien. Now that's out of the way. This story appeared in my head when I was trapped in the car with my relatives for a 24-hour road trip. I was really really bored! I shudder just thinking about that trip. Anyway, if your below legal age to read this where your from, then all I can tell you is stop and don't let your parents catch you. He he that's not much of a warning, but hey what else can I do. Now if you have any comments, feedback or you just want to drop a word. Send them to SilvenFox@yahoo.com Chapter 7 The pounding on the door was growing louder by the second. Boromir crouched down into a more defensive fighting stance. "When I was closing the door I saw a cave-troll with them," he said conversationally. "I just thought all of you should know." If it wasn't for the doors bursting open at that moment Justin would have laughed at his nonchalant tone. A horde of Orcs came stampeding into the room. The first wave quickly met their death at the hands of Legolas's arrows impacting their skulls. Justin took a deep breath. 'Here I go.' He gripped his sword and let his instincts take over. The sword in his hand suddenly became to him like a third arm. A group of Orcs surrounded him from all sides. He quickly spun around catching the one behind him off guard. Its dead body hit the floor with a soft thud. Justin started to slash and slice at the Orcs. All his strikes hit their mark with devastating results. Legolas looked across the room at his love. He sucked in a breath watching him. Justin moved with the speed and grace of an Elf. The most shocking thing was the inhuman speed at which he moved. Even his elven eyes couldn't follow the hybrid as he cut down rows of Orcs easily. Justin kicked the last Orc in the gut and swung his sword decapitating it. He jumped up onto the top of the tomb breathing heavily. 'Now where is this cave-troll Boromir was talking about.' With a loud crash the entranceway exploded inward. A huge creature even fouler looking than the Orcs shouldered his way into the room. Justin gripped his sword tighter and gulped. The thing started to swing its arms hitting anything in its way. Frodo happened to be in front of it. The little hobbit ran with the monster right on his tail. It destroyed pillars that were in its path in his attempt to get to Frodo. "Help!" Frodo yelled helplessly. Aragorn saw the ring-bearer's position and hastily went to his aid. The ranger was no match against a cave-troll and was thrown into a wall. Justin jumped from the top of the tomb and ran in between the hobbit and the troll. "Hey you!" he yelled getting its attention. The troll looked down at him stupidly. "Yeah I'm talking to you!" The monster lost interest in him and raised its massive arm to strike him down. Justin saw this and dashed between its legs and slashed at its legs from behind. The attacks didn't even phase the beast one bit. That was until Justin took out his dagger and drove it into its back. It howled in pain and clawed at its back for the tiny dagger. It spun around and narrowed its eyes at its attacker. Justin gave a little grin and waved. The cave-troll flung him threw the air much like it did the ranger earlier. He landed on the ground with the wind knocked out of him. "Aragorn!" cried Frodo once again running from the monster. Aragorn hurriedly scanned the ground for a suitable weapon. He picked up a spear and threw it at its chest. The spear didn't pierce the creature's thick hide. The troll knocked him to the ground for the second time. Frodo yelled and ran to Aragorns's side and faced the troll. Legolas was shooting his arrows at the troll but to no avail. They were just not hurting the monster enough. The halfling's back was against the wall with no where to go. The troll picked up a long spear off the floor and with a mighty thrust he stabbed Frodo. "Frodo! Frodo!" screamed Sam. Merry and Pippin gave a war cry and together charged at the troll. Legolas readied an arrow and carefully aimed it. When the monster opened its mouth to roar he let the arrow fire. The arrow sang through the air and hit its target with deadly accuracy. The troll fell over dead making the ground shake from the impact. Aragorn crawled over to Frodo's body. "Oh no," he whispered sadly. Everyone picked themselves up and gathered around the fallen hobbit's body. Aragorn turned him over onto his back. Frodo eyes snapped open and he let out a whoosh of air. Everyone gasped startled to see him still alive. "He's alive," breathed Sam. Frodo looked up at everyone with a tired smile. "I'm alright. I'm not hurt." Aragorn shook his head. "You should be dead. That spear would have skewered a wild boar." Gandalf leaned on his staff and looked down at Frodo with a half smile. "I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Frodo rubbed his side where he was hit and opened his shirt. A shiny silvery coat of chain mail was shown for them see. It was another gift given to him by Bilbo before leaving Rivendell. "Mithril!" Gandalf said astonished. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!" Justin scratched his head. "Am I missing something," he said confused. "All he has on is a shiny shirt. I own couple of them myself." Gimli frowned. "This is Mithril. It is a rare and valuable metal in Middle-Earth. The dwarves here mined some of the finest in the land. It can be formed into anything," He looked back down at the mail Frodo wore. "The Mithril coat Frodo wears is very light and impenetrable. It was very nicely made. I say it would catch a most valuable price if sold." Suddenly the footsteps of more Orcs reached their ears. "To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!" Gandalf said pressingly. They helped Frodo up and quickly ran from the room. Orcs were all around them as they ran down the long halls to Khazad-dûm. Eventually their luck didn't hold and the Orcs surrounded them from all sides. Justin looked everywhere, but he only Orcs could be seen as far as he could see. There were hundreds if not thousands of them. The odds were not in their favor. A loud roar was suddenly heard echoing off of the walls. The Orcs stopped advancing and froze in their place. The roar must have scared them too for they started screaming and they began to scatter in all directions. Within minutes they disappeared from the area as if they were never there. A red glow was seen from the end of the hallway. Legolas held his bow out, but soon lowered it as his senses started to go into overdrive. Justin walked over to Legolas and held his hand. "You feel it too Las," he said. The blond nodded and gripped his bow tightly in his hand. Justin started to shake a little as feelings of fear raced all over him. "What is this new devilry?" asked Boromir. Gandalf closed his eyes and bowed his head. The roar was heard again but much closer this time. He snapped his head up and opened his eyes. "A Balrog," he said with an edge of fear in his voice. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!" They didn't need to be told twice. Without a second thought they followed Gandalf through the twisting maze of corridors. They came into a great chasm with a very narrow staircase leading across. The earth shaking footsteps were growing louder all the while. It was enough to put fear in them to keep moving. The staircase was missing a large portion of it and the hobbits had to be helped across since the gap was to wide for them to jump. Legolas and Justin picked up Pippin and Merry and jumped across with ease. Boromir grabbed Sam and made it across also. Gimli was too short to jump and he refused to be carried. "I tell you I am a dwarf not a sack of potatoes!" He ignored their warnings and jumped across the gap. He made it, only missing the edge by a few mere inches. He lost his balance and started to fall backwards. He flailed his arms around in panic. He would have fell into the abyss if it weren't for Legolas grabbing his beard. "Oh not the beard!" he cried. Justin smiled to his himself as he saw the hidden amusement the Elf was having by yanking the dwarf's beard. Everyone jumped across the gap till only Aragorn and Frodo remained on the other side. The stone steps they were standing on started to collapse and fall apart. Aragorn held Frodo back by his shirt to keep him from falling off the edge of the stairs. "Steady," Aragorn warned the halfling. "Hold on!" The rock stairs began to sway back and forth. "Hang on!" yelled Aragorn. The top of the stone stairs started to break away from the bottom bit. "Lean forward," said Aragorn still holding Frodo by his shirt. The stairs start to fall at an angle, towards the bit of stone that the rest of the Fellowship is stood on. "Come on!" said Legolas. Aragorn and Frodo manage to get off the bit of rock and onto the rest of the staircase the others are on. When they were safe Gandalf started forward again. "Over the bridge! Fly!" The bridge of Khazad-dûm was very narrow and they hurriedly ran across it two at a time. The red glow from earlier was still behind them and seemed to be gaining on them. The beating of the drums from earlier had picked back up and were going on in the background with a purpose. When Justin made it across the Balrog decided to make its presence known. It was a huge flaming beast with a set of mean horns and a long whip covered in flames. Its footsteps shook the earth with each huge step it took. They all made it safely across the bridge except for Gandalf. They watched from the other side of the chasm to see the gray wizard still standing in the middle of the bridge staring at the gigantic beast with determination. Gandalf faced off against the Balrog with his staff in one hand and his sword in the other. "You cannot pass." He raised the objects in his hands in sort of a defensive position. The Balrog roared and swung his whip at Gandalf. A white light sprung up around the wizard and acted as a shield from the flaming whip. The light from the shield caused the fire on the Balrog to disappear leaving behind only the unnaturally dark skin of inky black. The Balrog stepped onto the bridge growling at the wizard. Gandalf raised his staff and sword high into the air. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!" his voice and power started to rise with each word he spoke. "Go back to the Shadow!! YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!" With a final yell he slammed the end of his staff on the ground hard. A white light flared brightly around him and the part of the bride the Balrog stood on collapsed. Gandalf sighed and turned around. As he does the whip of Balrog catches onto his ankle, and he is pulled down. He grabs onto the edge of the bridge, but cannot keep his grip. With sage eyes he looks up at the Fellowship then to Justin. "The power is in your voice," he said deeply. Justin didn't even register that Gandalf was talking to him. He was in a daze that this was even happening. There is nothing the Fellowship can do to save him. Frodo pushes his way past them and starts to run back across the bridge, but Boromir grabs him and stops him. "No! No!" yelled Boromir. "Gandalf!" the hobbit pleaded. Gandalf looked at them one last time. "Fly you fools!" he yelled before falling and joining the Balrog down into the abyss. Unnoticed tears fell down Justin's face as he stared at the spot the wizard once occupied. Legolas gripped his arm. "Let us go. We cannot stay here." Frodo was in much the same shape as Justin. He didn't want to leave either. Boromir picked him and carried him onward. The Fellowship leaves, but Aragorn remained behind. He was still staring at the abyss. Now, that Gandalf was gone that meant Aragorn was now to lead the Fellowship. The rest of the journey now relied on him. "Aragorn!" yelled Boromir a good distance away. He was still carrying the weeping hobbit. Aragorn comes out of his daze and leads the Fellowship out of the darkness of the mines of Moria. They exist and find themselves in bright sunlight, in the mountains. They stop and each person begins to grieve in their on way for the wizard. Sam casts himself onto a rock, head in hand, while Boromir comforts a shouting Gimli, who struggles, as though meaning to re-enter the mines. Merry consoles a weeping Pippin, with grief and sorrow in his own face. Nearby, Legolas stands beside Justin wearing a look of disbelief. Justin himself puts his hands together in a prayer position and says a prayer for their fallen companion. Aragorn wipes his sword clean in a single stroke, then resheaths it. "Legolas get them up,' Aragorn says somewhat coldly. Justin gives the man a look of disbelief. Boromir quickly retorted in anger. "Give them a moment for pity's sake!" Aragorn shook his head. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs," he stated. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come Boromir. Legolas, Justin Gimli, get them up." Justin shot Aragorn a look of pure coldness and went with Boromir to help Merry and Pippin. Aragorn is thrown back by the look. Aragorn looks at Sam sitting down on the rock. "On your feet Sam." Aragorn looks around and then sees Frodo who had wandered away. "Frodo!" The hobbit stops walking and turns around with a single tear running down his face. Justin saw this and the sight almost made his heart break. He stood and approached him. He placed his hand on the halflings shoulder. "Remember Frodo as long as you never forget him he will always be in your heart." Frodo wiped his eyes and smiled up at him. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Justin nodded. "No problem. Let's go before King Asshole has a fit that we're even breathing the same air as him." Frodo giggled a little and they joined the rest of the Fellowship. Together the group started to make their way down the mountains and to the woods of Lothlorien. Justin got in step beside Boromir. The steward nudged him in the ribs. "I saw the look you gave our new 'leader'." Justin shrugged. "He deserved it. He didn't have to so cold and everything. I just find it ironic that the same man who ran out on his own people is leading a group who will save them and everyone else on this world." "Why are you not walking with Legolas?" he asked. Justin looked up ahead to see Legolas walking with Aragorn. "He's walking with Mister All Mighty himself. And I think that right now if I even stand next to Aragorn I will shove my sword down his throat." Boromir raised an eyebrow. "What will Legolas think?" he said leering. Justin's eyes widened and he blushed scarlet. "Not that sword you sick fool!" Boromir laughed loudly which caused Justin to start laughing as well. Both wanted the moment to last forever, so the sorrow of the day would disappear at least for a little while. **************************** So what do you think. Do you like it? If you have any comments, feedback or you just want to drop a word send them to SilvenFox@yahoo.com How long do you think that Justin should be angry at Aragorn for. I think he deserves the anger for making them get up and stop crying. Gandalf did just die! Anyway, that's just my opinion.