Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.. It is all Tolkien, and Pj's as I used some moviequotes as well. Warning: AU
This fic was written for the teitho "What if" contest, if you want to know more see: www.teithoDOTwaking-visionDOTcom
A Foe Beyond Any of Us
But a shadow came with it, and it did not make the fellowship feel any better.
"What is this new devilry?"
Boromir was the first to express the doubts of all.
From the corner of his eyes Aragorn could see Legolas and Gandalf sharing sad looks, as if the were fighting a silent battle on who was to inform the others. And the ranger wasn't sure if Gandalf had won or lost when the wizard spoke up.
"A balrog." The wizard spoke softly and he paused gathering his strength. "A demon of the ancient world."
Aragorn stared at the elf in shock, but Legolas did not return his gaze. Instead the elf stared at the fire in the distance and mumbled something.
"This foe is beyond any of you." Gandalf continued, and Aragorn could hear the fear in the wizard's voice. "RUN!"
The maia himself was the first to turn and move away from the fire, and the others were quick to follow his example.
Except for Legolas, who stayed, transfixed.
"Legolas..." Aragorn said softly.
The elf didn't move, nor did he give any indication that he heard his friend speak.
"Legolas." Aragorn repeated as he moved closer and grabbed the elf's arm. "Come on."
The elf turned towards him, tears in his eyes. "It was a mistake." He said softly. "Your father made a mistake sending me here. I should not have been the elf that was chosen."
He didn't want to add that he was useless, not in front of the others, but it was what he was thinking. Legolas had never understood why Elrond had picked him out of all elves present at the council. He wasn't the strongest, nor the bravest. There had been elves there that could have forced their way into Mordor without ever fearing anything. Old, experienced elves, that fought the Battle of the last army and survived. Elves that weren't afraid. Hadn't Elrond felt how scared he was? How useless?
"Legolas..." Aragorn said. "We have no time for this, my friend. We must run."
"Your father should have asked Glorfindel." The elf said with despair in his eyes, and in a mere whisper he added "Why didn't he appoint Glorfindel?"
"Legolas, Come on!" The fire was getting closer.
Whatever the elf was thinking, now was not the time.
"Legolas! Aragorn! Run!" Gandalf appeared beside the ranger and placed a hand on the elf's shoulder. "Come on, little one." the wizard spoke softly to the elf. "We must leave."
Legolas looked up. In the wizard's eyes he could see the sadness, for they both knew that one of them had to fight the Balrog so the others could move on.
If it was Gandalf… If Gandalf was the one that was lost, what change did the fellowship have? Gandalf was the friend of the hobbits, the friend of Aragorn, the only one that could talk to the dwarf and the Gondorion. Without Gandalf the fellowship would fall. They needed Gandalf. They did not need him.
"No." The elf said, and straightened his shoulders. All despair had suddenly disappeared, as if he had come to a decision. "You must leave, I will stay here."
To Aragorn it seemed the elf looked a lot older, more mature, as if the young elf had reached his destiny now.
Legolas reached one arm out towards Gandalf. "Give me your sword."
The maia looked at the elf. "Legolas, this is not you task, Elrond appointed you to this fellowship, not the Balrogslayer and he had his reasons. Now run!"
"Give. Me. Your. Sword!" Legolas hissed, his hand still reaching for it, demanding that the wizard would listen.
It was clear to all of the fellowship that he would not run, as he looked at the wizard with all the stubbornness and determination of his ancestors.
With tears in his eyes Gandalf handed him his sword. "Fool of an Elf…" he said softly.
Legolas gave a weak smile.
"Just get that thing into Mount Doom."
"What is Legolas doing?"
"Run, Pippin!"
"He is going the wrong way!"
"Just run, Pip. Don't look back."
"But Legolas...!"
"Pippin! RUN!"
Merry dragged his youngest cousin with him, away from the scene, following Gimli in the direction of the bridge of Khazad-dûm.
"Follow me, Aragorn." Gandalf spoke, and to the ranger it sounded more like an order then anything else.
Over the head of the maia he could see his friend run the other direction, for the first time since he had joined the fellowship using his elvish speed to its full extent.
Aragorn stared at the sword in his hand, and back at the elf.
"Do as I say!" Gandalf snapped. "Swords are no more use here!"
Aragorn stared at the wizard. "But… but you gave… Glamdring… to Legolas." The elf had almost reached the balrog now. The wizard sighed and he suddenly looked a lot older as he too stared at the small figure of the elf in the distance.
"Well" he said softly with a broken voice. "I couldn't let the boy fight a balrog with only two small knives, now could I?"
"Aragorn! Mithrandir! Come!" Boromir called out to the two members of the fellowship that had stayed behind.
Aragorn looked at the small figure of the elf again, and clutched his sword.
"Forget it. I'm not letting him fight that thing alone."
With the speed of lightning Gandalf gripped the ranger's wrist. "Yes you are."
In spite of his appearance as an old man, Gandalf grip was strong, and no matter how hard Aragorn tried, he could not escape it.
"Let me go!" he demanded.
"You are too important." Gandalf said calmly.
Aragorn stared at him with eyes full of shock and hate. "Legolas is important too." he hissed.
"Not like you. He does not hold the faith of an entire race in his hands. Aragorn, you are Gondor's hope!"
"I don't care!" Aragorn fumed. "Let Boromir be Gondor's hope! Or Faramir! Or Frodo! Or… or Pippin! Or whomever they pick! Let me go! Don't let him fight this alone!" The ranger broke down in sobs. "He will die!"
Gandalf swallowed, and fought the tears in eyes as well. And he nodded. "Yes." The Maia spoke softly, with a voice full of pain. "Yes he will."
In a whisper too soft to be heard he added "One of us had to."
Legolas ran towards the shadow as fast as he could and for the first time in the long years he had lived he feared no darkness. What was there left to fear when you already knew how everything would end?
He would die, but it would not matter. The rest of the fellowship would move on. The mission would be completed. There still was hope.
He ducked and turned around quickly, to avoid the whip of the demon in front of him, and he shot arrows at it's eyes and mouth as soon as he could aim them.
The demon was huge, but to Legolas that didn't matter.
He did not have to kill it; he did not have to survive.
All he would have to do was buy the others time.
In a swift motion he danced away from the whip again.
From the distance, restrained by both Gandalf and Boromir now, Aragorn watched his friend fight the balrog.
The soft blue glow that had always surrounded his friend was absorbed by the balrog's fire, and the figure of Legolas was almost too small to make out.
But they could hear him sing.
It was one of the songs Legolas had sung before on this journey, a song that calmed the heart and reminded all who heard it of the beautiful things of the earth, and how they had survived all the madness of the world.
Yet somehow, it seemed to mean more, now that Legolas sung it to the balrog.
It was as if the song itself had become a weapon, and the elf could use it to stop the balrog's sword.
"I didn't know he could sing like that." Boromir said softly. "It is like those stories about Finrod… who sung and nearly defeated Morgoth."
Gandalf slowly shook his head. "No, not that strong." He said softly. "But still..."
The small figure rolled on the floor to escape the balrog's whip, and suddenly the Balrog pressed his blade down instead, stabbing the elf in the shoulder, before Legolas could move away.
The song was replaced by a scream, and Aragorn pulled at the arms holding him again.
"Let me fight with him!" He groaned.
Gandalf shook his head. "Come on." He spoke to Boromir. "We cannot let Legolas' sacrifice be in vain. We have a mission to continue."
"You speak as if he is already dead!" Aragorn hissed. 'He is NOT! He is still moving! We can help! All of us!"
But the wizard turned around and dragged the ranger with him. "Aragorn!" He spoke sternly, as if he was trying to beat some sense into the ranger with nothing but words. "It is a foe beyond any of us." He forced the ranger to look him in the eyes. "I can not let you die!"
"But Legolas.. you could let Legolas die?" Aragorn hissed.
The wizard winched as if Aragorn had hit him in the face. He suddenly looked a thousand years older. "No my friend." He whispered softly. "But one of us had to sacrifice himself so that the others may live. One of us had to distract the balrog."
"And so you chose Legolas?" Aragorn snapped. "What where you thinking!"
The wizard looked up and Aragorn was silenced by the look in the maia's eyes. They spoke of hurt far greater than Aragorn had ever imagined and a sadness that ripped a heart.
"No, my friend." Gandalf spoke. "I did not choose Legolas. I would never let someone fight a balrog who has seen so few summers."
"Legolas has seen more summers then any of us." Aragorn replied as anger wasstill making it impossible for him to understand what Gandalf was trying to say.
"Except for me." The maia replied.
Gandalf sighed as he stared at the fighting figures in the distance.
"When I first met that elf he was but a week old. He had no teeth, almost no hair and the only thing he could do was eat and sleep, yet there was something about that little elfling, something... strong.
Something that made me fear for the boy's future, as fate only grants strength to those who need it. And I remember I prayed. I prayed that the boy would have a change to grow up to be a singer or an artist or anything but a warrior. I wished he would have a peaceful life."
The wizard shook his head and he winched as the balrog's whip hit Legolas and the elf flew backwards.
"A fool's wish." He whispered sadly.
It was silent for a long time.
"I was determined to fight this demon myself, I was ready to die. But then… Legolas offered and I... I just wasn't brave enough to refuse." The wizard confessed softly. "I was not strong enough to save Legolas, my friend. And I am sorry." He tightened his grip on Aragorn again. "But I am strong enough to save you and you are not fighting that thing."
Before Aragron had found the stength to resist him, the wizard dragged the ranger over the bridge of Khazad-dûm and away from danger.
Legolas smiled as the saw the light shining from Gandalf's staff slowly disappear into the distance.
He was bleeding from more wounds than he could count and every single part of his body was covered with burns, but he couldn't care less. It had been certain beforehand that he would not win this battle, but that didn't matter. As long as Frodo and the others would make it out of Moria, there was still a change he would win the war.
The balrog raised his whip again, and Legolas moved away, hoping that the demon in front of him would not notice just yet how tired he was.
They ran on until they reached the bridge of Khazad-dhum and there Gandalf made the mistake of looking back.
The light that had been Legolas Thranduillion was no longer visible. In the time it took Aragorn and himself to reach the bridge, the elf had been beaten to a point where he could no longer shine.
From the tears in the man's eyes Gandalf knew that Aragorn had seen it as well.
"His glow has faded." the ranger spoke, an audible lump in his throat.
"I know." the maia answered softly while he placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder "I know."
"Does that mean... Is he...?"
"No." The wizard spoke. But they both knew what he meant to say was 'not yet.'
Aragorn could no longer hold back his tears.
He didn't care that Frodo and the others were looking at him worriedly, he didn't care that his tears were causing the hobbits to panic.
He just could not be their strong and fierce protector at this moment.
He did not want to be.
What did he care about Gondor or the ring or even Middle earth?
Legolas was dying.
His best friend was being murdered at this very instance.
He suddenly refused moving in any direction, ignoring the wizard that was pulling his wrist with all his strength.
"I'm not doing this." He said, his voice made it clear that there would be no discussion possible. "I'm not letting him die here. He will not sacrifice himself for me."
"Aragorn..." Gandalf spoke.
"No."
"Estel..." Gandalf tried again.
"No!" Aragorn snapped. "I'm not going anywhere without Legolas! I'm sorry Gandalf, Frodo, Boromir, but I can not let him die. This is not supposed to happen!"
The wizard suddenly released Aragorn's wrist from the death-grip he was holding it in. The ranger's jaw dropped.
"You are right." Gandalf spoke softly, his eyes on the floor. "This is not how it should have happened."
"Mithrandir! Aragorn! No time! MOVE!" panic slipped into Boromir's voice. The balrog had gained a lot of ground on the elf since Aragorn had last checked the scene.
Apparently it had realised that the elf he was fighting mattered not, and that the real prey was getting away.
The demon was very close to the bridge now, paying no attention to Legolas' brave and painful attempts to stop it. It was clear to all that the elf could barely walk anymore.
"Aragorn!" the elf called out "Don't just stand there! Take Frodo! RUN! GO!"
"None of this is the way it should be." The wizard mumbled next to him. "I should have kept my sword… I should have..." But suddenly the maia seemed to come to his senses, and when he spoke again, his voice sounded commanding once more.
"Lead them on, Aragorn."
"What?" The ranger asked, not able to follow the sudden change.
"Do as I say!" the wizards spoke. "Legolas! Over here! NOW!"
The elf looked from the wizard to the balrog and back again.
"Mithrandir!" He called out in protest.
"NOW, Thranduillion! I want my sword back."
"But…"
"NOW!" The wizard turned to the human as the elf still hesitated. "Aragorn, get Legolas away from that thing."
"Gandalf..." Aragorn didn't now what else to say.
"Aragorn. " the wizard spoke softly. "You cannot save both of us, my friend. Even you lack the strength."
Suddenly all things were set into motion as the balrog raised his whip again. The time for doubt and choices was over as Gandalf launched himself in front of Legolas and caught the whip on his own wrist.
"Glamdring!" He demanded.
The tired elf handed him the sword without protest.
Gandalf gave him one last approving smile before he turned towards his foe.
"I am the servant of the Secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor...
The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn! Go back to shadow!"
"Come on." Legolas whispered to his human friend. "We have to get off this bridge, come on!"
The young elf did not wait for the ranger to follow him, but stumbled towards the other side as fast as he could.
For a while the ranger just stood there, staring from his friend the elf to his friend the maia and back again. Then he made his decision.
From the corner of his eyes Gandalf watched the ranger pick up the elf and move away, and the maia nodded to himself. All the other members of the fellowship were safely at the other side, and he was here, at the bridge, facing his foe. Things fell back into place. This felt right. This was how it should be. Things would be all right.
He could hear Frodo scream his name, and he knew he would not be allowed to answer.
But that didn't matter.
Aragorn was there.
Legolas was there.
The hobbits would be in good hands.
This was how it was supposed to be.
The wizard nodded once more, before he raised his staff…
"YOU... SHALL NOT... PASS!"
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The end.