Hi, everyone! Music Junkie32 here, and I really hope you like this story. I got inspiration for this story while I was watching ROTK where Pippin finds Merry after the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and I though, "What would have happened to Merry if he hadn't gotten the Black Breath?"So here's what I think would have happened. Again, I hope you like it.

Chapter 1: Hope and Sorrow

The War of the Age raged all around him and Meriadoc Brandybuck fought with all he had. He fought for the Shire, for Middle-Earth, for Frodo and Sam, for Pippin. He wielded his sword with a strong hand and lashed out at any Orc who came his way, killing it instantly. The noise around him was terrible: men and Orcs crying out in pain as they fell to their deaths, the clashing of swords, the pounding of the approaching Mumak's feet. Just as he cut down another Orc, he turned to cut down another, but he was cut short by a sudden sharp pain in his left leg. He fell to his knees and saw an ugly, black knife sticking out of his thigh. Gripping the knife was an ugly black hand attached to and ugly black Orc. The Orc smiled evilly, revealing his disgusting, rotten teeth.

"I'm gonna rip you open, you filthy little maggot!" the Orc said.

The Orc pulled his knife from Merry's leg and brought his arm back, bringing the had hilt of the sword down against Merry's face. Merry cried out as he fell backwards and hit the ground with a thump. The last thing he remembered was the terrible creature bending over him with a menacing grin on his face and his knife raised.....

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Pippin walked slowly across the battle field, surveying his surroundings. They had won the battle! They had won against all odds, but at a terrible price; so many men lay wounded and dying at his feet, bleeding out or dying a slow, agonizing death. The putrid smell of death and decay hung in the air and it made Pippin want to throw up. The ground was so soaked with blood that surely the ground would be bloodstained for all eternity. As Pippin walked, he spotted something. He walked over to a fallen Orc laying on the ground and what he had gripped in his hand horrified Pippin: he had a sickeningly familiar Elvish cloak gripped in his hand. Pippin rushed forward and took the cloak from the hand of the Orc, looking it over. The cape was stained with blood and the reality of the whole thing hit Pippin hard and fast: this was Merry's cloak!

"Merry....no...." Pippin whispered in fear.

Just as he was about to rush off to find his dearest friend, something stopped him. Something tightened around his ankle, nearly making him trip. He looked back and saw the Orc was still alive and he was gripping his ankle!

"Get off me!" Pippin cried, yanking his foot away.

"Come here, little maggot." the Orc said, his voice coming out strangled.

Pippin slowly approached the Orc, his hand on his sword.

"Your little friend was such a pleasure to kill." the Orc taunted, "I believe the poison shall have reached his heart by now."

"You're lying!" Pippin cried.

"Don't think so." the Orc said.

"Tell me where he is!" Pippin ordered, reaching down and gripping the Orc's armor, pulling his face close.

"You'd better find him before it's too late." the Orc continued to taunt.

Pippin drew his sword and slit the Orc's throat, black blood gushing on him. He stood up and looked around, he had to find Merry! He searched and searched for hours and hours with no sign of Merry. He dreaded turning over each body, fearing to see Merry's lifeless face staring up at him. Just as he was about to collapse with dispare, something caught his eye. He thought he saw a head of curly, golden hair protruding from under a fallen Uruk-Hai. He rushed forward and pushed the Uruk aside and his blood ran cold at the sight before him. Before his very eyes was a the beaten, bloody form of his dearest friend and cousin.

"Merry!" Pippin gasped as he leaned over Merry.

Merry made no response. Pippin quickly but gently lifted Merry into his arms, cradling him close, never wanting to let him go. Merry's face was covered in cuts and bruises and his skin was deathly pale. Blood oozed from the cuts and Merry's golden hair was matted and thick with it. It broke Pippin's heart to see Merry like this.

"Merry, it's me." Pippin said, "It's your Pippin."

Still, Merry did not wake up.

"Oh, Merry....please...." Pippin said, tears beginning to fall from his tired eyes, "Please, Mer, come back to me."

Merry made no movement. The reality slowly sunk in: Merry was gone. Pippin hugged Merry close, burying his face in his shoulder, crying hysterically.

"Merry....no....why did you have to go?" Pippin cried.

Just then, he heard a small moan. Pippin's eyes darted to Merry's face.

"Merry?" Pippin asked hopefully.

Merry's face twitched slightly and Pippin's tears of sorrow were replaced by tears of joy.

"Merry, it's me. It's safe now." Pippin said.

Merry weakly opened his eyes and was shocked to see Pippin hovering over him.

"Pip?" Merry asked, barely audible.

"Yes, Merry, I'm here." Pippin said.

"I knew you'd find me." Merry said.

"Yes." Pippin nodded and held Merry closer.

"Are you going to leave me?" Merry asked, a sudden look of fear growing on his pale face.

"No, Merry." Pippin quickly said, "I'm going to look after you."

I'm going to look after you. Those were the most beautiful words Merry had ever heard. He knew he was safe now.

"Pip....please....help me...." Merry's voice was fading.

"Don't worry, Mer. You'll be fine." Pippin said to reassure both himself and Merry.

Pippin was working hard to keep himself under tight control. If he lost it now, Merry would surely die.

Oh, God, what do I do? What do I do? Pippin thought.

'Do your best to assess his injuries.' his conscious told him.

Pippin took a deep breath to relax himself, then he turned his attention back to Merry. He very carefully lay Merry back on the ground.

"Where do you hurt?" Pippin asked.

"E-everywhere." Merry answered.

Just then, a sudden look a fear came over Merry's face.

"Pip, I c-can't feel my left leg." he said, his voice shaking.

'What could that mean? What was wrong?' Pippin thought.

Pippin moved down to Merry's leg and carefully moved his pants-leg up to see if there was any injury. His heart nearly stopped when he saw a deep stab wound to Merry's thigh. The flesh inside the wound had a black look to it and there were black veins of poison all around the wound.

"So this is what the Orc meant...." Pippin whispered in fear.

Suddenly, Merry cried out in pain and gripped at his abdomen.

"What's wrong?" Pippin asked, moving back to Merry's side.

"M-my stomach." Merry cried.

"Easy, easy, Merry, look at me! Look at me!" Pippin said.

Merry looked at Pippin with pain-filled eyes.

"Everything's gonna be okay." Pippin said, "You're going to be fine."

Merry scrunched up his face as another wave of pain hit him.

"Easy, easy. Just breathe. Breathe, Merry." Pippin said, "Breathe through the pain."

As the pain gradually lessened, Merry suddenly went limp in Pippin's arms.

"Merry? Merry?!" Pippin cried, gently shaking him.

Merry stayed limp and his breathing grew terribly labored by the second. Pippin looked up to see if anyone would help them. Just then, he saw a ray of hope. He saw Gandalf riding across the plain on his tall white horse.

"Galndalf! Gandlaf, over here! Please help!" Pippin called.

Gandalf heard Pippin's cries and he made his horse gallop over to them.

"What ever is the matter, Peregrin?" Gandalf asked.

"Please help him, Gandalf. He's dying." Pippin said.

Gandalf hopped down from Shadowfax's back and knelt down beside Merry. He placed a hand to Merry's forehead and mouthed a spell.

"His life dwindles. We must get him to Aragorn." Gandalf said, lifting Merry into his gentle arms. He mounted Shadowfax and held his hand down for Pippin to climb up, too.

"Come, Peregrin." he said.

"Forget about me. Just take Merry. Please, get him to Aragorn." Pippin said, standing up.

Gandalf nodded and gently wrapped his white cloak around Merry's shaking body and galloped off for the white City....