Crossover With Non-anime Series Fan Fiction / Samurai X Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Rurouni Kenshin and the Lord of the Rings ❯ Ch. 30: Sam and Yahiko to the rescue ( Chapter 84 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Frodo and Kaoru survive Shelob's attack and were taken captive within a tower, fortified by Orcs. The Orcs suddenly fight each other giving Sam and Yahiko passage to rescue their friends and continue the quest.

Anime/Manga: Crossover With Non-anime Series Fan Fiction / Samurai X Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 11.26.2005 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 530 | Status: Completed

Chapter 30: A blade shines in darkness, Sam and Yahiko to the rescue

At the lofty, three-tiered accursed tower of Cirith Ungol, laid upon a rocky pinnacle…

The Orcs and Uruk-hai that have guarded the place enjoyed a period of feasting. The tower they occupied had originally been an outpost or a watchtower for the Numenoreans, but the Orcs overtook it long ago. Over the years, the Orcs had changed various parts of the tower to their design, with lots of their metal and iron riveted onto it, adding many huts in the courtyards, made of timber and leather… and now it was fully made for the Orcs' own environment of habitation. The dark, red sky in the air represented a sense of doom and foreboding.

Especially for two people…

Namely Frodo Baggins, of the Shire, and Kaoru Kamiya, assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin school of Tokyo, Japan. They were both currently held in the turret of the tower, after being stung and cocooned by the monstrous she-spider, Shelob. But, something else had happened to them after being taken prisoner by the Orcs and Uruk-Hai…

Both of them were stripped of their top clothing, though Kaoru's bandages were still wrapped over her chest. And some of the webbing had covered their faces and some of the lower body as well. The lead Orc and Uruk, Gorbag and Shagrat rummaged and scoured through Frodo and Kaoru's belongings, to see what they had.

But… moments later…

Kaoru began to open her eyes slowly, and started to look around… and saw that she was in a strange place, forged in stone, and found that her hands were bound with rope.

'…W-wh…Where am I?' thought a bewildered Kaoru.

She suddenly heard some strange noises from behind her and other noises like there was a big party going on in the tower. The female sword person slowly, yet carefully turned her head… and saw Gorbag and Shagrat standing at a table, rummaging through her and Frodo's clothes and other personal possessions they had. Kaoru quickly turned back before the Orc and Uruk could spot her trying to wake up.

'How did I get here?' she asked herself…

Kaoru then gasped as she remembered what happened… she and Frodo went through the tunnels of Cirith Ungol, trapped by Gollum, where they met up with Shelob, the she spider. Believing that they had escaped… Shelob had stung them both, and they thought they were going to die. Kaoru even remembered blurting out Kenshin's name before passing out…

'Then,' thought Kaoru, deducing what Shelob's poison had done to her and Frodo, 'that monster's poison wasn't to kill us… but to put Frodo and me to sleep. But then the question remains… how did we manage to get ourselves thrown in here?'

Kaoru then gazed at the tip of her eyes, looking up front… where she spotted that Frodo was right beside her, with his hands bound also by rope. Not only that… he had no clothes on his chest to speak of. Realizing this… she also looked down on herself, noticing just now that she was also naked down to the waist, save her bandages that covered her breast and stomach. Still, she used her bonded arms to cover her chest, seeing as she was a woman. Kaoru looked at Frodo again, who was starting to open his eyes as well.

"Frodo!" Kaoru called to Frodo, in a low voice, "Frodo!"

Frodo's eyes opened and spotted Kaoru in front of him. "Miss Ka--," he started to call out.

"Shh!" Kaoru quickly shushed Frodo from talking, "don't talk, we've got company."

Frodo took a moment, as he looked about his surroundings, and listening to the sounds around him and Kaoru.

"How did we get here?" asked Frodo, quietly, "where are we?"

"I think," answered Kaoru, "that we're in that tower we saw, just before we got stung by that monster."

Frodo gasped as he also remembered when Shelob took him and Kaoru by surprise.

"I don't know how long that was either," added Kaoru, "but there are Orcs behind us, looking through our things. Its best that we wait until they leave, so that we can have a chance to escape."

"…I doubt that we can, Miss Kaoru," said Frodo, "I can hear many other Orcs from below, so this place must be well-guarded. It may be difficult for us to get away."

Kaoru thought a moment before she replied, "…then, we'll just have to think of something. First, when we're alone, we'll worry about getting ourselves free, before doing anything else, okay."

Frodo nodded in affirmation, agreeing with Kaoru's plan.

The Orc and Uruk continued to search through Kaoru and Frodo's provisions and clothing spread across the table. Shagrat suddenly set his eyes, as he picked up a silk-blue ribbon that felt very smooth and refined in his hands, and began to observe it fondly. Gorbag then found the Mithril shirt that was taken from Frodo, and held it up into the light, where it tinkled delicately. As he did… Shagrat, while he was looking over the ribbon that he found, turned his eyes over to the light that reflected off the shirt and snarled. Gorbag instantly recoiled the moment Shagrat spotted him playing with the Mithril shirt…

"Hands off!" demanded Shagrat, tossing the ribbon back onto the table, "that shiny shirt, that's mine!"

"It's going to the great eye!" Gorbag stated, refusing to drop the shirt, "along with everything else."

'The great eye?' thought a gasping Kaoru, '…Sauron!'

Frodo also gasped in realization, as he fumbled his bound hands about to his neck, noticing that the ring was not there…

'Oh no, the ring…where's the ring!' Kaoru gasped despairingly in her thoughts once more, as she also noticed that the ring was no longer hanging from Frodo's neck, 'the Orcs must've taken it when we were unconscious!'

"I don't take orders from stinking Morgul rats!" Shagrat snarled fiercely as he pushed Gorbag against the wall.

"You touch it," Gorbag threatened Shagrat as he grabbed his sword and pointed it at the Uruk, "and I'll stick this blade in your gut!"

But Shagrat wrestled the sword from Gorbag, and the pair began to scuffle about, fighting over the Mithril shirt that Frodo once had. Frodo and Kaoru stayed where they were, as they did not want to involve themselves in this personal struggle between Orc and Uruk. With determination… Shagrat was able to throw Gorbag through the trap door, though he hung there for a while, his arms and legs keeping him in place… until Shagrat came towards him…

And kicked the Orc in the stomach. Gorbag began to roll down the ladder that led up to the trap door, and then down the stairs. The Uruk-Hai that were feasting and drinking to their hearts content, heard and wondered what was all the commotion about as they all looked up, to see Gorbag rolling down towards them from the stairs… crashing into the Uruks, disrupting their meals. Gorbag sprang up from the ground like a cat, receiving surprised and bewildered gazes from the other Uruk-hai…

"The scum tried to knife me!" Shagrat yelled down, with a savage roar, from the trap door in the ceiling, "KILL HIM!"

The Uruk-Hai growled, and lunged for Gorbag's blood. The vicious Orc countered the Uruks, using his sword. Gorbag even jumped up… and used both feet to kick one of the Uruks out of a window, letting the Uruk fall from the tower, colliding into some of the battlements… before crashing loudly onto the ground.

One of the Orcs heard the crash and went to check it out, but one of the Uruk-Hai pushed the Orc down. Irritated… the Orc grabbed a piece of meat from a booth… and used it to whack the Uruk in the back. More Orcs joined in, beating down the Uruks, which in turn began to lift the Orcs, twirling them above their heads…

As this was happening…

Other Orcs that were guarding the tower began to growl in fury… and went to engage the Uruks into battle, starting a full-scale brawl between the Orc and Uruk-Hai factions. Their swords and axes hacked into each other, everywhere their clubs were beating, maiming and bruising… and even managed to throw large hewn stones to bash their brains in…

From not too far away…

Samwise Gamgee and Yahiko Myojin, after successfully driving off the dark terror of Cirith Ungol known as Shelob and believing that Kaoru and Frodo were dead, but were discovered to be alive by the Orcs and Uruk-Hai… began to follow the Orcs cautiously.

The brave Hobbit and adventurous boy Samurai observed what was happening. Instead of the place being quiet and guarded… the fortress was now littered with fighting, particularly amongst the Orcs and Uruk-Hai. Sam and Yahiko narrowed their eyes, as they did not like the sound of the fighting. The fighting continued as they drew closer towards the tower…

The brave rescuers cautiously approached the battlemented wall near the front gate… and entered into a narrow court, the exact moment when the fighting slowed down… and finally ceased. Yahiko and Sam looked around them, seeing as the compound was littered with the aftermath of the small civil war between the Orcs and Uruk-hai.

"What happened here?" asked Yahiko.

"I don't know, Yahiko," said Sam, "…but it looks like the Orcs were fighting amongst themselves."

"Fighting themselves?" replied a confused Yahiko, "why? What for?"

"Who knows?" Sam wondered, "but there must've been a couple of hundred of these dirty beasts. They must've hated each other so much for them to be killing one another, I'll warrant. I'd say we were lucky. And what happened here… its like pure hate unleashed, Mr. Yahiko."

Yahiko contemplated what Sam said, about the hatred between the factions of the Orcs and Uruks, as he looked about, seemingly that every one of them had killed themselves.

"I'd hate to think," said Sam gravely, "…that Mr. Frodo and Miss Kaoru were killed in this carnage."

"…So do I, Sam," replied Yahiko.

Not wasting any time… Sam and Yahiko quickly raced inside the complex, trying to get to Frodo and Kaoru, believing that they must be held in the turret of the tower. The valiant pair continued throughout the tower, without any difficulties so far. When they began to climb up the stairs…

They spotted a group of Uruk-hai descending towards them, and have apparently survived the chaos that went on earlier.

"They look too big to be Orcs, Sam," said Yahiko in a quiet voice, "those must be those Uruk-Hai that Saruman bred. I heard that they don't scare easily."

"…Then we're going to have to give them something to be afraid of," replied Sam, "when I give the word… growl like a wild animal, Mr. Yahiko."

Yahiko nodded, with a smirk, as he liked the idea. He and Sam then took their positions…

"Now," said Sam…

GRR! GRRR, GRRR! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!! Sam and Yahiko began growling, as they climbed the stairs toward the group of Uruks, flexing and producing a growing, menacing shadow that intimidated them greatly.

Moments later…

The Hobbit and young Samurai finally came out into the open and the Uruks snarled as they were almost made fools of, by smaller people. The Uruks charged at Yahiko and Sam…

But Sam countered, stabbing the creatures, calling out, "that's for Frodo! And for the Shire!"

"This one's for Kenshin!" Yahiko cried out, knocking down the Uruks that came to him, "for Kaoru! My world!"

As the fight was going on… Shagrat crawled out of a hall under the steps, carefully walking away unnoticed. The Uruk was carrying Frodo's Mithril shirt and Kaoru's blue ribbon under his arm…

Sam then stabbed and pushed his last Uruk down the stairs, crashing onto the ground.

"AND THAT'S FOR MY OLD GAFFER!" he cried out fiercely.

Yahiko instantly made the last Uruk he had topple over the stairs to join his comrade. Seeing this, Sam ran forth, while Yahiko stayed where he was…

"And that's for me!" Yahiko called out, sending his proud voice throughout the tower, "Master Yahiko Myojin of the Kamiya Kasshin style! And don't you ever forget that!"

Sam continued rushing throughout the tower, with Yahiko not too far behind. They proceeded further climbing up the stairs that surrounded the outer wall, as well as through the inner wall. Along the way, they knocked down more Orcs or Uruks that have survived the carnage, striving to get to the turret of the tower, hoping that Frodo and Kaoru were still alive…

Kaor u and Frodo were left alone in the turret. Shagrat apparently left to finish what he started. Kaoru took the opportunity and used all her strength… to loosen the ropes around her wrists.

"Miss Kaoru," said Frodo in a panic, "you better hurry. It may be quiet right now, but I doubt that all the Orcs killed themselves."

"Just a bit more Frodo," replied Kaoru, as she finally pulled the ropes, that bound her hands, "…got it. Hold on Frodo, I'm going to get you out now."

Kaoru then went over to Frodo and tried to loosen his bonds…

But a foot took Kaoru by surprise and pinned her to the floor. It was the Orc, Gorbag, who has survived the fight.

"Miss Kaoru!" cried Frodo, seeing Gorbag pin Kaoru to the ground.

"Just where do you think you're heading off to, missie?" Gorbag sneered at Kaoru, "stick around for awhile."

Frodo whimpered, not expecting to see Gorbag, or any of the Orcs or Uruks, this soon.

"And stop your squealing, you dung hill rat!" Gorbag added, growling furiously, using his left hand to pin Frodo to the ground.

The Orc drew his blade over them and gritted, "I'm gonna bleed you both, like stuck pigs!"

"Nooo!" cried Kaoru, as Gorbag went to kill her and Frodo…

But a hand suddenly grabbed Gorbag from behind… and the Orc gasped… as something stuck him in his back. Frodo and Kaoru looked up to see what stopped Gorbag…

It was a glittering blade thrusting through Gorbag, a blade that Frodo and Kaoru recognized very well…

'Sting?' thought Kaoru in bemused surprise…

As the face of Samwise Gamgee slowly appeared from behind the impaled Orc, with tears streaming in his eyes…

"…Not if I stick you first," gritted Sam, through clenched teeth.

"Sam!" Frodo cried out, very relieved to see Sam again.

Sam then pulled Sting out of Gorbag… and let him topple to the side as the sword dimmed. Afterwards… Yahiko came through the trap door behind Sam.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru cried out also brightened to see her apprentice.

"Heh," smirked Yahiko, "I told you that I would get Sam back up here to you, Frodo."

Frodo sighed brightly, as he was greatly surprised at Yahiko's persistence. It was amazing to him, as it was hardly surprising to Kaoru, knowing Yahiko a bit longer than Frodo.

"Kaoru, are you okay?" Yahiko turned to Kaoru--

And recoiled, seeing her half-naked, save her bandages. Kaoru wondered what was with Yahiko… but then she remembered that she had almost nothing on her chest, and covered herself. Sam was also taken back by the sight of the half-naked Kaoru, even more than the when he saw Frodo without a shirt on him.

"Here," said Yahiko, taking off his elven cloak, giving it to Kaoru, "use this."

"Sorry, Yahiko," replied a sheepish Kaoru, forgetting how bare she was, as she used the cloak to cover herself, "but, like you said, Yahiko, you told Frodo that you'd be back with Sam…

"As I told the same thing to Frodo," added Kaoru, turning to Frodo, "isn't that right?"

Frodo gave no reply, as he knew already that he was wrong, but only turned to Yahiko and Sam.

"Sam, Yahiko," said an apologetic Frodo, "I'm so sorry, sorry for everything! Please forgive me."

The rescuers glanced at each other for a brief moment… and smiled knowing that Frodo has admitted his mistake when he was being so ruthless to them.

Kaoru then interjected, "and I guess I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I didn't believe you about Gollum. Its just... he was struggling with himself. I've seen him. It was so like how Kenshin struggled with the manslayer within his heart."

Sam and Yahiko weren't so surprised, as the mention of Gollum's name was still an adversity for them.

"But unlike Kenshin," added Kaoru, "…Gollum wasn't strong enough to overcome his darkness."

"I'm sorry you had to be let down, Kaoru," said Yahiko, with a little sympathy, "but he didn't have Kenshin's heart."

"I know that now," replied Kaoru, uncertainly, still thinking of the woeful creature.

"I'll warrant that Gollum's still about, somewhere," gritted Sam.

"I don't think so," said Kaoru, "Frodo and I saw him fall down into a deep ravine when he tried to attack Frodo."

"If that's so," replied Sam, a little savored, "…goodbye and good riddance, I say."

Yahiko nodded, agreeing with Sam, while Kaoru gave no response, as she could only feel sorry for Gollum.

"Come on, let's get you out of here, Mr. Frodo," said Sam as he laid down Sting, and began to finish untying Frodo's bonds.

"It's too late, it's over," Frodo said to Sam in despair, "they've taken it."

"What?" asked Sam, in confusion.

"Sam… they took the ring," Frodo clarified for Sam.

"What do you mean, Frodo?" inquired Yahiko in nonchalant bewilderment.

"They've taken everything, Yahiko, everything," interjected Kaoru with the same despair as Frodo, "…not just the ring, but our worlds as well!"

Sam and Yahiko were still confused, as they had no angry or upsetting reactions to this news.

Kaoru went on gloomily, "the Orcs probably took it, when Frodo and I were stung by that monster spider. Everything that we've done, or at least tried to do to save our worlds, was all for nothing… now that the Orcs have taken the ring back to Sauron."

After Kaoru finished, she crumpled a trembling fist in her hand, as she lowered her head and tightened her eyes, whimpering in their failure. Yahiko and Sam glanced at themselves again, still not reacting to the reality of the failure of the quest…

Sam then turned back to Kaoru and said, "…beggin' your pardon, Miss Kaoru, but they haven't."

Kaoru's eyes snapped open and slowly lifted her head, gasping in surprise to hear this revelation. Frodo also gasped surprisingly as Sam stood up in front of them… went into his pocket…

And pulled out a chain… with an unadorned band of gold hanging on it in suspension. Frodo and Kaoru's eyes widened at the sight of the ring… as they instantly recognized the ring and immediately felt the corruptive power slowly resonating from it…

"It--it's… it's the One Ring," said a gasping, stuttering Kaoru in bewildered and bemused relief to know that the quest hadn't failed yet, "then--"

"…I thought we'd lost you," explained Sam, his eyes pleading for understanding, "so we took it, Mr. Frodo."

"Sam and I were the ones who drove off that big bug that stung you and Kaoru," Yahiko added his explanation, "…then we heard the Orcs coming, and Sam took the time to dig out the ring from all that webbing that you were in, Frodo. And we would've left you guys for dead and gone on to continue the quest by ourselves… if one of these creeps hadn't blurted out that you were just out cold."

Kaoru contemplated what Yahiko said… and it all made sense. Why else would they have the ring? He and Sam were the ones that saved her and Frodo from being eaten by Shelob, and were taken prisoner later on. Kaoru was very surprised to hear that Yahiko had the guts to take on a giant spider. She knew that she and Frodo owed their lives to the young, courageous pair.

"It was only for safekeeping, Mr. Frodo," said Sam, as he slowly held the ring towards Frodo, "here… it's yours again."

"Give it to me," Frodo said to Sam, tension entering his voice…

Sam lowered the chain further as Frodo went to take the ring back. But then… Sam stopped where he was… and retracted from giving the ring to Frodo…

"…Give me the ring, Sam," Frodo said more firmly, holding his hand out as Sam recoiled further, still holding the Ring in his hand, his face tense, sweat beading his brow.

Yahiko turned to Sam and said, "what are you doing, Sam? Just give the ring to him, already--"

But Yahiko suddenly lowered his eyes toward the ring…

And the young Samurai held his gaze upon the band of gold… as its powers were starting to corrupt him… then began to step towards Sam, slowly reaching his hand out for the ring…

"Yahiko," Kaoru spoke to her apprentice…

Yahiko moved closer towards Sam, who stepped even further away from Frodo. Frodo slowly became distressed, as he feared that Yahiko and Sam might try to fight over the ring as Boromir did when he tried to take the ring from him…

Yahiko's hand neared towards the ring…

"YAHIKO!" Kaoru roared out to Yahiko… and he quickly tore his gaze from the ring to face Kaoru. As he did…

Yahiko gazed upon his teacher's face… to see that she was scowling fiercely, like an undomesticated beast. Usually, when Kaoru gets mad at Yahiko… he would talk back, and they would have a big fight. But this time… it wasn't like all those arguments that he and Kaoru have had in the past.

Yahiko could easily tell that Kaoru was really angry… so angry that the furious expression upon her face had scared him with utter fear… perhaps the first time that Yahiko had ever… experienced fear within the face of his teacher, in his whole life.

Frodo saw that Kaoru's anger had frozen Yahiko and he had not attempted to look back to the ring…

"…Sam!" called out Frodo, a little sharply to Sam, as he held his hand out again, "give me the ring."

Sam looked upon Frodo once more, hearing his call…

Moments passed…

Then Sam slowly started to walk towards Frodo, who held out a trembling hand…

"Come on, Sam," Frodo said softly to Sam…

Kaoru held her fierce, angered gaze upon Yahiko, telling him not to make a move to snatch the ring, or else. Yahiko continued to obey his master's silent command…

As Sam moved closer towards Frodo…

"That's it," Frodo encouraged Sam to proceed further towards him.

Sam lowered the ring near Frodo…

And Frodo quickly snatched it away from Sam, breaking the ring's spell. Kaoru released her angered expression the moment that Frodo took the ring back. Frodo gasped with great relief as everyone watched him softly placing the chain back over his neck… and sagged under its growing weight.

Kaoru, however, as she was gazing at Frodo putting the ring back over his neck… at once felt distressed, as she could feel her desires for the ring returning to her, plaguing her every thought. Undoubtedly, her scowl was that of a person who didn't want anyone else to take what the other person wanted as she herself… still wanted the ring. They were all very, very near towards the dark lord's land from where they were now.

As Frodo finished settling the ring back over his neck, he said to the others, "…my friends, you must understand… the ring is my burden, and I must be the one to carry it to the very end! It will destroy you… destroy you all."

"You're wrong, Frodo," interjected Kaoru, "this burden… isn't just yours to carry."

Frodo looked puzzled, as well as shocked to hear Kaoru say something like that. The Hobbit continued to underestimate the woman's faith.

Kaoru went on, "on some level, Sam and Yahiko were right earlier, about wanting to share the weight together. The ring is our burden, just as it is yours, because we chose to go with you, regardless of whether it will destroy us or not. Its tempted us, as much as it has been tempting you. My temptation began, ever since we started the journey, at the time when we were first cornered by the Ringwraiths."

Sam and Yahiko gasped a little, to hear of Kaoru's temptation of the ring had been with her for as long as they had this journey. Still, they were pleased to hear her confession, as was Frodo.

"And I'm still fighting to resist the ring, just like you," Kaoru compassionately added further, "so you see, you're not carrying this burden alone as well as you think you are. However, I don't think that we'll ever be able to carry it like you can Frodo.

"When you say that you must carry the burden alone… you were so much like Kenshin, as he also thought that he must put the weight of the world on his shoulders, just to ensure the safety of those he cares for," finished Kaoru, with a smile.

"…You always humor me with your speeches, don't you, Miss Kaoru?" responded Frodo, with his bittersweet smile.

Kaoru nodded.

"Come on," said Sam, picking up Sting, "let's be on our way now, Mr. Frodo. There's no time to express our regrets or sorrows."

"Right, Sam," Frodo nodded to Sam as he tried to get up, but shuddered and gasped while trying to stand under the weight of the ring.

"Here," said Kaoru, lending her hand to Frodo, "let me help you up, Frodo."

But… the cloak slipped off her chest… and gasped as she noticed that her chest uncovered again, and grabbed the cloak to wrap her chest in it. Yahiko looked away, not willing to see her half-naked body.

"Please, tell me when she's got something to wear," Yahiko said in embarrassment, "I don't care how ugly she is."

Kaoru growled in her breath, exasperated to hear Yahiko's bad-mouthing. She wished that she kept her frightening scowl on him. Frodo even managed a little chuckle at Kaoru's reaction to Yahiko's insults, though weighed down by the ring.

Sam then said, "well, he's right, Miss Kaoru. Before we start heading off, we'd best find you and Frodo some clothes. The both of you can't go walking through Mordor in naught but your skins."

Later on…

The travelers left the once-fortified tower… adorned in the armor and helmets of the Orcs and Uruk-Hai. Sam, Frodo, and Yahiko wore the Orc armor, as Kaoru wore one of the Uruk's armors. Finally leaving behind the horrors of the dreaded pass of Cirith Ungol…

The travelers slowly trudged over the rocky ground… approaching the edge of a hill…

And gazed upon Orodruin, the mountain of fire itself, Mt. Doom, and the black land of Mordor, littered with the campfires that dotted the plains like stars in the sky on a clear dark night, surrounding the fiery crag all around it…

"We did it, Mr. Frodo," said Sam, preparing for the absolute worst, "we all made it to Mordor."

"So," added Yahiko, forebodingly, "…we're finally here."

Kaoru nodded in affirmation, as she herself prepared for a most vexing trek across Sauron's lands.

"There are so many of them," observed Frodo with dread, gazing upon the many thousands of Orcs that were between them and Mt. Doom, "we'll never get through unseen."

"The Orc armor that we're wearing," interjected Kaoru, "might be able to fool them, Frodo. So, it could be the one and only advantage we have."

"Let's just hope we can fool them for that long, Miss Kaoru," said Sam.

"Look over there," Yahiko broke in, pointing at a strange light that was sweeping Mordor, "it must be acting like some kind of search light or something."

The others spotted the light that Yahiko pointed to… and traced it going up into the sky… towards the top of the tower of Barad-dûr…

"Its him," rasped Frodo, recoiling in fear, "the eye…!"

It was the Eye of Sauron that the travelers saw, overlooking Mordor. The Eye shone its dark fiery light into the darkness, a menacing presence for all those who wander so unwittingly into his land. Kaoru's eyes widened in fear, as she had, at last, gazed upon Sauron's eye… as a flash of it appeared in her mind, hindering her happy thoughts that were now starting to fade.

'…So, at last,' thought Yahiko, filling himself with pride, with narrowed eyes and a firm, bawled up fist, to see Sauron, '…I got to see whom we're all up against. I felt left out because I didn't get to see Shishio's face. But now I feel relieved… because I'm going to prove how great I really am, right here in Mordor, by keeping the promise I made to Kenshin!'

"We have to go in there, Mr. Frodo," said Sam, "there's nothing for it."

"Besides," added Yahiko, "we've made it this far… and there's no turning back."

"That's right," agreed Kaoru, with a nod.

"…Come on," said Sam, encouragingly, "let's all just make it down the hill for starters."

Frodo knew that his friends were correct… they were very close to the final step of the journey, and they couldn't turn around now. And with that… Frodo went on down the hill first, with Sam, Kaoru, and Yahiko following behind him.

< i>Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Lord of the Rings. RK is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Lord of the Rings is the property of Professor J. R. R. Tolkien

A/n: Well, I guess you people can relax, now that I've finally gone back to Frodo's group, and began the final journey of Mordor. Yep, it's getting very, very close to the fires of Doom now, and so close to the end of the fic. Please r/r.