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Chapter 32: Land of Shadows, journey through Mordor











Frodo Baggins, Kaoru Kamiya, Samwise Gamgee, and Yahiko Myojin finally reached the land of Mordor, after crossing the precariously treacherous pass of Cirith Ungol and all its terrors. The travelers slid down towards the bottom of the hill in the Orc armor and helmets that they confiscated from the tower, hearing the sounding horns and the beating of their drums, as they saw... that every Orc between them and Mt. Doom was deserting the ashy, smoky plateau.





"Look, the Orcs, they're moving off!" cried Sam in relief, seeing the Orcs marching off towards the Black Gate, "you see Mr. Frodo... some luck at last."

"I doubt it was just luck, Sam," interjected Yahiko, "knowing the Orcs, they wouldn't be deserting their territory, not if it wasn't really important."

"Well, there's definitely no mistake in that," replied Sam, "but why would the Orcs move off so suddenly?"

"...I think I know," interjected Kaoru, "...its Kenshin... I know it is."



Frodo, Yahiko, and Sam looked at her, a little surprised at her supposition...



"...He's here," added Kaoru, with tears in her eyes, "I don't know how, but I believe that Kenshin's made it here. He's with us in Mordor... I can feel it."

Frodo, though still sagged by the ring's weight... felt the same as Kaoru, as he could also feel that Aragorn, Kenshin, and the others have arrived, finding a safer road as he hoped they would...





"Move it, you slugs!" the company suddenly heard harsh voices from a distance, as they turned to the side...





And saw a twinkle of torches, along with the noise of marching feet, coming from less than a mile away. It was a battalion of Orcs heading fast towards them.



"Come on, faster!" the voice of the Orc whipmaster shouted amongst the ranks.

"Oh no, they'll see us!" gasped Kaoru despairingly as the others looked wildly around, trying to find a place to hide.

"Quick, against the wall!" said Sam suggestively as everyone rushed off of the path to sit into a small dark pit of gloom, under the shadow of the cliff, hoping not to be seen.

Yahiko then spoke, "I don't get it, you guys. We're also wearing Orc armor, maybe we could tell them we have orders to stay in Mordor, or something."

"Think about it, you dummy," chided Kaoru, "you said so yourself that the Orcs were leaving for something important, and its probably for a battle. If they see us, they'll definitely drag us along, no matter what we say."

"Shh! Quiet you two," hushed Sam to Yahiko and Kaoru.



The marching Orcs were massing even closer to where the disguised travelers were, going at a great pace, their red flames growing in the dark.

"Come along now, you scum!" growled the Whipmaster, cracking his whip at the troops, "I'll whip you down to the bone, you!"



Fearing the cruel voice of the Whipmaster and the sound of his whip... Sam held his hand up to his face and bowed his head, hoping that his face would be hidden from the troops that were now passing them...



"Come on!" yelled the Whipmaster, continuously, "what have I told you? FORMATION! Stay in formation! Now move it!"

The Whipmaster himself then appeared directly in front of the companions. But the Orc quickly turned his head to the side, spotting Frodo and the others huddled up together, wearing the Orc armor, thinking they were deserters.



"GET UP!" the Orc roared at the travelers, lashing his whip at them, "come on, you slugs! You lot, are going straight to the front line!"

Kaoru, Frodo, Sam, and Yahiko stood up attentively, being unintentionally drafted for war, preparing to march with the Orc legions.



"Move it! Go on, all of you, fall in!" ordered the Whipmaster, shoving the travelers into the line, "move it, move it, move it!"





As the travelers began marching with the line, they noticed that the Orcs were loping along, holding their heads down. They were a gang of the smaller breeds, unwillingly driven to the war. All they cared about was getting the March overwith and escape the terrible crack of the whip. Yahiko could relate to that, as he was now one of the unwilling members of the marching army. And Kaoru especially disliked marching into battle, as she remembered how her father was drafted for the Seinan Wars in Japan, and never returned.

The march became a nightmare for Frodo. The stench of the sweaty Orcs was stifling for him, and he began to gasp with thirst. Sam became fearful as the march was wearing him down, as well as his other friends. There was no hope of falling out unseen. If either of them should faint from all the marching, all would be discovered, and their bitter efforts shall be in vain.



"To the gate, you slugs, now move it!" the Whipmaster reiterated his commands, continuing to beat the Orcs with his whip.

On, the Orcs went, like black fire ants with lit torches, passing over the Black land. The line in which the travelers were marching in began to converge with several other lines from the South and from Barad-dûr, driven by Uruk-Hai whipmasters, that were massing ever closer to the Black Gate of Mordor.



"Faster!" the Whipmaster of the travelers' line kept barking his instructions, "don't you know we're at WAR?!"

'Oh great,' thought Yahiko impatiently, as he turned his head to the direction of Mt. Doom, 'while we're going to war, they're moving us away from Mt. Doom! We've got to get out of this somehow.'









As the Orcs continued heading North... Aragorn, Kenshin, and all the other companies of the west advanced further to Mordor. The march was not as harsh as the marching lines of Mordor. Everybody went at a decent pace enough for the soldiers so none of them would be tired when the time came to fight...







The drums of the Orcs beat endlessly as the lines drew near to the entrance of Udûn, across a rocky landscape, where tents were surrounded all over. The travelers were moving a great deal away from Mt. Doom. At this rate... the Ring would be caught in the conflict that will take place at the Black Gate.



"Company... halt!" the Orc Whipmaster commanded, cracking his whip a few times on the ground.

VROOOOOOMMMM!!!!! A horn sounded as the Orcs reached a stopping point in their march.

The Whipmaster turned ahead sounding off, "inspection!"



"Sam, help me," said Frodo in a small voice, as he was finally giving out, ready to collapse.

"Mr. Frodo!" gasped Sam as he caught Frodo.



Kaoru and Yahiko were right next to the Hobbits, seeing Frodo falling so suddenly... as the Orc inspector, with a bludgeoned nose, walked among the ranks, observing the fitness and discipline of the troops, making each effort to stand them up with the correct posture. The travelers knew that the Inspector would be upon them soon, and they had to get Frodo to stand...



"Stand up, Mr. Frodo," Sam said urgently, "stand up!"

"You have to stand, Frodo," Kaoru mentioned seriously, "we're being inspected or something."

"None of us likes to be here Frodo," added Yahiko, "but you've got to hold out just a bit longer."

"Its so heavy," said Frodo wearily.



Sam, Yahiko, and Kaoru then looked underneath Frodo's helmet... to see that the chain was reddening his neck. The others knew, without a doubt that the ring was acting up again.

The Orc inspector continued his inspections... then stopped all of a sudden, as he turned his head in the direction of the disguised travelers...



"Oh no," gasped Sam in dismay that the no-nosed inspector had already noticed them.

OOIINNNK!!! The Inspector bellowed loudly like a hog, starting to move up toward the travelers.

"What do we do?" Sam asked frantically, hastily turning his head, in all directions, "what do we do?"



Time was running out for them, as the Orc inspector continued shoving his way through the line of crowds to get to the travelers...



"Hit me," suggested Frodo.

"What?" asked Sam in confusion.

"Hit me, Sam," Frodo desperately repeated to the others, "everyone, start fighting."

"Get off of me!" yelled Sam, punching Frodo to the ground, playing along, "nobody pushes me, you filthy maggot!"



As Frodo was punched... Yahiko lightly bumped into Kaoru. Kaoru and Yahiko, remembering the suggestion, nodded in understanding.



Kaoru then pushed Yahiko, shouting, "hey watch where you're standing! You don't get to bump into me like that!"

"What are you talking about?" Yahiko pushed back, "he bumped into me first, ugly!"

"What was that!" Kaoru retaliated as she and Yahiko began grappling each other, then tumbled to the ground.



The Orcs gathered round the fighting travelers, enjoying the little play skirmish, while raising their blades in a cheering salute. The no-nosed inspector grimaced, continuing to push himself among the troops, to see what was happening... as Frodo punched away Sam, who then rushed back at Frodo, continuing the conflict.

"Get off of me!" Sam cried out, grappling at Frodo.



Grappling and punching at one another, Kaoru and Yahiko exchanged very mean words, just to keep up the appearance of their scuffle.



"I'm gonna knife you, ya stinking Morgul rat!" snarled Kaoru.

"I'd sure like to see you try!" Yahiko shot back.



"Break it up! Break it up!" the Orc whipmaster came in, starting to lash his whip at the travelers urging them to stop their fights.

"Oi!" the Inspector hollered, calling the whipmaster's attention away from the travelers, demanding, "I'll have your guts, if you don't shut this rabble down!"



"Go Sam, now!" Frodo called to Sam.

"Come on, come on," Sam waved a beckoning hand at Kaoru and Yahiko, as he dragged Frodo with him.

"Let's go, Kaoru," Yahiko called silently to Kaoru, as all of them began to scuttle quickly along the ground, crawling away out of the line unnoticed, while it was still in disarray.



The Orc inspector stepped into the circle where the fight occurred, seeing that nobody was around... while the travelers safely entered into a tent nearby.



"Agh, move along scum!" ordered the Inspector, disregarding what happened earlier.

"BACK IN THE LINE!" shouted the Whipmaster, while cracking his whip, getting the Orcs back in their positions, "you maggots! Get back into the line you slugs! Dig it, you slugs! Move it, come on...!"



The horn sounded again as the battalion resumed their march. Kaoru, Sam, Frodo, and Yahiko left the tent through the back, running as far away from the Orcs and their slave drivers as they possibly could, scavenging across the cragged landscape to resume their quest.











With several days passed after the company marched out from Minas Tirith to Mordor's Black Gates... Éowyn, lady of Rohan stood alone in the gardens, with a hopeless expression on her face. Faramir came in, spotting the woman of Rohan, walking up slowly to her.



"The city has fallen silent," lamented Éowyn, with a bittersweet smile, "...there is no warmth left in the sun. It grows so cold."

Faramir stood next to Éowyn and said assuredly, "its just the damp of the first spring rain."



Éowyn then turned to Faramir, as her eyes showed her doubts clearly to him, to which Faramir returned with his gaze of understanding, as well as hope.



"I do not believe this darkness will endure," Faramir faithfully told Éowyn.

"...Most of my life has been in darkness," Éowyn returned, full of sorrow, "I looked for death in battle for so long."

"Death in battle may come to us all yet, willingly or unwillingly," stated Faramir kindly, "in the meantime, you and I must endure with patience the hours of waiting."



Éowyn nodded, understanding their situation. She was the most worried about whether her closest friends among the army that have marched out days ago will ever return. With that in mind, she turned back to face the east, to the mountainous borders of Mordor.



"Do you believe that Aoshi and Misao will return?" asked Éowyn.

"Yes I do," answered Faramir, "along with Kenshin, the Lord Aragorn... even the Halfling Frodo and his company."

"I have heard that two of Kenshin's friends are with Frodo, and that you have met them," mentioned Éowyn, "I have met every one of Kenshin's companions except those two. What are they like?"

"Well," Faramir replied, explaining, "Kaoru Kamiya thinks of Kenshin so much that she feared for him when I mentioned Boromir's death, and she wasn't even aware of it at the time. She is a very understanding person and would help those less fortunate than herself. But the young child Yahiko... he is a fiery one indeed--brash and full of mischief. He doesn't always treat Kaoru with the respect that she deserves at times. However, Yahiko would always try to act out about how tough he can really be in the face of danger."



Éowyn gaily laughed, after hearing this colorful explanation of Yahiko's character, as Faramir laughed along with her.



"The children of Kenshin's world must have a great rebellious streak indeed," said a brightened Éowyn, "who knows... one day Middle-Earth might even breed such high-spirited youths like Yahiko."

"Indeed," replied Faramir with optimism.



The pair stood still as time halted for them, as they both waited for something, that neither of them knew what it was. At that moment... Faramir and Éowyn's hands slowly met and clasped affectionately, as they once did on their first night together.



Faramir then spoke passionately, "Éowyn of Rohan, I say to you that you are beautiful. Neither flower nor lady in Gondor is so lovely and sorrowful as you are. And you have truly won great renown that shall not be forgotten. Were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, or even the blissful Queen of Gondor herself...I would love you still. If darkness does fall upon our world, I hope to face it steadily when it comes. But it would ease my heart, Lady Éowyn... that I would have the chance to hold you in my arms once more."





Éowyn smiled graciously at Faramir's earnestly loving request... and laid her head onto his chest. Faramir embraced Éowyn, stroking her fair hair so smoothly as he had always done, that made Éowyn feel very comfortable around him. With that, the couple stood alone for long moments by themselves in the gardens.









Four days passed in Mordor after Frodo, Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sam escaped from the Orc armies, and now walked across the desolate, rocky plain of Gorgoroth, which was completely deserted, making a clear path across Mordor. Down on the stones behind the mountainous fences of the Black Land, the air seemed almost dead, chill and yet stifling. The ground was dreary, flat and drab-hued. Broad, smoking fissures that were pocked into the plains, sent clouds of heat into the air here and there amongst the rocks...



Slowly... and painfully... they clambered along, stumbling and scrambling over rock, briar, and dead wood...



The heavy armor of the Orcs and Uruks became heavy for them all to bear, with the intolerable rotting stench of the skins they wore, adding to their misfortune of the trek within Sauron's territory. Frodo staggered very wearily under the added weight of the Orc armor, as the ring alone... was enough to wear him down. The Ringbearer knew that he could not go much farther with the extra burden...



The path became hotter and hotter each step... as the travelers were very near... to Mount Doom.





So far, the companions had no other hindrances to their quest. One day, they all trundled up a rocky hill. Sam was in the lead, followed by Yahiko, Kaoru, and Frodo in the rear. Suddenly... Frodo, becoming more wearisome of the heavy Orc armor... tripped over a rock, crashing onto the ground.



"Frodo!" cried Kaoru as she went down to the Hobbit, who was strained with exhaustion, "can you stand?"

"...I can't," Frodo panted heavily, as he removed his helmet, tossing it aside, "I can't--I can't manage the ring, Miss Kaoru. Its, its--its such a weight to carry."



Kaoru stared gloomily at Frodo's tiredness, helplessly watching him breathe with much difficult fatigue and suffering.



"It--such a weight," finished Frodo, rather drained.

Sam then uncovered his head and pointed with his blade at Mt. Doom, saying, "we're going that way, straight as we can. There's no point in carrying anything we're not sure to need."

"Yeah," added Yahiko as he removed his helmet, "this armor for one, its too uncomfortable."

"Not to mention it smells like decaying corpses," said Kaoru, taking her Orc helmet off her head also, "and this helmet's totally ruining my hair and my womanly facial features."

"Since when did you ever have womanly features, ugly?" Yahiko impudently remarked his usual insults at Kaoru, to which she grunted miserably.

"I'll be personally glad to get rid of this stinking armor myself," said Sam, pleasurably, "we'll be Orcs no more from this moment on."

"...If there be any Orc here, let them take me if they will," muttered a flustered Frodo, "...for I find myself too tired to go any further."



Sam, Yahiko and Kaoru stared gloomily at Frodo, as he made his statement, showing that his hope was now leaving him, slowly.





With that, they carried all the Orc gear they had with them, to one of the many gaping fissures that scored the land and threw them in, one by one... including the cooking pans that Sam carried during the entire journey. Having to part with his pans was a death-knell to Sam's heart, as he heard the clatter of metal sounding down into the darkness they fell in.

The travelers took a rest within an outcropping of rock, seeing it was nightfall. Sam, Kaoru, Yahiko and Frodo were shaking uncomfortably, feeling much cold as they were now without their cloaks and other warm clothing, save the clothes that they were wearing. All they had at this point, were their own arms, as well as each other to keep warm. Sam suddenly looked up, as a dim, bright light shone on his face...





"Mr. Frodo," said Sam to Frodo, in a small trembling voice, "...look."

Kaoru and Yahiko turned their gazes up to where Sam was looking... and saw there, peeping among the cloud-wrack, high up in the mountains... a white, bright twinkling star, which beauty smote their hearts greatly, as hope returned to them from inside the forsaken land they were in.



"There is light," Sam added fondly, while looking at the glittering star, "and beauty up there... that no shadow can touch."

"He's right, Frodo, its quite wonderful," said Kaoru brightly, complimenting the star they saw, "you should really see it... Frodo...?"



Sam turned down to look at Frodo... who wasn't answering to his or Kaoru's calls... but continued to shiver uncomfortably, suffering in a way that neither of them had ever seen before.



"Mr. Frodo doesn't look too well," observed Sam hopelessly, "I thought that lightening the load would make him feel a bit lighter. I guess it didn't work it seems. I fear that he really might not want to continue any further, like he said."

"Ugh, but he can't give out now," returned Yahiko in exasperation, "there has to be something we can do."

"Frodo's about lost his hope, Yahiko," mentioned Kaoru, "and its not like we can try to take the ring like you and Sam did last time, otherwise he'll go mad. The ring almost has him in his power now."

"...Maybe there's one solution Miss Kaoru," Sam interjected with a suggestion, "we could try carrying Mr. Frodo, along with the ring, up to the mountain together, since it's not possible for any of us to bear that accursed thing by ourselves. I'd carry him up myself, if it were up to me alone. I don't even care if it breaks my back and heart. I'd definitely get there, if I were to leave everything but my bones behind."

Yahiko hardened himself as he said, "that sounds like a good idea to me. I wouldn't care much either if I got maimed or injured while carrying Frodo to that rotten mountain, so long as it got the job done."



Kaoru lightened herself, as she silently agreed with her other companions' resolution to the problem that Frodo was now having.



"We'll think about what to do with Frodo later, if carrying him to Mt. Doom truly becomes a last resort for us," advised Kaoru, "...but right now, we better get some sleep. We're all going to need it."

Sam and Yahiko nodded affirmatively, knowing that they should all take some rest after traveling such a long way across Mordor. However... they all may not be able to rest completely...







As the Eye of Sauron, atop Barad-dûr tower, still shone its light, determined to find the ring, constantly sensing its power nearby, within his kingdom. The evil eye suddenly began to set its light near to where the travelers were for a few brief moments...



Then moved on again to continue his personal hunt for his tool of absolute power.











Kenshin, Aragorn, Gandalf, and the remaining forces of Men neared the pass of Cirith Gorgor. It was a very long march that lasted nearly a week, as the men marched light with what provisions they had so that they would be able to fight. Mounted upon horses... Kenshin and Aragorn looked to their side...





And looked upon the great, vast fortified iron entrance to Mordor, spanning a great distance across, connecting Ered Lithui to Ephel Dúath, guarded by the towers of Narchost and Carchost on either side of the entrance...



'The Black Gate, of Mordor,' thought Kenshin, with narrowed eyes, as he and his friends from both Middle-Earth and Japan... have nearly come to the final battle...













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: what can I say? The climax is on the rise, folks. I'd like to thank my reviewers and admirers, for their continuous love and support of my epic crossover fic. And I'm trying my best to keep my promise to finish posting the fic by the end of 2005 to the beginning of 2006. That is, of course, if I'll be able to have enough money to pay the bills.

Please read and review, and don't forget to check out those new sites, okay. Bye.