Megan gasped a bit, when the Orc suddenly fell over to the side; dead. She swallowed hard and saw an arrow in the back of its head. Her eyes were wide and full of fear, but they were also filled with hope and ambition. She saw Legolas and then stood up, staying near his side. She looked up into his eyes and smiled a little. "Thank you, Legolas..." She said softly, knowing that he had saved her life. For that one moment, she could feel love from him. But, then it was gone.

She placed her hand on his arm and then took a shaky breath, before looking ahead. She didn't care about her arm and the wound anymore. She only cared about protecting the Fellowship. She got her sword out again and then hurried to the remainder of the Orcs, showing off some fancy moves to avoid getting hit.

Fighting alongside the Fellowship was where she belonged. She knew it now. Slaying the final Orc, she stood there panting heavily and staring down at it. Her vision blurred slightly and then she blinked a few times, trying to relax. She rested her head in her hands and dropped her sword at her feet. The blood loss was getting to her now.

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Frodo nodded in agreement with Arabella and then got their weapons. "Come on! We fight!" He shouted to her and grabbed her hand, hurrying toward the Orcs. He squeezed her hand and then let go of her, once they arrived to the Orcs.

He had killed some of his enemies and felt very good about doing so. He wanted to protect Arabella and Amara. He didn't care about himself anymore and he completely ignored the pain in his shoulder.

This wasn't about him. It was about the Ring and the girls.

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It all happened so fast. She stuck by Frodo's side, alternating between attacking Orcs and casting Shield spells, trying to attack and defend as best she could. When the last Orc fell, she ran to Megan's side. Gandalf walked over, his brows furrowed in concern. Allison's face grew white as she saw how much blood Megan had lost. Her eyes met Gandalf's, and suddenly she knew what she had to do.

"Here, sit down," she told Megan gently, holding onto her to steady her. "Sit. You need to rest."

-----------------

He stayed by Amara's side until the last Orc had fallen, cursing himself in his head. This was his fault. If he had been doing as he had been instructed, Amara would not have gotten hurt. He gently took her in his arms and helped her sit down, looking in horror at her arm, which was still bleeding profusely. "Mithrandir!" he called. "She needs medicine!"

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Megan listened to Allison and slowly sat down on the ground, leaning against Legolas. She took a shaky breath and looked down to her arm, whimpering a bit in pain. She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lower lip hard, before looking to Allison. "Arabella... I was only trying to protect... You..." She whispered and swallowed hard, feeling bad for letting her guard down. She had been too busy crying and not paying enough attention. It almost cost her her friend's life.

Slowly, her face started to turn even more pale; her eyes losing some of its glimmer. She sighed deeply and then looked up to Legolas, feeling tears reach her eyes. She didn't say anything to him, but for some reason, she felt like she didn't need to. She felt some of the darkness take over, but it wasn't fully taking effect yet.

"Legolas..." She whispered weakly and her eyes started slowly closing, as if she were drifting into a deep sleep.

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Frodo hurried over to Amara like everyone else had and then sat at her side, holding onto her hand tightly. He swallowed hard and looked to Arabella nervously, as Amara started to close her eyes. "What are you going to do?" He asked his secret love, softly. He really hoped that Arabella could save her best friend.

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Aragorn stayed on the side, watching the scene play out as it went. He hung his head low in sadness, only hoping for the best for Amara. He knew that Arabella had the capability to save her best friend and heal her. But, the wound would take time to fully heal.

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This was it. She had to prove her worth now, or her best friend would die. She knelt before her, trying to remember the Elvish words she made up in her story for her healing spell. This was all wrong. In her story, she had healed herself after she had hit her head. No one was dying, no one was in serious pain. Just a little blood and a flash of pale blue light and it was over. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

But it had.

She dropped to her knees beside Megan, her hands trembling as she reached for her friend's injured arm. "I'm sorry," she whispered, trying not to hurt her. "Stay with me..." She looked at Megan helplessly, unable to move for a moment.

Then, though, it was if someone else had taken over her movements. Instinctively, she knew what to do, as if she had always had the knowledge of healing and not known it. Just like it had in her story. With one hand, she covered Megan's wound, pressing down lightly. She murmured the Elvish incantation softly, the words that she had been so unsure about during her research now sounding confident and sure.

Opening her eyes, she watched as a blue light began to flow from her fingertips and into Megan's arm. Removing her hand, Allison's eyes widened as the wound slowly began to close itself up, leaving behind an angry red scar. That's not supposed to happen, she thought, her mind practically in a daze. It usually doesn't scar...

The world around her was spinning, just like it had been the first time she had used magic, only so much worse. Like she had anticipated, healing magic was far more powerful and more draining than shields. Gandalf's training could only do so much, and they hadn't prepared for this, the first time she had tried healing. "Amara..." she whispered before her world went black, plunging her into darkness as she fell backwards.

-------------------

Legolas held Amara's hand desperately, willing the Valar to help her. "I'm here," he whispered in their tongue when she spoke his name. His eyes flickered to Arabella, now kneeling on Amara's other side. Save her, he ordered silently. You owe it to her--to all of us. Save her.

He watched in amazement as Arabella performed her healing spell. In his long years on this earth, he had never seen anything like it, though tales of healing magic had been told for ages. The blood ceased to flow from Amara's arm, and the wound began to close itself as if invisible stitches were being knit together. Some of the color came back into Amara's face, and he relaxed, though he knew he wouldn't be able to be at ease until he saw her open her eyes again, until he knew that she would be spared.

Sam let out a cry as Arabella fainted, bringing Legolas' attention away from Amara. Gandalf rushed forward, looking concerned. "That may have cost her much," he said, looking down at the Hobbit's still form. "She brought Amara back from the brink of death, but I have not trained her to deal with such a drain of her own energy. She'll be all right, but..."

Legolas had heard all he needed to--he focused back on the elf maiden again. "Amara?" he whispered as the Hobbits rushed to tend to Arabella. "Please. Come back to me."

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Megan had temporarily slipped into darkness and knocked unconscience, as Alison tried her hardest to heal her. She was having a dream. She laid in a field of blooming flowers and the sun was shining bright above her. She slowly sat up and looked down to her arm, which had a bright red scar in the place of a wound. She frowned a bit and then looked up, seeing Lady Galadriel walking toward her with a kind smile and an outstretched hand. "Come... It is not your time." She said softly. Confused, Megan took Galadriel's hand and then woke up.

Slowly opening her eyes, reality sunk in finally for Megan. She swallowed hard and looked down to her arm. It still had the scar like in her dream. Allison had saved her. Allison! She then quickly looked over and saw Gandalf and the Hobbits tending to her unconscience body. She had fear in her eyes. Oh my god, I've done this to her... She felt an immense amount of guilt course through her body.

She then realized that someone was holding her, as she laid on the ground. She slowly looked up and saw that it was Legolas. Her Legolas; her protector. She swallowed hard and then tried her hardest to push her feelings aside. Even though, she could see concern across his facial features. "Legolas..." She whispered softly, smiling a little to him.

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Frodo watched in amazement as Arabella used her healing spell to heal Amara back to health. He smiled widely at the bright light that emitted from her fingertips and then saw the wound heal up into an irritated scar. He then gasped a bit, as Arabella fell backwards and passed out. "Oi!" He shouted and scurried over to her, having others follow suit.

He held Arabella in his arms and kept her close to him. "Arabella! Wake up!" He said to her in a stern voice, hoping that she would be okay. He gave a pleading look to Gandalf, hearing all that he said about her.

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"She won't wake," Gandalf said gently, placing one hand on Arabella's forehead as if he was checking something. "Not like that. You must let her wake up on her own." He gave the Hobbits a warm smile, though it was marred by sadness. "You are good friends to her, all of you," he said, looking from Merry and Pippin to Sam, who sat holding Arabella's hand, to Frodo cradling her in his arms. "The best you can do for her now is stay close and wait. It may take several hours. Her dreams may be troubled. Just stay by her side and she will be fine."

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As she lay unconscious, Allison slipped into a strange dream state. Familiar figures passed her as she walked alone in a darkening wood, but none would stop when she called out to them. Gandalf and Frodo walked on by without a second glance, as did Megan and Legolas. A woman that was her mother and yet not her mother passed her--Allison recognized her as the mother she had created for the character Arabella in her story. "Mama?" she called in her dream, her true mother now forgtten. In her dreamlike state, the lines between real and fantasy had begun to blur. Here, she was no longer Allison. She was Arabella, and this was her mother.

The woman stopped and stared at her before running away into the forest. "Mama!" Arabella called, chasing after her. They seemed to cover more ground than was possible, crossing the entire forest in only a few moments. Now they were in a small village and approaching a house. The woman walked through the door and shut it behind her, but Arabella could not open it. Suddenly, the house burst into flames as Orcs who had been hiding nearby set fire to it, and Arabella fled, watching as the fire devoured the house and those inside it. "Mama!" she cried. "Mama!"

In her dream, she did not recall her life in the real world. She saw the events as if she were recalling them from memory...which, in a way, she was.

The scene changed, and Arabella saw the eye of the Enemy for the first time. She froze, rooted to the spot. "I see you," he said menacingly.

She closed her eyes tightly in her dream. When she opened them again, she was back in the forest of light, and Galadriel stood before her. Her memory as Arabella recalled seeing her when she was very small--her memories as Allison were still unreachable in her dream. "Arabella, daughter of Keladry," Galadriel said. "You have done well by your friend. Rest now, and be troubled by fears no longer tonight. We shall meet again soon, Arabella."

She began to stir in Frodo's arms, murmuring softly to herself, though she did not open her eyes yet. "Frodo..." she breathed. "Frodo..."

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Legolas murmured a prayer of thanks as he saw Amara come back to them. He placed one finger to Amara's lips to silence her. "Rest," he said gently. "Don't try to talk yet. Just rest. Do not fear for your friend. Mithrandir says Arabella will be fine. Just rest now. I'm here. I will not leave you, I promise." He paused before adding so quietly that he himself could hardly hear it, "Never."

Glancing down, he saw the prominent scar on Amara's arm and winced. Like Frodo's shoulder, he had the feeling that her wound would never fully heal. Protect Arabella, he said silently, offering up another prayer to the Valar. She has saved Amara. Protect her.

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Megan let out a deep breath, as she listened to Legolas. She swallowed hard and then felt his finger against her lips. She looked deeply into his eyes for a couple of moments and then slowly nodded to him, deciding that she would obey him.

She cuddled close to him and then stared at Allison, starting to worry even more for her; even though, Legolas had told her not to. But, she couldn't help it. She had grown up with Allison. She couldn't lose her. It would be her fault, in this case. Biting her lower lip, she slowly closed her eyes and prayed to the Valar that they would protect her, as well.

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Frodo nodded to what Gandalf had said to them and then looked down to Arabella, brushing some of her hair out of her face. He really hoped that she would be okay. He kept her close to him and then sighed, before hearing Arabella mumble some things in her sleep. Something about a "Mama" and even his own name "Frodo". He raised an eyebrow and looked to Gandalf, confused.

"Should we move them back over to camp?" He asked his old friend curiously, so that they would all be more comfortable and away from all of the Orc corpses.

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"Good idea, Frodo," said Legolas, overhearing. He lifted Amara easily into his arms and carried her away from the smell of blood and death, away from the plain now strewn with felled Orcs. There was so much he wished to tell her, but now was not the time. He knew now, after watching how close they had come to losing her, that his feelings for Amara could no longer be denied. But it would not be fair to speak of such things now, when she was still hurt and needed rest, not more confusion. Perhaps later, he would get the chance to tell her, but it was not tonight.

When he reached their camp again, he knelt down with her still in his arms and gently settled her down onto the ground, keeping his arms still around her just in case. "You fought valiantly, even though you were badly wounded," he told her. "You should be proud of yourself."

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Aragorn watched the four Hobbits still gathered around the unconscious form of Arabella. She murmured every so often, and he knew that she was dreaming--dreaming of her mother from the sound of it. Arabella had not spoken of her family since she and Amara had arrived.

"Can you lift her by yourself, Frodo?" he asked, wanting to help in any way he could. All five Hobbits had fought bravely, and he knew Frodo's shoulder still pained him. "I can help if you wish."

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Her dreams peaceful now, Arabella slept on. Her memories of Allison had returned slightly, but they were foggy now, distant. She walked through the forest of her dream, stirring a bit as she felt herself being lifted off the ground. She wanted to wake up, wanted to see Amara and Frodo and make sure all of the rest of them were all right, but she was too weary still. It was peaceful and calm in the forest, and she heard the faint sound of music, as if someone was singing softly. She felt so torn...torn between two worlds. Waking and sleeping, the 'real world' and Middle-earth.

She remained unconscious for nearly another hour before she stirred again, feeling more tired when she awoke than she ever had in her life. "Frodo?" she whispered.

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Megan wrapped her arms around Legolas' neck, as he picked her up from her spot. She leaned against him and then felt as he laid her down on the ground, keeping his arms wrapped around her. She looked up to him again, once he spoke to her. "I fought because I made a promise... My job is to protect you all. To give you strength. Even if it means depleting my own. You all mean so much to me..." She said softly and then looked down to her lap, a bit sadly.

She wouldn't know what she would do if she ever failed her mission. She swallowed hard and wiped a stray tear away from her cheek. She let out a deep breath and then looked back down to her wound, running her fingertip over a bit. It was ugly, but she was alive.

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Frodo looked to Legolas and watched him carry Amara away to the camp. He then looked to Aragorn, who had asked him about carrying her. He made a face, when he realized that he might not be able to carry her; due to the condition of his arm and how short he was. "Can you carry her, Aragorn?" He asked softly and then lifted her up to him, carefully.

He watched as Aragorn walked with Arabella toward the camp and he followed suit, hoping that she would be okay.

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(Last post from me for the night, I'm afraid. Tomorrow is another very long day, with auditions at the end of it!)

Aragorn smiled at Frodo as he took Arabella from him. The little Hobbit was quite light in his arms, but he walked slower for the sake of Frodo, who seemed reluctant to leave Arabella's side. He laid her down gently on a blanket once they had reached the relative safety of camp. "Stay by her side," he instructed. "I will be taking the watch. If she gets worse, call for me. Besides," he said, "I have a feeling you will be the first one she wants to see once she awakens."

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Legolas brushed the tear away from Amara's face, not wishing to see her in pain again. He watched as her gaze dropped to her newly scarred arm, and he placed his hand over it. "It is beautiful," he told her. "It is a symbol of your bravery, and your friend's willingness to risk her life to save you. Remember that each time you look at it, and you will learn to be proud of each scar you may acquire, because it is what has made you stronger."

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The camp was silent when Allison's eyelids fluttered open as she let out a small moan, a headache overtaking her almost instantly. Her dream was still vivid in her mind, but her real world memories had returned, for which she was grateful. For the first time, she noticed that someone's arms were wrapped around her, and she raised her head to see Frodo there. She smiled softly, relieved to see that he had made it through the battle all right. She couldn't remember anything after...

She sat upright, looking around wildly, but fell back down again as a wave of dizziness overtook her. This dizziness felt different, though--more like a result of her sitting up too fast than anything else. "Amara!"

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[Well, poo! xD I hope you have a good day tomorrow, nonetheless! It'll take me a little longer to reply tomorrow, because I'll be at Disneyland!! ]

Megan swalowed hard, when Legolas wiped her tear away and then felt her heart beat faster at what he said about her scar. She looked up to him and looked deeply into his eyes, with a small smile. She didn't look away from him this time and her feelings were slowly starting to come back. She really wanted to kiss him at this point.

She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek, before leaning back a bit to look at him better again. "Thank you, for saving my life earlier... When that Orc was trying to kill me." She said softly and then smiled a little more. Suddenly, she heard Allison's voice and quickly turned her head to look toward her. "I'm here, Arabella!" She exclaimed happily, ecstatic that her friend was alive and well.

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Frodo sat beside Arabella with her in his arms for what seemed like forever. But, he didn't mind. She was close to him and he got to watch her sleep; she was beautiful. He sighed a bit and then kissed her forehead, before she slowly opened her eyes. The sight made him smile widely.

He saw her look up to him and then smiled even more. Once she got up to try and find Amara, he noticed that she had moved to quickly. "Be careful, Arabella." He said, in a concerned tone. He quickly caught her before she fell and helped her.

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(XD Sorry! It was past midnight where I live when I last posted, and I need sleep, even though I didn't end up getting much at all! OOh, Disneyland! I'm so jealous! Have a great time and don't worry about replying super fast, I can wait! Make sure to ride the Teacups for me, that's my favorite, if I remember. I was 10 the only time I've ever been to Disney)

Pippin watched all of the proceedings with a smirk. Aragorn and Boromir were taking the watch, while Gimli snored loudly and Gandalf sat nearby, keeping an eye on Ari, as Pippin called her, and Amara. He glanced over at Merry and Sam--Sam had fallen asleep, but Merry was awake still. "There's too much kissing going on," Pippin complained. "Do you think they're in love?"

"I think you should be quiet!" Merry hissed. Pippin shrugged and kept watching, knowing sleep would come eventually. Tomorrow, once the danger was past, there would be more time for teasing.

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Frodo caught her as she fell again, and she gave him a grateful smile. She didn't try to move again--Frodo's arms felt too comfortable and safe to leave them just yet. She looked over to see Amara with Legolas right by her side. "You're all right," Allison said, tears of relief filling her eyes. One slipped down her cheek before she could stop it. "If you ever put me through that again," she threatened playfully, as only a best friend can, "I swear, I will kill you." She grinned at her best friend.

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Legolas was surprised when she kissed him on the cheek. "There is no need to thank me," he whispered, speaking only in Elvish now. "I had to do it, don't you see?" He swallowed, the words threatening to burst out his mouth at any moment.

Luckily, he was saved by the most unlikely person imaginable--Arabella woke up just then, asking for her friend. Legolas looked over to see Frodo holding her and gave him a knowing look. "Arabella risked much to save you," he mused. "She is stronger than any of us thought. Perhaps it is her you should be thanking."

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(I will definitely ride it for you!!!! )

Megan listened to both Legolas and Allison. She laughed a bit at what Allison said and felt tears reach her eyes, once she knew that her friend was crying. She looked to Legolas, before slowly standing up. She had to go over to her best friend, but winced on the way over, due to her arm hurting a bit still.

She slowly kneeled down beside her friend and Frodo and took hold of Allison's hand tightly. "I owe you my life..." She whispered, being very happy that her friend risked her life like that to save her. She leaned forward and then hugged her tightly, with only her good arm. She rested her head on her shoulder and closed her eyes tightly.

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Frodo watched as the two best friends hugged and smiled to them. They had all been through a lot and still had a lot more to go through. He sighed happily and leaned back slightly, to give the girls some space to move. He was happy that the both of them were safe.

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(Yay!)

She was still feeling a bit light-headed, but she returned Megan's hug fiercely. "Any time," she whispered, closing her eyes. The attack still weighed heavily on her mind, but she could talk about that later. Certainly she had to tell Frodo about seeing the Eye of Sauron, and probably Aragorn too. But for now, that could wait.

She pulled away, leaning against Frodo and glancing at Megan's arm. "So...did I do a good job? I've never done anything like that before. I wasn't even sure I could."

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Legolas remained where he was as he watched Amara embrace her friend. Their friendship must truly be a unique one, in order to have survived all these hardships. Taking his eyes off them for a moment, he scanned the surrounding area. He was still upset for having allowed orcs to sneak up on them like that. He vowed to never let it happen again.

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Megan looked down into Allison's eyes and saw a bit of fear in them. She smiled softly to her and then heard what she asked about healing her. "You did a great job, Arabella... Legolas said that it was beautiful." She whispered the last part to her best friend, so that no one but her could hear it. She smiled a little more and then slowly looked over to Legolas.

Sighing a bit, she slowly stood up from her spot. Needing to find some water. "I'll be back." She said softly to Allison and then walked through some trees. She slowly stepped over some branches and saw a river there. She had heard water running from her Elven ears. She walked over to the edge of the water and sat down, sitting on her legs. She looked down to look at her reflection and sighed a bit.

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Frodo watched Arabella and Amara for a bit longer, until Amara stood and excused herself. He nodded to her and then looked to Arabella with a soft smile. "I've never met a Hobbit like you, Arabella. Especially not in Hobbiton." He said softly and looked into her eyes for a minute.

He knew for a fact that he was falling for her, like Sam had fallen for Rosie. But, he wouldn't say anything. Not yet.

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Allison giggled tiredly at Megan's words. "Always the charmer, your elf-boy," she murmured. "I told you."

When Megan left, Allison turned, feeling Frodo's eyes on her in the darkness, though it was too dim to see them clearly. When he said he had never met anyone else like her, she wasn't quite sure how to respond. She'd never quite learned the true art of flirting, and it didn't seem like the sort of thing you could just say 'thank you' to. So she chose to just be honest, smiling at him. "I've never met anyone like you either. And--" she had to tell him. She had to be honest now that they had allowed themselves to get so close. Not about her feelings, not yet. She had to tell him what she had seen.

"And--I have to tell you something. When I was asleep, just now..." she lowered her voice. "I saw him. He spoke to me."

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With a start, he noticed Amara was gone, and he bolted to his feet in seach of her. "Amara!" he called, as loudly as he dared. How could I have lost her again so quickly?

He finally found her near a small stream, looking down into the water as if it was a mirror. "You shouldn't wander off by yourself," he said gently, coming up behind her. "It's not safe."

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