Hey, hey, hey! It's the last chapter! Yes, very short story, but it was
intended to be this short. Just an alternative ending sort of thing for
ROTK. Hope you enjoy this last chapter!
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Seltaeb stood absolutely still as the Mouth of Sauron inspected him. Anger for the Halfling, Samwise, smoldered in his eyes. He was impatient to get his vengeance on the Halfling, but he stood at attention as the lieutenant gave him his orders.
"The first thing you must do is find that light that he shined at you and destroy it. Then you must kill him and take the Ring. He is already at the Mountain so you must go quickly. We are going to try your old form again, this time you must be weaker, you must act the pathetic Halfling who has just been beaten and sent out of Barad-dur. If he does not fall for it again, then you will immediately go back to your old form."
"Yes, sir," Seltaeb answered.
"Fine. Go now," the lieutenant made a motion and Seltaeb was in his old form of Frodo, but he looked like he had been recently beaten, his already raggedy clothes torn and his back crusted with blood. The Mouth of Sauron made another motion and Seltaeb was now at the bottom of the Mountain seeing the Halfling crawl slowing up the face of it.
******
Sam clutched his chest where the Ring hung gasping for breath. It was so heavy. It felt like it was cutting into his neck. He looked up. He didn't know where he would be able to enter the Mountain but he had recently found a road that made the way a tiny bit easier and he followed it hoping that it would lead him to the place he needed. He looked back to see his progress and froze.
A small figure stumbled after him, nearly crawling on all four. From what he could see, it was wearing tattered rags and moved as if in pain. But no matter the distance, he could tell it was Frodo. Or looked like Frodo.
He didn't know what to do. If that was just another trick then he should just hurry on, but if it was really Frodo... it he was nearly beaten to death and was trying to make his way up to him for help... it would be heartless to leave him!
He couldn't make up his mind and slowly Frodo made his way towards him and he heard a feeble call.
"Sam...?"
He sounded so weak. Sam began to make his way down the Mountain again until a though hit him. His journey. He couldn't just give up. It was more likely that that wasn't Frodo, but if it was, Frodo wouldn't care that he had taken care of the journey first. When the task was done, he would be able to help Frodo.
He turned back around and began to go up the Mountain again.
"Sam!" he heard desperately called from behind him. His heart ached and if he had had any more tears they would have fallen. A part of him screamed for him to go back there and help his master, but the other part calmly told him to keep going, keep going...
He saw a red light shortly ahead and hurried faster. He heard footsteps behind him and knew he had been right in going on without even looking back. He began to run as fast as his small legs would carry him and dodged inside the Cracks of Doom before just ahead of the man behind him.
He yanked the chain from around his neck that held the Ring and began to run towards the edge where he saw the fires leaping up. He was nearly there, when something grabbed his leg and he fell to the ground.
"Thought you had gotten away that easily, did you, Halfling?" Seltaeb hissed into Sam's ear.
Sam struggled to get the light of Galadriel from his pocket. He had just begun to lift it out when Seltaeb noticed what he was doing and knocked it from his hand.
"That won't work this time, Sam," he said menacingly as the glass clattered away. Seltaeb grabbed Sam by the throat and lifted him from the ground. Then taking out his sword, he pointed at Sam's heart. "Say goodbye, Sam."
Sam braced himself for the impact, but stared bravely into Seltaeb's face.
Then Seltaeb made a mistake. He looked into Sam's eyes. He had avoided them up until now, but now he looked into the hobbit's eyes and he paused. In Sam's eyes he saw bravery, loyalty, and love. They all seemed so familiar somehow. Though Seltaeb's mind was different from Frodo's, he saw Sam's eyes, and memories began to swirl in his head. Memories of the Shire. Walking though the woods, Bag End, Bilbo... Then came memories of the quest of the Ring. The Mines of Moria, Lothlorien, Amon Hen, Sam running to the boat and jumping into the water after him, his curly hair going under, traveling through the Dead Marshes, and climbing to the pass, Shelob, and when he had turned back to Frodo and Sam so happy to see him alive again...
All of these memories went though his head within seconds, but those seconds where enough of a hesitation. Sam lifted his hand with the Ring and threw it.
Time seemed to stop. The Ring sailed slowly through the air and for a moment, Sam didn't think it would make it, until...
The Ring fell into the Fire.
"NO!" Seltaeb screamed and let Sam fall. He ran to the side and looked over, but it was too late. The fires swallowed up the Ring and the Mountain began to shake. Seltaeb fell back and Sam watched as he thrashed and flailed, screaming in pain and clutching his head.
Then he began to shrink. Slowly at first, but then rapidly and became Frodo again before Sam's eyes.
Then Frodo lay still and Sam wasn't sure if he was breathing or not. He ran to his side and turned him onto his back.
"Sam..." Frodo said softly.
"Yes, Mr. Frodo. I'm here," Sam said, joy filling his heart.
"Help me up, Sam. We need to get out of here," Frodo said trying to get to his feet.
Sam helped him and with Frodo leaning heavily on his shoulder, they were able to make their way out of the cave.
Once outside they sat on the ground, Frodo leaning on Sam's shoulder.
"Sam... I'm so sorry..." Frodo gasped.
"Its okay, Mr. Frodo, you couldn't have helped it," Sam said.
"Well this is the end, Sam Gamgee," Frodo said heavily.
"Yes, but I knew it would end like this, or course, Mr. Frodo," Sam answered.
"Yes, I'm glad you're here with me. Here at the end of things, Sam."
The End!
Well, at least the end of my story. The rest of the story goes on of course the way it always does. This was just an idea I had for a different sort of ending. Hope you liked it! I certainly liked writing it! Hope for reviews! Lots of luv!
Seom
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Seltaeb stood absolutely still as the Mouth of Sauron inspected him. Anger for the Halfling, Samwise, smoldered in his eyes. He was impatient to get his vengeance on the Halfling, but he stood at attention as the lieutenant gave him his orders.
"The first thing you must do is find that light that he shined at you and destroy it. Then you must kill him and take the Ring. He is already at the Mountain so you must go quickly. We are going to try your old form again, this time you must be weaker, you must act the pathetic Halfling who has just been beaten and sent out of Barad-dur. If he does not fall for it again, then you will immediately go back to your old form."
"Yes, sir," Seltaeb answered.
"Fine. Go now," the lieutenant made a motion and Seltaeb was in his old form of Frodo, but he looked like he had been recently beaten, his already raggedy clothes torn and his back crusted with blood. The Mouth of Sauron made another motion and Seltaeb was now at the bottom of the Mountain seeing the Halfling crawl slowing up the face of it.
******
Sam clutched his chest where the Ring hung gasping for breath. It was so heavy. It felt like it was cutting into his neck. He looked up. He didn't know where he would be able to enter the Mountain but he had recently found a road that made the way a tiny bit easier and he followed it hoping that it would lead him to the place he needed. He looked back to see his progress and froze.
A small figure stumbled after him, nearly crawling on all four. From what he could see, it was wearing tattered rags and moved as if in pain. But no matter the distance, he could tell it was Frodo. Or looked like Frodo.
He didn't know what to do. If that was just another trick then he should just hurry on, but if it was really Frodo... it he was nearly beaten to death and was trying to make his way up to him for help... it would be heartless to leave him!
He couldn't make up his mind and slowly Frodo made his way towards him and he heard a feeble call.
"Sam...?"
He sounded so weak. Sam began to make his way down the Mountain again until a though hit him. His journey. He couldn't just give up. It was more likely that that wasn't Frodo, but if it was, Frodo wouldn't care that he had taken care of the journey first. When the task was done, he would be able to help Frodo.
He turned back around and began to go up the Mountain again.
"Sam!" he heard desperately called from behind him. His heart ached and if he had had any more tears they would have fallen. A part of him screamed for him to go back there and help his master, but the other part calmly told him to keep going, keep going...
He saw a red light shortly ahead and hurried faster. He heard footsteps behind him and knew he had been right in going on without even looking back. He began to run as fast as his small legs would carry him and dodged inside the Cracks of Doom before just ahead of the man behind him.
He yanked the chain from around his neck that held the Ring and began to run towards the edge where he saw the fires leaping up. He was nearly there, when something grabbed his leg and he fell to the ground.
"Thought you had gotten away that easily, did you, Halfling?" Seltaeb hissed into Sam's ear.
Sam struggled to get the light of Galadriel from his pocket. He had just begun to lift it out when Seltaeb noticed what he was doing and knocked it from his hand.
"That won't work this time, Sam," he said menacingly as the glass clattered away. Seltaeb grabbed Sam by the throat and lifted him from the ground. Then taking out his sword, he pointed at Sam's heart. "Say goodbye, Sam."
Sam braced himself for the impact, but stared bravely into Seltaeb's face.
Then Seltaeb made a mistake. He looked into Sam's eyes. He had avoided them up until now, but now he looked into the hobbit's eyes and he paused. In Sam's eyes he saw bravery, loyalty, and love. They all seemed so familiar somehow. Though Seltaeb's mind was different from Frodo's, he saw Sam's eyes, and memories began to swirl in his head. Memories of the Shire. Walking though the woods, Bag End, Bilbo... Then came memories of the quest of the Ring. The Mines of Moria, Lothlorien, Amon Hen, Sam running to the boat and jumping into the water after him, his curly hair going under, traveling through the Dead Marshes, and climbing to the pass, Shelob, and when he had turned back to Frodo and Sam so happy to see him alive again...
All of these memories went though his head within seconds, but those seconds where enough of a hesitation. Sam lifted his hand with the Ring and threw it.
Time seemed to stop. The Ring sailed slowly through the air and for a moment, Sam didn't think it would make it, until...
The Ring fell into the Fire.
"NO!" Seltaeb screamed and let Sam fall. He ran to the side and looked over, but it was too late. The fires swallowed up the Ring and the Mountain began to shake. Seltaeb fell back and Sam watched as he thrashed and flailed, screaming in pain and clutching his head.
Then he began to shrink. Slowly at first, but then rapidly and became Frodo again before Sam's eyes.
Then Frodo lay still and Sam wasn't sure if he was breathing or not. He ran to his side and turned him onto his back.
"Sam..." Frodo said softly.
"Yes, Mr. Frodo. I'm here," Sam said, joy filling his heart.
"Help me up, Sam. We need to get out of here," Frodo said trying to get to his feet.
Sam helped him and with Frodo leaning heavily on his shoulder, they were able to make their way out of the cave.
Once outside they sat on the ground, Frodo leaning on Sam's shoulder.
"Sam... I'm so sorry..." Frodo gasped.
"Its okay, Mr. Frodo, you couldn't have helped it," Sam said.
"Well this is the end, Sam Gamgee," Frodo said heavily.
"Yes, but I knew it would end like this, or course, Mr. Frodo," Sam answered.
"Yes, I'm glad you're here with me. Here at the end of things, Sam."
The End!
Well, at least the end of my story. The rest of the story goes on of course the way it always does. This was just an idea I had for a different sort of ending. Hope you liked it! I certainly liked writing it! Hope for reviews! Lots of luv!
Seom