A/N: Not as long of a wait as last time. On with the never ending story.

Switching Sides Part Two: Her Dark Voice

Saruman placed the cloth back over the precious orb that served as a vessel to Sauron and a thud signified Amara's faint reached his ears. The dark wizard looked down at her with mild disgust. He could see the changes in her due to her time with Sauron. The destruction and break down that had to have occurred in her mind —the cause of Sauron's invasion there— would tear her down. She could not possibly last in her ethereal state of bravery and honor. It'd only be moments before she would rise again. Which side she was to be on he still knew not, only that Sauron's will bent the minds of many if not all.

Wormtongue looked at Amara's still figure with shocked features stretched across his face. Her once peach colored skin was ever so slowly turning a grayish-blue color; the veins in her neck and face were more pronounced. She looked more than just sick in appearance she looked deathly. Wormtongue was afraid that she was no longer breathing, seeing as he could no longer witness the rise and fall of her chest.

"Is she—Is she dead?" He asked, his voice shaky and hands slick with sweat.

"Do not be stupid," barked Saruman as he continued to look at her. "She will rise within minutes." Saruman took his eyes from her and walked towards the balcony. He had a very accurate suspicion about what had taken place between Sauron and the woman.

"Sauron has plans for her. He has plans for everyone."

Wormtongue listened half heartedly as he continued to look at Amara. Inside he turned over the words she had left to haunt him. He looked at Saruman who was gazing outside from his spot by the balcony. Wormtongue wondered whether or not the man in the room would stab him in the back. Was it a matter of time before betrayal would be divulged.

'Would he kill me once his own agenda was fulfilled?'

He shook his head and frowned throwing the thought away.

"Should I take her back to her room?" He glanced back down at the woman who now seemed to have blood dripping from her nose. She was a sight he did not wish to view now that she appeared to be nothing but a broken shell of the woman that once seemed so spirited and animated about keeping her faith for the other side. He looked back to Saruman for an answer.

No answer was provided. Instead Wormtongue heard the sound of a body rising from the floor behind him. Wormtongue whipped around half from fright and half from surprise.

Amara rose from the floor and feeling wetness on her lip, swiped at it with the back of her hand. The sentiment within her was murky with the most sinister of intentions. Amara was there though, there sitting in the back as this sinister being overtook who she was. A prisoner in her own body she was, and it was the most uncomfortable sensation she had ever felt. It was intensely unpleasant but yet familiar.

She had experienced this before, when she was in the minds. The darkness from each and every being there had seeped into her and over took her. This was the exact same thing. Each second that passed was not without hurt. Amara could do nothing as this boundless darkness rode over her.

Determined not to be defeated, she made up her mind on overcoming these dark sensations that were contributing most heavily to her conscience. It would only be a matter of time before she would conquer Sauron's will, which invaded her body, making her crave destruction.

The blood smeared on the back of her hand was paid no attention as she looked up. Eyes the color of Saurman's walls stared at Wormtongue for the briefest of seconds before she walked passed him. She paid no attention to Saruman either and joined him out on the balcony. Saruman, with misgivings followed her figure with his eyes until he stood beside her. This time he paid no mind to what was beyond the balcony. Just the woman.

"Prove yourself. Who do you serve?" His eyes drilled into her smaller figure.

Without hesitation she replied, "Sauron."

"Prove yourself!" His voice boomed and carried over the balcony.

"Sauron has gifted to me full access and then some to my power." Amara smirked. Such a smirk one would have deemed pretty but now was only bizarre and almost alien on her face. She rested her hands on the balcony's ledge and the smirk turned into a smile. The wind whipped her hair about but she ignored the strands crossing her face.

Concentration was no longer needed for what she was about to perform. Before she might not have been able to do it, most likely she wouldn't have been able to do it. The true Amara would not have felt the pleasure in what she was about to perform, but the Amara tainted with darkness hungered for it. Without effort she shifted through numerous emotions of people and creatures until she found the one she wanted. She created a direct link from herself to the one she had chosen.

"Legolas," she whispered.

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Legolas pulled back the string of his bow and paused. Aragorn saw him stop and looked between the advancing urk-hai carrying the torch and back to the elf.

"Legolas, dago hon!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. Legolas had a direct shot.

'Legolas'

Her voice. Her voice, clear as bells filtered through his head. It was too clear to be only his imagination. It was as if she were right beside him in the middle of war, in the very niche of survival and death whispering into his ear like she had all the time in the world. This deterred him he knew but he could not bring himself to release the arrow clutched so tightly in his hand.

'Legolas, listen to me.'

Legolas frowned. She had to be in trouble to contact him in such a way. How it was even possible was beyond his thinking capability at the moment. All around him the sounds of shouts and war were there but it was as if he did not comprehend them for the moment.

'Legolas, melonin, listen to me.'

"Bring him down," Aragorn's angry heated bellow reached his ears.

'I am listening,' he wanted to say, but found that he could not bring himself to speak.

'You don't want to shoot that urk-hai,' her voice spoke to him.

Legolas frowned. 'What is she speaking of?'

'I can tell that deep down you are tired, weary of fighting. I can tell that you long for the sea.'

"Bring him down!" Aragorn screamed. "BRING HIM DOWN!"

Legolas pulled the string back and focused his aim more. He still had tome to take down the urk-hai.

'Legolas, you are tired. Rest,' Amara's voice was soft and calming.

Aragorn's yells invaded his ears once more.

'Pay no attention to anything around you,' the voice in his head instructed evilly. Something was not quite right in her voice. The elf failed though to pin point what it was.

Aragorn watched in grim defeat as the urk-hai almost made it to its mark. Legolas had little time to make the shot and bring that damned creature down. He tried once more to yell for Legolas to take him down.

'Give up.'

Legolas released the arrow. He notched another with lightening speed after the first one found its mark. Both arrows were embedded with precision into the urk-hai's neck, but the foul thing kept going. Legolas notched a third arrow and sent it flying. The urk-hai stumbled but kept its pace, right for the wall's culvert.

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Amara looked over the balcony, the smirk still there, unsettling on her face. She had sufficiently held him at bay enough to the point where anything he did would have made no difference. He loved her. Amara laughed rich and deep.

"It is done," she informed Saruman. "But as I have said before, this will not guarantee your success." She looked at the land with distant non-emotional eyes. "You have greater things to worry about."

Saruman did not speak. He looked at Wormtongue who was watching them with curiosity, too much curiosity in Saurman's opinion. He looked back to Amara, making his mind cast Wormtongue aside for the time being.

"Be that as it may," he said brushing her later comment aside. "Because of you I may lose one battle but I will prevail in war." He felt confident, more than confident that the woman who stood beside him was an ally. She stood without an inkling of weakness before him, like she was his equal.

In his eyes she had proven herself.

"I've a task for you."

He placed his hand on her back and guided her inside.

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The enemies had entered into Helms Deep and slowly but surely were filtering in. What had been deemed a safe haven, virtually impenetrable had been compromised. Priorities had changed. The new objective had been made to hold the enemy for as long as possible so that the women and children could escape. Aragorn ran, his lungs burning but he ignored the painful sensation to spread the word for everyone to pull back.

The sounds of war went ignored to the man. He focused on telling soldiers to fall back. Every now and then an enemy would cross his path and he'd make quick work of them using his sword.

"Haldir!"

Among the fray he spotted Haldir. The elf was slaying as many urk-hai as he possibly could. Aragorn never would have thought to see it but it appeared that Haldir was tiring. Aragorn wasted no time in helping Haldir kill the remaining urk-hai. It was dark, extremely cold and wet outside, yet soldiers continued battling on as they had to.

"Nan Barad! Nan Barad! To the keep! Haldir!" Aragorn quickly relayed instructions to him.

Haldir nodded in both thanks and understanding. He ordered his men to fall back to the inner most regions of Helms Deep. Unknowingly, an urk-hai was making its way towards him. It was in the foul creatures hope that his attack would be covert. Haldir continued yelling out, ushering men passed him.

The urk-hai gained ground. The space between it and Haldir grew smaller by each passing second. It's sick face twisting with early triumph. It raised its gruesome blade in the night's air just as it was a hare's breath away from reaching Haldir.

The soft sound of an arrow whizzed past Haldir's ear, almost hitting him, but something told the elf that this arrow had much more accuracy and that its target was not his head. He looked forward at Aragorn who held steady in his hand his worn bow. Looking behind himself, he saw the urk-hai that was an arms length away fall to the ground. He had no chance to thank Aragorn, as the man was busy carrying a protesting dwarf away from an incoming flood of urk-hai. Haldir made his way from the carnage and inside.

Legolas hadn't the time to mention to Aragorn of neither his hesitance nor the reason behind it. There was no doubt that Amara had been right there with him, coaxing him against killing the urk-hai. She had touched within his inner emotions, emotions so deep that he hadn't even been too aware of them himself. He could not have been certain if the first urk-hai would have stopped had he not have hesitated and put more than three to four arrows into him. They were bred to not acknowledge pain.

He was keenly aware of one thing and that was whomever was speaking to him could not haven been Amara. Whomever it was tested his will and tried to bank on the fact that he cared deeply for her. Something defiantly dark rested with that situation and he was afraid it rested with her. He pushed aside his analyzing of Amara and climbed a staircase three stairs at a time. Legolas wished to see his friends alive and well, despite the circumstances they were all under. The first person he spotted was King Theoden leaning over the bridge to temporary safety. A seriously concerned expression was painted on his face.

"Gimli! Aragorn," Theoden shouted. "Get out of there."

"What have they gotten themselves into now," Legolas muttered. Questions mucked his mind at what could possibly be occurring with his friends. He joined Theoden's side and peered over the edge. What he saw made him want to laugh but there wasn't time and the predicament was much too serious. Aragorn and Gimli were stuck on the level below them. Urk-hai were beginning to surround them.

Legolas surveyed his surrounding quickly for something anything that could give aid to his friends. He swore that after this both Aragorn and Gimli would be forgiven in his debt. Quickly, he spotted a rope tied loosely around a few barrels. He darted to them, freed the rope from around the barrels.

"You are going to serve as life line to one man and one dwarf." It was what Legolas muttered under his breath before he threw the rope over the edge to save his friends. "Literally."

"Aragorn! Grab onto the rope," Legolas hollered down.

"Not a word elf," Gimli yelled back up. He dared for anything to be held above him because of his and Aragorn's current predicament.

Aragorn spared a smile before things got too intense and he grabbed onto the offered rope. The man pushed back an urk-hai and took a firm hold onto Gimli.

Legolas struggled to pull them up. Even though being an elf certainly had its advantages, there wasn't enough advantage granted to one person to haul up what felt tine tons of weight. Legolas received help in the form of a few men moving behind him, each taking a share of the rope and adding extra pull. Men around them were scrambling inside of the fortress.

It was with great relief that Aragorn and Gimli made it topside and without further delay they withdrew inside with the rest.

The doors behind them were being barricaded so as to try to prevent what was an impending breech.

"Aragorn," Legolas said before the man could get any further away from him.

Aragorn turned. "What is it my friend?"

Legolas came closer, not wanting anyone to over him and also not wishing to delay anything. "It is about Amara."

Aragorn screwed his face up in confusion. Pounding at the door made Aragorn look back for a split second and then turn towards Legolas once more.

"What?"

"The reason I hesitated was because of her."

Aragorn looked at Legolas as if he had gone insane. He knew that Legolas loved his sister and missed her terribly, but now was hardly the time. Aragorn missed Amara himself; he had grown quite fond of the younger girl. He had long told himself that getting this job done would further Amara's safety and would bring them together once more. All would be well if they all focused on what needed to be done.

Legolas knew a look of impatience when he saw it. "Her voice. She spoke to me, only it was not her."

"Legolas what do you speak of?"

The rapt on the doors grew louder with each passing second. Legolas opened his mouth to try and dispel everything that has happened in the minute that Amara had been inside his head, but was interrupted. One king appearing in distress stood before them and seemed to be at an absolute loss.

"The fortress is taken. It is over."

Theoden's voice reflected a sense of surrender and failure. It made Aragorn furious to see the leader of Rohan give up and in front of those who had fought hard and gave more than they could offer. He turned away from Legolas, unable to just stand and listen to words against what was trying to be accomplished. The conversation he had begun to have with Legolas was going to have to be placed aside for a moment. Aragorn's concern could only go in one direction.

"You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it!" Aragorn strode towards Theoden anger in his every step.

"Why do you speak in such a negative manner while you men still stand, still willing to fight? Your people have died defending this fortress and all that it stands for. The women and children are already making way from the underground to the mountains."

"It is of no use any longer," Theoden shook his head.

More rams emitted from the door. Each pounding against the wood guaranteed that at a moments notice it would crack and like a fresh tidal wave, urk-hai would come crashing in.

"It is of no use any longer?!" Aragorn's parody did not bode well with his friends. Gimli knew Aragorn was not entirely delighted with the king at the moment by just looking at the borderline maniacal look in the man's eyes. Legolas found himself wondering whether or not to restrain him and if Aragorn could take much more of this. With everything happening, all at seemingly once, he was not sure if he would be able to take much more.

If it was at all possible, Aragorn got closer to the king. Anger radiated from him.

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to meet the enemy knocking at the door and just—just surrender?"

Theoden didn't answer.

"Are you giving up something that everyone had fought for? Something that does not just belong to you to give away so freely," Aragorn asked breathlessly.

"So much death," Theoden thundered crossing his arms. "What can men do against such reckless hate?"

When no answer came from Aragorn, Theoden pushed more. "Nothing! Men can do nothing against the hate that Saruman and his army possess.

Aragorn shook his head, refusing to listen to the king's feverish words. There was no way he would give up and he knew that deep down King Theoden believed the same.

"You feel cornered and out of options," whispered Aragorn. "Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them."

Theoden looked a bit more alive, a bit more hopeful.

"For Rohan. For your people." Aragorn clasped Theoden's shoulder tightly.

"The sun," Gimli interrupted. Rays of light were spilling into the room. It didn't affect the amount of pounding that still took place on the door, but it did instill hope.

"Look to the east," whispered Aragorn as he turned to study the windows. Amongst all the fighting, all the confusion and horror of war he had almost forgotten what Gandalf had said.

Gimli went to blow the horn of Helm Hammerhand without much thought.

Quickly things were starting to look up. It had seemed that the spirit of hope had been restored to Theoden. Legolas retrieved their horses, as the pounding on the door grew more intense. They would be ready for them. Legolas thought of it as one more step closer to his target.

In a cascade of splintered wood, the door was removed from many upon many of urk-hai's way, but instead of broken men, they were faced with a small army on horseback. The next thing that Saruman's army experienced was light, bright and hot.

Their defeat.

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"You have greater things to worry about."

Amara's words came back to Saruman and stayed with him as he surveyed the utter destruction below. Water flowed freely through the land he had claimed and Ents destroyed everything he worked hard to bring forward.

He stood there and knew what Amara's words meant.