Chapter 53: diversion

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Aragorn's company comes within sight of the Black Gate and not too long later they reach the Black Gate, unopposed. Aragorn and his men stand at the Black Gate, which appears to be deserted. "How strange?" He thinks to himself as he rode closer. "Where are they?" Pippin questions from behind Gandalf but he gets no answer. Aragorn spurs his horse towards the gate. He is quickly followed by Éomer, Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli. They wait for a minute in front of the gate. "Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Let justice be done upon him!" Aragorn declared drawing his sword. The Black Gate ever so slowly creeps open, at snail pace. A single rider appears upon a dark horse. "Few." Merry sighed to himself until he realised who it was. Then his fear grew.

The only part of the rider appearing, besides a full helmet and armour, is a grotesque mouth. "My master, Sauron the Great, bids you welcome. Is there any in this rout with the authority to treat with me?" The mouth sneers, creepily. "We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed. Tell your master this: The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return." Gandalf demanded. "Old Greybeard. I have a token I was bidden to show thee." The mouth of Sauron laughs as he holds up Frodo's Mithril shirt. "Frodo." Merry and Pippin whisper giving each other worried glances. The Mouth Of Sauron throws the Mithrill shirt to Gandalf, who catches it almost immediately. "Frodo!" Pippin shouted. "Silence." Gandalf shouted, to which Merry replied "NO!" 

"Silence!" Gandalf roared again.

"The halfling was dear to thee, I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would've thought one so small could endure so much pain? And he did, Gandalf. He did." The mouth of Sauron boasted delightfully for him. As the mouth laughs wickedly, Aragorn rides casually around to his side. "And who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a king than a broken Elvish blade." With a quick, hard, slice, Aragorn cuts the Mouth of Sauron's head with his sword. "I guess that concludes negotiations." Gimli declared after the small silence. "I do not believe it. I will not." Aragorn replied. The Eye's gaze turns from Frodo. The Black Gate again creaks and sways open, revealing an army of marching orcs. Aragorn was right. Barad-dûr looms in the background, its Eye now staring at Aragorn and his men. "Pull back! Pull back!" Aragorn shouts as his company returns to the awaiting army of men. Orcs pour out of the Black Gate. Aragorn addresses an unsettled army of men. "Hold your ground! Hold your ground." He shouts looking deep into the eyes of his men. "Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me."

"A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day." Aragorn continues to shout. "An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight!" Legolas turns around and notices that the men look more eager and less terrified. They have hope. "By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" He finishes as the men draw their swords.

The orc masses begin to encircle the army of men. Aragorn and his company have dismounted for some reason, and are not using bows. They are now completely surrounded, now the fear grows in the pit of the men's stomachs once more. The Orcs greatly outnumber the men. "Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an elf." Gimli muttered to Legolas. "What about side by side with a friend?" Legolas smiled looking down at the Dwarf. "Aye, I could do that." Gimli joked.

Suddenly the men hear an ear piercing screech  as the Eye calls out. "Aragorn... Elessar..." Aragorn appears momentarily tempted by the voice. However he pulls around and turns back to address Gandalf who was still holding Frodo's mithril shirt. "For Frodo," Aragorn whispers serenely. "For Aerin," he then whispered before charging off towards the Orc yelling. Merry and Pippin run in after him, the rest of the army soon following. Due to their small hobbit legs, they are soon overtaken.  Suddenly, a Nazgûl fly over the fighting at the Black Gate. Back at the Black Gate, the Nazgûl descend. As Gandalf fights, a familiar moth flies in front of his face. Gandalf's face brightens as he hears bird cries. Several Eagles appear and attack the Nazgûl.

"Eagles! The Eagles are coming!" Pippin screamed at Merry and Merry pulled his sword out of an orc and turned to face his fellow hobbit. The Nazgûl beasts and the Eagles fight. Merry then slashes his dagger across an Orcs back as it tries to attack Pippin who was still looking up at the eagles.  Fighting continues at the Black Gate. Aragorn turns to look at a huge troll heading his way. Shit. Aragorn engages the troll. Aragorn is soon thrown to the ground. Legolas sees this and tries to make his way to Aragorn as quickly as he can whilst killing as many Orcs as he can on his way. Aragorn and Legolas continue their struggle and Aragorn gets stomped on by the troll. To avoid death, Aragorn takes out his dagger and stabs the troll in the foot. 

Meanwhile, Frodo and Gollum continue struggling. Together they tumble over the the side of the ledge. Gollum falls toward the lava, smiling and cradling the Ring on his way down not realising he was going to meet his death. Frodo screamed. Gollum hits the lava and burns up, leaving ashen remains that suspend the Ring just above the fire. Frodo hung on to the side of the cliff for his dear life. Sam rushes to his aid. "Mr Frodo, give me your hand!" He shouted over the edge of the volcano. Sam continuously tried to grab Frodo, but failed to reach him. "Take my hand!" He shouts as the the ring's inscription appears. They don't have much time. Frodo reaches for Sam, but his hand slips away. "No! Don't you let go! Don't let go. Reach!" Sam cries. Frodo reaches and grabs Sam's hand despite the difficulty with one finger down. He eventually pulls Frodo up and they make for the exit of the volcano as it blows during the time in which the ring melts into the lava, destroyed.

The Eye cries out making Sauron's troops look back to Mordor, then they turn to flee. Left alone, Aragorn stands and with the others and looks on. Giving Legolas a confused look they turn back to see the tower of Barad-dûr slowly fall over. The Eye of Sauron disappears, letting lose a great shockwave. Pippin and Merry cheer causing the rest of the army of the West to cheer along with them. The surrounding landscape crumbles and the Black Gate collapses as the ground caves in. Much of Sauron's army falls as well as a result. 

 "Frodo! Frodo!" Merry cheers. "Sam! Sam!" Pippin cheers too. Soon everyone's cheering but that suddenly stops when Mount Doom erupts in a large explosion. "Frodo.. ?" Aragorn whispers so only neighbouring people could hear. The eruption kills the remaining Nazgûl.  Frodo and Sam stand on a sinking rock set in the river of lava flowing from Mount Doom. Frodo lets out a sigh of relief. "I-It's gone.." He whispers to Sam. "Yes, Mister Frodo. It's over now." Sam replied looking exhausted. Lava flows around the hobbits as they try to scramble away. The hobbits fall down as the mountain shakes. Frodo smiles and closes his eyes thinking that's the end. "I can see the Shire... the Brandywine River... Bag End... Gandalf's fireworks... the lights in the Party Tree." He said as he felt a tear tremble down his cheek. "Rosie Cotton dancing. She had ribbons in her hair. If ever I was to marry someone, it would've been her." Sam says as he starts to cry. "It would've been her." He repeated as Frodo embraces him. 

Just as Frodo says, "I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things" three eagles appear in the sky over Mount Doom. One carrying Gandalf. The two hobbits are carried to safety. 

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