Esmeralda West moves into the Shire with her uncle, a few houses down from the Bagginses. As years pass, young Frodo tries to break her out of her shell. Then, Gandalf the Grey tells him about the One Ring. Esmeralda joins the quest with her friend...
Under the gaze of the Eye of Sauron, Frodo continues to lay on the ground. Suddenly, the Eye looks in the other direction, much to the relief of Esmeralda.
"It's gone, Frodo." She says, getting up. "The light moved away towards the North. Somethin' has caught it's gaze."
Frodo struggles to get up, and Esmeralda moves over to help.
Back with Aragorn, the gate begins to open. He turns to look, as Orcs march through.
"Pull back!" He yells. "Pull back!"
They ride back towards the army, with the Orcs following from behind them. The soldiers look uncertain as the Orcs continue to make their way towards them.
"Hold your ground!" Aragorn yells to them. "Hold your ground!"
He rides across the front of the army, and holds out his sword to them.
"Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see it 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! 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! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!"
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The soldiers all unsheath their weapons and stand ready. Aragorn wheels around on his horse to face the oncoming enemy.
Esmeralda and Frodo continue to struggle up the rocky feet of Mount Doom. They both stumble and lie helpless on the ground, as the Mountain spews balls of lava. Frodo looks up from the ground, his eyes bloodshot he looks up at the summit of Mount Doom. He grits his teeth and groans as he struggles to move forward. He crawls on his hands and knees past Esmeralda, who is lying on her stomach. After a moment, he falls down again on his face.
At the gate, Pippin unsheathes his sword and Merry looks at him and breathes heavily, holding himself in readiness for battle. Sam looks around nervously, but holds himself together. Éomer looks menacing at the Orc army, which is surrounded by the Gondorians.
"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf." Gimli grumbles, next to Legolas.
"What about side by side with a friend?" Legolas looks down and smiles.
Gimli looks up, and gives his own smile. "Aye. I could do that."
Meanwhile, Esmeralda crawls over to Frodo and picks him up, turning him over into her embrace. She looks up at the mountain with tears falling down her cheeks, and she tightly holds Frodo. She looks down, to see his dark eyelashes fanned over his dirt-smeared cheeks. She cried, knowing that all was hopeless, but she looked at his face again, and tried to cheer him up.
"Do ya remember the Shire, Frodo? It will be Spring soon, and the orchards will be in blossom near our tree. And the birds will be nestin' in the hazel thickets, and they will be sowin' the summer barley in the lower fields."
Frodo opens his eyes and looks up at her.
"And, they'll be eatin' the first of the strawberries with cream. Do ya remember the taste of strawberries? I don't."
Frodo looks at her with a blank expression.
"No Esmeralda. I can't recall the taste of food, nor the sound of water, or the touch of grass. I'm naked in the dark. There's, there's nothing, no veil between me and the wheel of fire." His voice raises, and his face changes into horror as he begins to panic. "I can see him, with my waking eyes!"
"Then let us be rid of it, once and for all! Come on, Frodo, I can't carry it for ya, but I can carry you."
"Esmeralda, you can't carry me." Frodo says, hoarsely.
"When I was searching for you in the tower, I threw an Orc twice your size over my head. I think I can carry you. Come on!"
Esmeralda struggles, but manages to put Frodo across her shoulders. She staggers forward, gets her balance, and begins to move up the mountain step by step.
Aragorn stands in readiness in front of the army. Suddenly, the Eye of Sauron whispers to him.
"Aragorn!"
Aragorn moves forward, mesmerized.
"Elessar!"
Aragorn's sword arm drops to his side, before he turns and looks at Gandalf, who holds up Frodo's Mithril shirt for him to see. Aragorn slowly smiles, with a tear in his eye.
"For Frodo."
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He raises his sword, and runs forward towards the Orc army. Merry, Pippin and Sam shout and run after him, their swords raised. The rest of the army start to run towards the Orcs, quickly overtaking the Hobbits. Aragorn reaches the Orcs and smashes into them, slashing with his sword.
Esmeralda continues to carry Frodo, struggling up some boulders. She rounds a huge boulder, and looks up to see a doorway.
"Look, Frodo, a doorway!" She exclaims in exasperation.
Suddenly, Gollum appears on top of the huge boulder. "Clever Hobbits to climb so high!"
Esmeralda looks up and sees him, but Gollum drops on Frodo's back on top of her. They struggle, but she falls back, dropping Frodo. Gollum grapples with Frodo and gets his hands around his throat.
"Mustn't go that way!" Gollum screeches. "Mustn't hurt the precious!"
"You swore!" Frodo gasps. "You swore on the precious! Smeagol promised!"
"Smeagol lied!" He squeezes Frodo's throat, and he chokes.
Esmeralda recovers from her fall, and picks up a rock, she throws it at Gollum and hits him on the head. Gollum falls off Frodo who holds his throat, gasping. Gollum makes his way back to Frodo, but Esmeralda launches herself at him, and they roll down the hill. He bangs Esmeralda's head on the ground, then bites her neck.
"Agghh!" She screams.
She pushes him off, then gets up and draws her dagger, before slashing Gollum's across his stomach.
"Ahh! Gollum yells.
Esmeralda turns around, looking for Frodo. "Frodo!"
Frodo runs up the last part of the mountain, with new determination on his face.
