Hey all! Very important chapter today. This has where it's all been leading up to from the beginning of Noelle's dreams. Sorry it was such a long wait. Also, I made a quote edit from Book 2 to go with this chapter :)
"The Light shineth in the Darkness, and the Darkness hath not overcome it." John 1:5
~~~~~~
"Do we have to go down there?" Flash whimpered nervously as Noelle spurred him on down into the dark path.
Noelle sighed, and patted her horse's shoulder. "I'm sorry, buddy," she whispered. "It's the only way we're going to be able to help Gondor."
They had gotten many curious and upset looks from the Rohan soldiers as they trotted out of the camp and into the darkness of the mountains. Whispers of "why does he leave?" and "he's abandoning us," could be heard throughout the valley.
"He leaves because there is no hope," someone had said.
"He leaves because he must," King Théoden had replied.
Noelle had these words echoing in her mind as they trodded through the darkness of the gravelly path. She didn't see any reason to stay behind with the Rohirrim. Either way she was going headfirst into the battle. Might as well stay with Aragorn, as she had always done.
They rode in silence for the most part up until the morning. The closer they got to wherever they were going, the more skittish Flash, Brego, and Arod became.
Noelle became more anxious too, as she could sense the Darkness growing in this region of the mountains. She had an ominous feeling something was waiting down there for her as well. Was this where she would find the answers she was looking for? Gandalf had said she had been "misreading the signs." So maybe she was looking for her answers in the wrong places.
That this place of darkness... perhaps was a step in the right direction?
"There is no Light without the Darkness," Lady Galadriel had said.
And I can't let the Darkness consume the Light, Noelle mused to herself. It's my duty.
"What kind of army would linger in such a place?" Gimli asked Legolas, interrupting her thoughts.
"One that is cursed," Legolas answered, proceeding to tell him the same story he had told her last night.
Noelle closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his soft, melodic voice. It had always brought her comfort even before she knew she was in love with him, but now... she always wanted to hear him. She wanted to be with him forever. She wanted to wake up every morning with him by her side and forget these awful wars. To maybe even have a child with him, to grow old with him.
Except that last part would never happen no matter how much she wanted it to. She swallowed down the lump forming in her throat.
They would have to figure that part out later- after the Ring was destroyed.
Legolas's voice became a distant whisper in her mind. "Who shall call them from the grey twilight? The forgotten people. The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. From the north shall he come. Need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead."
"GHOST," came a distinct male hiss that didn't belong to Legolas.
Noelle's eyes shot open as she found herself in front of a door carved into the side of the mountain. She could see nothing but blackness. Whatever was in there was drawing her in like a magnet, but she could feel the hairs standing up on her neck. She dismounted Flash, and gripped the reins tightly as she pulled them over his head and led him closer.
"Noelle!" Flash cried.
She didn't bother to shush him because she was in a daze, so transfixed by that black hole of an entrance.
"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away," Gimli whispered.
Legolas stepped in front of Noelle and read the inscription above the door. It must have been in a very ancient language. All Noelle could see was what appeared to be caveman drawings.
"'The way is shut,'" Legolas read. "'It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut.'"
A gust of wind and a howl carried through the air rushed past them. It was an ominous wind. But Noelle felt... peace. Strangely enough.
"I am the Way."
She felt the reins being yanked out of her hands as Flash's head jerked up. He screamed in terror and turning on his heels, he raced away, followed by Brego and Arod. She was too surprised to shout after her horse, and was also distracted by what was in there. Something frightening, for sure, but there was also an answer. More than just a clue.
Aragorn, his grey eyes steely with determination, pulled out his sword, which Noelle noticed for the first time was different. Then it suddenly hit her.
Narsil. The broken sword in Rivendell had been reforged. But where had he gotten that? She would ask him later.
"I do not fear death!" Aragorn hissed, and with that, he entered the black tunnel.
Noelle watched his grey cloak disappear into the dark fog. She wasn't eager to join him, per say, but she would. She wasn't afraid like she thought she would be, but that was only because of her anticipation. "I do not fear death, either," she said, pulling out her sword and meeting Legolas's eyes.
The Elf gave her a quick, concerned glance, but he narrowed his eyes, peering closely into the darkness. He could obviously see something neither she, Gimli, nor Aragorn could.
"I'm going in," Noelle whispered, not drawing her sword. She saw no use of it. There would not be any physical enemies down there. Not looking back, she clenched her fists and went blindly into the dark after Aragorn. She felt the same as she had when she was going into the crystal caves of Ilum to find her kyber crystal for the first time: uncertain of the future, but knowing there was a goal. There was an end.
"The Force made physical a Jedi is. Comes great responsibility with that yes?" Master Yoda had once asked.
Noelle had agreed with him. That was why she was here in the first place.
"Trust yourself. Trust the Force," Yoda had also said.
Maybe that had been her problem in the first place. She was so unsure of herself, and whether what the Force was trying to tell her made any sense, that she had lost both confidence in herself and her faith.
Up ahead she saw a light. It was Aragorn, sword in one hand and torch in other, waving the light in front of him from side to side. Behind her she could hear Legolas's footfalls, and Gimli's heavy breathing. She stopped behind the Ranger. "What..."
She cut herself off seeing the mountain of skulls in front of them.
"This way," Aragorn whispered, turning towards a different path.
Noelle heard Legolas stop behind her. His eyes were darting around the cavern.
"What is it?" Gimli asked him. "What do you see?"
"I see shapes of men and of horses," Legolas replied.
"Where!" the dwarf cried, glancing frantically from left to right.
Noelle stopped. She could feel it. Like a cold chill, surrounding them. "Everywhere," she whispered in reply.
"Pale banners like shreds of cloud," Legolas continued. "Spears rise... like winter thickets through a shroud of mist. The Dead are following. They have been summoned."
By whom? Noelle wondered. She stopped briefly for a moment to meet Legolas's eyes. She was going to ask how he could see the dead, but she thought she knew the answer. They were in the Realm of the Dead, and depending on many things, they could interact with the dead through the Force. Noelle had never seen it before with her own eyes, but Gandalf had been the one to tell her a little of it. The Jedi weren't inclined to share such secrets.
"Who are you waiting to meet, Noelle?" Legolas asked her in a low voice.
Noelle took a deep breath. "I don't know yet- just bear with me. Whatever happens."
The Elf nodded. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "I will," he promised.
Noelle looked earnestly into his eyes. "I don't know what's going to happen," she whispered. "But just remember, I love you."
Legolas stopped in his tracks and reached over to touch the side of her cheek. "Gi melin," he said softly back. "And you must remember: few can foresee where their road shall lead them until they come to its end."
Noelle swallowed. "Always in motion the future is," she whispered. Her eyes fell up ahead on Aragorn and Gimli who had continued onward without them, the dwarf lagging far behind in fear. Noelle and Legolas followed them into a large open space of the cavern. To their left was a humongous gate carved into the rock like an entrance to a city. It very much reminded Noelle of a Jedi Temple gate.
"Who enters my domain?" hissed a hollow voice behind them.
Noelle, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli whipped around in surprise to see the form of a ghastly, green, ghost King who took on more of a zombie appearance, standing in front of the stairs to the gateway.
"One who will have your allegiance!" Aragorn responded boldly.
The Dead Ghost King gave a toothy grin. "The dead do not suffer the living to pass. The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it."
Right. The inscription on the door, Noelle remembered.
Aragorn narrowed his eyes. "You will suffer me!"
With that, the Ghost King burst out in a cruel laugh. Behind him, what Noelle had suspected of being the Dead City came into view, with thousands of dead ghost soldiers inhabiting it. Their laughs also echoed throughout the chambers. But then the King's ghostly, white eyes fell on her and widened. He pointed his scraggly old finger at her.
"You. We shall suffer you to pass. For you will one day become like us, Jedi."
Noelle pursed her lips at this revelation. How did everyone know who she was? "I'm no Jedi... not anymore," she replied weakly, not knowing how else to answer.
Gimli raised his axe at the Ghost King. "What is that supposed to mean, ya coward?!"
Likewise, Legolas aimed his bow at him. "I will not let you touch her," he said with a fierce glare. "She stands not alone."
Aragorn was the only one who stood unmoved, dumbfounded in shock, but none of them were more shocked than Noelle.
"How do you know who I am?" she whispered. She had suspected something was down here waiting for her, but she hadn't expected it to be so... direct.
"You were not the first Jedi to step foot into Arda," he hissed.
"Gandalf and Saruman," Noelle countered. "I know."
"Me," he said. "A Jedi Master once came to Middle-earth near the dusk of the Second Age and sensed my strong connection with the Force. He took me back to his world and trained me. But when I was grown, I returned home to rule my people."
Noelle was speechless. She had no comment. Nothing. All she said was "what do you have to do with me?"
The Dead King smiled again. This time in a creepier way than before. "I have no connection with you, Smith. But this Mountain does. Enter the City of the Dead to learn the answer." He gestured behind him to the black hole of the gate- the entrance to the Dead City. The rest of the ghost soldiers had even moved aside to make a path for her.
Taking a deep breath, Noelle knew she had to go inside. She needed the answers she was looking for. She couldn't go on like this any longer. She turned around and met Legolas's eyes, which were filled with fear for her, but he nodded, and gave her the slightest of smiles. Noelle smiled back as reassuringly as she could, hoping her eyes restated the words she had already spoken earlier.
"I love you."
~~~~~~~
First there was darkness, utter darkness. Noelle stood in silence, waiting for whatever vision to come. Normally, it was like a daze or a dream. Details were fuzzy to remember, and it wasn't an experience. It was precisely what it was: a vision.
As Noelle stood in the darkness and waited, she decided to meditate. She wasn't going to let her impatience get the better of her. Getting down into a crouching position on her knees, she closed her eyes. She could feel the Force, a fluid conduit through the universe with Light and Dark, but also the Balance- the part neither the Jedi nor the Sith ever bothered with.
The Force... it had a Will of its own, and no one, not even the most powerful Jedi really understood it. Noelle could try as hard as she might, but maybe this was why she was running into problems. She thought she was supposed to understand what the Force was saying, when just maybe, she wasn't.
She decided to try repeating the words Lady Galadriel had spoken to her:
"There is no Light without the Dark-" she whispered aloud. "No Evil without Good. There is passion, yet emotion. Serenity yet peace. Chaos, yet order."
"You will do what you must to keep the Balance," came a voice. It was soft and kindly, in a caring way. There was nothing in it that would lead one to believe it had malcontent.
Noelle froze, halting her own words. She opened her eyes.
Before her stood another ghost, but he did not appear as a zombie corpse. He was a man, not old but not young either. He had a kindly face and long brown hair tied half up behind his head, similar to the way Legolas styled his hair.
"Noelle Smith," he said. "Apprentice to Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi."
Noelle frowned, her breath coming out sharply. "Who are you?" she asked.
"I am Qui-Gon Jinn."
Noelle gasped aloud. "Qui-Gon?" she whispered. "You were Obi-wan's master. You were killed by Maul, weren't you?"
"Dead, but not gone," he replied. "I have preserved my consciousness through the Living Force."
Noelle didn't reply. She studied her hands for a moment, then finally looked back up at the ghostly figure of Qui-Gon. "Master," she asked. "What does the Force ask of me? What is it trying to show me? Am I meant to know?"
"The Force does nothing without a purpose, Noelle. You will receive all your answers in time."
It was gnawing at her, bothering her to no end, because she saw no end for herself in sight. Not the one she wanted to have. She had come all this way, so far with nothing.
She opened her mouth to ask the question that had been haunting her since the day Gandalf brought her back to Middle-earth. "What has happened to my friends?" she whispered.
A look of gravity passed Qui-Gon's face. His arm gestured to his right hand side. "Should you wish to know?" he asked.
Noelle nodded, her eyes wide. "Yes," she whispered. No matter what it was, she had to know.
Qui-Gon disappeared and the room unlike a dream, became as clear as day, a vision of the Jedi Temple. Noelle was standing inside the main hallway- a familiar sight, as she had spent much of her time there, running back and forth between studying and fighting the war.
But the Temple was dead silent. Noelle felt herself intake a sharp air of breath. She knew why it was a ghost town. This was after Order 66. The Jedi were all dead, undoubtedly shot down by the clone soldiers they had served with for three years. Noelle clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from crying aloud in grief. There were even dead children... Had there been even no mercy for the children?
Something was off though. These Jedi had not been slain by blasters. Noelle would know anywhere. They were slashed with a lightsaber, not a blaster. Had Sidious come to the Temple himself to kill the Jedi? Was he that powerful?
The Jedi Temple began to fade away, but not to dark. Colors swirled around Noelle like a painting and the hallway was transformed into Chancellor Palpatine's office, where Noelle had been too many times to count. But this time she saw the strangest thing.
She saw Mace Windu pointing his purple-bladed lightsaber at the Chancellor. Noelle's mouth dropped open. Was he insane?
Then she heard the doors of the office slide open and Anakin came racing in. To her surprise, he didn't seem shocked or anything with the situation before him. He glanced back and forth between Mace and the Chancellor, who was leaning up against the huge window behind his desk.
"You have lost!" cried Master Windu.
"No! No! NO! You have lost!" Palpatine screamed back. Then lighting emitted from his hands and blasted Master Windu out into the open city space of Coruscant.
Noelle's eyes widened. He was the Sith Lord! Palpatine, the Chancellor of the Republic, was Sidious all along! Now everything was starting to fall into place. Every mystery, every piece of the puzzle they had been trying to solve for three years.
Anakin stood by watching as Sidious killed Windu and did nothing. He stumbled backwards against the desk and gasped, his voice trembling. "What have I done?!" he cried.
Darth Sidious stood up. He smiled. "You're fulfilling your destiny, Anakin. Become my apprentice. Learn to use the Dark Side of the Force."
Noelle gasped. "ANAKIN, NO!!!!" she screamed, but Anakin didn't hear her. He couldn't, because Noelle wasn't really there.
Anakin covered his face with his hands, so Noelle couldn't see what emotions were crossing his face- and in his eyes. Finally he whispered. "I pledge myself to your teachings, Master. Just... help me save Padme... please..." His voice was breaking.
"Goooooddd," said Palpatine, clearly thrilled. "The Force is strong with you. You shall henceforth be known as... Darth Vader."
Noelle heard the mechanical, raspy breathing. Then she saw the black mask, the black cape, and the red blade.
"NOOOOOO!!!!" she screamed and whipped out her sword, striking thin air as the vision disappeared, leaving her with the grieving face of ghost Qui-Gon Jinn.
Her sword clattered to the ground as she dropped to her knees, sobbing, gasping for breath. "No..." she sobbed. "It can't be him. It can't."
"It is him, Noelle," the ghost confirmed. "Anakin Skywalker has become Darth Vader. The Chosen One has fallen to the Dark Side."
Noelle shook her head wildly. "I don't believe it. I can't. He wouldn't." But deep down in her heart she knew it was true. Qui-Gon would not show her a lie. Maul had hinted at it. Saruman had hinted at it. The Force had hinted it through her dreams.
"Can he be saved?" Noelle whispered, pulling her head up to meet the ghost's eyes.
"No one is beyond saving, Noelle."