Chapter 19: Balin's tomb, the battle against the troll.

The Fellowship takes a rest.

Gandalf sat near the passageways, using his wits trying to find out what the right passageway is. Kenshin and Kaoru sat with him. Aragorn, Boromir, and Saito smoked their pipes and cigarettes.

Merry and Pippin whispered to each other.

"Are we lost?" asked Pippin.

"No," answered Merry assuredly.

"I think we're lost."

"Shh!" Sam quietly interrupted, "Gandalf's thinking."

"Merry," said Pippin

"What Pippin?"

"I'm hungry."

"Well," added Misao silently, "you guys aren't the only ones."

Frodo, out of curiosity, turned around and spots a small figure coming from below, leaping from stone to stone. He rushed over to Gandalf, Kenshin and Kaoru.

"There's something down there," Frodo said.

"What is it, Sir Frodo?" asked Kenshin.

"It's Gollum," answered Gandalf, apparently not surprised. It shocked them all.

"Gollum?" asked Frodo in shock.

"You mean," interjected Kaoru, "the same Gollum that had the ring for 500 years?"

"The very same, Kaoru," answered Gandalf, "he's been following us for 3 days."

"He's escaped the dungeons of Barad-dûr?" Frodo asked Gandalf.

"Escaped," answered Gandalf, "…or set loose? Now the Ring has brought him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the ring, as he hates and loves himself. Smeagol's life is a sad story."

"Smeagol?" spoke Frodo. This revelation shocked Kenshin and Kaoru as well, to know that Gollum had another name.

Gollum clasped his dark, dirty fingers onto a stone implement. He looked up with his large, wet eyes that pierced the darkness, closely watching the Fellowship, overhearing them.

"Yes," said Gandalf, "Smeagol he was once called, before the ring found him… before it drove him mad."

"It's a pity," said Frodo, as he looked back in Gollum's direction, with disgust in his voice, "Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance."

"Pity," said a shocked Gandalf, "it was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many, that live, deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?"

After a moment… Kenshin interjected, "Sir Frodo… I agree with Sir Gandalf, that I do. You see, this sword that I carry with me, is a sword that cannot be used to kill. I too had another name, like Gollum did. I was called 'Battousai, the Manslayer.'"

Frodo was shocked to hear this, that Kenshin was a killer in his past.

Kenshin continued his explanation to Frodo, "I have killed so many people, that I was sick of it and swore that I would never kill again. That's why I carry this sword. Killing has never brought me happiness, as I suspect that Sir Bilbo knew how much killing would cause him great pain, that it would. I believe that that was the reason why he never killed Gollum."

"Kenshin," interjected Gandalf, "has a point, Frodo. Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum still has a part to play yet, for good or ill. Before this is over…"

Gollum then left his hiding spot, slinking off into the darkness, to strike sometime later… if he gets the chance.

"…The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many," finished Gandalf as he nodded.

Frodo sat down beside Gandalf, with much sorrow within him.

"…I wish the ring had never come to me," he said, "…I wish none of this had happened."

"So do all, who live to see such times," Gandalf consoled Frodo, leaning near him in a grandfatherly manner, "but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, as any other world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it."

Gandalf then turned to Kenshin and Kaoru and gestured, "just as Kenshin and his friends, who have joined us on this journey, were meant to be here too."

Gandalf turned back to Frodo and finished, "…and that is an encouraging thought."

Kenshin and Kaoru smiled brightly as they nodded in agreement with the wizard. Gandalf nodded as well. This alone… brought Frodo more hope…

"…Ah," Gandalf said so suddenly as he gestured his head toward one of the passageways, "…it's that way!" Everyone hears the news.

'About time,' thought Saito, ungratefully.

"He's remembered!" said Merry.

"No," Gandalf replied.

Gandalf then went to his preferred passageway.

"…But the air doesn't smell so foul down here," Gandalf added as he turned to Merry, "if in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

The Fellowship began to proceed down the passageway with Gandalf in the lead…

It led into a dark… large… hollow room…

"Let me risk," said Gandalf, silently, "a little more light…"

Gandalf commanded his staff to lighten even more…

His brightened staff showed a grandiose hall of stone, lined with tall pillars and arched ceilings as far as the eye can see. Members of the Fellowship, one by one, including Gimli… reacted and gasped in great and amazing awe as they observed their wondrous surroundings…

"Behold!" Gandalf announced, "the great realm and Dwarf City of Dwarrowdelf."

"Well, there's an eye-opener and no mistake," said a speechless Sam.

Yahiko nodded in agreement with Sam, sharing the same speechless manner. Even Boromir couldn't believe what lies in front of his eyes.

The grandiose halls of Dwarrowdelf were a great wonder throughout the dreadful mines of Moria. This was certainly one wonder… that truly gave Moria something special. However, it was still a very dark place to be in.

As the Fellowship continued their long journey through Dwarrowdelf's grandiose halls of stone…

Gimli sees a brightened, opened chamber on his right… and suddenly ran toward it, with a loud, quick gasp.

"…Gimli!" Gandalf called out.

"Sir Gimli!" Kenshin called out also.

Gimli continued to run towards the door… and passed through it. He slowly and stopped suddenly at a stone tomb, littered with Dwarf skeletons around it…

"No…" said Gimli, saddened with great grief and sorrow, "…no." The others came into the tomb slowly, seeing Gimli grieving over the tomb.

Gandalf approached the tomb and read the Dwarven runes on top of the tomb…

"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin… Lord of Moria'…

"He is dead then," finished Gandalf as he took his hat off, "…its as I feared."

Gimli gently placed his forehead on the edge of the grave. Gandalf handed his staff and hat to Pippin. Gimli cried his heart out very loudly… and sadly. Misao put a hand on his shoulder, grieving with him.

"I'm sorry Gimli," she said. Aoshi came up to her, putting an arm around her. Misao turned to look at him…

"Oh, Lord Aoshi," said Misao, sobbing, "…this place… is just full of death… of all the dead Dwarves that cover this place… only this one… had a proper burial."

She suddenly embraced Aoshi, hugging him, crying as much as Gimli. Aoshi returned her warm, sad embrace as well. Aoshi looked at the tomb for a moment… and then… he remembered how his four friends died and how he grieved for them as well…

Gimli, with great sorrow in his voice began chanting, "…kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram... Balin tazlifi…"

Gimli sadly chanted this memorial, in honor of Balin…

Kenshin bowed at the tomb, showing his utmost respect for the dead, as he himself… has killed many in the revolution back in his world. Sanosuke, Yahiko and Kaoru lowered their heads feeling very sorry for Gimli's fallen kinsman.

"Man," said Yahiko silently… yet sadly and sorrowful, "…Gimli must really miss his cousin very much… doesn't he Kaoru?"

Kaoru nodded sadly in agreement with Yahiko as she gently placed her arm around his shoulder…

Saito walked up to the tomb.

"So," said Saito, while smoking his cigarette, "…you're Gimli's cousin, huh? Too bad we never got to meet. I could easily tell that your cousin's a real fighter. You all smoke pipes, right? But I imagine you've never smoked a cigarette before, have you?"

He then placed his cigarette on top of the stone tomb and bowed, showing his respect.

"Here's my tribute to you… such as it is," he said.

"Saito," Kenshin said as they stared at each other…

As everyone silently shared his or her tributes and thoughts, Gandalf finds and picks up a book held by a skeleton leaning against the tomb, and brushed and blew off the dust that settled upon it.

Legolas, out of urgency, silently said to Aragorn, "we must move on, we cannot linger."

Aragorn nods in agreement.

Gandalf began reading the book as everyone listened intently:

Reaching the end of that page, Gandalf turned the page and continued to read…

As the Fellowship continued to listen, as well as glancing around uncomfortably… Pippin stumbled back slightly and sees a Dwarf corpse sitting by a stone well with an arrow in its chest. He turned towards it…

Gandalf went on reading…

As he reached the bottom of the page… he saw that the last, single line, was a scrawl fading out at the bottom of the page. It's as if the writer was suddenly… attacked.

Gandalf lifts his head to the Fellowship in the uncomfortable silence…

"…They are coming!'" Gandalf finished.

Pippin, out of curiosity, reached out… and lightly twisted the arrow in the corpse, but…

CRASH!

The skull slipped off, falling into the well with a resounding crash…

Gandalf, as well as the others, whipped around, looking spooked. Pippin turned to face the wizard, looking guilty. As he did…

The corpse slipped into the well, dragging with it a chain and bucket, its noise echoing from hall to hall far below…

CRRASSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Where once was only silence… a ricocheting noise now filled every cranny…

Pippin winces at each new wave of noise. The noise made a little more than enough noise to wake the dead…

CRASSSHHHH!!!

It lasted about a minute…

Moments later… the noise slowed down…

And stopped.

After the noise stopped, everyone let a few moments of silence pass before relaxing. However, Sanosuke, Kaoru, and Misao weren't very relaxed.

"Grr, Pippin," growled Kaoru. Yahiko growled along with her.

"Sir Pippin," Kenshin said, with an embarrassed face.

"Pippin, that knucklehead," fumed Misao quietly, "what does he think he's playing at?"

Gandalf slammed the book shut, irritated at Pippin.

"Fool of a Took!" the wizard said as he placed the book aside, "throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf then snatched his hat and staff back from Pippin.

'I'll drink to that,' thought Sanosuke. Saito humped at Pippin, agreeing with Gandalf.

When all seemed that they weren't heard… drums started to pound quietly. Gandalf and the others slowly turned back towards the well and Pippin turned back, also staring down into the well…

The pounding roamed throughout the mines, throughout every nook and cranny. The beat paused at first…

But the sound began pounding even louder and faster… like a heartbeat…

Everyone was on alert as terror crept upon his or her faces and the pounding was closing in on them. Their battle in Moria was about to commence. Then Sam saw Frodo's sword starting to glow blue.

"Frodo," he said in a low voice.

Frodo also saw his sword glowing blue as he drew the blade, just a little. Kaoru, Yahiko, and Kenshin gasp at the sight of the glowing sword as well…

"Orcs!" Legolas called out in disgust.

Boromir rushed to the door to have a look… but nearly got hit by two hissing arrows that hit the door, right in front of his face.

"Get back!" Aragorn cried out to the Hobbits, "you stay close to Gandalf!"

Aragorn then dropped his torch and ran towards Boromir, trying to help close the door.

Misao manned her kunais in her hands. Aoshi drew his twin kodachi swords. Kenshin went into his battoujustsu stance, while Kaoru and Yahiko readied their wooden swords.

"Ready, Yahiko?" said Kaoru.

"Yeah," answered Yahiko.

Sanosuke slammed his fists together, "let's do it!"

Saito goes into his Gatotsu stance as well.

As Aragorn and Boromir closed the door… a bellow can be heard just outside.

"They have a cave troll," said Boromir.

Legolas threw them weapons, in which Boromir and Aragorn used to bar the door with. Gandalf threw his hat aside and drew his sword.

"Yaaaahhh!" the wizard cried out.

The Hobbits drew their swords as well. The Orcs and many creatures beyond, reached the door… pounding outside, breaking the doors down…

As they did… Gimli roared as he stepped on top of the tomb.

"Aarrgghhh!!! Let them come!" Gimli cried out, "there is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

The creatures continued to break the door. Weapons crashed through the splintering spaces…

The Fellowship, one by one, continued their vigilance for the impending battle…

Legolas and Aragorn stand poised, ready to shoot…

The Hobbits are ready as well, though fear clouds their eyes…

Kenshin… Kaoru… Sanosuke… Saito… Aoshi… Yahiko… and Misao also stood ready and poised to attack…

The first clear gap is gashed in the door…

Legolas shot an arrow, which apparently hit something, that rang out a shrill cry. Then he shot another arrow. Aragorn also shot arrows and hits some of the Orcs as well. Then…

BASH!

The Orcs finally broke through the door…

And the battle began as the Orcs flooded into the tomb. Aragorn and Legolas pierce Orcs with their arrows while Boromir smashes another with his sword. Misao threw her kunais at the Orcs and hit many of them. Gimli caught one right in the stomach.

Kenshin began charging at the Orcs with his reverse-blade sword, as the others charged in with their attacks. Gandalf then roared out, as he joined the fray. The Hobbits went with him.

The battle was intense. Many Orcs were killed in the fray. Aragorn beheaded an Orc and black blood spewed forth. Sanosuke used his fists, as well as his Futae no Kiwami to knock out, and severely injure the Orcs. Saito used his Gatotsu attack in the fray as Aoshi used his Kaiten-Kenbu attacks on the Orcs.

Kenshin, keeping his vow not to kill, uses his reverse-blade sword on the Orcs, not killing them. He used his lightning-quick reflexes to defeat each Orc with the Hiten-Mitsurugi style. Whenever Kenshin was faced with an incoming Orc… he vanishes and hits the Orcs from behind.

Kenshin even jumped on top of the Orcs in order to knock them out. Gandalf, Aragorn, even Frodo were amazed at what they saw…

'Amazing,' thought Aragorn, gasping to himself, while fighting the Orcs, 'I have heard that Kenshin was a great fighter… but I'd never expect he'd be someone with amazing abilities as super-speed… or knowing how and when his opponents are going to attack.'

'…So,' thought Frodo, watching Kenshin in battle, with an amazed expression on his face, 'I see with my own eyes for the first time… the fighting abilities of Kenshin.'

Pippin was beside Misao as he also watched Kenshin's extraordinary fighting in great awe.

"My goodness!" Pippin cried, "Kenshin fights very well, Misao!"

"Yeah Pippin," agreed Misao, "Himura's one sword-fighting monster!"

Gimli observed Kenshin from on top of Balin's grave and roared in satisfaction.

"Aarrrghh!" Gimli cried out, "you are indeed a great fighter, Master Kenshin!"

Legolas, also managed to observe Kenshin's fighting style and smiled in even greater satisfaction… knowing that they have fighters on their side… who can fight legions of Orcs at one time so easily.

As the battle continued with everyone admiring Kenshin's fighting style…

Sam and Yahiko paused in the heat of battle, their attention drawn upwards. Aragorn and Kenshin look up as well…

A cave troll smashed through the doorway, appearing right in front of Sam and Yahiko. Chains led from its wrists to an Orc‘s hand.

Kaoru and Misao were shocked to see what lies before them.

"Monster," the women squeaked.

Legolas shoots the cave troll in the shoulder and the beast growled clasping a hand to the wound. The troll roared. Sam and Yahiko slipped under the troll as it swung its club, striking the ground.

The Troll smashed the tomb Gimli is standing on top of, but misses Gimli, then kills several of the Orcs in its attempt to get the dwarf. Saito then jumped in, striking its leg with a Gatotsu. Gimli fought more Orcs.

Legolas and Aoshi are on top of a ledge, killing each Orc that came along. The Troll uses its chain like a whip, trying to hit Legolas, but he dodges it. Aoshi jumped off the ledge. The chain became momentarily caught around a pillar, and Legolas ran up it to stand on top of the Troll's head and shot an arrow at its head, but jumped off when the Troll growled and tried to grab for his ankles.

Sam used his frying pan to hit the Orcs, one by one.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Sam said as he hit another Orc.

Yahiko also does well with his wooden sword, dodging the Orcs' weapons, "so am I, Sam." He said.

The Cavetroll caught sight of the three Hobbits. Misao was with them. Aragorn and Kenshin look at Frodo's predicament.

"Frodo!" Aragorn cried out.

Kenshin struggled with the Orcs, swiping them off with his ground breaking Do Ryu Sen attack. The Hobbits and Misao all dodge, but Frodo went one way while Merry, Pippin, and Misao went the other way.

The Troll followed Frodo, who manages to stay on the opposite side of the pillar from the Troll. Frodo dodged around the pillar. The troll peered around it. Not being able to see him, it peered around the other side, causing Frodo to dodge out of its vision. It disappeared back. Frodo carefully looks around the pillar, and the troll was gone. He draws a deep breath…

ROOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

Then the Troll, out of nowhere, blasts around the pillar, bellowing in Frodo’s face, taking him by surprise as he fell down back behind the pillar in a corner.

The troll found him nevertheless and grabbed him. The troll lifted and dragged Frodo from the edge of a recess.

Frodo called out for help as he was being dragged, "Aragorn! Kenshin! Aragorn!"

"FRODO!" Aragorn yelled.

"Sir Frodo!" called out Kenshin.

Frodo then cut the Troll's hand with the sword, Sting as Kenshin and Aragorn, both rushed to his rescue. The troll tried to reach for Frodo again but Aragorn grabbed a spear from the floor and stabbed the troll with it. It did not penetrate its flesh, but held the beast at bay.

Pippin and Merry began throwing stones at the troll’s head, while Misao threw her kunais at the giant creature. The troll, infuriated, swings his arm down and hits Aragorn, sending him flying across the room. He landed onto a wall and collapsed onto the floor. Then a slash came down upon the troll's shoulder…

"Hiten Mitsurugi Style… Ryu Tsui Sen!"

It was Kenshin!

The troll was greatly crippled by that attack.

Kenshin then jumped up, aiming at the Troll's chin, yelling out, "Hiten Mitsurugi Style… Ryu Shou Sen!"

Unfortunately… the Troll knocked him aside as well. Kaoru saw this and was greatly frightened.

"Kenshin!" she cried.

Frodo went to shake Aragorn, but he couldn't get up. The troll grabbed the spear and aimed at Frodo. Luckily, he dodged the spear. He tried to run but the troll blocked his path, sending him against the wall. Before Frodo could move out of the way…

SLICE!

The Troll stabbed Frodo with the spear! Everyone was shocked…

Frodo panted out, "Unggggh!"

The troll, however, growled in great satisfaction…

Misao, Merry, and Pippin, out of anger and sorrow of Frodo's stabbing by the troll… jumped onto the troll from the ledge and attacked it, stabbing it wildly.

"Frodo?" asked a confused and shocked Sam…

"…Unggggh!" Frodo continued panting…

Gandalf stared silently across the room, stunned at Frodo's stabbing…

"Frodo!" Sam cried out as he rushed bravely towards his friend.

"Frodo!" Kaoru cried out in anguish, "…NNOOOOOO!"

"Ah," said a startled Yahiko, as he also began running towards Frodo, "…FRODO!"

Then… Aragorn regained consciousness… and saw that the troll stabbed Frodo. He gasped in great and anguished shock at this crisis…

Broken from their shocked trance, Aragorn, Saito, Sanosuke, Aoshi, Boromir, and Gandalf fight madly to reach the Hobbit…

Frodo continued panting fatally until…

He slowly collapsed onto the floor with the spear sticking into his chest…

Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings and RK are not mine. They belong to their authors, respectively J.R.R. Tolkien and Watsuki Nobuhiro. This fanfiction is created just for fun, not for any commercial purposes.

A/n: enjoying yourselves so far? Keep reading and send your reviews.

2nd A/n: for those of you who saw the MTV movie awards… The Two Towers won the BEST MOVIE award. Along with BEST VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE, BEST ON-SCREEN TEAM, and BEST ACTION SEQUENCE. For me, the MTV movie awards are truly where Lord of the Rings gets the respect it so richly deserves.