A/n: Hello my fans! These two chapters are in honor of my birthday on Aug. 7. Please read and review. And wish me a happy birthday!!!

Chapter 22: Galadriel's Mirror

As Frodo continued to walk away from the sleeping Fellowship, being beckoned by Galadriel, Yahiko woke up suddenly and saw Frodo walking away, following Galadriel. He quietly stood up and went to follow them as silently as possible.

Moments later… someone grabbed Yahiko's arm from behind him.

"Ah!" gasped Yahiko as he turned abruptly to see who was behind him, "…Kaoru?"

Kaoru was clearly upset with Yahiko sneaking out like that.

"What do you think you're doing Yahiko, being up this late at night?" asked Kaoru.

"Well, if it's any of your business, ugly," mocked Yahiko, "I'm trying to follow Frodo. He happens to be following Galadriel. I just want to see what they're doing, that's all."

Yahiko shook free of Kaoru and creeped on ahead. Kaoru knew that any loud noises would wake everyone else so she went along with Yahiko as quietly as she could.

She caught up to Yahiko and said, "alright, Yahiko. But if they see us, we're going back to sleep, understand?"

"Gotcha," replied Yahiko.

She and Yahiko continued to follow Galadriel and Frodo.

Galadriel continued to glide softly, past Elven statues among the trees, and walked down a set of steps, descending to her garden in a glade. Frodo slowly followed her down to the garden. Unbeknownst to them, Kaoru and Yahiko try to stay out of sight as they stayed close to the edge of the entrance.

At Galadriel's glade, Galadriel slowly filled a silver ewer with water from a trickling stream. Galadriel turned to Frodo as she stood before an ornate stand with a shallow silver basin upon it.

"I see that you have come Frodo," said Galadriel.

Frodo nodded in response.

"Then it is only fair," added Galadriel as she turned her face to her left, in Kaoru and Yahiko's direction, "that your other companions should come to witness this as well."

Kaoru and Yahiko were stunned to see that Galadriel has found them. Frodo then turned to look where Galadriel was looking and found them at the entrance as well. Galadriel gently gestured with her hand, beckoning them to come down to the glade.

Kaoru and Yahiko reluctantly came down, as this was the second time that they were caught in hiding.

"Miss Kaoru, Yahiko," Frodo said to them, "what are you doing here?"

"It was all Yahiko's fault," explained Kaoru, while a little upset at Yahiko, "he talked me into following you. I should've brought him back to bed the minute I found him."

"But I sense," interjected Galadriel, "that you were just as curious as Yahiko, Kaoru."

Kaoru went a little nervous and shocked to know that Galadriel has figured her out.

Galadriel went on, "it is not easy for you to hide your thoughts from me, whether you are asleep or awake. You and Yahiko share the same unique curiosity, despite your differences with each other. I can also sense that fact as well."

Kaoru sighed in defeat, knowing Galadriel was right.

"Heh," smirked Yahiko, with a sly expression on his face, "so it looks like that it was pretty much your fault as it was mine that we got caught, isn't it ugly?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING UGLY!" Kaoru berated at Yahiko after his insult.

"Please!" Frodo reasoned to his companions, "we don't need to do this in front of the Lady Galadriel, do we?"

Kaoru calmed down reluctantly, but was waiting to give payback to Yahiko for his insults.

"Yes," interjected Galadriel, "set aside your quarrels for another time Kaoru and Yahiko. For there are perilous times ahead which, that alone, will make your personal differences very meaningless."

Kaoru and Yahiko listened well to Galadriel, and decided to take her advice about setting aside their differences for the time being. Galadriel then turned to Frodo.

"Will you look into the mirror, Frodo?" asked Galadriel.

Frodo proceeded towards Galadriel as he asked, "what will I see?"

Galadriel stepped up to the basin as she answers, "even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror… shows many things…"

She began pouring the water slowly into the basin…

"…Things that were…

"…Things that are…

"…And some things… "

Galadriel emptied the water from the ewer into the basin and slowly stepped away…

"…That have not yet come to pass," Galadriel finished.

Frodo, out of reluctant curiosity, slowly stepped up onto a low platform below the mirror to take a look. Kaoru and Yahiko could only watch from a close distance. Frodo was the only one whom Galadriel welcomed to look into her mirror…

Frodo began peering down… but saw nothing but his reflection. The Hobbit looked up at Galadriel for a moment. The She-Elf nodded her assurance to Frodo. Then, Frodo peered down into the mirror again.

Kaoru and Yahiko continuously watched Frodo, waiting patiently for something to happen…

Suddenly…

The mirror cleared… and showed visions of Sanosuke… Legolas… Misao… Aoshi… Merry and Pippin… and Sam, whom were all watching Frodo with reproachful expressions on their faces…

Then, the vision changed…

And the Green Dragon Inn appeared in the ripples, green and cheery as it ever had been…

Then… fires belched up, flaming from windows and doors, as Orcs were chasing… and killing Hobbits for sport and pleasure.

This vision alone… has made Frodo gasp in great fear and horror with wide, fearful eyes…

The vision became more horrifying… as grey skies and many dark hills were shouldered with machinery and industry throughout the Shire…

An Orc's whip lashed very roughly and painfully onto one of the Hobbits… as a line of Hobbits were driven into a mill to work by slave-masterly Orcs…

Everything Frodo knew to be great, green and good in the world… was reduced to a barren wasteland that was just as barren as Mordor and Isengard…

Suddenly…

The Eye of Sauron filled the mirror, closing menacingly in on Frodo…

Kaoru and Yahiko began to gasp in fear and horror, sensing Frodo's peril, seeing what he saw in Galadriel's mirror. Right now, they wished that they could go to Frodo and save him from his ordeal.

The ring, hanging from Frodo’s neck, pulled him closer to the water… towards Sauron…

Steam began to curl up from the basin as Sauron spoke to Frodo in his dark, ghastly tongue…

The ring hanged in the pit of blackness within the fires of the Eye, as it continued pulling itself, along with Frodo… towards the fiery eye…

Terrified, Frodo quickly grabbed the ring… and jerked back, throwing himself off the step and landing on his back on the grass.

"Frodo!" Yahiko and Kaoru cried in unison as they ran to him.

"Are you alright?" asked Kaoru.

"What happened?" Yahiko added.

Galadriel spoke to Frodo, "…I know what it is you saw."

Frodo and the others gasped, hearing Galadriel's statement. The Hobbit picked himself off of the ground, facing her.

"…For it is also in my mind," Galadriel added.

"…What… did Frodo see Miss Galadriel?" inquired Yahiko.

"…Destruction," replied Galadriel, "…and death."

Yahiko gasped to himself… and gasped even more as he heard a voice in his head…

"…The Destruction and death of all that Frodo knew to be beautiful in this world."

Yahiko wasn't the only one who freaked a little… Kaoru gasped too hearing the voice in her head as well. It was Galadriel's thoughts communicating with them, as she did with Frodo. Frodo heard her voice in his head also.

"…Do not be afraid, Kaoru and Yahiko," Galadriel said to them, with her thoughts, "from the moment that Frodo came to Lothlorien… he began hearing my voice inside his head as well."

Kaoru and Yahiko then calmed a little, being assured by Galadriel that she communicated Frodo with her thoughts.

Galadriel went on, communicating her thoughts, "Frodo's apocalyptic vision is but a mere example of what will befall your world as it will befall in this world."

Frodo, Kaoru, and Yahiko had frightened expressions on their faces as they were being reminded of Sauron's threat… to both their worlds…

"…It is what will come to pass," Galadriel continued further, "…if you should fail. The Fellowship is breaking. It has already begun. He will try to take the ring. You know of whom I speak…

"…You should also be wary… of your other companions' desires for the ring… as well as your own desires for the ring yourselves…

In that moment… Galadriel shifted her eyes in Kaoru's direction. Kaoru stared at her, with a shocked expression on her face, as if Galadriel somehow… knew that Kaoru wanted the ring too.

Yahiko was, unfortunately, a little skeptical about Galadriel. She could also sense Yahiko's disbelief as well. Galadriel then let her eyes face the trio once again.

"…One by one… it will destroy you all," Galadriel concluded.

Frodo completely and unconditionally agreed with Galadriel's warnings. The frightened Hobbit slowly proceeded toward Galadriel…

"…If you ask it of me," thought Frodo to Galadriel, as he held out his hand, showing the ring to her, "…I will give you the One Ring."

Frodo was actually offering the ring to her. Yahiko gasped in great incredulous fear to Frodo's offering of the ring.

"Frodo, what do you think you're doing?" Yahiko asked incredulously as he began to proceed forward…

But was stopped by Kaoru as she lightly grasped Yahiko's shoulder.

Yahiko looked up at Kaoru, "but Kaoru… " He muttered.

Kaoru gently shook her head, gesturing him not to interfere.

"…You offer it to me freely," said Galadriel as she approached Frodo… and slowly reached for the ring with her hand, quivering, "…I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this…"

Frodo waited for Galadriel's next move as her hand was nearly over his open hand that has the ring in it…

Yahiko's fear increased greatly, he clearly didn't want Galadriel to have the ring. Kaoru, however, could only watch in a nearly motionless state, expressing her unwillingness to interfere…

But then…

Galadriel's image began to change, "…in place of a dark lord, you would have a QUEEN!"

Galadriel suddenly towered over Frodo, her cloak running ragged in a sudden wind, her eyes like dark hollows, arms flung high, and her hair billowed around her. As though underwater, the glade became murky and green.

Kaoru and Yahiko gasped with great horror and shock to Galadriel's dark side as well as the changing of the environment around them…

Galadriel ominously added… "NOT DARK, BUT BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN! TREACHEROUS AS THE SEA…! "

Frodo backed away in fright. Kaoru and Yahiko were both frightened and horrified as well…

Then…

Galadriel let her arms slowly fall, as the great, dark, murky light faded… and the pitilessness of her image disappeared. Frodo, as well as both Kaoru and Yahiko… were fiercely windblown by Galadriel's menacing dark side.

Galadriel backed away from the ring. But for a moment… she looked old, and it seemed to bring her no joy to have done the right thing.

Breathing heavily, Galadriel turned away from Frodo and smiled saying, "I passed the test. I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain Galadriel."

"I cannot do this alone," said a troubled Frodo.

Galadriel turned back toward Frodo.

"You are a ringbearer, Frodo," Galadriel stated, "to bear a ring of power… is to be alone."

Galadriel lifted her hand to show Frodo and the others… an adorned silver-lined ring on her finger

"This is Nenya, the ring of Adamant," she announced to them, "and I am its keeper."

Looking at the ring, Kaoru interjected, "if I may ask, Lady Galadriel… is that ring… one of the three rings of power that were given to your people long ago?"

Galadriel smiled as she answered, "…yes."

"…It's beautiful," Kaoru said, with a sad expression on her face.

Galadriel smiled with sympathy for Kaoru's sadness.

Galadriel then turned back to Frodo as she went on, "this task… was appointed to you. And if you do not find a way…

"…No one will," she concluded fatefully.

"Then I know what I must do," resolved Frodo as he turned to face Kaoru and Yahiko, "its just…"

Galadriel also glanced at Kaoru and Yahiko as Frodo stared at his companions. After a few moments… Frodo faced Galadriel once more.

"…I'm afraid to do it," he finished

Galadriel crouched down to meet Frodo at eye-level.

"…Even the smallest person can change the course of the future," Galadriel assured the uncertain Hobbit.

With that, Frodo tightly re-clutched the ring into his hand. Kaoru and Yahiko looked at Frodo with sadness on their faces, knowing what he will be determined to do.

Meanwhile at the barren valley of Isengard, as the sound of hammering and mining operations filled the land and sky, Saruman speaks to one of the newborn Uruk-Hai in Orthanc tower.

"Do you know," he asked, "how the Orcs first came into being?"

The creature growled at Saruman's question.

"…They were Elves once," Saruman added as he circled round the creature, "taken by the dark powers…

"…Tortured… and mutilated."

The Uruk snarled again…

"A ruined," Saruman went on, "…and terrible form of life."

The creature growled even louder to Saruman's talk of the Orcs. Saruman then stopped circling to face the brutal creature.

"And now… perfected. My fighting Uruk-Hai…

"…Whom do you serve?"

"SARUMAN!" the Uruk roared in response…

In the treacherous caverns of Isengard, Saruman painted the Uruk with his white hand. That Uruk, along with others, growled and snarled as they began painting their brethren with the white hand, signifying that they're part of Saruman's army. The Uruk-Hai warriors were fitted with armor and given weapons made by Saruman's Orc followers.

Saruman stood on a balcony. The leader of the Uruks stood beside him. The rest of the Uruk-Hai troops assembled below, awaiting his orders…

"HUNT THEM DOWN!" ordered Saruman, "DO NOT STOP UNTIL THEY ARE FOUND!

"You do not know pain, you do not know fear… YOU WILL TASTE MAN-FLESH!"

The Uruks roared and growled, raising and shaking their weapons above their heads.

Saruman turned to the leader to give his personal command to him.

"One of the halflings," he said, "carries something of great value. Bring them to me alive… and unspoiled."

The Uruk leader growled, waiting and anticipating for the chance to serve Saruman faithfully… with brutal intent.

"Kill the others!" Saruman added grimly.

And so…

The Uruk-Hai, as they roared, roamed in great numbers as they set out from Isengard for their first mission: to hunt down the Fellowship, and to bring the ring to Saruman.