"Imara." Legolas said, suddenly appearing above us.

I looked at him. "Yes?"

"Your mother. Her name was Casandra, was it not?" He asks, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Yes. It was."

"Did...did she die in pain?" He whispered.

I knew why he was asking this. So I stood up to face him. I shook my head. "No. She died not in pain. She grew sick after I was born. She survived as long as she could and with what little sway Sauron had left. She...didn't make it despite everything we tried. But she was happy and passed with a smile on her face."

He nodded again, then met my eyes. He didn't speak. He didn't have to.

"You look a lot like her. The resemblance is uncanny. She would be proud of you, Legolas." I said softly.

His blue eyes brimmed with tears for a moment, then said, "Well, Imara, perhaps I was too harsh on you. I was confused. I was caught up on the lie that was Tauriel that I didn't look close enough at the truth of Imara. And for that, I am sorry...sister."

I sighed heavily and pulled him into a tight hug and said exasperatedly, "You good guys take too long to get to the point. It's annoying. Let's just put it behind us, alright?"

He nodded, hands resting on my shoulders. "Ok. You really are the little sister, huh? Since Baldor and I are older than you."

I scowled. "Yeah. Sure. But I can still beat your ass, Thrandullion." I say and point a finger in his face.

A small, challenging grin crossed his face. "Perhaps you could, dear nésa."

I rolled my eyes and he motioned for me to join him by the fire.

I looked back at Freya and Aragorn and the hobbits, and they merely made their way over to the fire. Legolas returned to his seat next to Gimli, and Freya sat with Boromir.

Aragorn appeared at my side and smiled at me softly. He nodded towards the fire and we walked over together and sat down. I noticed after I sat down that Frodo wouldn't look at me. I understood why. But I also understood what caused him to do it.

We are a sparse dinner so as to conserve water, then packed up and moved on through the tunnels, Gandalf lighting up his staff and Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas carrying torches.

The Fellowship was silent, and the dead silence was bothering me. I felt nauseous, dizzy, and tired. It didn't matter how many times I tried to blink away the sudden nerves, nothing worked. I drank water and even stopped walking a few times.

Then, a voice began to whisper in my mind.

You have betrayed me, Imara. Perhaps I should teach you a lesson, as you did not learn last time when I had your last love killed... perhaps your Fellowship needs to learn a hard lesson...

"No!" I said out loud and they all looked at me, stopping in their tracks. A high pitched screech echoed in my mind and I grabbed my head and sank to my knees. "No! Stop! Get out!" I yelled.

Aragorn kneeled in front of me and my eyesight was going a hazy red- red, clear, red, clear. He was talking to me and I shoved him away from me roughly.

"Get away from me! All of you!" I gritted out.

No, no, no, not now!

There was a snap and all of a sudden, I wasn't in control. The part of me that wanted to rebel was locked in a deep recess in my mind, screaming to get out. I slowly stood up, unwillingly and not on my own, and drew my sword.

I grabbed my hand, trying to fight it and tried to wrench the sword from my grip, but nothing happened. I locked eyes with Aragorn and managed, "Get away from me."

A high pitched ringing sounded in my mind and I cried out, growling a curse in Black Speech. He stepped towards me and my arm swung the sword at him and Legolas yanked him back before he could get stabbed.

At the same moment, a chorus of whooping screeches filled the tunnel as well as a deafening roar.

I could only see red now and I glared at the Fellowship. "Run away, little heroes." I snarled.

And they did. They turned tail and fled.

Pathetic. A mocking voice said in my mind. I stood still and I was surrounded by goblins and orcs immediately. The Fellowship was gone. I was glad. The voice in my head was anything but pleased, however.

I wasn't done fighting it, however.

A goblin hissed next to me, brandishing a sword, and bowing low. "My Lady." It growled in a gutters voice. "The Dark Lord has awakened! He told us to find you. To follow you, yes!"

I looked at the goblins before me in distaste.

My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that it hurt. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. It was as if my body wasn't mine anymore. Sauron had taken control of me. I needed to fight. I needed to fight now more than ever.

I rolled my shoulders and cracked my knuckles, sheathing my sword at my side. "Yes."

"What are our orders?" A second orc asked, shifting back and forth from foot to foot.

I looked at my hand and clenched it into a fist.

"Stay...here..." I grit out. I let out a slow breath, trying to steady my nerves. Calm down, regain control by calming down. "I...will...find them first." I say with finality. "I will summon you when I am finished."

"Might we have what's left, My Lady? We are starving."

"Yes! Starving!" Another chimed in.

The orcs and goblins began the whoop and cheer.

My eye twitched. "Perhaps. If you cease to annoy me." I snarled and drew my sword and took the heads of the two creatures who had asked the vile questions. I sniffed in disdain and wiped their blood on the bodies of the fallen comrades.

"Have that for now. Do not bother me. I go for the Ring." I say and walked out of the circle, ignoring the disgusting sounds behind me as they feasted.

I could sense the Ring, and that whispering called me to their group.

I could sense it nearby, but stopped suddenly when an arrow bounced off the wall to my right, slicing through my cheek as it passed.

I hissed and lifted a hand to my cheek and spun towards the direction it came from. The hold on my mind tightened and I winced and squinted through one eye.

I locked eyes with Aragorn. He was standing next to Legolas, and they were guarding the doors to a large room.

I tilted my head to the side and snarled in a voice that didn't sound like mine, "I found you."

"Imara snap out of it." Legolas said. "This isn't you."

I laughed, feeling hysterical for a moment, and ran a hand against my cheek, smearing the blood on my hand and across my face. "Of course it isn't me, you idiot! Sauron has my mind! And the only way to get him out is to shoot me!" I held my arms out to my sides and dropped my sword and it clanged on the ground. Tears sprang into my vision as the pain doubled in my head.

"No. There has to be another way." Aragorn said. He had his sword drawn, but I knew he wouldn't attack me.

I sniffed and a tear slipped down my cheek. "I'm not Imara, Son of Arathorn." I snarled. "I'm preparing an army to attack you at this moment. Orcs and goblins are nearby. So go ahead. Shoot Imara. You'll only succeed in killing her and I'll-" I stopped talking and clamped my hands on the sides of my head.

"Stop!" I screamed. "Stop! Leave them alone! Kill me! It's what you want to do!"

"No. You will suffer first. Pick up your sword."

"Legolas shoot me!" I sobbed. "I can't stop him." I was crying and couldn't stop. Aragorn stepped towards me and a wall of darkness shot from my hand and slammed him back into the wall with the force of a club.

I whimpered as I watched him grunt in pain and struggle to get up again. I looked at Legolas, my eyes begging.

He grimaced, blue eyes filling with tears, and he drew an arrow from the quiver on his back and nocked it to the string on his bow and aimed it at my heart.

It took the last of my strength to stay kneeling on the ground. The pain was worsening in my head as my father tried to get me under his control once again.

The whooping of the orcs and goblins suddenly entered the tunnel.

"Do it, you idiot elf!" I shouted.

He looked at me and whispered, "I'm sorry." And fired.

The arrow entered my chest and I coughed, staring in shock at the arrow there.

"No!" Aragorn sobbed.

I looked at him and Sauron's hold over me left all at once. A tear slid down my cheek and I smiled a little.

"Thank you." I whispered, and collapsed. 

I barely remember being carried into a room and held close. I vaguely remember Freya leaning over me with tears in her eyes. And then she was a dragon and she was carrying me in her talons. I remember watching the Fellowship disappear.

Voices telling me to hold on. And then, nothing.

Nothing at all.

And the next time my eyes opened, I was looking into the eyes of Galadriel.

I looked at her with a confused expression and furrowed eyebrows. "Where..." I began to speak and stopped, flinching all over.

She rested a hand on my cheek and said, "Shhh do not speak. You are safe. You are free."

Tears brimmed in my eyes. "No. No I'm not." I whispered.

She wiped away my tears and said, "Yes. You are. He has no more sway over your mind, child. There are people who want to see you. But only when you are ready. Take a breath, Imara."

I slowly breathed in and lifted a hand to my chest. It was tightly bound in bandages. Then, I remembered it all. I looked at her. "The...Fellowship?" I whispered.

She smiled. "They made it here yesterday. They are safe."

"My brother? Freya?"

"Baldor does not know you are here yet. Your reunion should be together. The three of you."

"I want to see Baldor first." I gritted out, and another tear slid down my cheek. "I want to sit up."

She nodded and slid her arms around me and I wrapped mine around her shoulders and she helped me sit up. She didn't move her arms from around me, merely holding me in a gentle hug.

"You are free, Imara. He is gone."

I let out a shuddering breath and nodded my head.

She released me, then closed her eyes. A few minutes later, the door nearly burst off its hinges and the man who stood in the doorway barely looked like my brother.

His gray eyes filled with tears, and he had a beard. His black hair was shorter now, and he wore green and black clothing.

"Imara." He gasped and ran over and sat on the side of the bed and pulled me into a hug. I buried my face in his shoulder. He held the back of my head and didn't let go of me. I didn't let go of him. He looked so happy and healthy. Content. He didn't feel like skin and bones any more.

My brother was whole. He was safe.

I pulled away and rested my hands on his cheeks. "I changed my mind and decided to say screw off dad."

He smiled at me. "I had a feeling you would. You just needed a reason to. You've always had."

"Galadriel saved me." I say. "Dad, he...took control of me. I fought him as hard as I could. He was going to use me to set an army on my friends and make me kill them. I made Legolas shoot me to save them."

He nodded. "I know. I was told."

"Baldor...I found someone." I say. "She's with the Fellowship."

He frowned. "Who?"

I smiled. "Freya."

He stiffened, eyes flooding with tears. "Freya? You found my girl? She's....alive?" He whispered, a smile crossing his face.

"Yes. She is. And so is Draco. He's in Rohan." I say and smile at him.

He smiled, tears brimming in his vision. "They're alive." He looked to Galadriel. "Where's the Fellowship?"

She smiled and said, "In chambers in the north. You can go."

"Take me with you." I say firmly. "I'm not missing this."

He nods. "No use in telling you no, Imara. You'd do it anyways."

"Stubbornness is a family trait." I say with a grin.

He sighs heavily and stands and gets a robe from where it hung on a hook and wrapped it around me. I slipped my arms through them and tied it off at the waist. He then picked me up off the bed and carried me out of the room.

To Freya. And the rest of the Fellowship.