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Alli woke suddenly, her head pounding. Mardil's arms seemed to be around her. Well this is nice. she began to think before realizing that it was not exactly a message that she wanted to convey. She struggled to get away from his too-comforting grasp and felt something sharp pressed against her neck. She remembered this feeling, though she'd tried so hard to repress it. She didn't understand what was going on but she understood without doubt that she was being held with a blade to her neck by a man she had trusted. Without thinking, she cast a betrayed look at Sai and turned quickly, ramming her shoulder into Mardil's wind-pipe.
Caught off guard, Mardil dropped the blade, loosed his grasp slightly, and Alli was able to kick her way out the door. The rain washed the blood from her forehead as she ran stumbling toward Roggie. His eyeliner had smeared and his fire had gone out. He stood now as a sentient pile of ash dressed flamboyantly in pirate regalia. He smiled broadly to see her, though the looked was countered by one of obvious pain.
She ran to him and embraced his good leg, crying in the downpour. She didn't care where Mardil was now. She knew she would be safe with her friend. Suddenly Roggie roared angrily. Alli turned, splashing mud, and saw Sai running toward them. Roggie detached his young friend from his leg and began to move toward her. Sai stopped, slipping on the wet ground. She looked utterly terrified. Roggie strode angrily toward her.
"No!!!" screamed Alli, chasing him and grabbing him by the peg. "Roggie, no! She's harmless!"
"They tried to kill you!" he roared over the thunder. Sai stood frozen. Mardil had his hand to his neck, rubbing his windpipe. He climbed from the reckage of the vehicle and pulled free a bolted crossbow. He looked utterly furious, though handsomely so. Alli screamed again.
"Stop it!" she cried desparately. "Everybody just freeze!" Her voice cracked with emotion now. Completely unexpectedly, everybody did what they were told. Roggie steamed carcinogenically and angrily, but he stopped, looking at Alli and waiting for her to speak. Sai still did not move. Mardil did not relax his aim but at least looked at Alli instead of murderously at her companion.
"Tell me what the [deleted] is going on." It was too much just now. Why couldn't everybody get along? Why had Mardil tried to kill her? Why had Sai let him? The only one that she could trust was Roggie.
"Roggie," she asked, frustrated and confused tears streaming. "What is wrong with you? Why are you hurting people?"
He looked suddenly ashamed and crouched down, whispering in her upturned ear.
"They what?"
He whispered more.
"And then what happened?"
Mardil stood impatiently, tapping one foot. Sai was astounded at the sight: a huge and truly menacing looking balrog crouched low and gently, whispering into a teenage girl's ear. How this friendship had been formed she had no idea but it was truly a curious one. She had never before seen the like of it.
"And then?"
The rain was beginning to slow as Alli looked around and began to grin a bit.
"It's beginning to make sense. A movie? Yes... it certainly makes sense." A film crew that had been hidden by the torrents of rain had become visable. Stunt men began pouring from the smashed vehicles. Roggie took off his blue bandana and allowed Alli to wipe his smudged eyeliner clean with it. She was the picture of tender motherliness. Suddenly her face became stern.
"Roggie, Sai and Mardil were not in this movie. Why did you try to attack them? You know that fighting doesn't solve any problems."
He now looked like a sulking child subjected to his mother's disappointment.
"What did you say?" she repeated with an italicized parental look.
"I was mad at them."
"And why were you mad at them?"
He grimaced, glaring at Mardil who now looked outright astounded at the turn that this adventure had taken. Alli... moody, bitter, sarcastic Alli... was lecturing a balrog on proper ways of handling anger? Sai looked impressed.
"Because... that one" he nodded toward Mardil, "attacked me with tanks. I was minding my own business and he up and shot my leg off. Does he have any idea how painful it is for your leg to shatter? Yes, the peg got me cast in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of Durin's Bane, but it aches something awful just before storms."
Roggie looked sad now instead of angry. Alli patted him on the knee (the highest part of him she could reach now). "There, there... revenge never solves problems Roggie... you know that. What do you say to them?"
Roggie looked at her with pleading in his eyes. "Do I have to?"
"Yes." she glared at him maternally.
"Msry." he muttered. She glared more heavily. "Fine. I'm sorry I tried to kill you." Alli's gaze softened.
"And how do you intend to make up for trying to hurt them? It doesn't matter who your enemies are... an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
"I don't know... I suppose I could..."
"Hmm?" she looked expectantly.
"I could take them to Mount Doom Casino and Resort." he said at last. "That's where the reality show said you guys have to go, right?"
She nodded, satisfied. "Will that solve this catastrophe?" Alli yelled to Sai and Mardil. Sai nodded happily, slightly concerned about her safety, but confident that Alli, no matter how angry, would not be vindictive enough to get her killed. Mardil looked annoyed but nodded stiffly. Roggie lifted Alli gently onto his shoulder where she sat cheerfully looking down at the world. He next stopped and did the same with Sai. When Sai was comfortably settled, Roggie picked up Mardil. Alli leaned over and whispered in Roggie's ear and Roggie smiled. He began to stride toward Mount Doom.
"Wait!" cried Mardil. "Don't I get a seat?"
"Nope." said Roggie. "I'm not that nice."
And with that the group finished the trip to Mount Doom, Mardil gripped firmly in Roggie's left hand, as the balrog enthusiastically swung his arms to the rhythm of his saunter. In a very short time, they were there.
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