Figwit - Part 3

[i]~Figwit, the Water-Horse~[/i]

PART 3 - THE FINALE

>The wizard Radagast lives in Rhosgobel, a hovel located between the Carrock and the Old Forest Road, on the western borders of Mirkwood forest
>Just as each wizard had a particular domain and focus, Radagast's was on Nature, focusing his attention to the care of the flora and fauna that reside in the Mirkwood
>his choice of travel is by rabbit, as the Giant Rabbits of Rhosgobel can match both dire-wolf and horse in speed

>Radagast had received a message from the eagle Landroval, brother of Gwaihir, that his superior, Gandalf, was on his way to meet him

>Gandalf had appeared at his door, with staff in hand
>but, holding in his left hand was a pony
>it was fully grown, and yet, Radagast senses, not fully formed
>its features, while that clearly of a pony, also had a face and head that was different from other ponies
>it was not long before Radagast realized what Gandalf had brought

"A fluffy! But we have not seen these beings since the flooding of Numenor!"
"Indeed, Radagast. The herd of the Anduin bestowed onto me one of their kin, which was incarnate into this form."

>Radagast takes the fluffy into his hands
>Gandalf had, with his staff, placed a sleeping spell on him, ensuring that the fluffy will not give trouble
>placing the fluffy on a table in his hovel, Radagast hovers his hands over him, while reciting a mantra

>as he does this, the blessing of Yavanna flows through him. His eyes closed, his eyes mutters

"I sense.... sadness. Anger. Greed. I also sense a lack of fulfillment, an inhibition."

>lifting his hand from the fluffy and opening his eyes, he then turns to Gandalf

"How old is this creature?"
"Close to a decade. I passed him to Bilbo of the Shire, as a gift."

"His mind is that of a child. His body is an adult, but some dark presence has twisted him into a puerile form that can only speak like a child, and act like one."
"I am aware, Radagast. The head of our order said the same thing."
"So he told you of their kind during the days of Numenor?"
"That he did. And he said that they were of Melkor."

>Radagast sighs, as he looks back at the fluffy

"There was an influence of Melkor, but, the truth is, it was also a blessing from Ulmo. When the first fluffies were given to Man, they were the first forms of what we call the land horse. Ulmo had devised the fluffy as a gift to Numenor. But alas, Morgoth, and the ways of Mordor had always found a way to corrupt the innocent."

>As Radagast says this, a doubt lingers in Gandalf's mind

"If what you say is true, why would Saruman then speak only of the influence of Melkor?"

>Radagast puffs his cheeks, and scratches his head. At the current moment, he too would like some pipe-weed, soemthing he has not tasted from the realm of Man in ages

"That I do not know. The head of our order is usually privy to knowledge that we do not know. One thing is for certain - this creature here, this fluffy, is in a state not too dissimilar from that of the Gollum creature."

"Speaking of which, has there been any success in tracking him?"
"The rangers and some of the scouts of Thranduil have had some success in locating Gollum. We should be able to secure him soon."

"Very well. I'll place Figwit in your care."

>As Gandalf is about to depart, Figwit beckons to him

"There's one more thing, old friend."
"What is it, Radagast?"
"Whatever is afflicting this fluffy, this Figwit, seems to be the result of prolonged exposure to a devilry of Mordor. This kind of deceptive magic is powerful that the weak-willed can succumb to it instantly. Whatever caused this, you should investigate it further.:

"I am doing so, old friend," reassures Gandalf

>As he steps out into the road, and resolved to find out more about the trinket in Bilbo's hand, he repeats to himself
"And I still will."

~

>for four long and difficult years, Figwit lived with Radagast
>a patient wizard, who had lived for an age, he had the patience to deal with a creature as difficult as Figwit in his current state
>to ensure that Figwit did not cause trouble to the other animals in Radagast's keeping, he had isolated Figwit in an enclosure of his own, and kept the fluffy on a sort of leash

>the leash was made of simple elf-rope, and was tied loosely, such that it would not really harm Figwit
>but the elf-rope had an unintended effect on Figwit

"SCREEE! IT BUWNS, IT BUWNS, PH PWESHUS!!! Huu..... huuu...."

>Radagast was puzzled as to how the rope could affect Figwit to such a degree
>and yet, everytime he removed the rope, Figwit would start puffing his cheeks, and become demanding

"Stuppeh dummy! Gib nummies ow get poopies! Dis am smawty's wand nao!"

>all Radagast had to do was place the rope on him, and Figwit would be reeling in agony again
>he hated to do it, but he knew that Figwit's behaviour was incorrigible
>thankfully, Figwit had not reached the level of corruption that came of Smeagol, but, he was still far from what he could and should have been.

~

>About a day after his fifteenth birthday, Figwit had a dream.
>Before him was a mighty palace, a beautiful house, more majestic than anything he had ever seen before, surrounded by lush forest

>and out of the doors, stepping down the stairs, coming to greet him, was the elf-Lord, Annatar, the supposed "King of Middle-Earth"

"Nice ewf mistah! Hu-"

>but the elf-lord was not happy to see him
>before Figwit could finish his sentence, he takes out a whip, made of the elf-rope, and cracks it

>the end of the rope hits Figwit's leg, giving him the worsest hurt

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEE!"

>Figwit yells out.
>As he uses his other hoof to try and soothe his injury, the surroundings him lose their colour
>the trees die, the ground turns to black, and the palace, the nice housie that Figwit saw, turns into a terrible thing of black with spikes and edges

>and the elf-lord's armour starts to overtake him, until he becomes a walking mass of black armour, dreadful and of death

"You have failed me! You were supposed to bring my precious to me! Now you are captive, and are worthless in this state!"
"Pwease, ewf mistah. Fwuffy twy his besties."
"Silence! You will never get to see my house! You will never get to meet your master again!"

>As the elf-lord turns his back on Figwit, Figwit makes one last, desperate plea to the elf-lord

"Pwease, mistah, can fwuffy haz Eastawin Dewite?"

>Annatar barely moves his head. Figwit could hear a brief chuckle from him, as well as his final response.

"No."

>Figwit wakes up, and finds himself in the enclosure Radagast had made form him
>with the leash fo elf-rope around his body, he can only make one feeble sound of remorse

"Huu.... huu....."

~

>during the time that Figwit had been in the care of Radagast, Gandalf had begun on a quest to look into the nature of Bilbo's ring
>the elves of the Mirkwood forest, as well as a group of rangers led by Aragorn, had managed to track and finally capture the creature known as Gollum
>during his time in interrogation, he had managed to confirm that, indeed, Gollum was, in his early days, a hobbit known as Smeagol
>who, alojng with his friend Deagol, found one of the Rings of power in the river Anduin
>however, the ring, apparently, "spoke" to him, and convinced him to kill his friend, Deagol so that he could claim the ring for himself

"So you say the ring 'spoke' to Gollum?"

>Gandalf is with Saruman
>the two had agreed to a private meeting at Orthanc, to share their findings and research
>just as Gandalf was busy tracking the whereabouts of Gollum, Saruman had spent his time researching what became of the Nine
>as Saruman was the last member of the Council fo the Wise to leave the assault on Dul Guldur, Saruman was the closest to the Nazgul and the Necromancer, and thus, was able to determine which of the Nazgul was without their rings

"Indeed, Saruman. The ring "spoke" to Gollum. And according to Radagast, it may have done the same to Figwit."

>a grave look comes over Saruman's face

"My old friend, I do not know how to express this, but none of the rings of power, neither the three, nor the seven, nor even the nine, had the ability to "speak" to its wearer. Only one Ring had that ability, and that was the One Ring, as it has a fragment of Sauron's soul in it."

>a fear creeps on Gandalf. He hated to think that the worst is yet to happen. But it seemed to be the case. Before he could reply, however, Saruman quickly spoke

"If I were you, I would suggest putting this Gollum creature, as well as Figwit, out of their collective miseries."
"But why? Figwit has done no wrong. And we still have much to learn from Gollum."
"They have become agents of the Enemy. The Ring has done untold and unspeakable evil to them, and they will most likely pose a threat to the free peoples of Middle-Earth if they were to be released."

"But you cannot be sure of that! And Figwit is but a meek creature..."

"The meek should not be underestimated. The Enemy has made spies of even the smallest of gnats. This Gollum creature will escape if you do not put an end to him, and his escape will cause further untold trouble. The same will apply to Figwit, if you let him stay with Radagast."

>Gandalf gets up. He is feeling furious, even though he understands his superior

"Saruman, you may be the head of my order, but I cannot agree to this."

>Saruman, at this point, could easily rebuke, or punish Gandalf for his insubordination. He instead, proceeds to laugh, mockingly.

"You are free to do what you want, Gandalf. But you have heard my advice. If you let both Gollum and this Figwit creeature remain free, you will only face peril."

~

>Gandalf is currently outside of Orthanc
>Having spoken to Saruman, the idea is still abhorrent to him

>Kill Gollum and Figwit? When both of them could provide more insight on Bilbo's Ring? It just seemed wrong, even though it was coming from his superior
>before Gandalf could get onto his carriage, he hears one of his horses neigh very loudly

>in the distance, he sees a white, majestic horse, coming towards him
>he recognizes it immediately as Shadowfax, one of the mightiest horses of Rohan
>and also the steed of the White Wizard, and thus, Saruman

>Gandalfs horses kneel before Shadowfax, as Gandalf is surprised by the appearance of this white horse
>but he was even more surprised by the next thing the white horse did

"Greetings, Master Gandalf. I come with tidings from the herd of the Anduin."

>Gandalf is wide-eyed, as he realized that Shadowfax was speaking to him in the Common Speech

"I too, was a water-horse. And a member of the herd of the Anduin, before I was given shape, and provided to the White Wizard as a steed."

"Horses truly are remarkable fellows. You could learn everything about them, and yet, in the blink of an eye, they can surprise you."

"I appreciate the flattery, Master Gandalf, but I do not have time for that. I would like to suggest to you to be wary of my master, Saruman. Figwit will need to speak to another figure of authority."

"The herd of the Anduin suspect Saruman? That's preposterous!"

"You are free to think whatever you want. But the leader of the Anduin does not want to see harm come to the young Figwit."

"So do I, but I do not think there is a way to cure Figwit."

"I disagree. There is a power, Master Gandalf, and a member of your Order whose authority supersedes the White Wizard. I have discussed with the herd, and we all agree that Radagast should bring Figwit to meet him."

>For a brief moment, Gandalf, could not think of who Shadowfax met.
>and then the realization hits him with utter incredulity

~

"Him? But he has not been seen in Middle-Earth for ages!"

>Radagast is speaking to Landroval again
>Gandalf had asked the eagle to relay the message, as Gandalf had to tend to Gollum
>the herd was of the opinion that only Radagast was needed to have an audience with this figure

>As Radagast converses with Lanroval, his face bares the same shock Gandalf had upon learning of the reveleation

"Aye, Master Radagast. Gandalf clearly said that name."
"I mean, He is the true head of our Order, but for him to be in Middle-Earth, that is just astounding! The presence of Sauron must be really grave if the treau Head of our Order would involve himself in the matters of Middle-Earth once again!"

~

>In the valley of the river Withywindle, east of the Shire, there lives a mysterious figure
>his name, is Tom Bombadil

>it is not know from when or whence he came, but he arrives in Middle-Earth from time to time
>It is known that early in the history of Middle-Earth, he had met and married Goldberry, the river-woman's daughter
>it is not know how much of the area within the Shire are his lands
>but what is known is that he has complete control and power over anything that exists within his realm
>and that, as one comes into his presence, he performs his most famous song

"Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!
Ring a dong! hop along! Fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!"

>But today was an unusual day for Tom Bombadil
>for it is usually the case that Tom Bombadil appears to a person unexpectedly, as a sort of surprise
>sometimes to pinch a unfortunate person out of misadventure
>or to pacify the occasional threat from Mordor enroaching upon the Shire

>but for the first time, in many a millennia, Tom Bombadil had a visitor who intended to meet him
>having instructed Goldberry to tend to the garden outside, he opened the door to meet his guest

"Radagast the Brown! Its been a good time my dear old fellow. Come, come, I have set aside a feast of cream, butter and tea!"
"I'm afraid I'm not here for Tea, Master Bombadil."
"Oh, oh, tone down with the formalities! I am Tom Bombadil, and you are my guest!"

"And you are the Head of our Order."

>Radagast lowers himself and genuflects, refusing to look up

"Saruman may be the White Wizard, but never have I thought that the true Head of the Order of Wizards would be in Middle-Earth at this time."

>Tom Bombadil is almost always joyous, taking after Tulkas the mighty
>But in this instance, he realizes that he has to assume a different form for Radagast

"You always know to be around, Radagast."
"Indeed, but the river-horses of the Anduin made a special request for you to observe-"

>Just before Radagast could finish his sentence, he felt a sudden jerk, and a kick
>for it seemed to be that, despite placing a sleeping spell on Figwit earlier, the fluffy pony had awakened

>and now, was wriggling himself out

"Settle down, Figwit!"

>but the fluffy would not listen
>with a great feat of strength, rare for the fluffy, he kicked himself off of Radagast, as landed on the floor
>with an angry counternance, he stuck out his tongue at Radagast

"I see. It is regarding this fluffy."
"You knew?" asked Radagast in surprise.
"I know everything."

>Figwit, undeterred, looks up to Tom
>Puffing his cheeks, and stamping his hoof on the ground, he makes his threat

"Stuppeh dummeh! Dis am smarty wand nao! Gib nummies, or git sowwy poopies."

>Tom Bombadil sighs, as he realizes what he has to do

"I have many forms, young water-horse. And many names."
"Fwuffy nu cawe! GET POOPIES!"

>And Figwit rears his rear up, preparing to make a mess within the wizard's house, like the many times he did before
>but nothing comes out

"Huh? Why nu poopies?! Come out, poopies!!"

>as Figwit tries his best to excrete, he seems the gentle, smiling face of Bombadil

"As I was saying, this is but one of my forms."

>and as he says this, his body starts to change
>his clothes do not disappear, or shred, but rather, change with his being
>Tom gets down on all fours, and the totality of his body changes into a beast with brown fur
>around his neck sprouts out a strong and might mane of brown
>and his face, once human, becomes that of a mighty feline

>Radagast is taken aback. He was familiar with Beorn, who could transform into a bear, but he had only heard of this creature before in legends about the Easterlings and their animals
>for, in a split second, Tom Bombadil had turned into a lion

"I am Tom Bombadil of Middle-Earth, but I am also Aslan of Narnia."

>and Aslan opens his mouth, giving out a mighty, thunderous roar
>as the roar rings out throughout the house, Figwit beholds the terrifying image of an apex predator, complete with fangs, and making a sound no mere creature would dare threaten

"SCREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"

>Figwit covers his eyes in fear, now no longer wanting to assert his feeble dominance

"Pweez, nu huwt fwuffy! Nu eat fwuffy!!! Huu huu...."

"Eat you? You wouldn't even provide me sustenance. I've eaten many a thing before, and you wouldn't interest me."

>This was a joke. But Figwit was too frightened to comprehend it
>within moments, Figwit had scared himself to sleep

"A lion! And, Aslan of Narnia?"
"I have many names, Radagast. I am a wizard of Middle-Earth, yes. But I am also ruler of Narnia, which is a realm, far from Middle-Earth."

>as he says this, he observes Figwit. Aslan closes his eyes, and mutters a few words. Opening them, he then turns to Radagast

"I'm afraid that I cannot really help this little creature. For, like Gollum, Figwit chose to be this way. While its true that the ruling rings, especially the One, can have sway over the feeble, it is a different matter when the creature is no longer in the presence of a ring of power."

"Are you saying that Figwit has become evil?"
"That I cannot say, Radagast. It is up to him.

However, I will give him my blessing."

>As he says this, Aslan bends down towards the sleeping fluffy
>opening his mouth, but not to roar, he exhales a soothing wind upon the fluffy

>Figwit, who had scared himself into sleep, had a pained look on his face. However, the soothing nature of Aslan's breath relaxes him, and the fluffy is at ease

>upon doing so, Aslan then changes form again, and returns back to the form of Tom Bombadil

"Figwit has recieved my blessing, but whether or not he will go back to being himself, or become a servant of the enemy, is in his hands.

However, Master Radagast, there is something else I need to speak to you about."

>Radagast is a bit taken aback. As a wizard of Middle-Earth, Radagast is more than just a conjurer of cheap tricks
>and thus, he is fully aware of the true nature of Tom Bombadil. Not only as Aslan of Narnia, but what these titles, and his presence, truly embodies

"I am but a mere servant of yours, Master Bombadil."
"Indeed you are, and the time will come when you will need to follow me to Narnia, Aiwendil."

"Narnia? But what of Middle-Earth? We still need to defeat the Enemy, and we have not even secured the One Ring yet!"
"I am aware, Aiwendil. But, I have faith in Olorin. He has made great strides in curtailing the efforts of the Enemy in the form of Gandalf, and, he too, will follow us out of Middle-Earth, once his task has come to an end."
"I understand, but why now? And why me?"

"A great battle is coming to Narnia, and one that will mark the end of its journey. Our presence will be needed there. In addition, Master Radagast, your hovel is in danger."
"Danger?"
"The Nazgul have been hunting as of late, and you are one of their targets. They will be making an attack soon, and I would recommend that you leave with me within the week."

"But what of Figwit? Gandalf has tasked me with his care."

>Tom Bombadil looks upon the fluffy

"A time will come when Figwit will return to the place that he truly belongs to. But whether he accepts his true nature, or fall into the hands of enemy, is up to him."

~

>Half a dozen days have passed since the meeting with Tom Bombadil
>Radagast had already prepared for his departure from Middle-Earth
>among his first tasks was to release his Rhosgobel Rabbits. Giving them his blessing, the rabbits went forth into the Mirkwood, and became the ancestors of the Giant Rabbits of the Shire
>he also informed Beorn, and Gwaihir, about his departure from Middle-Earth. He worked out an agreement with Gwaihir and Bombadil that, should a time come when Gandalf would have need of Radagast, Gwaihir would bring the Brown Wizard back to Middle-Earth, but only momentarily
>having cleared out most his hovel and released his animals, Radagast looked to an enclose where Figwit was housed

>Bombadil advised that Figwit should be returned to the herd of Anduin, the place of his birth
>however, in this state and mind, it is likely that Figwit will not easily return back to his original form, as a being of pure water, galloping through the rivers of the Anduin
>difficult as he had been in the past few years, Radagast nevertheless developed a softness for the fluffy

>Just as he was about to open his enclosure, he heard the glaring sound of a horn.

~

>Figwit was sleeping soundly in his enclosure
>for the past few days, Radagast had kept the bwighty huwty ewf wope on him, and it had caused a burning effect on him
>however, the brown wizard seemed to be in a hurry to do something
>what is was, Figwit was not sure

>Figwit woke up to the smell of smoke
>it was becoming difficult to breathe
>as he opened his eyes, he was greeted not the darkness of night
>but by the glowing threat of fire

"BUWNY HUWTIES!!!! SCREEEEEEEEE!!!!!"

>A flicker of flame had landed on the rope that bound Figwit, and the fluffy was able to scape
>the fluffy barged right out of the enclosure
>in the blaze, he could hear the wizard calling out to him

"Figwit?!! FIGWIT?!!"

>but at that moment, the only thing on Figwit's mind was escape
>seeing the entrance bare, he rushed out, as far as his fluffy legs could carry

~

"Figwit?!! FIGWIT?!!"

>as the Radagast the Brown kept searching helplessly for Figwit, eyes from afar were watching the hovel of Rhosgobel
>the orc commander looked on, seeing the success of the few arrows that had burnt down Rhosgobel
>he then turned to a figure, shrouded in black, mounted upon a mighty black steed

"My master, we have the Brown Wizard cornered."

>as the hovel continued to burn, the Ring-wraith gave his command

"Corner the Brown Wizard. I want his staff, broken"

~

>Figwit was alone in the forest
>tears were streaming from his eyes
>for the first time, in his life, he was truly alone
>no Bilbo. No Frodo. No elf mister. No wizard

>only him, a lone fluffy, in a dark forest

>as he continues to trudge through the Mirkwood, he looks left and right, trying to look for danger
>nothing was there to greet him, nothing was there to meet him
>he then sees a light in the forest
>not the blaze of a burning hovel, but a gentle light, like a candle light or a campfire
>it reminds him of the time when Bilbo told him stories by the fireplace

>with nothing else to turn to, Figwit rushes towards it

~

>Figwit finds himself in a small clearing in the forest
>in the centre of it is the head of a rabbit
>impaled on a stick

>Figwit recognized the head as one of the rabbits of Radagast
>but excised from the body, it was no longer a living thing
>bits of flesh had been haphazardly carved away from it, exposing its skill, and its teeth
>near it, on the floor, were discarded guts, which the orcs did not consume
>a black blob of flies that buzzed like a saw crowded over the guts
>some made their way to Figwit

>sensing the smell of the fluffy, they delighted themselves on his rear, feasting upon the decay and mess that he had made while trudging through the forest, alone

>Trembling, Figwit walked towards the skull
>for it was no longer a rabbit, but something entirely different
>like Sauron commanding his legion of orcs, this skull was commanding its legion of flies

“You are a silly little fluffy,” said the skull, “just an ignorant,silly little boy.”

>Figwit blinked. The skull was clearly dead. And yet, he felt like the skull was talking to him, verbally.
>the voice felt familiar
>it sounded like the elf-mister he met in the dream, a forever ago
>but darker and more threatening

“Don’t you agree? Aren’t you just a silly little fluffy?”

>Figwit puffs his cheeks

"Fwuffy nu am siwwy."
“What are you doing out here all alone? Aren’t you afraid of me?”

>Figwit shook his head

“There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me.”
“Jus a wabbit, foreva sweepies."

"I never sleep! And you know, don't you? I am a part of you. I work through my servants, and I work through the ring. It all comes from me!"
"Wabbit am just a stuppeh dummeh!"

"And you are a stupid, ignorant, little water-horse. You have every chance to run back to your master and you don't. You know why? Because you're a coward! Weak, and pathetic. And you want what I offer. You want to be the greatest Smarty, the most powerful water-horse in the land! I could give you that. We can have a lot of fun together, you and I, in this land."

>Figwit's mind starts to become delirious. Unlike the dream he had with the elf-lord or the Ring, there was something about the skull speaking to him that felt more real than those dreams, and yet, paradoxically less real

"And for that fun to work, everything you know must die. Bilbo. Frodo. Gandalf. Radagast. Your father. Your herd. All will die at my hands."
"NU!"

>As Figwit yells out his dissent,a flash of lightning breaks out in the sky
>frightened, Figwit gallops for the nearest hole in a tree, and hides

>within moments, a heavy deluge rains down upon the clearing
>the flies start to dissipate, moving away from the entrails, and the skull, as a strong wind bows the stick down

>as Figwit remains in his whole, another flash of lightning illuminates the night sky
>Figwit can make out a shape within the clouds
>at first it seems like the lion he saw, not too long ago
>but as the shape becomes clear, it resembles that of a giant horse

>As Figwit steps into the rain, his fear of the water set aside, as he beholds the figure of the horse in the clouds
>for a brief moment, it stares at him
>and speaks in a voice of grandeur

"Remember who you are."

>another flash of lightning cracks, and the image of the water horse disappears
>now reminded that he was soaked in rain, Figwit hurries back into the hole in the tree
>with the rain around him getting heavier, and with his fear of water, Figwit turns to the only thing that can put his mind away from this trouble: sleep

~

>Radagast is breathing heavily
>his mortal shell is bruised and bleeding
>over the course of the night, while searching for Figwit, he had fended off mobs of orcs as he escaped from the hovel
>occasionally using the terrain and trees to his advantage, as well as help from the animals of the Mirkwood, he has managed to defeat and vanquish his orc attackers
>but he is getting weaker

>he has been following the trail of Figwit to the best of his knowledge, and is nearing a clearing, where the Orcs had most likely camped the night before
>he could sense that Figwit was nearby
>around him are the remains of what was a camping ground
>earlier, the orcs had pitched a tent. There, they had caught one of Radagast's rabbits, and feasted for its
>roasting only the body, they left its head on a stick, which had now been blown down by the wind
>for a brief moment, Radagast closes his eyes, to pray for a leporine companion he had known well

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

>a lound, uneartlhy shriek rings throughout the forest, as Radagast is aware of his true opponent in the past day
>as he hears the galloping of dark hooves, he struggles to find a refuge

>glancing from one of the trees, he sees a ring-wraith, with sword unsheathed, ready to attack
>while this Nazgul had lost his squadron of orcs, one ring-wraith can still pose a problem, especially when his combatant is weakened

>trying his best not to to breathe loudly, Radagast clutches his staff, as he attempts to heal himself

~

>Figwit opens his eyes
>as he crawls out of the whole he took shelter in, he looks around

>in the distance he sees Radagast the Brown
>feeling a sense of safety, Figwit wants to yell out
>but Radagast brings a finger to his mouth, cautioning the fluffy to be quiet

>Figwit then sees the Ring-wraith, upon his steed, behind the very tree Radagast has his back against
>literally inches away from Radagast the Brown, with sword drawn

>Radagast, weak and wounded, clutches his staff, muttering a mantra as quietly he can
>but the ring-wraith is about to see him
>Figwit was not sure what came over him at that moment

>he never much cared for Radagast. The wizard always placed that elf-rope on him, which "burned" him
>and the wizard never gave him spaghetti, always feeding him very plain food, with the occasional "treat" of the yucky Elvish bread

>and yet, he could not help but feel a sense of kindness and goodwill that reminded of Bilbo
>and in this moment, like himself, Figwit did not see Radagast as a powerful being, as wizards usually were, but something weak, and defenseless much like him

>despite Radagast's warning, Figwit charged straight for the ring-wraith, as he yelled out

"OI! DUMMEH!"

>the ring wraith, which was about to peer behind the tree, turns its head, and looks towards Figwit

>Figwit stands before the Ring-wraith and its steed
>looking at the steed, Figwit remembers the dream from long ago
>the elf lord he once saw was riding a black horse much like this one
>with the glowing, red eye

>Figwit puffs up his cheeks, and stops his hoof on the ground, like he did many times before
>but the words are different now

"Gu 'way, meanie munstah, o' fwuwwy wiww hurt 'ou!"

>the ring-wraith did nothing
>instead, the steed raises both of its hooves

>Figwit did not scream
>trying his best to be brave, he muffles his pain, as he feels every bone in his abdomen break
>looking upon his assailant, he heard the unmistakeable words coming out of the steed

"Dummie fwuffy git huwties. Gu an' die, fwuffy nu cawe."

>for a brief moment, the ring-wraith laughs to himself, in amusement
>he then turns around, and continues searching the forest

~

>seeing that the ring-wraith was long gone, Radagast limps towards the body of Figwit
>the fluffy pony was still breathing, but barely
>the weight of the Nazguls's steed had broken him, and some of his entrails were starting to come out

"Figwit!"

>As Radagast bends down over Figwit, for the first time, the fluffy does not call him "dummeh"

"D-daddeh?"
"Figwit, oh my poor, brave Figwit."
"Daddeh am okay. Fwuffy am happy.
Figwet twy his bestest, daddeh?"

"You did, my dear brave Figwit."
"Fwuffy am happy.
Fwuffy am sowwy for bein' a bad fwuff an' gibbing sowwy poopies."

"That's all in the past, Figwit. You saved me."

>Figwit smiles
>Despite the pain, despite his entrails spilling out, and despite the blood, Figwit feels a sense of bliss, knowing that, for the first and only time in his life, he did good.

~

>Radagast is currently before the river Anduin
>there, a herd of water-horses greet him
>the chief of the water horses comes forth, and speeks in the Common Speech

"Greetings, Master Radagast. I see you have brought my son before me."
"Aye, but he is greatly injured. He has been injured by one of the beasts of the enemy, and is at death's door."

>the herd leader looks upon his son
>he then makes his decision

"It is time for my son to return to our number, if he is willing."

>upon saying this, Radagast takes the body of Figwit, barely breathing, and submerges him within the Anduin
>for a brief moment, Radagast expects Figwit to struggle, and potentially drown

>but Figwit remains calm
>instead, Figwit's body starts to become one with the water, as his mortal shell, fluff, entrails, skin and all, moves away, until he becomes a being of pure water
>however, having experienced great pain, and his mind still that of an infant, his figure remains much like that of his previous mortal-form, only now embodied by pure water

"F-fwuffy am wawa?"

>the water horse chieftain looks upon his son, and smiles

"You have much to learn, my son."

>the herd then depart from Radagast, and continue on, through the Anduin.

~

>The 29th of September
>in the 3021st year of the Third Age of Middle-Earth

>Bilbo and Frodo have made their way to the Grey Havens, and have boarded one of the last ships to leave Middle-Earth
>along the way, they pass by the river Anduin
>for Bilbo, he hears a neigh coming from the river, and feels like he heard a voice, from a distant memory
>for Frodo, he remembers a time when he was fleeing the Nazgul, and retreated to the river Anduin, where a wave, commanded by the river-horses of the Anduin, assaulted the Nazgul and gave him safe passage
>something in the river, however, stirred, as the currents started moving, towards the Grey Havens

~

>Frodo and Bilbo are now aboard the boat that has departed Middle-earth
>Frodo looks over deck and sees, in the sea
>a herd of equine-like creatures, but entirely composed of water

"Uncle Bilbo, look, water-horses!"

>as he says this, the head water-horse comes up to meet the two hobbits
>hovering above the water, he genuflects

"I am not worthy to be in the presence of the Ringbearers."

>Frodo, too, kneels

"Your herd saved my life at the Anduin, and I am eternally grateful."

>as he says this, a water-horse comes up to be beside the chieftain
>it is a most splended creature. Like a younger version of his father

>however, there was something that moves Bilbo, that makes him realize who he was seeing

"Figwit?"
"It is I."

>Figwit smiles. Bilbo wants to touch him, but, as he does so, he realizes that all he can touch is water

"My dear father Bilbo, who raised me. I will always be eternally grateful to you."

>though fully water, Figwit bends his body down, and lets Bilbo attempt to embrace
>As Bilbo caressess the figure of water, a thought in his mind goes back to a time when he cared for Figwit as a fluffy foal, feeding him milk, and raising him in the world

>the water-horses crowd around the boat, and help guide its path towards the land of Valinor
>and thus the last of the Water-Horses departed Middle-Earth

[i]Dedicated to Christopher Tolkien, and Ian Holm. Namarie.[/i]