The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
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By J R R Tolkien and Angus MacSpon


   "To me!  To me!" cried Theoden.  "Up Eorlingas!  Fear no darkness!"
But his horse, wild with terror, stood up on high, fighting with the
air, and then with a great scream he crashed upon his side: a black dart
had pierced him.  The king fell beneath him.

   The great shadow descended like a falling cloud.  And behold! it was
a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and
neither quill nor feather did it bear, and its vast pinions were as webs
of hide between horned fingers; and it stank.

   Upon it sat a shape, black-mantled, huge and threatening.  A crown
of steel he bore, but between rim and robe naught was there to see, save
only a deadly gleam of eyes: the Lord of the Nazgul.  A great black mace
he wielded.

   But Theoden was not utterly forsaken.  The knights of his house lay
slain about him, or else mastered by the madness of their steeds were
borne far away.  Yet one stood there still: a knight, faithful beyond
fear, who wept, having loved the king as a father.

   Merry crawled away on all fours like a dazed beast, and such a
horror was on him that he was blind and sick.  "King's man!  King's
man!" his heart cried within him.  "You must stay by him."  But his will
made no answer, and his body shook.  He dared not open his eyes or look
up.

   Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard the
knight speaking.  "Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion!  Leave the
dead in peace!"

   A cold voice answered:  "Come not between the Nazgul and his prey!
Or he shall slay thee in thy turn.  He will bear thee away to the houses
of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured,
and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."

   He heard the knight's clear voice lifted in reply.  "Do what you
will; but I will hinder if, if I may."

   "Hinder me?  Thou fool.  No living man may hinder me!"

   Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest.  It
seemed that the knight laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of
steel.  "But no living man am I!  You look upon a woman.  I am Sailor
Moon, a champion of justice!  You stand between me and my lord.  Begone,
if you be not deathless!  For living or dark undead, if you touch him,
then in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

   The winged creature screamed at her, but the Ringwraith made no
answer, and was silent, as if in sudden doubt.  Very amazement for a
moment conquered Merry's fear.  He opened his eyes and the blackness was
lifted from them.  There some paces from him sat the great beast, and
all seemed dark about it, and above it loomed the Nazgul Lord like a
shadow of despair.  A little to the left facing them stood the knight.
But the helm of her secrecy had fallen from her, and her bright hair,
released from its bonds, gleamed as twin streamers of pale gold.  Her
eyes were pale and fell, and yet tears were on her cheek.  A goofy-
looking crescent-moon wand was in her hand.

   A great wonder filled Merry's heart; and suddenly the slow-kindled
courage of his race awoke.  He clenched his hand.  She should not die,
so fair, so desperate!  At least she should not die alone, unaided.

   Moved by a strange impulse, he found himself reaching into his
jerkin.  His fingers found something there, and he drew it forth; and
lo! it was a rose, as red as heart's-blood, and yet as fresh and sweet-
scented as a spring morning in the Shire.

   A strange madness was upon him; he tottered to his feet, and at his
sudden motion the great beast beat its hideous wings, and the wind of
them was foul.  But then in one swift sure motion he hurled the rose;
and it sped straight and true through the air, and pieced the
outstretched neck.  The huge shape crashed to ruin, vast wings
outspread, crumpled on the earth.

   And Merry lifted his voice, and it rang like a trumpet:  "Now,
Sailor Moon! Now!"

   She raised the crescent-moon wand ...