Copyright: © 2012 Moonrise Inn Publications
Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction. Lord of the Rings is Property of J.R.R. Tolkien
A/N: Challenge Response: A personal challenge from Prreciousss and Innocents. AU, set one year after Aragon has married. No one sailed to the Gray Heavens.


Horror Struck, Bad Luck!
Author: Zorra Reed

It was a beautiful day in Rivendell. The House of Lord Elrond was beaming with excitement. The Elf's were preparing for a spring play to be preformed in honor of Arwen's and Aragorn's anniversary when they arrived in a week. It just so happened, that Gandalf was also spending time in Rivendell working on a new spell he'd picked up during his resent travels. The spell was complex, requiring much concentration. There was no telling what would happen if it was performed incorrectly. Unfortunately, Gandalf was unable to find that quite peace that the Elvin house was known for. Every time he'd sit down to study, he'd be interrupted; even his own chambers were no refuge.

In a fit of frustration, Gandalf gathered his materials and stormed into the nearest room, his white robes billowing behind him. Once inside, he turned closing and locking the door. Satisfied, Gandalf sat down at a small table in the corner to work. Now that he had peace and quite he found that he still could not concentrate. Giving up, he re-rolled the parchment and looked around the room. He was in some sort of dressing room filled with costumes and various props for the performance.

The wizard began searching through a box of formfitting body suits. Some resembling modern-day bathing suits others - dance outfits. Gandalf briefly wondered were the Elf's had gotten such a design. Surely, it was not the custom to wear such provocative things. Still he allowed his mind to wonder what a young female would look like wearing one of these. Particularly, the one he now held. It was a bright yellow-orange color with two red strips running from the top right shoulder down to the waistline where it met a giant sunflower. The right shoulder strap extended down, across the collarbone and under the left shoulder, rising again in the back. Realizing he was wasting time, Gandalf dropped the cloth, returning to his work.

The afternoon ticked away slowly as the spring heat intensified. Gandalf found it hard to stay wake. He kept nodding off and yawning, scolding himself mentally he tired to refocus on his work. "Got it!" he cried merrily some time later. Standing up he spoke the foreign words to cast the spell. In the middle of the last word he broke off in a sudden yawn, slurring the syllables. Realizing his mistake to late, the spell backfired, hitting him smack in the face. Gandalf fell to the floor stunned.

After a moment he stood to his feet passing a hand over his eyes. "Oh!" He exclaimed with girlish delight, seeing the discarded bathing suit from earlier lying on top of a nearby box. He rushed over to it, quickly shedding him robes. "It's so lovely; I simply must try it on." He slipped into the garment with a grace that should never be known to a man. A full-length mirror stood against the far wall and Gandalf pranced up to it. Admiring his reflection, he turned this way and that, examining every curve of his body in the snug garment.

"I'd like to thank the people of Rohan for all they're support and help in saving Gondor, the Realm of Man, and restoring King Aragorn to his thrown. And I'd like to thank the Hobbits for bearing the ring of power through such toils and delivering it safely to Mount Doom where it was destroyed. For with out them, I would surly have become possessed by the rings power and perished along with the rest of Middle Earth, then I would never have been able to except this Miss. Wizard of Middle Earth Award. Thank you all! I love you so much!" He accepts his award and begins to blow kisses to an invisible audience.

Just then the stage door along the back wall, which Gandalf had forgotten about when he locked the main door, swung open and in walked Lord Elrond and Prince Legolas. They fell silent mid-sentence as their sight landed upon the theatrical old wizard blowing kisses and speaking in an implied innocent, salutary voice. Legolas looked back to Elrond only to see his question, horror, and disbelief mirrored in the aged Elf's eyes. Gandalf looked up at the intruders with dumbfounded expression, the spell breaking. He stared at them a moment before caching a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. An ear-splitting horrified scream echoed throughout the valley.

The End