I have no idea where this will lead, but the pairing will probably be Harry-Aragorn. I own LoTr and Potterverse (and that, everyone, is called wishful thinking). This will probably be written mainly from Aragorn's point of view, with a little Gandalf her and there. , and possibly Harry. None of my stories are beta - d, so all my mistakes are my own.
A/N- A/N
Gandalf turned his face towards Eru's, his expression full of shock. "You answered." He whispered. "Why didn't you answer before?" Eru sighed heavily. "There are other worlds, Olòrin." He said sadly. "Worlds not under my control. This man in front of you" he said, gesturing to the hooded figure floating in midair. "Is from one such world. I could not let him die, so I brought him here. He will help you beyond all measure in your quest. But be warned" he said gravely. "Everything comes in balance. He bears a ring like to those of the Ringwraiths, but more powerful, almost as powerful as that of Mairon. You, alone, can bring him to stay with you." Gandalf blinked slowly, gazing at the figure. "There is an air about him." He said uneasily. "An aura of power that does come from the ring." Eru nodded. "He is a magician not unlike yourself, but more diverse and focused. His powers rival those of Saruman's." Gandalf nodded. "I thank you." Eru shook his head. "Do not thank me. I simply brought him here. He may well be your destruction. He is the Bard."
o0o0o0o
Gandalf ran an uneasy hand through his beard. Even in Rivendell, he felt troubled. The young man beside simply drew his hood further over his head, glanced at the single small bed and dropped to the floor, curling up to sleep in the inimitable manner of a cat. His right hand clutched the strap of his instrument tightly; Eru had called it a 'guitar'. He suspected if his guitar was taken from him, the resulting explosion would kill anyone within a league's distance.
Quite the enigma, this Bard. He thought as he went to sleep.
o0o0o0o
The Emergency Council called in search of the questers of the ring had reached its climax. The ring had been placed in front of the Council and the members were being decided. Suddenly, before anyone could say a word, the Bard got up, a hood still throwing his face into the shadows. He raised a thin stick and waved it in a complex pattern which brought forth flames whose heat Aragorn could feel from the other side of the room. It took the form of the dragon that clawed at the One Ring and hissed at it, and faint screams began to be heard from the ring. As the fire continued, the screams grew stronger but the flames began to falter, then stopped. The Bard shook his head and went silently back to his seat.
Aragorn found himself wondering about this Bard. What made him so special that Gandalf took him in despite that thrice-accursed ring on his hand? It wasn't until Elrond began to speak that his attention came back to the meeting. "The Dark Lord has his Nine." He said. "And so too shall our heroes be nine." Gandalf interrupted him. "Nay." He said. "For I am here to oppose Sauron and Saruman, as Aragorn is here to oppose the Witch-King of Angmar. We will need a tenth hero, to oppose the last Ringwraith." Elrond Half-elven nodded slowly. "Ten there will be." He said at last. "Of them, you, Gandalf, are surely one, as is Aragorn. Legolas will go as a representative of the elves, and Gimli of the dwarves. Boromir will go to represent Gondor, and Frodo as the ringbearer-!" He was quickly interrupted by Sam. "'ere, now!" he said, annoyed. "Mr. Frodo ain't going anywhere without me!" "Or us!" added Merry and Pippin. "Indeed." Said Elrond, his eyes twinkling. "It seems practically impossible to separate the two of you, even when he is invited to a secret meeting and you are not!"1 Sam blushed horribly, and Aragorn's lips twitched. Elrond's gaze swept around the room. "Who then," he declared. "Shall be the tenth? Who will represent neither man, nor elf, nor halfling? Who is such a person?" Gandalf rose, and his majesty seemed to dwarf everyone in the room, except for Elrond and the Bard. Once again, the Bard proves his mysteriousness. Mused Aragorn. "The Bard will come with us." Thundered Gandalf. His eyes were burning coals. "Unless there any objections?" Elrond turned to the Bard, who sat quietly strumming the strings of his instrument. "Will you go?" he asked. "It is a terrible burden." If it had not been for his nod, Aragorn would have sworn the Bard had not even heard Elrond. As it was, Elrond seemed to take it as an affirmative. "The Fellowship of the Rings is chosen!" he declaimed. "So I have said it, so mote it be!"
o0o0o0o
Elrond and Gandalf sat on a stone bench in the gardens, quietly discussing the Bard. "Why do you trust him so much, Mithrandir?" Elrond asked. Gandalf lifted his head incredulously. "Eru himself sent him, Elrond. I would not deny Eru." Elrond shook his head. "Nevertheless, that ring of his makes him a danger." Gandalf nodded slowly. Before he could answer, Aragorn sprinted around the corner. "He's singing a song." Gandalf blinked. "Well, he is the Bard." Aragorn looked panicked, his eyes wide and cheeks flushed. "Come listen to the song." He begged. Aragorn never begged.
Elrond, Gandalf and Aragorn made their cautious way to where the Bard was singing. He was sitting on the edge of a cliff and strumming his guitar. His face was still hooded, but the song that he was singing pierced their hearts surer than arrow and filled them with a nameless dread.
Ever since I could remember
Everything inside of me
Just wanted to fit in
Oh oh oh.
I was never one for pretenders
Everything I tried to be
Just wouldn't settle in.
Oh oh oh.
If I told you what I was
Would you turn your back on me?
And if I seem dangerous
Would you be scared?
I get the feeling just because
Everything I touch isn't dark enough
If this problem lies in me
I'm only a man with a chamber who's got me
I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me
A monster,
a monster
I've turned into a monster
A monster,
a monster
And it keeps getting stronger
Can I clear my conscience,
If I'm different from the rest
Do I have to run and hide?
Oh oh oh.
I never said that I want this
This burden came to me
And it's made it's home inside.
Oh oh oh.
If I told you what I was
Would you turn your back on me?
And if I seem dangerous
Would you be scared?
I get the feeling just because
Everything I touch isn't dark enough
If this problem lies in me
I'm only a man with a chamber who's got me
I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me
A monster,
a monster
I've turned into a monster
A monster,
a monster
And it keeps getting stronger
I'm only a man with a chamber who's got me
I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me
A monster,
a monster
I've turned into a monster
A monster,
a monster
And it keeps getting stronger.2
o0o0o0o
Aragorn made sure to walk behind the Bard. He told himself it was to keep on him, but he knew it was because he was hoping his hood would fall off. No matter how bright the sunlight was or in which direction it was facing, his face was always cloaked in shadow. They were walking at the Caradhras, the snow falling gently around the evil mountain. Suddenly, the Bard. He turned his head from side to side, like he was trying to sense what was wrong.
Suddenly, he flipped completely over, his hood amazingly enough not falling off, and gutted an Orc with a knife that appeared in his hand. He spun around and drew his stick, shooting a beam of light that made the Orc blow up. A third he killed by pushing it headfirst of a cliff. Meanwhile, a fourth crept up behind him and as he wheeled to face it, managed to brain him with it's club. Grinning, it drew a dagger to finish of the job, when an arrow sprouted from its forehead, and Legolas lowered his bow.
All this happened in the time it took Aragorn to blink. Gandalf rushed over and checked his heartbeat and sighed in relief. "Still alive." He said tiredly. "Just unconscious." Aragorn walked over and gently picked him up, making sure not to lower his hood while he did so. He respected the Bard's privacy. "Caradhras is ill-omened and worse minded." Announced Gimli. "We must go through the depths of Khazad-Dûm. My cousin would give us a kingly welcome." Before both Gandalf and Aragon had opposed this course. Now, they both agreed with it. In the journey to Caradhras, the Bard had once driven three Ringwraiths and a band of patrolling Orcs without waking anyone up. This time, the mountain had slowed him down. They slowly picked their way down the hostile peak.
o0o0o0o
As Gandalf searched his immense knowledge for the password to the gates of Moria, Aragorn gazed at the Bard, who lay inert in his lap. He got the sudden urge to pull his hood off and peek at his face. What kind of scarring or disfigurement had he got to hide his face all the time? His fingers were already on the rim of his hood when Gandalf cried out in delight. His head jerked up with a guilty expression like he had been caught stealing cookies. Thankfully, no one caught it. "Mellon." Commanded Gandalf, and the doors opened noiselessly. Just when Aragorn was passing in, he heard a strangled cry behind him and saw Merry and Frodo dangling upside-down from two tentacles that had emerged from the lake. Several more were emerging. Aragorn glanced wide-eyed at Gandalf, but he had it under control. He spoke a strange, harsh word, and two bolts of fire struck the tentacles holding Merry and Frodo. The other tentacles retreated with a hiss. Boromir and Gandalf used this opportunity to seize the hobbits. The tentacles threw themselves against the doors with fury, sealing the entrance for good.
The silence was broken be the hobbits. "I say, Merry." Said Pippin. "Do you think Lord Balin knows about lunch?"
A/N-A/N
1. From LoTR
2. Courtesy Imagine Dragons (3 J)
My first crossover! Yay!
I'm really sorry for the irregular updates. I'm afraid it will have to continue. On the plus side, I think I've finally got a long enough chapter.
PS Thanks for all the great reviews for You can never Die and Emerald Flower. I was expecting hate mails!