Pippin woke early that morning, which was strange for him. He was normally the sort to sleep till noon. Indeed all the Tooks were of that nature and none of his family had yet stirred from slumber. Slightly irritated with himself, Pippin rolled to his side and attempted to allow sleep to overtake him once more. But peaceful slumber would not return to him. Still grumbling, Pippin rolled out from under his covers and stiffly extricated himself from his bed. As soon as his feet touched the earthen floor of his burrow, an incredibly strong urge overcame him. He was suddenly compelled to do… something… but he couldn't be sure what. He shook his head in an attempt to dispel the strange sensation. It should be noted that Pippin was not the adventurous type. He left that sort of nonsense to Frodo… but this morning, a great desire to go for a walk in the woods overtook him. And while a part of him begged for breakfast, Pippin found himself pulling on a pair of trousers with the intention of exploring the woods behind his burrow.
About an hour later, Pippin found himself completely lost in the woods. But surprisingly, he felt no fear or anxiety about his predicament… He just continued to wander, the peace and tranquility of the woods keeping his thoughts serene and lush. At that moment, he stumbled through a thin line of underbrush and found himself in a small clearing. Pippin stared in wonder at the scenery around him. The trees formed a beautiful canopy above and emerald grass formed a thick carpet beneath his feet. Small drops of dew clung to each blade of grass and stuck between his toes. The sun just peeked through tiny holes in the canopy and gave a sparkling effect to the glade. A quiet bubbling eluded to the fact that there was a brook or small stream nearby. The entire glade was surrounded by huge oaks and gave a great feeling of peace and seclusion. A gentle breeze rustled the branches above and one flowering tree began to lose some of it blossoms. But before he was ready to leave, Pippin was on his way again. His feet continued to lead him on some path he did not consciously recognize.
His strange hike through the woods ended abruptly. One moment he was shrouded by trees, and the next he was blinking blearily in the sunlight. It was with surprise that he found himself outside a very familiar burrow. How did I end up outside Merry's house? He could not imagine why he would want to be at Merry's house this early in the morning, or why he had taken such a strange route to get there. But before he could conclude his contemplations, his restless feeling was driving him towards his friend's door. One knock, two knocks… a third time he pounded on the door. Pippin was suddenly feeling incredibly antsy and began to pace on the doorstep in front of his friend's house. His thoughts were a jumble… they seemed to collide and contradict one another. His own behavior confused him, but at the same time, he wondered where Merry could be.
"I hope he's alright… of course he'll be fine!" Pippin continued his muttering for an extended period before a thought occurred to him. "Of course that's where he would be," he exclaimed as he jumped up from his squatting position on the door mat to walk around the edge of Merry's burrow to his garden in the back.
As the garden in the valley came into view, so did Merry. He was hunched over a row of young fruit trees, his hands and forearms buried deep in the earth. Even from his distant place at the top of the hill, Pippin could see his lips moving. Pippin suddenly felt giddy. He loved it when he caught Merry talking to himself, which he did quite often. For some reason, Pippin could not take his eyes away from his long-time friend. His eyes were glued to his form, drinking in the picture of perfection before him.
One look. One glance. A single moment in time that would haunt Pippin until the end of his days. Something within him clicked into place. Merry's face, so beautiful and pure, was frozen in his mind. The golden hue of his skin, so much finer than the pale white of his own. And the soft waves of his golden hair shining in the afternoon sun, set just above the deep hazel of his eyes, and the slight pout of his lips. His strong features scrunched in consternation as the sapling he had propped up, fell to the side again. He was so perfect, why had he never seen it before? In his heart of hearts, Pippin had always known that Merry was perfect for him, his compliment in all matters, but he had never noticed how utterly breathtaking he was… As the truth finally dawned on him, Pippin felt a joy unlike any other before it, swell within his chest. Without thinking, Pippin raised a hand in greeting and called out Merry's name and began a clumsy gallop into the valley that was the garden…