Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR
A/N: PLZ READ THIS! Shortly before you start reading, I would like to point out that the characters in this story that are not Tolkien's are based on the false personalities of myself and another author on this site Rebell (used with her permission of course). Which means though its written with us in mind...we wouldn't actually do that. So, if I've confused you all enough already, and you still decide to read this, please drop a comment, flame it if you wish (just give me a reason) and tell me what you think! Thank you! ENJOY!
Tug of War!!!...Over Elrond's Sons?...What?...
It was a quiet day in Rivendell but not the kind of quiet that signifies peace and gentle solitude. No, this was more of a 'run for cover and never be seen again' silence. Even the native birds seem to be cowering in their nests, the mothers sheltering their young with protective wings, even as they fought their own to desire to flee. And strange though it sounded, it seemed even the normally purring waterfalls had silenced their habitual hums. Yes, had a stranger walked into Rivendell on that particular day he would have thought it deserted.
The cause for the unnatural silence, one might ask? It was the sight of two teenage girls, standing toe to toe; eyes flashing like strobe lights as they accusingly pointed at an object on either side of them. Their object of concern was none other than the terrified sons of Elrond, who in startling contrast looked like cornered animals.
Talene, the shorter of the two girls, was doing her best to stand on her tiptoes, so as to stare down at her ex-friend. Her blondish hair, normally short and boringly straight, was standing on end and doing a dance all of its own. At this point, she could have cared less; it wasn't like anyone was around to criticize her for starting a 'new' fashion.
Edil, the other teen, was struggling to hide her own smirk below the raging torrent of frustration. After all, it was certainly to her advantage that her friend was looking like a prickly blonde hedgehog. She knew perfectly well the girl couldn't stand to be away from a mirror for more then a minute. The fact alone that she had made it a whole hour was sure to make records in the "Middle-Earth Guinesss Book of World Records."
Unconsciously, Edil smoothed a hand over her hair, which was still in strict constraints. The frizzy red hair, refused to ever listen to her, and she always had to do something to make it listen, though that war she usually lost. Finding all in order she turned her glaring eyes in the direction of the two men who were trying to sneak away inconspicuously.
"Stay right there!"
The sound of the twin voices, raised in protestant shriek stopped both male Elves dead in their tracks. Their mouths dropped open into very handsome "o's" and their eyes glazed over in fright. Their knees knocked, as they nearly fell to the ground to beg for release.
"Now," Talene turned her eyes away, secure in the knowledge that neither Elladan nor Elrohir would seek to try and run away again. "As I was saying."
"You were saying something?" Edil cried, feigning shock, as she leaned away. Her eyes slid sideways. "Did either of you boys hear something?"
Both shook their heads enthusiastically, hoping for a 'get out of hell for free' card.
"Traitors!" Talene shrieked, stamping a foot childishly. She seemed to have forgotten that she was wearing no shoes, and that her heels were already red and smarting from impacting the rough cobbles beneath them.
The twins shifted closer to Edil, seeing, for the moment, potential safety.
"See?" Edil smirked. She itched to reach out and grab their arms, but knew that it would only result in a furious catch and chase game and her dress was already to mud-splattered and torn for another round of that. And it was her favorite dress too! The subtle change of red and black hues...quite nice compared to Talene's silver embroidery and royal blue fabric. Disgusting that one.
"Elrohir," Talene leaned forward. "Please...Come back to me."
The twins eyed each other and shrugged. "Which one's Elrohir?" they chimed as one.
It had become their running game. Keep the women bickering, and bide time for escape, and it wasn't like anyone else in Rivendell was going to help them! After all, they were all cowards, hiding in whatever holes they could find. Traitors, all of them.
"Well, I'm thinking this one is Elladan!" Edil reached out swiftly and grabbed the arm of the more handsome twin before he could react.
She felt him jerk under her fingers and smiled sweetly up at him. In all truth, she didn't know which twin was which, but since this one was the cuter of the two, it was obviously Elladan.
"No! It's not Elladan. That one's Elrohir!" Talene protested crossing her arms, a pout forming on her lips. She made no attempt however, to remove her object of interest from Edil's hands. The poor sweet Elf had too many scratches as it was. They were such an ugly red and so marring of the perfect flesh beneath.
The free twin, yet undetermined as Elladan or Elrohir, began inching away slowly, trying to be unremarkable. It was all or nothing at this moment and he cared little for the sufferings he was about to put his brother through. If he didn't get away soon, the rest of his sanity was going to evaporate!
Sharp eyes of the trapped twin caught out his brother slowly inching away. Angered, and refusing to think of any later consequences he snapped out, "Where do you think you're going!"
Gasping in shock, eyes lighting upon the Elf she now dubbed Elrohir, Talene leaped forward, slinging her arms around the man's neck. She herself had no idea if this was true, but if she didn't hold onto one of them it was at the risk of never finding out who was who. What a nightmare that would be!
Triumphant Edil pulled 'Elladan' closer and simpered at Talene. "See," she said. "I always get what I want."
The Elf, currently held prisoner in her grasp coughed delicately, and gently tried to pry her away. "Excuse me, but I'm Elrohir."
"Elladan what are you talking about? Liar!" the other shouted across. "I'm Elrohir."
"No! I am."
"I am."
"Liar."
"Double liar."
"Infinity liar!"
Fuming now the twins glowered at each other, momentarily forgetting that they were in a precarious situation.
The two teenagers eyed each other across the short distance separating them. Their eyes were still flashing with anger, quite due to the fact that they were still in square one and neither of them knew which was Elladan and which was Elrohir. Such a tragedy, akin to...Well there wasn't anything that could be compared to something as drastic and heart-wrenching as this.
"It's not fair!" Edil whined, pulling 'Elladan' closer. "Just tell us so we can all put this behind us and we can all be one big and happy family!"
"We're not a family," Talene snarled, pulling 'Elrohir' farther away. "I still hate you! You ruined my hair..." she paused, a comical expression of horror befalling her face. She whipped her attention to the twin in her grasp. "Elrohir! Elrohir! My hair! Is my hair alright? Is it messy?" Distractedly she sought to soothe it down, eyes watering with tears.
"I'm sure it's alright," 'Elrohir' awkwardly patted Talene's arms, while slowly backing away from the distraught girl.
"Can you believe her?" Edil sniffed, pulling 'Elladan' in the direction of a nearby path. "Such a sap."
Enviously 'Elladan' watched as his brother slowly detached himself from a sobbing Talene, who took no notice that her prisoner was escaping. Why did his twin have all the luck? It simply wasn't fair! What had he done to anger Eru?
"I've had just about enough of this!"
Startled by the vehement female voice the four people whirled around to see an irate Arwen.
She stood with her hands on her hips in the traditional 'pissed off' female attitude. Her hair seemed to be sparking as if there were electricity humming in the air, and she stood braced, feet apart. Her face was contorted in rage. Both Edil and Talene gulped nervously.
"First off!" Arwen fumed, pointing fingers at her brothers. "That one is Elladan and that one is Elrohir!"
Realizing that they had gotten both partners mixed up, the teenagers hastened to correct the problem, for once not voicing their opinions on which one was cuter. In the light of Arwen's anger, it was wise to keep silent. Even Talene's tears had evaporated into pathetic sniffs.
"Now that we have got that settled," Arwen continued. "Elladan, Elrohir, stop being such babies! Take it like real men and make Rivendell happy for the first time in five months!"
"But Arwen," Elladan, now undoubtedly named, whined. "It's not fair. Why us?"
"At this point I really don't care!" Arwen screamed. She reached up gripping her hair with her fists. "I am sick and tired of my beauty rest falling to pieces because of two bickering teenagers and complaining brothers!"
"Thank you Arwen," Talene smiled broadly, snuggling closer to a horrified Elrohir. "I owe you."
"You all do," Arwen grumbled. "Now make us all happy and go bug Mirkwood. I hear things have settled down there, they need some entertainment."
Edil gasped. "Arwen! We aren't doing this for entertainment, this is a mid-life crisis!"
"We're elves; we don't have 'mid-life crises', we live forever."
"Oh," Talene pulled on her lower lip in confusion. "Oh. Well..."
"I got Elladan!" Edil broke in, squealing happily as she pulled the Elf into a bone—crushing hug. Well not entirely 'bone-crushing' as she was quite petite, her only weapons her deadly long nails. They were useful but fell short in hugs.
Copying Edil, Talene squealed herself, hugging Elrohir tightly.
Both twins eyed each other over their 'girlfriends' heads, and watched their retreating sister's back. There was an extra hop in the woman's step, as if she was quite pleased at how the situation had resolved itself. There were even the normal sounds in the air, as if things were slowly coming back to life after a long hibernation.
Elladan and Elrohir both visibly winced, because for them, it meant that they had lost. After giving long-suffering looks at the women clinging possessively to them they looked up, fire in their eyes.
"Arwen is going to pay for this!"