A/N: Foremost, sorry this chapter is a bit long, but once the second is up, you really could skip to it without this chapter if you really so desire; however, I would strongly advise against it. Obviously, everything you recognize (and possibly a lot you may not recognize like Valinor, etc.) is Tokien's. Not mine. Besides, if some of these beloved characters of his were mine, I'd probably not have killed them all off. Just Sayin'. Please Enjoy and REVIEW. :D
Snoring quite loudly, Cessair earned an elbow to her already bruised ribcage inflicted by none other than her pal, Neo, nicknamed "Hopper" for his inability to ever sit still, which ultimately woke her up from her deep slumber; their bus was about to reach their stop at the airport in San José. Slowly gathering all their belongings, they wordlessly shuffled about a bit until the vehicle came to a complete stop. The mass of people trying to push their way out of and into the bus was considerable, so they stood wearily and waited quite patiently for an opening. Inseparable, Cessair and Neo shambled off the bus breathing in deeply the cool outside air, but only inhaling just deep enough to realize their mistake as the fumes from the bus nearly aroused Cessair's asthma.
"Come on, Cessair," Hopper beckoned, "Or you're going to end up flopping about like one of those Sea Lions on a rock in Monterey."
Smiling lightly, Cessair found herself incapable of responding, still recovering from the agitation. I really need a stronger prescription for my inhaler, she thought. Alas, there was nothing she could do now whilst wiggling through the various crowds as she and Neo made their way to the ticket counter.
"Neo?" Hopper nodded his head to her. "Are you sure you don't mind me leaving a bit early? I could stay a little longer here; chill in SanFran with my cousin. She would love that, surely! Then we could leave together. It's an awfully long trip back to Connecticut."
"It's not a problem, Cess. Besides, there's some extra work at the lab I need to finish off that might elongate my stay. I know you tire of Marine Bio so easily!"
Cessair could only giggle in reply, for Neo was right. She couldn't stand Biology! She nearly flunked the class she took in high school and barely scraped by with a passing grade when she was forced to take it again in college as a general requirement. She was copiously content with her physics and writing classes.
Time edged on by slowly as they crept through the baggage check-in line until finally they reached the counter. Cessair had agreed to take some of Neo's luggage along with her, so she checked in her three bag limit which anyone would agree isn't very much considering she was a college junior going home for summer break, and only two of the bags were hers. Neo led the way to the security gates; he was always an avid traveler and always had an incomparable sense of direction, but maybe that was just because Cessair always felt a bit clueless when she wondered new places.
"Cessair, please do be careful. I know you'll be getting home late, so don't take it upon yourself to drive home! I'll miss you whilst you're gone!"
"And you, Hopper. Don't do anything stupid when you're on that boat, alright? I don't want to fly back to have to save your butt from falling in the ocean!"
Neo stuck his tongue out at her, and with this, Cessair ensnared Neo in a snug embrace, taking leisure in laying her head upon his chest, holding on rather tightly to his small figure, glancing up to see his soft golden hair swish about his face.
"I ought to be off, Cess. I have to be out in the bay in another two hours, but do call once you reach your layoff point in…?"
"Kansas."
"Right. Well, see ya in a few weeks, kiddo."
With another hug, Neo swiftly ambled away as Cess turned about to go through security, skimming over The Hobbit poster she saw displayed nearby for the movie coming out later in the year. Wow, it's been awhile since I've read that book; maybe I should reread it before I see the movie? Eh. Maybe not.
With no problems here at security or with her departure gate or flight, Cess found herself in Kansas fairly quickly considering the turbulent flight did not warrant her any rest; the whole transit time, Cess tensely sat upright in her seat, nails grinding into the seat arms, slightly alarming nearby passengers.
Frantically unloading all of his gear, Neo barely made it to the docks on time for his scheduled excursion into the bay. His boat was on an hourly rent, and he needed every precious moment out in the bay. Dropping equipment as he scuttled along, Neo eventually did make it to his assigned boat and by some miracle managed to leave the dock only five minutes past his hopeful departure time.
There ya go Neo, he spoke mentally, Made it in the knick of time once more! He couldn't be more proud of his promptness. These thoughts led him down a track to think of Cess: did she make her flight on time? Opposite of himself, Cessair always managed to be either extremely late or horrifyingly early which always ruined the surprise parties he threw for her.
It seemed that every thought brought Neo back to Cess. The gentle waves that rocked his boat only reminded him of her wavy long hair, almost coarse to the touch, but still elegant. Neo shook his head; these ponderings would be the death of him! So, Neo did what he knew how to do best: he pointed the boat in his intended direction, and sat back to relax and sleep as the California sun beat down upon his brimmed hat.
Cessair's plane had long since landed in Kansas, and twice already had she tried calling Neo, but there was no answer. Confused, Cessair tried in vain to once again reach Neo, but it only went to voicemail:
"Hey there, Neo. Me again! You really ought to pick up; my flight's delayed and I'm going to be stuck in this forsaken airport for another three hours. I need someone to talk to, or I might just keel over. Call me back asap, won't ya?" She hung the phone up, and in defeat, turned her phone off to conserve battery. She figured he had once again forgotten his phone in his truck. With a sigh, Cess fell back onto the wall to her back, allowing herself to slip down onto the floor, for all the nearby chairs were taken. She took up watching some nearby children as time lurched on.
If only I was in that movie Click. Then this dreadful wait would be over already. Briefly recalling how Click ended, she quickly dismissed that notion from her mind with a strong shiver running down her spine. Alternatively, she took up talking to the nearby youngsters who, apparently, were flying by themselves back to good ol' Connecticut as well.
Neo awoke to horrible sunburn; his skin was red and already peeling away which greatly confused him because he knew very well that his own skin did not peel from sunburn unless he was out for hours. Glancing down at his watch, Neo suddenly realized that not only was his hat gone from his head, but also the vast majority of his belongings he had on the boat. Wiping the crust out of his eyes, he saw that several hours had passed. Hopper began to tense up, hysterically turning himself in circles looking for any hints of landfall. And then, and only then, once he sat himself down to prevent a panic attack, did he finally realize that he was no longer in his boat either.
Barefoot, Neo's toes caressed the soft wooden interior of this strange vessel; it resembled more of a canoe than any other boat he was accustomed to. Maybe this is all just a dream; I couldn't possibly be here otherwise! Resigned that this was indeed a dream, Neo examined the boat further. Its creamy white color and majestic swan-like figure at the bow of the boat, very similar to the designs of the Vikings, seemed somehow familiar to him for some other reason. Taking up the paddle he originally had forsaken upon his initial fright, Neo figured that since this was a dream, he might as well venture off to see where his mind's quandaries might take him.
The leaf-designed oar propelled the boat far further and faster than any typical oar might. Time obscurely passed, and in the distance he saw a beautiful island. Mountains traversed the entire length of the isle, and he found himself approaching the landmass at an even quicker speed now. What Neo failed to notice were the rhythmic waves and the singing winds guiding him to shore.
A golden dock awaited him at the island to which he tied his vessel using the silky rope already present at the dock. Precariously stepping off the boat, Neo reveled in the sandy feeling between his toes, closing his eyes, and breathing deeply.
"Salubrious, is it not? So wholesome."
"Wha–?" Neo exclaimed, opening his eyes to see a beautiful maiden in front of him. "Who are you? Where am I?"
She wore whimsical white robes that flowed about her effortlessly, well, magically really. Her voice had been so soft that it seemed the air had carried it to Neo's ears as one might handle a newborn child. Again, she spoke:
"My dear, Neo, I am Lady Varda, a Queen of Valar. And my friend, I have brought you here to the great land of Valinor, and it is you whom I have chosen to help bring peace to the world of Arda and Middle Earth."
"Middle Earth? Wait a minute…"
The intercom spoke: "Please remain calm. There is a tornado heading this way. Please evacuate to secure areas as directed. Please remain calm…" The system went on loop.
Just my luck. In Kansas for a few hours, and I get an effing tornado? Go figure. Exasperated, Cessair stood, but the rush of terrified individuals knocked her straight back to the ground. A few feet managed to kick her as they ran past, and by some stroke of misfortune, luck, karma, heaven, or whomever willed it and however one might view it, a stroke of someone's foot managed to debilitate Cessair for just long enough that when the tornado approached the airport, the resulting gails and heightened winds broke the glass, stirring up enough dust to send Cess into an asthma attack, causing her to lose her airway and pass out.
The last thing she ever saw of her Earth was one of the children with whom she was conversing earlier, now kneeling beside her, taking her hand as the tornado dissipated in the background.
Her eyes batted softly, stinging slightly from the cool crisp air that met them. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, trying to lean on the wall that was once behind her. Realizing it was not there, Cess narrowly caught herself from falling backwards, flat on her back. Her reflexes had awoken her fully, and now she found herself on a beach, and instead of the child kneeling beside her, there stood a man. Except that his ears were… pointed? She reached for her glasses in her bag, and then abruptly was reminded that she was on a beach as waves touched her toes before ebbing away and she picked up only sand where her bag once was.
"Are you looking for this, dear maiden?" The strange man spoke, handing her an unruffled, blue drawstring bag that Cess immediately recognized was hers. Cautiously, she took the bag, but she found herself mesmerized by the man and her current location. Too many questions. She sat there, jaw hanging slightly. She felt through her bag for her specs, never taking her eyes off of the man as he spoke again, softly, "My fair maiden, my name is Manwë, King of the Valar, and you, my little one, are in the land of Valinor. I bid thee welcome."
Finally, a cohesive thought: He's an elf. What in the name of holy macaroni is an elf doing here!? She could only muster a weak reply, "Hi, there."