Ahh-Chew: Yeah, well –I haven't read it in a while – but stay with me I'm looking for the books as I write this story.
Anyways, I've read a few of these fictions on this site and on a few other sites as well. Most of them are funny and some of them are really sad. So I decided to crack a whip at this myself…so hopefully this won't come back and whip me in the face.
- So on we go! … (mumbles) This is going to be ugly…
PAIRINGS: I'm not really sure about this. At first Sal wanted my story to be a – what she called – a Legomance. But then I thought – could that happen? So I came to a conclusion – it will be.
WARNINGS:
I'll try my absolute hardest not to make a Mary Sue, Sal has warned me all about that and personally I don't like them very much either. Also – fair warning – This story is going to follow the movies much more than the actual books. Why? Because I have the movies right on hand – the books I seem to have lost unfortunately.
So no flames telling me I left out some stuff. I know that, I will ultimately feel very bad about that later. Lastly, I couldn't figure out how to put my character into the story without them having a hard time sitting still. I really didn't want to put them in with the council, but when I tried any other ways, they interfered with something else in the story.
One more thing! This has some religious things in it, but not overwhelming, but if even the slightest bit bothers you, then hurry and leave. AND, THIS THING IS RATED M FOR A REASON! IT CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND IMPLIES SEXUAL SITUATIONS/THEMES. – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
SUMMARY: I – can't think of anything…crap!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of its characters…well, duh. And in no way am I making a profit outta this.
Happiness Is Earned
Chapter 1: Names for Faces.
IIIiiiIIIiiiIII
Confounded beeping…where the hell did they find that kind of sound anyway?Stop…stop, damn you! – oh for the love of – Angrily, a slim figure rose from underneath the blue bed covers. She raised a menacing pillow at the offender, which was her alarm clock. She swung hard and sent the little bastard flying clear across the room. A chuckle was heard and she turned towards the sound coming from her bedroom doorway.
She raised the menacing pillow once more. "Don't think for a second that just because you're my roommate's boyfriend – that I will not kill you." And once again the pillow attacked. Once the intruder was chased away. She stood from her blankets and trudged towards her closet.
"Alex!" Another voice shouted down the hallway. She ignored it, if she answered the one who called would only stutter and think up something stupid for her to do. After swimming through her closet, a thought came to mind…maybe she could see if the light was on?
She laughed at herself and pulled gently at the tug cord on the little lamp on the vanity desk. The sudden light blinded her momentarily, but it was worth it once her vision came back. She looked at her clothing and shrugged – she pulled out a short sleeved shirt, and then decided to pull out a long sleeved one too. Now what, she thought. Ah – screw it – she'll just wear both.
She tossed those onto the desk and from the floor near her shoe rack, she kicked out a pair of sneakers, and she pulled out a faded pair of blue jeans. Eh – it would do until she did her laundry. Once she slipped into her clothing, she sat down heavily at the desk and quickly pulled her black hair into a half-ass ponytail and bun. She stared at her reflection a moment longer, brown eyes looking over everything carefully.
"The world can live with one less beautiful person." She said to herself, smiling widely.
"ALEX!"
-
To say that her roommate was a kind and caring person was just an outright lie. Down the hallway and out the door – choking on burnt toast – was just the way her roommate liked her. And who was she to complain? Her roommate had just given her an excuse not to go to work.
Not that she was lazy, she was being smart. Last time she went back to retrieve her backpack and portfolio was a nightmare needing to be forgotten. An ass like that shouldn't have been able to go that far up into the air. Yeah, better safe than traumatized. Ah – to be twenty-one and single, but now for the burning question. What the hell was she going to do?
Some seconds after that thought, another came…what about the park? She hadn't strolled through its walkways in a while. Hell, she hadn't even seen the park walkways. As she neared the corner of the street, she glanced across it to said park. Built and paid for by the city-people, as if tax dollars could make anything that pretty. Pfft. Alex looked up at the street light that had just turned red…should she?
Ah – hell, why not?
She glanced up again at the light and decided, she could make it across the street before the light turned green. She took a deep breath and bolted. Two-thirds of the way she smiled to herself, she could make it. A loud honking sound pulled her back from her victory thoughts – crap.
She didn't make it.
-
Damn bus. She seriously hoped that it had a huge dent in it now. Her head and body shot up out off the bed and suddenly her world decided to tilt to the left. Who was she to protest? Down she followed it, hitting the blankets and pillows once again with a soft thud.
"Owie…" Alex muttered, closing her eyes. A chuckle fromher rightthough made them snap open again. This time she sat up much more slowly. She pushed away the pillows and blankets…wait…what?
"Good morning." Alex jolted and turned to the voice. An elderly man sat next to her, smiling at her as her world came back into focus. How come she didn't see him before?
"Good – uh – morning, whoever you are." He chuckled again and watched as Alex quickly glanced around at her surroundings.
Alex knew that wherever the hell she was, it was beautiful. The walls and windows were all decorated with fine detail. Everything seemed to flow together along with some unseen water source. Her eyes roamed shamelessly over the room and slowly made their way back to the elderly man next to her.
She smiled at him. "Hi, sorry about the earlier greeting." He shook his head.
"You are a very strange child." He chuckled. She smiled and cocked an eyebrow upwards.
"Child? I'm already twenty-one, Compadre." He raised an eyebrow at this.
"So it's true, you are not of this world." He said. His expression changed and he was no longer cheerful, but instead deadly serious.
"Of this world? What are you talking about?" Alex asked.
"You appeared in the library of Lord Elrond of Rivendell. You were injured. He cared for you here and it has been two days since your arrival." Out for two days, huh? She really hoped that bus had a dent in it. Alex turned her gaze to the hands twisting in her lap…Now what? What was she going to do? How could she go home? Turner and Zech were still back there…
"Who are you?" Alex pulled her eyes away from her lap and looked up at the old man with a crooked smile.
"I'm Alexandria Willow. And who are you, compadre?" Again, his face contorted at the use of a different language.
"I am Gandalf the Grey. Tell me. What does – com-padre – mean?" He looked at her with curiosity rivaling that of a child's and she couldn't help but snort.
"It means something like elderly friend." His smile widened. Alex guessed it was because he finally knew whether he was being insulted or not. He nodded his head and rose from his chair. Alex watched as he made his way to the door and turned to her before he left.
"A maid will be here shortly to help you dress." And away he went leaving a slightly confused Alex to think.
-
"Lady Alexandria? Are you well?" Alex blinked as she was pulled out of her stupor. She turned and smiled brightly at the maid who was kneeled down, mending the last few parts of her dress.
"You drifted for a moment, I wondered if something was troubling you?" the maid questioned as her hands flew over the ends and expertly sewed the pieces together.
"Just…thinking…" Alex mumbled and turned back to the mirror in front of her. The dress the maid had brought in was a pale blue color, and if it was any wider at the top, the sleeves would fall off her shoulders. The maid – named Nienna – was fixing the rims from the bottom so it wouldn't be so long and Alex wouldn't trip. She snorted at the thought.
"Something amusing, my lady?" Nienna turned her beautiful face upwards and smiled at Alex.
"Yeah, this will be my first time in a dress in ten years."
"Why so long?" Alex sighed as Nienna stood and smoothed out the dress.
"I never…had the time to play dress-up." Alex twirled once to see the back of the dress and Nienna's smile brightened.
"You look beautiful." Alex chuckled and pulled the dress up to see her feet. She gazed at the blue shoes they gave her and turned back to the maid.
"Now if I only wasn't so short. Five-foot-five isn't very high." Nienna giggled along with her.
-
After Nienna helped her pull all her shoulder length hair into a hair style much like the elves, Alex asked if she could look around. Nienna nodded as said that the gardens weren't too far from her room…Well, she's been walking for ten minutes straight and has failed to see any gardens.
"Well, I'm lost." Alex stopped and sat on a stone bench in front of her. The farthest she had gotten was to a little dome that was to her right. It too – along with everything else here – had that beautiful detail of fluid motion carved into it. Alex turned her gaze up too the sky. It looked bluer than the one back at home, she thought. This place surely can't be real. Just as she was going to stand, a little bird flew into her vision. She watched it as it flew around her and landed on a branch in a tree in front of her.
Alex's curiosity won out and she stood, walking slowly to get as close to the bird as possible. It was beautiful. Its plumage was a deep blue, it glitter in the sun light. Its beak looked…silver? Wow, things just got stranger and stranger. Oh – if only she had her portfolio, this would have been a perfect specimen!
"Hi there." She whispered. Amazingly the bird didn't fly away; instead it looked right at her. She smiled. Well, at least now she could look at it a bit longer…it was so pretty. The bird chirped in her direction. It cocked its head to one side and chirped again.
Now normally what she was about to do would be a stupid idea. One of two things could happen. One, the bird would be frightened and fly away, making her feeling like the biggest ass in the universe. Or two, it would attack and she would be forever blind.
But that didn't stop her.
Alex held out her hand, tilting it sideways a little and offering her index and middle finger to the bird. Its head once again twitched to the other side. It looked at her for a while before chirping happily and flying to her hand, landing carefully as if…as if it didn't want to hurt her. She pulled the bird close to her face; it flapped its feathers but held onto her fingers. It started singing.
Alex laughed as the bird sang its little song. Once it looked like it was finished it flew up and around her head before once more flying out into the sky.
"Like the birds?" Alex jolted. Oh good God. People needed to learn to snap a twig or something, this was getting ridiculous! Alex turned to the voice and was surprise to see – four of the cutest little guys she had ever seen. She regained her voice and nodded her head.
"Yeah, I like birds." Oh – that sounded intelligent. All four of them cracked identical smiles…yeah, that's a little scary. They came up to her and instantly started talking.
"Who are you?"
"Where are you from?"
"Are you an elf?"
"How old are you?"
"What's your name?"
Alex was starting to get a little dizzy and quickly went to cover the mouth of the closest little guy. They all went quiet and Alex silently thanked God and turned her attention back to them.
"My name is Alexandria, I'm twenty-one, and I'm not an elf – mind telling me who you are?" she purposefully avoided the question of where she was from, least they decide to ask questions like 'What's a car?' One of them jumped in front of her and proudly pointed to himself.
"I'm Pippin." He was quickly pushed out of the way by another.
"I'm Merry." She smiled and nodded, trying her best to make sure she memorized their faces. She turned to the next one, he was a little on the chubby side and looked to be really shy.
"And you?" she prompted him. He looked up and quickly turned his gaze back to the ground.
"Samwise." She gave him a reassuring smile and turned to the last one. He was different from the rest. His hair was darker and his eyes…they were stunning. He wasn't shy in the least and smiled boldly up at her. But despite the look of confidence, his voice was much softer than the others.
"I'm Frodo, Lady Alexandria."
-
Hobbits. They certainly were amazing beings. Not only did they have boundless energy, they also had the ability to talk your ear off in three seconds flat. They pulled her this way and that, showing her all sorts of things. They had also come across Gandalf talking to Lord Elrond – who she had met as she was walking out of her room – they looked on and didn't even bother to save her from what would certainly kill her – bastards.
Finally they hobbits had found something else to entertain themselves with. Gandalf had appeared at that time and asked if she could spare a moment with him, she readily agreed. He told her of what he and Lord Elrond had discussed. They thought it best for her to attend the council meeting that was going to take place that afternoon. She was going to protest, but a stern glare from him shut her up.
So now here she was. Standing in front of the doors leading to the meeting she was semi-forced to attend. She had thought a while back that she could always run, but then they'd probably just hunt her down. So…here she goes.
-
It was like a funeral. Everyone was silent. Their eyes were glued to her, like when you walked into a classroom after you were late. This was going to be fun. Just as she got to the middle, one of them – a man with reddish brown hair – decided to voice his opinion.
"What is this? A woman? Surely this must be some mistake." Alex snorted and stopped dead. She rounded on him and smirked.
"So are you calling Lord Elrond stupid?" She smiled brightly as he grumbled and took his seat. Alex then continued to her chair that was between Gandalf and Frodo – perfect. Elrond glanced at her briefly before turning back to the rest of the council.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Well, how's that for putting something lightly. Frodo stood and looked at her quickly, she flashed him a smile and he walked forward.
Alex watched as Frodo placed the ring down. Alex saw as his body relaxed at the relief of losing that burden. The poor fellow, he walked back and smiled at Alex…she smiled quickly and turned her attention back to the meeting at hand.
"So it is true." Alex turned her head. It was the man that had challenged her earlier. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor." He stood and turned to everyone, avoiding her eyes.
"Why not use the Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe!" He took a breather before starting again. "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!" Geez, what a wind bag. Alex shook her head; he really wanted that ring, didn't he?
Another voice spoke up from a scruffier looking man, "You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Whoops, looks like you won't be getting it, she thought.
But he just wouldn't quit. "And what would a Ranger know of this matter?"
"This is no mere ranger." Alex snapped her eyes over to the new voice, it was an elf. Not one from Rivendell, she assumed. He continued.
"He is Aragorn son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Wow, she thought. Weren't elves supposed to have control over their emotions and not be easily tempered? Gandalf must have been lying. But what the elf had said made the one before go into a shock of some sort.
"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?" He turned to Aragorn.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor!" Well – now she knew Gandalf was lying. Aragorn raised a hand and said something in a different language. This must be how it felt when Gandalf had no clue what she was saying in her language. But the elf – Legolas, she heard – finally took a seat.
"Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." Ouch, how rude, she thought. He was definitely one to watch out for. Elrond motion for attention back to him, all eyes snapped up.
"We have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." The rude one looked like he was in physical pain when Elrond said this. He really wanted that ring. Elrond glanced at her again, but a motion out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. One of the little ones – with a beard no less – started talking and went for his axe – oh shit.
"Then what are we waiting for!" he jumped up and pulled his axe upwards and slammed it down hard on the ring. Pieces of his weapon flew everywhere, including her direction.
"Shi—" Alex reflexively threw her hands up and just in time too. A piece of the axe wedged into her palm. She instantly clutched it to her and refused to show it when Gandalf tried to pull it from her.
"If you really didn't want me here, you could've asked." Alex said cheerfully towards the axe-wielding one. He seemed to lighten a little knowing that she wasn't going to hold it against him.
"I'm…sorry, lassie." She nodded; Elrond motioned for everyone to take their seats. He pulled her hand away and looked at it, the way she was clutching it kept it from bleeding into her clothes. He quickly pulled a bandage from a slit in his robe and fixed her hand…now how did he know he was going to need a bandage?
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess." Alex snorted, "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only here can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Alex cringed slightly when a voice tickled her mind, but it was gone before she could make sense of it.
"One of you must do this." His eyes scanned the council before settling on Alex…oh no – he was thinking crazy things. Alex turned her gaze away and it landed on the one who wanted the ring most of all. He looked to be in pain at the words of the Ring's destruction.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great eye is ever watchful." He seemed to think that he had the right-a-way and leaned forward in his chair. "It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air that you breathe is poisonous fume." His voice rose a little higher, "Not with ten thousand men could you do this! It is folly."
Alex was going to retort, but apparently the elf – Legolas, she remembered – had different plans. "Have you heard nothing that Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" So much for even tempered, she thought.
Gimli jumped up like his ass was on fire, "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!"
Then someone yelled, "And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
Gimli retorted once more, "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Alex shook her head, with a group like this – this world was better off dead.
"Never trust an elf!" Oh Merciful God, strike them dead now. Alex cradled her head in her uninjured hand and sighed.
"I will take it!" The room went deadly silent…Alex turned her head up and saw her brave little guy stand before the stupid giants, "I will take the Ring to Mordor…though I do not know the way." He mumbled. Alex snorted, oh yeah – they were screwed.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins. As long as it is yours to bear." Alex smiled, Gandalf was really something else – to be doing something like this at his age, that was really something.
Aragorn stood and kneeled in front of Frodo, "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." His hand landed reassuringly on Frodo's shoulder, "You have my sword."
Legolas pulled up, "And you have my bow."
"– And my axe." Alex snorted; he really wasn't going to let it go, was he? Alex went tense when the man who started most of the fights stood and walked towards the little group.
"You carry the fate of us all, little one." He patted Frodo's head and Alex had to stop herself from growling, "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."
"Here!" Oh – For the love – they really needed to stop doing that. Alex turned to see Sam jump out from the bushes and ran towards Frodo. Alex giggled at the sight.
"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me." He said importantly, he crossed his arms and Alex smiled. How cute.
Elrond cocked an eyebrow, "No indeed. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not." Alex chuckled as a small smile colored Lord Elrond's face.
"Oi! We're coming too!" That's it, she thought, everyone's going to take lesson on noisiness. Merry and Pippin dashed to Frodo's side, flashing her a smile as they passed. Alex laughed outright.
"You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us." Alex couldn't stop, this was just too funny.
Pippin just made it harder for her to stop, "Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission – quest –thing." That was it; she had to cover her mouth to help her stop.
"That rules you out, Pip." No more, Alex told herself, absolutely no more. Her face and cheeks were starting to hurt.
"Nine companions…but one is still waiting…" Alex snapped her head up to find the whole strange group and Elrond looking at her. She looked around then turned back and pointed to herself.
"Me? Why would you what me to go?" she asked, Elrond came towards her and looked down at her; she didn't like the feeling so she stood as well.
"You were sent here for a reason. Going on this journey will make clear what it is you are to do." Alex sighed; he was talking in a fatherly voice. The voice that commanded all agreement to his own choice – damn him.
"Fine, but if I die, I'm haunting you from my grave."
So this is how it starts…
-
