Okay, so when I was in Portugal I brought a notepad with me and started writing a lot. This LOTR story began, and an Assassin's Creed one, and a few other ideas popped into my head; but I think I'll just post the most substantial stories just now and see how they're received.

So here's a Legolas/OC story, and hopefully it won't be as typical as any others you might have read. I'll post the second chapter as well just to give a bigger taster of what this story is going to be like, and I welcome all feedback.

Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Lord of the Rings.

Stars, the eldest of all beings belonging to the world of Middle Earth, and any other world existing. They have been here since the beginning of the beginning. For many, many long and uneventful years, they watched the empty lands and the basic creatures who inhabited them. Until, finally, the Elves came. They saw fit to name the Stars, asigning them stories full of bravery, courage, love and peace. The Stars heeded these names, finding them and their meanings to have given them depth and significance. They adopted the names and, slowly but certainly, they adapted into the beings they are today.

In their kingdom, they are figures without an outline - pure white glows floating like a sphere of radiant light, surrounded by a white cloud-like substance. They communicate via thoughts and emotions, when the Sun is high and they need not linger in their Starposts. These are the areas in which one shall always see a specific Star, watching over them - it is the area of the sky that belings to a Star. Many Stars occupy a place in the sky; but there are even more of them than can be seen. You see, like most creatures, Stars have children.

These children are called Emberlings, and they only have one parent, one Star to which they belong. The Emberlings are not as powerful as the Stars, and they do not have Starposts of their own, even if some of them were created before the Elves came to Middle Earth. Instead, when an Emberling wishes to watch over the worlds, they must gain permission from their parent to join them in their Starpost. When they are not sitting at their parent's sides, they might be found wandering their kingdom with other Emberlings, or they might - very rarely - be found upon the worlds over which their parent watches, walking among the Creatures of Land. Few Emberlings travel to the worlds without a purpose - whether it is to observe and report, to give aid (although no Emberling has given their aid in many an age) or to merely explore a curiosity.

The events in Middle Earth - those that seemed so important and fate-changing to its people - meant little to the Stars, for there were many other worlds in which other equally ground-shattering events were occuring. However, one Star in particular had found something in Middle Earth interesting enough to hold his attention. This Star's name was Baramaethor the Warrior.

The Elves said that Baramaethor was a courageous and mighty warrior, and had played a vital role in the Stars' battle to win the Night Sky. This battle was named the War of Light by the Elves, and many songs and poems and stories sprung from its name, even though there had been no such thing. But the Stars did not mind, for they were pleased that the Elves admired them so. The majority of the mortals of Middle Earth knew atleast the names of the Stars; but few were as attached to them as the Elves.

It was in this minority that Baramaethor's attention was caught, on one mortal in particular, one man. All Stars knew that Middle Earth's most important event had yet to occur, and they knew it was coming soon, for they had seen the power grow in Mordor. Baramaethor was one of the few Stars who properly paid attention to the events of the worlds, and so he had been watching Middle Earth for the many years leading up to this mighty event. He had been watching this mortal, this man, since he was born, for Baramaethor knew this man's fate would take him into the heart of this event, and he would play a vital role in it and the years to come - if fate would have him survive.

This man was Aragorn son of Arathorn, Isildur's heir, and heir to the throne of Gondor. It had been many years since Baramaethor had seen a soul like Aragorn's, and he had been instantly intrigued. The Man was skilled, more skilled than other Men, and had a noble and strong heart. He was courageous, humble, brave and venerable. Baramaethor wished for Aragorn to step up and claim his title, to become the King of Gondor, and bring peace and order to Middle Earth.

If he could, Baramaethor would travel to Middle Earth so that he could lend his aid, so strong was his will, and ensure that Aragorn would be crowned King. However, he was one of the First - he had a Starpost to attend - and therefore he could not go.

There was one thing he could do, though. Baramaethor had three Emberlings, a daughter and two sons: Maethoriel, the daughter; Beriadan, the first son; and Bregolien, the second son. Out of the three, he knew one would fulfil his wish. Beriadan was on another world elsewhere; and Bregolien did not share his interest in Middle Earth - he enjoyed watching over other worlds in which life was just beginning rather than "opening a story half way through the book", as he said. That left Maethoriel, Baramaethor's only daughter.

Stars do not have such a strong attachment to their Emberlings as most parents have to their child; but they do feel some sentiment. Baramaethor felt a pinch of reluctance towards risking his one daughter in such a way; but he knew that Maethoriel was a brave and capable warrior, and he felt content with his final decision. Now all that was left was the question of whether she would agree or not.

Maethoriel could feel her father's conscious around her, and she parted from her friends to engage with him. "Father," she greeted.

"Maethoriel," he replied. His conscious had always felt strong and empowering to Maethoriel; but it was not overwhelming, thankfully. "I must speak with you. It is of vital importance to me."

"I will come now," she said. Feeling his conscious pull away from hers, she excused herself from the group of Emberlings waiting on her and glided to her father's Starpost. The kingdom of the Stars was usally a peaceful and comforting grey colour; but the Starposts were a dark black, as they were part of the Night Sky.

In the middle of this darkness floated her father, Baramaethor the Warrior, his glow stronger and brighter while he fulfilled his role. "Come, Emberling," he beckoned. She went to his side, and saw what he was focused on: a man was walking through thick underbrush, looking cautiously at his surroundings. Behind him walked four small creatures, the like of which Maethoriel had not seen before. A great evil seemed to hover over them, weighing down on one of the small creature's heart more so than the rest. They led beside them a plump pony that carried most of their supplies, the rest of which was divided between the travellers.

"That is Aragorn son of Arathorn, is it not?" She asked her father.

She felt the spark of pride that she ignited in her father as he answered: "Yes, Maethoriel, it is him."

"But who travels with him? I have never seen their kind before."

"That is because they have not been of much importance for many years. Do you remember the story I told you of Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit that travelled with Dwarves and Wizards and fought alongside Elves and Men - the one that confronted Smaug the Dragon and Gollum, from whom he stole the One Ring?"

It took Maethoriel a moment, for her father told many stories. Then, finally: "Yes, I remember."

"The one bearing the evil burden," her father started, and she looked to the small creature with dark brown hair and the heaviest heart, "He is Frodo Baggins, Bilbo's nephew."

"So these four creatures are Hobbits?"

"Yes. Frodo now carries the Ring and, with the help of Aragorn, is taking it to Rivendell. Lord Elrond is already preparing for a Council that shall ultimately decide the Fate of Middle Earth." Maethoriel knew of Middle Earth's past and of the significance of the One Ring. She knew enough to quickly grasp how serious the situation was. "Maethoriel, Middle Earth is the world I have spent longest watching. I wish for it to continue." He pasued for a moment. "I ask of you, daughter, to do what I cannot. I ask you to go to Middle Earth and give the good people walking its lands your help. I ask you to ensure Aragorn's survival and his place as King of Gondor. I ask you to ensure the destruction of the One Ring, so that he may rule in peace."

Maethoriel was silent for a while, even though she had long known her answer. "Father, how can I ensure Aragorn's survival as well as the destruction of the Ring?"

"I think that Aragorn, if he does not volunteer himself to be the Ring-Bearer, will accompany that who does to Mordor."

"I see."

"Will you do this, Maethoriel, for me?"

"You know I share the same love for Middle Earth," she replied. "And I wish to see Aragorn crowned King as much as you do, father. Of course I will lend my aid, wherever I can."

Never before had she felt her father so relieved. He conveyed all the gratitude he felt towards her, and in reply she said: "It would be an honour to walk amongst those who shall be remembered for the years to come, for Middle Earth shall live on, father, and evil shall be wiped from its lands, I promise you, even if it means the death of me."

In the kingdom of the Stars, they and Emberlings alike would never perish; but if they were to take on the appearance of a Creature of Land upon one of the worlds, they were susceptible to death.