I do not own LOTR, and if I owned PoT, both Sakuno and Tomoka would have died in the most horrible way possible within the first 5 episodes.

Unmarried Bliss

In the days following the War of the Ring, excitement was a hard-found thing, not that anyone went looking. The One Ring had been destroyed anyway, and it was pretty much common knowledge that everyone involved in the process now had a lifespan reduced by about fifty-odd years. So much for immortality.

Anyway, survivors were all lounging around leading their separate lives, occasionally remembering old friends (and or enemies) and every now and then reminiscing about the good old days when one actually had an excuse to hack and burn away all frustration; that was disguised in the form of an unfortunate in-the-wring-place-at-the-wrong-time orc. But enough of that. Let's get back to the story, shall we? Now, as we were saying, no one really went looking for trouble because of that bad experience brought on by a certain little hobbit. Until...

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Gondor and hope you all are doing well. We (Fuji and Tezuka) are pleased to inform you that we are now officially engaged. Thus, we will be holding a party to celebrate, and everyone is invited. It will be like a dinner and dance, and will take place at our castle next Saturday from 5pm. Hope you all can make it, and we are looking forward to seeing you again. Please come!

Lotsa love, Fuji

P.S. Tezuka is away at the moment but he sends his regards.

This, of course, sparked off a rather varied sequence of reactions, ranging from "Free food!" to "A good opportunity to try out my new juice" to "Now, I will make them all succumb to Oresama's beauty!" Because yes, "everyone" in the letter had somehow branched to include the Dark Lord Atobe, who invited himself. Somehow.

Anyway, in the meantime, the message was being sent to everyone in and around Middle-Earth.

In the Shire...

"Ochibi! Momo! See, Fuji and Tezuka are getting married nya! Oishi, when's our turn?"

"Shh, Eiji, please keep your voice down!"

"Mada Mada Dane"

In Mordor...

"So! Their engagement, is it? Well, a party absolutely would not be a party without Oresama's revered presence. Therefore, benevolent Oresama has decided to grace this event out of the kindness of his soul."

Nowhere in Particular...

"Their wedding, I see. Shadowfax, my friend, if we ride at 43.58 miles per hour we should get there on time. But...There is a 68.73 chance that there won't be enough refreshments. Maybe I should offer to help out..."

On the big day...

The dressing room floor was littered with so many things, it was difficult to see which bits were actually supposed to be there. Yuuta, Steward of Gondor, looked on with a (very) pained expression as Fuji tried to decide what dress to wear for the occasion. Rather understandably, he was very disturbed. As one naturally would be when watching one's older brother try on white dress, silver heels, one of which had disappeared, and transparent blue shawl. "Do you really have to do this?"

Fuji, in the midst of locating the other silver shoe, looked up from bending to look under the dresser. "Why not? Yuuta, surely as the Steward of Gondor you of all people should know that one needs to dress formally when having company?"

"...I give up."

Fuji resumed his shoe-searching. When his father Sanada, King of Revendell, walked in carrying said shoe.

"Does this belong he- Fuji, what are you doing?"

"Looking for my shoe- Oh, there it is. Thanks dad"

Sanada hastened out the door shaking his head and muttering something along the lines of the rashness of young people nowadays and the headache the gave their poor parents. In his day, they never dared to so something this outrageous. But now...There was just no controlling these children. Ah, the things one had to put up with these days.

Meanwhile, in Rohan, home of the Horse-Lords...

"Jirou! Are you asleep again? You're going to Tezuka and Fuji's party, aren't you? You need to get dressed, we have to get going! Have you any idea how long it takes for us to get there? JIROU!"

Prince Jirou, now ruler of Rohan, awoke to the sound of his cousin Mizuki's nonstop reminders. Honestly, that guy needed to get himself a partner. He needed it and Jirou needed it. He needed someone to occupy Mizuki for at least a few hours each day so he'd be spared the incessant nagging. Then again, the matter of whether Mizuki would ever get a life was questionable ever since Tezuka turned him down for Fuji. Mizuki had never quite gotten over that.

But maybe since everyone was invited to the party, Mizuki would find someone he liked? Maybe, just maybe...

It didn't take long before Jirou fell asleep again.

Several hours later...

"Excuse me, have you seen Tezuka?"

The new servant tried to hide his shock/horror/trauma/terror/etc, etc as he glanced up to behold the sight of Fuji decked in the white gown, blue shawl and wearing sneakers as the silver shoes were too uncomfy to wear now.

"Not...not since he...left, um...sir." With that the servant scampered away as if his life depended on it.

"Thank you. Now where could be be? He did come back from that business trip this morning..." Fuji was more amused than worried at the reasons for Tezuka's absence that conjured themselves into his head. "Maybe he's...still asleep...hehe" The thought of the king of Gondor asleep in bed at three in the afternoon was more than funny. Especially since the image of striped pyjamas had somehow latched onto it. "Come to think of it I haven't seen Yuuta since this morning either...oh well. I'll look for him at the same time." And with that, Fuji started on the Journey Down the Great Corridor of Gondor. He soon came across a closed door behind which he heard voices. Leaning his ear against the door Fuji felt for a split second, that flash of conscience we all have when doing something immoral. But, being Fuji, and being officially bankrupt in the morals department, he swatted it away and continued listening. And what do you know, it was Yuuta's voice he heard. How lucky!

"I'm seriously starting to worry about this...habit of his. He's doing more often and it isn't exactly...good for him...or the household."

What good luck! Tezuka's voice came in reply, "It's not that bad. It doesn't harm anyone and at least he doesnt do it all the time."

"But Heika, you understand that cross-dressing just isn't...normal!"

Sneaking a look at our resident eavesdropper...

"Hmm...cross-dressing...I wonder which poor, confused soul that is? Why would anyone do that, I wonder?" Fuji tried thinking of all the people in the castle, and got more and more puzzled. There wasn't any cross-dresser around the castle. It must be one of the citizens. He forgot, of course, his moderately questionable attire. And not realising in the least the subject of their conversation. Who said prodigies had to be prodigies all the time, anyway.

"Just like Mitsu...always so considerate. Still so concerned about his people even on this special day. Well, I guess he needs to discuss his nation's matters in detail. This could take a while...I suppose I'll leave them alone."

That being said, the er...king...queen...of Gondor waltzed away down the neverending row of doors, to deal with the little last minute things.