The Same Few, a lord of the rings fanfic

Title: The Same Few

Rating: T

Summary: There is nothing worse than not living up to who you are. But worse than that, is when you are many people and you can't live up to any of them. One-shot

Aragorn, the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor and Arnor. A proper man with the ability to rule all men after the War of the Ring. Sadly, that's only but a name.

I am Aragorn, I guess you could say. But it is but a name, nothing else. I do not outline him, though people believe I do. I am not him, though people call me his name. I could never live up to the greatness of Aragorn.

I have used all the years of my life trying to figure out who exactly I am. People form me into what they believe I am, what I will become to be. I do not have the will to make myself. Or perhaps I lack the courage.

Aragorn, Estel, Elessar, Strider, Thorongil...All failed attempts at who I truly am. I suppose I am a bit of all these men, yet it is so far and few between that perhaps I missed it? Could you miss who you are? It seems as if my real personality lives so far in the back of my mind, I could miss them.

Aragorn was who I was all along. Aragorn was a combination of all the names you view below. But it still is not me. Aragorn was an actor. He played all the parts that came to him. I am like that, but not. Aragorn was still a man that had a life, a personality. Aragorn was a friend to all who knew him. He was compassionate. He was destiny bound. He was a prisoner the Fates had created. He could live no life he wanted to, so he made his own. That is Aragorn. That is Aragorn's and mine differences.

Aragorn made himself, while I cower.

Estel, my first name, give to me by Lord Elrond and the elves. I am Estel most of all, but still not worthy enough to be called Estel. I was carefree then, young, protected by everyone other than myself. There were no problems as Estel, no ruling, no future kingdom, no battles. Estel was concerned with nothing more than how he could best Elladan and Elrohir in a race. Or skip dinner to horseback ride and not get caught. He didn't have to hold his head high when he was ashamed. It wasn't a sign of weakness if he lost in a sparring match. Estel was a child, there is no other way to put it. Estel was what we wished to stay for all eternity.

Perhaps that's the part of Estel I still hold to myself. Estel was hope, he was dreams. The ability to wish for the impossible and imagine you could grab it.

Thorongil, the next of the names. I detested this name the most. Thorongil was a mercenary of sorts. He led a legion of soldiers in a war. He was cruel man, who shed blood for no reason other than because his King said to. He was loyal, as long as it benefited himself. I can think of no other way to describe him but selfish. He was a good man deep down, but I was never him. I could never be him. To throw away morals like that….It was unthinkable.

But he was strong. So very strong. So very determined. I wish for that, if nothing else of Thorongil.

I adopted the name Strider for the Rangers. I love and hate Strider. Strider was everything a hunter should be, strong, determined, cunning. He was also sneaky though, deceitful. Most of the Rangers were, not many people knew of that. The Rangers had always been viewed as hidden angels. But we were just people mission bound. Again, my morals had to be thrown to the wind for Strider. If something got in the way of what Strider had to accomplish, it would be dealt with. Many people had to die, sometimes innocents merely at the wrong place at the wrong time! But it was for the greater good. That was the motto Strider lived by day after day. And each day, it weathered down like a stone near the river.

Strider was someone I looked up to. He worked for the people, for their interests whether they knew it or not. He protected them the best way he could. Even if that meant someone was hurt along the way.

Elessar, the people's King. The first King of Gondor in many ages. He is loved by the people for all that he has done. He has helped destroy the One Ring. Brought the Kingdom together yet again, under all peoples. He has restored faith in the Gondorian monarchy, and led the people away from corrupt stewards. Elessar was the knight in shining armor that you hear of. He would rise to the occasion and strike everyone down if they were evil. He stood for the good of people and would protect them. Elessar was the hero everyone wished to be. But, Elessar had more darkness than he let on. Greatness was never achieved without loss, Elessar was no exception. He had to stop dreaming. Stop hoping as Estel once had. He just was. Day after day. His greatness had come, but perhaps for a price too high to pay.

Elessar was who everyone views me as now. It's what I became. I could do nothing to prevent it.

All these lives came at a price. My life was the price. I could not be who I knew I was meant to be. Who I could have become. I am nothing more than a lie wrapped nicely in chains. But in truth, I would still continue to be this.

I know my Fate, I know that I was never going to be save for my own mind. But…I help people by who they believe me as. I might be a coward for never being myself. For hiding in this world. But I have to.

It's a duty that no one else would do.

No else could have the courage to be a coward that I am. I realize that I am never going to be. I know that all my life I am just going to write someone else's story that I play out.

But I have to. Otherwise, no one else would be who they truly are. I am merely but one person.

The need of the many, outweigh the need of the few.