The Matrix Nightmare



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~*[ ]*~ -indicates the translation of Elvish words into English.



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A light appeared before Estel. A terrifying light which penetrated him and attempted to steal his very will away from him. So bright was this light that the young man had to shield his eyes. Suddenly, the form of his father emerged, yet it was not. Something, something evil and full of dark intent had taken on his father's form. It was not Lord Elrond, no... it was the Dark Lord himself.

"Surprised to see me?"

It spoke with his father's voice, yet the eyes of the being before him blazed like the fiery eye of the Dark Lord.

"No." Estel found himself replying, ready for perhaps anything.

"Then you are aware of it."

What was this being speaking of? "Of what?" he asked.

"Our connection. I do not fully understand how it happened. Perhaps some part of you imprinted onto me, something given or taken. That is at this point irrelevant, what matters is that whatever happened, happened for a reason."

Connection? There was no connection, at least not one Estel knew of. He was connected to Lord Elrond, but this... this thing that took his father's form...

"And what reason is that?"

"I killed you, Aragorn, I watched you die... With a certain satisfaction, I might add, and then something happened. Something that I knew was impossible, but it happened anyway. You destroyed me, Aragorn. Afterward, I knew the rules, I understood what I was supposed to do but I did not. I could not. I was compelled to stay, compelled to disobey. And now here I stand because of you, Aragorn, because of you I am no longer an agent of the system, because of you I have changed - I am unplugged - a new man, so to speak, like you, apparently free."

Estel nearly gasped in shock. He had been killed? When? How? What was this dark form telling him. Humans could not be brought back from death, it was not the way of the Valar. He was being called Aragorn. That was not his name... he was Estel. What was this form free of? What was he disobeying?

"Congratulations." Estel found himself replying.

"Thank you. But as you well know, appearances can be deceiving, which brings me back to the reason why we are here. We are not here because we are free, we are here because we are not free. There is no escaping reason, no denying purpose - because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist."

Purpose? What was the purpose of this dream, if that was truly what it was. Estel shook his head, though his form did not move from the action. Something strange was happening, he felt like things were changing about him.

"It is purpose that created us,"

Suddenly, from all directions, nearly a dozen exact copies of his father stepped from all corners of the man's vision. What is going on? Estel wanted to scream. The words died in his throat as fear, fear at his situation took hold.

"Purpose that connects us,"

"Purpose that pulls us,"

"That guides us,"

"That drives us,"

"It is purpose that defines,"

"Purpose that binds us."

No! Stop it! STOP!

"We are here because of you, Aragorn, we are here to take from you what you tried to take from us. Purpose."

Suddenly, Estel found himself in dire trouble as something began to take hold of his mind and body. Screaming, the man tried to get away, tried to escape.

But there was no escape.

He could do nothing...

Finally, words ripped from his throat, yet they were not ones of this dream itself, but of the waking world.

"HAUNTA!" ~*[STOP!]*~



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"HAUNTA!" ~*[STOP!]*~

Flinging open the door, Elrond rushed into the young child's room. He quickly sat upon the bed's edge and gently shook the sleeping boy's shoulders.

"Estel, lasto beth nin." he commanded in a soft yet stern voice. ~*[Estel, hear my voice.]*~

The young human's eyes snapped open, his breath coming in short gasps as he fought against the terror within him.

"Ada..." the boy whispered, fear evident in his grey eyes.

Elrond smiled, "All is well, Estel. You simply had a bad dream."

"But it... it seemed so real, ada." Estel replied, wiping an unsteady hand over his tired eyes.

The Elven Lord put his hands on the boy's head, "I know. I know. It seemed real, but it was a dream, ion nin. A horribly and terrible dream, yet nothing more." ~*[ion nin - my son]*~

Estel nodded, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Do you remember what it was you dreamt?"

A few moments passed before the boy shook his head, dark hair falling about his face.

"Perhaps that is for the better." Elrond replied, standing and kissing the boy's forehead. "Peaceful dreams, my Estel."

As the Elven Lord closed the door behind him, Estel sat up. He pulled his knees to his chest, hugging himself in an attempt to get rid of the terrible thoughts which his dream had presented to him.

How could he tell his father the dreams?

How could he tell anyone?

How could he rid himself of the vision of Elrond, no... an imposter of his father, trying to kill him?



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PART I:



The ONE Has Awakened.



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Rain pelted the young man, drenching him and reaching through his thick coat. His hair was plastered about his face, wet strands that hung limply. Limp just like himself. The man lay in a large puddle, his entire being aching with undescribable pain. It was pain that he willingly put himself in. Pain that reminded him he fought for more than himself. Pain that brought him back and put everything in perspective.

"Why, Aragorn, why? Why do you do it? Why, why get up? Why keep fighting?"

The voice was above him, but the man had fallen onto his stomach now. He crawled, trying to find something which could help him stand, something to ease some of his burden. The voice continued. It was the voice of his most hated enemy.

"Do you believe you are fighting for something, for more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is, do you even know? Is it freedom or truth, perhaps peace - could it be for love? Illusions, Aragorn, vagaries of perception. Temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all as artificial as the Matrix itself."

The Matrix... He could not remember what this "Matrix" truly was. Was it a construct of the imagination? Was it a place? An existence? How he wished he could remember. Yet now, now in this hour of life and death, the man focused on one thing and one thing alone.

His choice.

"Although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Aragorn, you must know it by now! You can not win, it is pointless to keep fighting!"

It was not pointless! He had his reasons, reasons which were clearer than the most crystal of waters. This was his destiny, his path in life. It was his contribution, his sacrifice. And he was willing to give everything up to save the world.

"Why, Aragorn, why, why do you persist?"

Looking up, the man locked eyes with the Agent whom had turned against the system, to the Elf he had once known as Lord Elrond, to his father. No, it had to be someone impersonating his father, it just had to be! He could not quite understand everything, yet he knew that this being before him would stop at nothing. This was why he fought and, as the realization came to him. Estel then answered in the best way he could.

"Because I choose to."



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"Estel! Come, Estel! You must hurry and look at this!"

The young man sighed, rushing after the blonde haired Elf who had run ahead of him. As he caught up with his friend, the youth's eyes widened at the sight before them.

Trees were beautifully aligned, giving the pool an otherworldly feel. There was magic in the air, accompanied by the sweet smell of springtime. This was what his friend had wanted to show him, the beauty of nature which was so close to home.

"Legolas... it is fantastic."

The Elf smiled, walking into the glade and stretching his arms out beside him. "I used to come here when I was younger, when visiting your brothers. Truly I believe that this is the most beautiful place in all of Arda."



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Time passed slowly that afternoon as Legolas and Aragorn lay by the clear pool. So peaceful, so tranquil... not like the young man's dreams of late.

The Elf felt a sort of tension form from the youth and looked over at the human. "Estel, what troubles you?"

Sighing, he decided he had to tell someone for fear he would explode. "I have been having dark dreams of late."

"Dreams? Dreams of what?" Legolas asked, lying on his stomach and staring at the human.

"Horrible dreams... I must ask though. Have you ever heard of, "The Matrix"?"

The archer thought on this for a moment, before nodding slowly, "Aye. I have heard of it long ago. 'Twas a tale told by the elder Elves to frighten the Elflings into behaving. It is said to be a world where nothing is real. Where everything you think that is real, is simply falsely created by some sort of twisted enslaving race. At least, that is how the story goes."

Estel was quite for a moment, pondering over this. It explained why that Agent, that Agent who had looked so much like Elrond yet reminded the Edan of stories of Sauron himself, had said, "And all as artificial as the Matrix itself." However, it still puzzled the young man.

"I... I have been dreaming that I am within that Matrix. That I AM it's sole savior. But how can that be? I am but a human and I am here, in Arda, not in some tall tale about other worlds. It makes no sense to me, Legolas. I am not a hero and I never want to be."

"Tell me," the Elf stated, "What is in your dreams? How did they begin?"

"Well..." Estel replied with a sigh, "It all started like this..."



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It had been a normal day like any other. Estel had left the main hall of Rivendell in search of adventure in the nearby lands. However, things took a drastic turn. Suddenly, the Edan found himself in a small back room, being glared at by none other than Lord Elrond himself.

"As you can see, we have had our eye on you for some time now, Aragorn. It seems that you have been living two lives."

Two lives? What was his father talking about? The young man frowned, unable to clearly determine what was going on and why Elrond looked so different, so... so malicious. The Elven Lord was dressed in unfamiliar attire, and everything around Estel had become foreign to him as well.

"In one life, you are Aragorn, inhabitant of the Elven community of Imladris and a respectable Edan. You have warrior skills, you know lore and philosophy, you are one day destined to be the King of Men, and you help cleanse the land of Orcs."

Aragorn? His name was not Aragorn! But I am Estel, the young man wanted to say. However, he could find no words to escape him. It was impossible! He was not a future king, he was simply an Edan. And Edan raised by the Elves.

"The other life is lived in the Wilds where you go by the Ranger alias Strider, and are guilty of virtually every type of spy-craft known, including the unauthorized use of a false identity for the gathering of information."

By the Valar! What was going on? A Ranger? Him, a Ranger?! However, now that the young man looked at himself, he found that he was indeed changed. A mirror hung on the wall behind Elrond, and within it he saw the reflection of a man of at least twenty starring back at him. But how could that be?, he thought.

I am only thirteen years old!

"One of these, lives has a future. One of them does not. I am going to be as forthcoming as I can be, Aragorn. You are here because we need your help. We know that you have been contacted by a certain individual. A Maia who calls himself Morpheus or, perhaps to you, Mithrandir."

Gandalf?! What did his father want with Gandalf? Estel did not understand. He could not comprehend what was going on about him. It all seemed so absurd. Gandalf and Elrond were old friends, were they not?

"Whatever you think you know about this man is irrelevant to the fact that he is wanted for acts of wizardry in more realms than any other Maia in the world. He is considered by many authorities to be the most dangerous Maia alive. My colleagues believe that I am wasting my time with you, but I believe you want to do the right thing."

What colleagues was Elrond speaking of? Who had he been in contact with? Nothing was making any sense and, as the man listened, things began to become even more unclear.

"It is obvious that you are an intelligent man, Aragorn, and that you are interested in the future. That is why I believe you are ready to put your past mistakes behind you and get on with your life. We are willing to wipe the slate clean, to give you a fresh start and all we are asking in return is your cooperation in bringing a known wizard to justice.

Suddenly, words sprang from the youth's mouth that he had never even thought of before, "Yeah. Wow. That sounds like a real good deal. But I think I have a better one. How about I just leave, and you can throw that idea of yours off the balcony."

What was going on?!

"You disappoint me, Aragorn."

No... Estel had heard that tone when his father was truly angry. Elrond had been furious with his brother's before and remembered vividly the weeks of punishment pushed upon them. Wether it be diplomatic errands, stable and house work, or just being forced to remain silent in their rooms. The punishments of Lord Elrond were thought to be quite inventive by other Elven Lords in Imladris.

"You have not seen anything yet." Estel found himself speaking.

What was he doing?! He was surely digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole. Valar, how was he going to get out of this now?

"The irony of your situation is that you have no choice."

This was not Lord Elrond... no... it could not be!

Estel's eyes widened in shock as the dream took a drastic turn.

It was the Dark Lord of Mordor himself!



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"Then I awoke." Estel finished, twirling a blade of grass between his fingers. "Ada was always beside me, wondering if I was alright and what had troubled my sleep. Yet... yet I told him nothing. How could I have said anything?! The... the way he told me I had no choice... it... it was like he sentenced me to death..."

Legolas frowned, putting a hand on the young human's shoulder. Only ten and yet looking far older than an Elf of the same age. Estel possessed great wisdom for his years, and he was not one to be taken lightly.

"Perhaps you should tell Lord Elrond, Estel. He may be able to help better than I."

"But what if it is a premonition of things to come?!" The human voiced, his eyes frantically searching the Elf's for an answer to his predicament. "I cannot tell him if it shall come to pass! I fear that this form of Elrond in my dreams represents something else, something possessing my father and taking him over. He bears Vilya, Legolas... what if the Dark Lord of Mordor is returning and he will trying to take ada?!"

Legolas merely laughed, "Lord Elrond would never do such a thing, mellon nin. You know this. I know this. Valar, everyone knows this. Your father is a great lord over this realm. He would listen to what you have to say, then, he would agree to help. This, I can whole heartedly swear to you, Estel." However, the part about Sauron, Legolas was not so sure of.

The prince had limited knowledge of the Elven Lord and his Ring of Power. In fact, the archer had little knowledge of the three Elven rings at all. His father, King Thranduil, did not possess one, therefore he had encountered them only in Lord Elrond's presence.

The boy looked away. He noticed that Legolas refused to answer about the Dark Lord. Did his friend think it true as well?

However, he met his friend's eyes once more. "Then let us tell him before I lose any more precious sleep."

With that, the two companions retreated from the peaceful and lovely pool and back toward the Halls of Imladris, each lost in their own troubled thoughts.



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TO BE CONTINUED...



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Disclaimer:

I do not own either "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Matrix".

The dialogue between Aragorn/Neo and Elrond/Smith in the dreams is actually taken from the three films, "The Matrix", "The Matrix Reloaded", and "The Matrix Revolutions", but altered to better fit this story.

I give the credit where it is due... and that is not to me but to J.R.R. Tolkien for the "Lord of the Rings" characters and to the Wachowski Brothers for the "Matrix" characters.

I simply play in their worlds... though this was my first step into the 'brother's' world before and I am returning to Tolkien's once more.



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Author's Note:

For those who don't know...

Ada = Father

Mellon nin = My friend

Edan = Man

This is the work of a girl who has thought on the similarities between "The Matrix" and "The Lord of the Rings" for far too many hours a day. There shall be three parts to this story, just like there are three parts to "The Matrix" and to "The Lord of the Rings". What you see within, will be a bit strange and possibly frightening, but bear in mind that I shall not stray from canon... save for the fact that someone dreams of... DUM DUM DUM!

The Matrix...

Prepare to be jacked in...

*pause*

That's kinda cool sounding...

Any way, as a side note... there are going to be two more chapters, probably both longer than this first one. Right now I was just establishing things.

Thanks, and I hope you keep reading... I'm having quite a bit of fun playing with all these similarities.

Legolas: Yes, I can tell.

Oh hush up. Just because you are in fact the one who...

*Aragorn slaps a hand over Nil's mouth*

Aragorn: You're going to give away everything!

Sorry... for those of you who are my close personal friends and I've already told the ending to, please, don't elaborate on it in your reviews. I'd like this to remain a surprise.

Neo: As would we all.

*Gazes at him*

It's... it's you! It's... It's the ONE!

Neo: Yes.

*Clings to him*

You're so bloody awesome!

Legolas: What happened to me?

Aragorn: And me?

Well... but... you guy's can't fly! You guy's can't kick it like Neo can.

Neo: That's only in the Matrix, remember.

Oh yeah... and we're not in the Matrix right now... or are we?

*Looks around suspiciously*

Are we?

Neo: I don't believe so, no.

Good.

*Thinks*

But if we WERE in the Matrix... I could have anything, right?

Neo: Perhaps.

Really?

*Neo nods and both Legolas and Aragorn look on with fear*

LINK! JACK ME IN! I'M GOIN' SHOPPIN!

Legolas: Shopping for what, may I ask?

*Winks*

You'll have to wait and see...

Aragorn: I have a bad feeling about this.

Legolas: As do I...

Neo: What have I done?