A/N: Yes, tis I, Edward de Lioncourt. Returned from writing my novels to bring you the fourth and final installment of my saga. Forgive me for adding the last story but as I went back to read over it, I felt this story would bring more to my readers than the previous. I had to much open questions appearing in my own head! So this one just flows a lot better. Though I have successfully published Paper Flowers which is now available on Amazon and Kindle.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tolkien creations. I do not make profit from these stories and do not claim to have created anything that J.R.R Tolkien has created, published or thought of. I do, however, own the following characters.
Jessica
Kristy
Indi
Serena
Shane
Summary: It's been sixteen years since the girls have been thrown back into their time, exiled from Middle Earth. What happens though when an Earthquake hits the girls, Middle Earth is once again threatened by ominous black clouds hanging over Mordor and who are Shane and Serena? Well, let's find out how I can possibly end this story without everyone in the world coming to my door and burning me alive!
Gwestol
Chapter One:
Lithium
I amar prestar aen.
The world is changed.
Han mathon ne nen.
I feel it in the water.
Han mathon ne chae.
I feel it in the earth.
A han noston ned 'wilith.
I smell it in the air.
It has been nearly sixteen years since the girls had been forced back into their own world, forsaken by Middle Earth where they believed would be their new home. Well…except for Jessica who not stood before her sister and Indi with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed dangerous on the two twitching women.
"Where are they?" she hissed.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Indi muttered eyes moving to the floor, suddenly finding the wooden planks very interesting.
"It was all Indi," Kristy said quickly, moving to evade the stares of both the woman as she made her way to the small kitchen of her sister's one bedroom apartment. It hadn't changed since Jessica shipped them off to college sixteen years ago when they had returned from their final battle with the King of Gondor. She smiled sadly at the memory of her sister almost at the brink of being happy.
"Where are they?" Jessica hissed again, reaching out at lighting speed to snatch the tip of Indi's ear, pinching it tightly between her index and thumb.
"Ouch! That hurts! Let go!" Indi shouted falling to her knees instantly in front of the only parental figure she had most of her life.
"We are home!" came two sing song voices as the door was kicked open. Two bright blue eyes met the scene taking place, moving to Kristy who was motioning for the two to exit the building as quickly as possible.
"Where have you been?" Jessica shouted marching over to the two twin sixteen year olds, both staring at her wide eyed, mouths gaping much to the similarity of fish out of water.
"W-w-well…" they stuttered before looking to Kristy and Indi who was gathered in the corner of the kitchen to put much needed space between the oldest and themselves.
"Sorry we tried," Kristy whispered.
"WE? WE? There was no we. She threw me under the bus," Indi interrupted.
"Shane! Serena!" Jessica yelled.
"Mom!" the twins whined in defeat. "We thought you were going to be gone for the weekend. You know Aunt Kristy bought you those tickets to America for a reason right? You need a vacation!"
"You do look a little tense," Kristy commented.
"And those crows feet are looking pretty bad," Indi added.
"No…" whispered the twins in unison.
"Crows feet?" Jessica questioned through clenched teeth, turning on the two in the kitchen. Wide eyes met what could easily be described as their pending death.
"Mom, you know they didn't mean it that way," Serena whispered, hand coming to rest on her shoulder. Jessica turned to look at her daughter, ring gifted from the girl's father adorning her middle finger. Eyes softened only slightly before remember the reason for her anger.
"Why were you trying to get rid of me?" Jessica asked raising an eyebrow as all eyes turned to Shane. The oldest only by ten seconds, who chuckled ever so slightly while scratching the back of his head.
"Well, your birthday is next week and we wanted to surprise you when you get back. You know since you spend all your time in that disgusting gun shop of yours," Serena answered with a smirk.
"That disgusting gun shop paid for your school," Jessica said looking at her children in anger before turning on the two hiding in her kitchen,. "And your entire lives until now."
"Yeah, yeah. And lets not forget how you saved us from evil blah blah blah," Kristy said waving her hand dismissively, turning to dig through the fridge.
"From evil?" Shane asked looking at his mother.
"Nothing, they were mentally ill for a short period of their life during their teenage years," Jessica answered quickly, refusing to explain the adventure the three had experienced in Middle Earth, which also caused the creation of the twins before her.
"So…" Serena said while fumbling with a sheet of paper in her hands while looking at her feet. Both siblings stood a good foot taller than their mother, genes from their father.
"What?" Jessica sighed moving to her kitchen table while, Indi and Kristy set about devouring the contents of her fridge with old chinese food and pizza.
"I was researching the West Indies and found this man who looks a lot like us," Serena began.
"It's not your father," Jessica said.
"You haven't even looked at him," Shane said. "We thought it would be a good present to you for you guys to be reunited since you got separated when he got drafted into the war."
"Really?" Kristy said from over the kitchen counter, looking at her sibling dully. "War?"
"That's the best you could do?" Indi said, matching Kristy's bored tone.
"Both of you shut up," Jessica hissed while turning toward her children. "It's not him. He wasn't sent to the West Indies."
"You never really told us what war or where he was sent, mom. He really does look like us," Shane persisted, motioning to the picture that Kristy and Indi were looking at over the shoulder of their niece.
"Don't you think it would be… right… for them to know about their father? Where the came from and what the possibly could inherit?" Kristy questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't you two have someone else to torture?" Jessica asked, narrowing her eyes at Indi.
"Why are you looking at me?" Indi asked with wide eyes as she moved to sit on the couch with her take out box of Chinese food, looking around the home she grew up in. Since their return and Jessica shipped them off to college, they hardly got the chance to come back. Not since they figured out the eldest was indeed pregnant from the elven prince they left behind so long ago.
"Go save an animal or something," Jessica said with a wave of her hand. Indi had become a veterinarian once she graduated, owning her own slowly growing clinic.
"We are closed on Mondays," Indi answered matter-o-factly.
"What about you? No, clients need a translator today?" Jessica asked, looking to Kristy. Kristy had master six languages fluently.
"Nope, office is closed today as well," Kristy said with a bright smile.
"Happy Birthday!" the group of four shouted with a smile. Jessica rolled her eyes with a sneer before moving toward her bedroom, the bed looking more than inviting.
"Don't you think we should go out to dinner?" Kristy called after her.
"No thanks," Jessica mumbled Kristy rolled her eyes before grabbing a hold of her siblings feet and pulling with all her strength. "Leave me alone!"
"No, you are not moping in bed like you do every year! Get up! Let's go find you a boyfriend!" Kristy exclaimed. Suddenly a loud boom came from outside. Jessica jumped from the bed, tripping over her sister and falling face first into the floor in an attempt to look out the window. Laying on the ground just as the door flung open to slap both siblings in the face.
"Mom, are you ok?" the twins called from the other side as Indi shoved her way through, teens following close behind. Jessica rolled onto her back away from Kristy clutching her nose in agony.
"No!" she yelled.
"How hard did you pull her off the bed?" Shane asked.
"What are you talking about? She didn't even make a loud thud when she hit," Kristy commented.
"We heard a bang," Serena said.
"For elves you two suck," Indi said.
"Elves?" Shane asked in confusion.
"She is drunk," Jessica quickly reprimanded.
"And an idiot," Kristy added as the ground shook harder, knocking pictures off the walls as the small family looked around in worry.
"Earthquake? Earthquake! Earthquake!" Jessica began to chant jumping to her feet, ushering the confused children, sibling and friend into the bathroom.
"What do you want us to do?" Indi asked staring at the bathroom begin enough to fit one person comfortably, but now they were crammed in as Jessica disappeared. Another tremor hit the apartment building, shaking it to the core, Jessica slamming things around in the other room.
"I think she has lost her mind," Kristy commented.
"Even I agree," Shane and Serena agreed in unison as Jessica appeared as another tremor hit, dragging the bedroom mattress behind her.
"What are you doing?" Kristy exclaimed.
"Get in the tub now!" Jessica ordered pulling the mattress in the bathroom, effectively blocking all exit. With little space, the four were forced to lay in the single person tub.
"Jess, there is no way we are going to fit!" Kristy whined as she laid on top of her niece who was piled on top of her brother. Indi climbing onto Kristy as Jessica finished the pyramid with herself and the mattress as a shield. Almost as if perfect timing, the apartment felt as if everything lifted. Twins screaming, Kristy's muffled cries, and Indi's shrieking as everything went black.
"Legolas, it's been sixteen years. My son please…try to push the pain in your heart aside and look for another," the elven King Thranduil begged following behind the Prince and only heir to the Kingdom. Since the demise of the Ring, Legolas had returned ceasing the elves of Mirkwood to sail into the west in favor for living under the rule of their strong leaders.
"Father, again. I tell you, there will never be another like her. Please, leave it be. There will be no heir for Mirkwood after me," Legolas answered coming to stop at the gates of their Kingdom just as horns sounded announcing the pending guests arrival.
"So you want a woman who speaks above you, dresses as a man, rides into war and abandons you without thought or care that she will be the death of you? Of our name?" Thranduil asked raising an eyebrow.
"She was not above me. You did not meet or speak to her. Do not place speak falsely without knowing the subject of which you are speaking," Legolas countered with narrowed eyes. Thranduil matched his son's glare as their friends arrived upon horse back, Aragorn and Gimli watching the tension rolling off the two in waves.
"Oi, Legolas!" Gimli called.
"Very well allow your death comes from grief over a gender confused human!" Thranduil yelled, turning on his heel to make his way back to the castle. Aragorn stared at his best friend with wide eyes before looking to his guards that had already began to task of taking the horses to the stables. Climbing off his horse, Brego, Gimli following suit.
"Is there something you need to tell us?" Aragorn questioned as Legolas' eyes softened at the sight of his friend. With a sigh he smiled at the two as the horses were taken away and they made their own path toward the guards.
"He wants me to find a wife to produce an heir for Mirkwood," Legolas confided in his friends once they were well out of ear shot range of his father.
"Ah…and the gender confused-" Gimli stopped upon the glare the elf shot at him.
"You had to tell him she posed as a warrior?" Legolas asked.
"It was heroic. Not any woman from our time would willingly keep themselves concealed for so long with only on mission in mind," Gimli replied.
"I'm sure that mission changed after your nights together," Aragorn added upon the sadden look crossing over the elves face.
"Erm, well, Aragorn has news from the East…" Gimli said quickly to change the subject.
"News?" Legolas asked.
"I believe Middle Earth will soon be under war once more. Dark clouds have begun to collect over Mordor," Aragorn answered.
"How many elves do you need?" Legolas asked his brow coming together in concentration. Aragorn nodded while looking off into the surrounding forest as he thought the question over.
"I will be taking two hundred men. Gimli has offered a hundred dwarves from the mines," Aragorn answered.
"I'll have three hundred saddled and ready for when we leave in two days," Legolas responded. "Do you have any idea what this means? Do you think Sauron has risen once more? Should we send men to the Shire?" Gimli and Aragorn glanced to one another as they thought over the questions given to them.
"I believe the Shire is safe and no need to worry the hobbits residing there in such affairs," Aragorn finally decided. Legolas nodded, as the friend retreated into the dining hall for the lunch meal.
"What was that?" Boromir asked Faramir as the brothers rode along the river Anduin, heading back to Minas Tirith, when a loud splash caught their attention.
"I don't know," Faramir said as they dismounted their horses to approach the rivers edge watching carefully. Faramir quickly cocking an arrow ready to fire if the object in question proved to be an enemy. Bubbles rushing to the surface as something came shooting from the bottom of the river, gasping for air and splashing madly.
"Help!"
"A woman?" Faramir asked, glancing back to his brother who was quickly pulling his armor and shirt over his head. Ripping shoes off and running into the water. With a grin and a roll of his eyes at his brothers actions for heroics. Moments later, Boromir swam back to shore with a thin woman tucked under his arm.
"A woman of Rohan?" Faramir asked.
"I don't know. She had taken in a lot of water before I reached her and had already began to sink," Boromir said quickly, dragging the girl quickly, turning her onto her back. Moving the long blonde hair from her face, both brothers jumped back in shock.
"J-Jessica?" Boromir whispered, reaching out with a shaking hand to touch the pale cheek of the woman before him. Faramir starred on in wonder.
"Boromir! Air!" Faramir suddenly shouted.
"Right," Boromir muttered reaching down to tilt her head back, opening her mouth and pressing his lips firmly against hers. Pushing as much air into her lungs as possible before pulling back to pushing on her chest roughly. Instantly Jessica jumped into a sitting position, turning and spitting out all water digested.
"Shane! Serena!" she yelled.
"Jessica?" Boromir whispered as her eyes moved up his bare chest to his face. Eyes focusing, recognizing the face and the voice.
"B-Boromir?" Jessica whimpered, tears coming to her eyes as she looked behind him to Faramir. "Faramir? Is this real or am I dreaming?"
"I hope not," Boromir laughed as tears came to his eyes. "This would be a cruel dream."
There was a moment of silence as the quick turn of events settled over the small group of three before Boromir reached forward, gripping Jessica back by the back of her neck and pulling her into his chest. Within seconds, Jessica began to laugh hysterically.
"Are you ok?" Faramir asked.
"No…for years I told everyone they were dreaming…and…and…" Jessica whispered, looking down at Boromir's naked feet. Eyes moving back to his chest where her fingers began to poke and prod hoping this was indeed a dream and she would wake up in a hospital to see Shane or Serena screaming her name.
Shane?
Serena?
"Oh my god!" Jessica shouted, jumping up and knocking Boromir on his back. Jumping over him, she ran to the waters edge, scanning for any bobbing heads before turning to stare at the vast fields.
"What?" Faramir asked.
"Was there anyone in the water with me?" Jessica asked.
"No," Boromir answered. "But you kept screaming Serena and Shane. Are they companions of yours?"
"N-Yes," Jessica lied.
"Frodo…" Sam whispered coming to stand behind his friend, who was happily fishing off the edge of the Brandywine River. Frodo glanced back at his long time companion, daughter holding tightly to her father's hand.
"Hello, Sam. How are you two doing?" Frodo asked.
"We are well. I just had a weird feeling. I thought I would come and check on you," Sam said causing Frodo to look at him curiously.
"Well today is…you know…" Sam whispered.
"I know Sam," Frodo said with a sad smile.
"Do you think we should send a letter to our friends and see how they are doing? Especially Legolas?" Sam asked.
"I think Legolas would have moved on from Jessica by now. I am sure she has moved on and married as well. They were not nearly as close as Indi and Kristy were to our companions," Frodo commented.
"I don't think that is true," Sam defended causing Frodo to pull his line from the water in favor of turning completely to face his friend. A loud splash interrupting the conversation as something hit the bottom of the Brandywine River.
"What was that?" the hobbits exclaimed.
"Daddy, look!" Sam's youngest daughter, Ruby, exclaimed.
"What is it, Ruby?" Sam asked.
"There a woman," Ruby said happily looking at a bobbing head in the river.
"Who goes there?" Frodo called. Silence met as the bobbing head quickly moved over to shore, gasping and heaving as it moved within ear shot.
"I said who goes there?" Frodo called again as the being fell onto the ground coughing and spewing water.
"What the hell!" the being shouted.
"That sounded like…" Sam whispered.
"Couldn't be…" Frodo answered as they slowly approached the woman.
"Who are you?" Frodo asked tapped the woman with his foot as she rolled over to look up at him.
"Indi?" Sam and Frodo exclaimed in unison.
"Frodo? Sam?" Indi questioned.
"How?" they asked each other as Indi was helped to her feet.
"I don't know. Earthquake and water. You and you. Oh my god. Jessica is going to be so freaking pissed," Indi said with a grin turning around expecting to see the rest of her family. Finding she was alone she looked back to the hobbits who stared up at her curiously. "She told us…Shane and Serena…lies and now I have her!"
"Who is Shane and Serena?" Frodo asked.
"Who is that?" Indi asked.
"Ruby," Ruby said happily.
"Awe, Sam you have a girl?" Indi exclaimed as she pulled both men into a tight hug.
"He has thirteen children actually," Frodo said with a smile.
"That is amazing!" Indi said before looking back at the river as if expecting at least Kristy to climb out of the water. "Jessica probably would have more too."
"Jessica has children?" Frodo asked looking to Sam as if to say 'I told you so.'
"Yeah, twins. Do you have children?" Indi said directing her question to Frodo who blushed. Eyes moving to the ground while shaking his head no.
"Your sister will be here soon," Elrond said to his sons. "Why do you look to the ground when you should be rejoicing at this chance to bond with your nephew, Eldarion, while Aragorn is in Mirkwood."
"Today is a sad day father," Elrohir commented while looking into the distance at the quickly approaching figure of his sister, nephew and her guards.
"Here they come," Elladan announced, staring at the sixteen year old following on his own horse close behind his mother. Arwen raising her arm in greeting as they closed the gap within seconds.
"Welcome home," Elrond greeted as siblings embraced each other before moving onto their nephews.
"I felt it right to come today," Arwen said staring at her brother, Elrohir, who quickly grabbed Eldarion to whisk him away to talk about Gondor.
"Never have I seen him so serious as today," Elladan whispered to Arwen.
"Come my daughter," Elrond urged motioning to the courtyard. "Let us walk and speak. It has been many years since I've had the chance to see your face."
"Yours as well. How is everyone fairing?" Arwen asked, following her father. The two spoke quietly of many affairs between the two kingdoms as they made their way through the lush forest just bordering Rivendell.
"I still can not believe it has been so many years since I carried Frodo across the river Bruinen," Arwen whispered looking at the sparkling water that was once so shallow.
"It does seem ages ago," Elrond confirmed as they turned to head back to Rivendell. "Your brother has slowly began to drift from us."
"He did care for her," Arwen replied.
"Not enough to fade," Elrond said.
"What are you saying, father?" Arwen asked.
"You must speak to him. Make him understand life is not worth losing if the one who claim to love leaves you for sixteen years to never return," Elrond said causing Arwen to halt and stare hard at her father.
"Have you learned nothing from Elessar and myself? Look at what we created! Eldarion and we have daughters," Arwen hissed, eyes narrowing.
"And I must cope with the idea that you will one day pass when Elessar's light diminishes," Elrond countered as a loud splash came from behind them.
"What was that?" Arwen asked looking at the surrounding forest.
"There in the water," Elrond whispered as a woman jumped from the water, gasping and shaking as she circled around in the middle of the Bruinen River.
"Kristy?" Arwen whispered as her heart skipped a beat. There she was the girl, blonde hair floating around her as she swam to shore, unaware of the two that watched.
"Why," Elrond whispered. "Why always here?"
"Fate," Arwen said rushing to the shoreline where the young woman would soon reach. "Kristy!"
"Arwen?" Kristy whispered as she stood in the shallows as the Elven Princess rushed her, knocking the girl off her feet and back into the water. With a splash both girls were quickly submerged in the crystal clear water. Elrond casually made his way over to the two as they slowly came from the water.
"How?" Kristy and Arwen asked one another.
"Am I?" Kristy asked.
"No one else has surfaced," Elrond whispered with narrowed eyes.
"We must tell Elrohir!" Arwen whispered in excitement, gripping Kristy's wrist and dragging her through the forest quickly back to Rivendell just as the twins and her son were coming through the gate to search for their father and sibling. Twins stopped at the sight of the drenched human approaching them, her elven features all but disappeared from when she had once resided there.
"Kristy?" Elrohir whispered.
"Aragorn, a word. If you do not mind," Thranduil whispered as his son and Gimli prepared for their nightly rounds to check the safety of Mirkwood.
"Of course," Aragorn replied.
"You must convince my son to move on," Thranduil whispered as Legolas gave his father a glare as he settled onto his horse, with Gimli in front.
"I can not guarantee my success in such a request. He did love her very much and I know she loved him," Aragorn whispered, placing a hand on the King's shoulder before turning to mount Brego.
"I will not marry another," Legolas said as they began their track, guards following closely behind. Aragorn gave a solid nod before looking ahead slightly.
"Legolas…" he whispered.
"Are your people always wandering around alone?" Gimli asked.
"Those are not elves of Mirkwood," Legolas said, dismounting his horse and motioning for his men to stop. Aragorn and Gimli following in suit, drawing their weapons.
"How have they not spotted us?" Aragorn wondered.
"Daro! Stop!" Legolas called out, the begins stopped for a moment to stare at one another before looking around the surrounding forest before continuing on.
"Daro! Stop!" Aragorn called this time. "Have they stopped?" Aragorn's eyes straining in an attempt to see what Legolas was intently watching.
"They are not responded. They don't know where the command is coming from," Legolas said moving forward quickly to cut the two travelers off before his guards chose to open fire.
"Daro! Stop!" Legolas commanded coming to stand before two elven twins who stared at him with wide blue eyes, their mouths hanging agape.
"Man cerig? What are you doing? " Legolas questioned.
"What? Speak English," the man said causing Legolas to look to Aragorn.
"Pedil edhellen? Do you speak Elvish?" Legolas asked.
"En-gl-ish," the girl said from behind the man, her hand clutching to her brother's arm.
"Are you not elven?" Aragorn asked.
"There is not such thing as elves," the girl said from behind her brother.
"What are your names?" Legolas asked.
"They look familiar," Gimli commented.
"Serena," the girl said.
"Shane," the boy answered.
"You are clearly elven. Why are you in the woods of Mirkwood? Who sent you?" Legolas asked.
"We woke up here," Serena answered.
"Where are you from?" Gimli asked.
"They do look familiar," Aragorn agreed as Legolas moved around the two to check for weapons finding none, only the strange garments they wore.
"Where did you get this?" Legolas asked grabbing the girls wrist and pulling her to him, his eyes starring at the ring he had given Jessica sixteen years ago. Aragorn quickly stepping up to restrain the brother who instinctively went to punch at the Elven Prince.
"My mother gave it to me, you asshole. Let me go," the girl hissed. Aragorn and Gimli look at each other with a grin as Legolas narrowed his eyes at the girl.
"Where did you steal it from? You thief," Legolas commented.
"I am not a thief," Serena yelled.
"Take them to Mirkwood. I shall interrogate them further upon my return," Legolas ordered his guards who quickly approached to bound the twins at the wrist.
"Legolas…" Aragorn whispered. "You didn't notice anything about them two?"
"They managed to steal Jessica's ring before she left, yes, I saw." Legolas replied.
"They don't look like anyone to you?" Gimli asked.
"No," Legolas replied.
A/N: Alright Chapter One is officially done. Everything is set into motion now lets see where all these characters will head off too and with a new enemy. Next chapter will be posted next week!
