hey! I have no idea where this came from, but a random plot bunny attacked me and I had to obey it or else... I don't wanna find out. I'll probably go mad. Anyways, please review and tell me what you think! Enjoy!

Chapter 1

I groaned. "Ugh, school." I mumbled through my bowl of cereal. I was sitting at the table when I suddenly heard a knock at the door. I stood in a hurry. "I'll get it mom!" I called cheerily. I opened the door and smiled to see the postman at the doorstep.

He grinned. "Hey! Got a letter here for you." He said, handing it to me and heading back down the stairs.

"Thanks!" I yelled back with a returning wave.

"Who was it?" Mom called.

"Just the postman." I replied, going upstairs and looking at the envelope. It had my name on it.

"For who?" She asked.

"Me! And no, I don't know who it is!" I went back into my room and sat on my bed to read it while slinging my book bag on my shoulder, getting ready to head out the door.

Just then, I glanced up at the clock and let out a shriek. Stuffing the letter in my pocket, I leaped up and bolted out the door. "Sorry mom, I'm late! I'll be back after school!" I yelled, making sure I had my iPhone in my pocket.

"Be safe!" She called back as I hopped down the side of the road, pulling on my shoes properly and just barely making it to the bus stop in time, just as it rolled up.

I slumped into an empty seat just as we left and sighed in relief. "Have a bad morning?" My friend Lark asked from next to me. I moaned.

"Yes." I replied, panting from my hurry. I wanted to read the letter, which was driving me crazy with curiosity- because come on, who writes those these days?- but I knew I'd better not or else I'd probably get sick. Not fun.

After an eternity, I got off at school with Lark and headed to first period, sitting down while managing to sneak a peek at my pocket. The tip of the white envelope stared back at me teasingly. I sighed.

"Some day this is gonna be." I muttered, just as the bell rang.

"Class, please open to page 358." The teacher droned after the roll call.

Finally half the day was over and I could sit down to lunch and the letter that had been driving me insane all day. I pulled it out as I ate my sandwich just as someone sat down next to me.

"Hey, freak, whatcha got there?" A male voice asked me. I glanced up at the school bully who loved to tease me about my eyes.

"Oh hey Gordon. How are you? I'm doing just great. Is your eyesight alright today?" I asked politely. He sneered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Lots of other fellow ninth graders like me were looking at us eagerly. But I wasn't interested in a spat.

"Oh, I just meant that you must be having trouble seeing if you have to ask what a letter is. But then, I could be wrong and you just haven't seen one before." I shrugged.

He growled and reached out for it, but I was way too fast for that. "Umm, it's rude to read someone else's letters you know." I said sweetly, pulling it away.

"And I'll bet you anything you've forgotten the proper name for my eye condition. I still don't see why, since you like to tease me for it all the time." I said with a morose sigh.

"What do I care what it's called?" He asked me sourly.

"Because don't you know? Benedict Cumberbatch and Ewan McGregor have Heterochromia iridium too you know!" I replied with mock surprise. He blinked at me.

"You're making it up." He brushed it off. I grinned.

"That's where you're wrong. Check it out on the internet and you'll see its true." I said triumphantly, going back to my sandwich. Yes, I have dual-colored eyes. One is green and one is blue, and I also have platinum-blonde hair. I call it that anyway, although some people would call it just light blonde. It sounds cooler though.

The other kids buzzed about the new-found information while I went back to the letter, opening it and reading while Gordon fumed over his defeat in brooding silence. The envelope was addressed to me, but there wasn't a return address, strangely.

This is what it said.

Dear Celine,

Thank you for your enthusiasm for the book that your people call the Silmarillion. In reward for your devotion and loyalty, I, Mandos, Valar judge of the dead, am sending you a few select elves from my halls that have been rather bored lately.

I hope that you will treat them well and that they won't be too much trouble. Maedhros will be the first to appear at the moment that you finish reading this letter.

Sincerely, the Valar.

P.S. This is not a prank, it is quite real. If you should be at an hour of dire need, call me and I will come to your aid.

P.P.S. If they get out of hand, threaten to throw them into the void and it will work quite well.

Stay safe and have fun!

I stared at the letter, blinking incredulously, mind whirling. You've got to be kidding. This is a prank, surely, despite the postscript. Oh please, please let this be a joke. I gave a tiny, hysterical laugh, hand shaking. Of course, it wasn't real, because Middle Earth didn't exist-

There was a loud scream from the doorway of the cafeteria. My head flew up, and more than a hundred heads swiveled to the door, silence falling over the whole building.

There was a figure standing there, dressed in red and white robes, fiery red, long hair that was tied into a ponytail at the back of his head, and silvery eyes that swept the room discerningly. And man, he was TALL. He had to be at least six and a half feet. And his ears were pointed. I gasped slightly to myself.

It wasn't a prank. Not to mention he had a sword at his side. My eyes went to his right hand, but thankfully it was healed. My mind went on overdrive. Think, brain, think!

Before anyone could say anything, I leaped up with a cry, making all heads swivel to me. "Mark!" I yelled, running over to the elf and flinging my arms around him. "Big brother! I can't believe it, you're actually back!" I exclaimed, making up a cover story. The hall burst into incredulous buzzing, while the elf, frozen, stared down at me.

I grinned. "Please go along with this." I whispered. He cocked an eyebrow but then nodded. "My name is Celine." I whispered again.

He smiled slightly, and I swear I saw several of the female teachers swoon. I winced. "Hello, Celine. It's good to see you too, little sister." He said, patting my hair condescendingly. I grimaced. Explain his looks, how?

"Did you finish with the cosplay deal?" I asked, tilting my head at him. "Nod." I hissed.

He nodded, albeit with a flash of confusion on his face. The principal of the school came up to me. "This is your brother?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Yep! He's been away for a long while." I replied cheerily, squeezing the elf's waist tightly. He let out a quiet wheeze only I heard.

"I- see-" he started, but I interrupted.

"Umm, principal, may I please go outside to talk with Mark? I'd better go call home." I asked politely, crossing my fingers all the while hugging the poor elf's arm. He nodded.

"Of course. May I ask what he does for a living?" He asked warily. I grinned.

"He does cosplay once in a while, but he's actually a martial arts teacher. I've actually got several other brothers that are as well- some of them are in the military." I said glibly, trying to stick as close to the truth as possible. After all, the letter had said there were more coming, and all of them were probably males and warriors, although I hoped that that wouldn't be the case.

But thankfully, the principal seemed to buy it. I dragged him out the door outside, far away from the school in the woods nearby. Then I let him go, crumpling the letter in my hand that I still managed to have kept clutching.

"This so not happening to me." I groaned, sinking down to the ground and burying my head in my hands.

"Excuse me, but where am I?" The elf asked me, sounding a little confused. I looked up at him.

"Where the Valar sent you, on Earth. Just plain earth, not high, middle or low." I added dryly. "And you're Maedhros the tall, right?" I asked him. He stared at me.

"How do you know my name?" He asked incredulously. "I was in the halls of Mandos when- you said the Valar brought me here?" He cut himself off. I handed him the letter and sighed while he read it.

"I see..." He handed it back to me while I slammed my fist into a tree nearby, yelping as my knuckles cracked and got skinned. I lifted my knuckles to my mouth, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Okay, bad idea. This IS real.." I muttered, shaking my hand. A hand caught mine, and the redhead lifted my hand to his face with a frown.

"You shouldn't harm yourself so. It is not right." He said, running his fingers over it concernedly. I shook my head.

"Listen, obviously I'm not getting out of this, so you're gonna have to listen to me and follow what I say if you don't wanna get killed out here." I said urgently. He frowned but nodded at me.

"Things here aren't the same as they are in Middle Earth, so you look really weird dressed like that to others. It's not normal to us. I'm not insulting you, just saying it like it is." I added dryly.

"So just please go along with whatever I say, okay? That way people won't think you're crazy. Oh, and I'm going to keep calling you Mark whenever we're around people, because Maedhros is not a common name: it's strange and will draw suspicion. Umm, what else is there? Oh yeah! You're actually not even supposed to be real in this world. Just a character in a book." I rattled.

"Wait, a book?" He asked, sounding intrigued. I face-palmed. This was going to be a long day.