Hello again, my beloved readers and welcome to the next chapter of 'Resilience'. I am not going to lie to you all, I am very ecstatic about this chapter. Before, it irritated my OCD to know that another one of my stories had an odd number of chapters. I am working on them. I hope that you all like this chapter - once again it is more than 2,000 words. Actually; the actual chapter (aside from this introduction and the ending) is more than 3,000. I tried to give it more length. I really hope that you like it.
I want to take the time to give a shout out to my wonderful reader - Bleeding Blue Kunoichi - for giving me inspiration for an upcoming trio of trouble makers. Alcohol may not be involved at this point in time but I still thank you very much for giving me your idea. It definitely gave me something to work with and I appreciate it very much.
Onward - my Fair Maidens and Hardened Warriors - to The Shire!
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The rich soft color of light brown shifted away from the fireworks that lay in the back of the wagon; which Elesia was visibly eager to release and thoroughly enjoy later on tonight.. before zoning back in on the conversation between the two males beside her. She turned to see Frodo grinning widely up at Gandalf, seemingly amused by whatever he said and Elesia couldn't decide whether or not to be grateful or saddened that they didn't pay attention to her. Though, after a moment, she decided to be grateful and look on the bright side of things. At least then she would be able to sneak up on others for elaborate pranks as well as eavesdropping in the future. Frodo shrugged his shoulders before replying back, "Well ..You know Bilbo. He has the whole place in an uproar."
Gandalf seemed to be amusingly unresponsive to this for a few moments in response, to Elesia who had been with the wizard for what seemed to be longer than just a few short months - he seemed to be expecting such an event to occur, "Well, that should please him."
Frodo twisted his head forward, a soft groan passing his lips before he voiced his growing suspicions out loud, "Half The Shire's been invited.. He's up to something." When Gandalf only offered a questioned 'Indeed?' The young Hobbit twisted to the older male with an incredulous expression etched upon his facial features, as if Frodo highly doubted that Gandalf was completely innocent to whatever trouble his Uncle was cooking up. "All right - Fine - keep your secrets. Before you came along, we Bagginses were very well thought of. Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected."
Elesia's gentle expression shiftly turned angst after when he finished speaking, his tone of voice giving an impression that it was to be.. expected to .. that Hobbits actually were content with not having adventures, or anything remotely fun. How dare Gandalf bring her to such a place?! She was better off not acquiring such knowledge! Her angst and irritation at this unfathomed idea, swiftly was replaced by a powerful emotion of pity and before Frodo knew what was happening - she latched onto the side of his face. Beside a chuckling Gandalf that refused to help him, Frodo struggled to blink his left eye and see past the small Fay that was under the impression that he lived a sad, unfulfilling life.
"..You poor, poor thing!"
Elesia cried out once again in angst before she could stop herself, for she may have understood that Middle Earth scarcely thought of Hobbits because most never ventured out of The Shire .. but to visibly never want to explore? To live a life without adventures or things happening within your life that were unexpected by you took them in stride anyway? To a curious fairy that loved pranking -
She shook her head sadly, even when he ran his pointer finger and middle finger down the small of her back in a comforting gesture to let her know that he was alright with such a life - that he was indeed happy - even when she slowly released her surprisingly firm grip.
Gandalf gave the Hobbit an innocent look that was ruined by the left corner of his lip twitching from laughing at Elesia's outburst as well as remembering the precise reason why the young Hobbit was suspicious of him in the first place, "If you're referring to that incident with the dragon, I was barely involved.." He paused to take a drag from his pipe before taking it from his mouth and gestured lazily with it as he tried - feebly - to explain himself.. whilst being mindful of the curious fairy that moved closer to him as stars sparkled from within her eyes. He offered her a sharp glance and even though her words were silenced, he read her lips well.
'The incident with the dragon..?'
Gandalf mentally winced and hoped that she would forget all about it when it was time to bring out the fireworks. Fae were easily distracted at the best of times .. he just wished that this was one of them. Nevertheless, he quickly faced the road once again as he spoke with sincerity, "..All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out the door."
Frodo shot him a dry look, now that he could see out of both of his eyes, before he spoke with amusement and a valid warning coloring his tone, "Whatever it was that you may or may not have done, you have been officially labeled a 'disturber of the peace'."
Elesia smirked bemused and nodded up at Gandalf in congratulations from her newly recovered place upon Frodo's shoulder, just as the man hummed thoughtfully in response and caught the eye of a curly haired older woman that smiled at him in greeting before abruptly shifting to look at him with something akin to disapproval.
As the wagon creaked along the path, Hobbits around them turned towards the near unfamiliar noise since it seemed they all walked everywhere and The Shire hardly housed new travelers. It was not long before a group of children caught sight of the man directing the source of said noise, running and calling his name in joy as their small voices carried through the soft wind. "Gandalf, Gandalf! Fireworks ... Gandalf! W-where are the fireworks?"
The gray cloaked man visibly pursed his slightly cracked lips in thought, continuing to bump along whilst pretending to not hear the murmurs that left their mouths; and it would have fooled Elesia if she hadn't caught sight of the glints of mischief the man housed within his orbs. With magic, he set off one of the fireworks that exploded in streams of color that cascaded back down to earth just as golden butterflies were unleashed from the confines of a powerful oval shaped light.
Elesia turned her body as she watched with sparkling eyes as the colors and designs of the fireworks held for a few more moments before they disappeared as if they were never there to begin with, erasing all evidence. An old grandmother's smile curved upon her lips as she heard the children's cries of delight, chuckling softly at the sight of them jumping up and down with glee; though it turned downwards into an acceptable frown when her annoyed daughter glared at her with disapproval after came about to bare witness.
Frodo stood from the spot where he was sitting, mindful of the fae that rested upon his shoulder, before giving Gandalf a gentle look. The fond smile that curved upon his lips soon after he unleashed the firework to amuse the children. "Gandalf .. I'm glad you're back."
Frodo jumped off the wagon, after Elesia removed herself from his shoulder. "So am I dear boy.." Gandalf smiled softly with contentment shining from within the depths of his orbs, before pausing and using his voice to carry the name of the Hobbit back to him; halting the wagon as the Hobbit once again approached the both of them with a curious glint in his wide orbs.
"Frodo, would mind showing Elesia around The Shire whilst I go see you Uncle?" He requested the small Hobbit, glancing gently at the hovering fairy before looking back at Frodo. "I am positive that she would enjoy it.. though you must keep an eye on her for me. Those mischievous glints are something to be extremely wary of.." He finished his warning with a rather large grin at the sight of Elesia all but bouncing forward despite being in mid air and landing gently upon Frodo's outstretched palm with a grin mirroring her this, he offered the Hobbit a travel bag which he knew would cover her if she wanted to shift into her other form.
"It would be my pleasure." Frodo bounced on his heels after taking the bag of what could only be of her belongings, nodding his head excitedly to take on what he considered to be a very important task. With a promise to look after her leaving his lips, Frodo turned away to speak swiftly to the Fay whom soaked in every word that fell from from his mouth, telling her stories of the Shire and his friends. Leaving Gandalf to stare back at the both of them with softness in both his orbs and his smile; a gentle chuckle slipped from the concealment of his mouth.
..Yes, it was definitely good to be back.
Elesia tilted her head sideways to eye her friend as he resumed to wagon forward, the horses dutifully pulling him towards his desired destination before allowing her lips to twist upwards in a secretive smile as she turned her attention back to Frodo. Her wings carried her minuscule body off of Frodo's outstretched hand to lay at rest upon his left shoulder, his cloth made overall that wrapped over his shoulder a perfect spot to sit as she asked a question next to his ear that was spoken as quietly as a well kept secret..
"I wish for you to tell me Frodo.. what precisely did 'The Dragon Incident' entail?"
The hearty laugh that released from Frodo's lips was the only answer he gave in response to her question, the noise breaking through the hussle and bussle of his fellow Hobbits around him - who chanced to looked at him strangely, before shrugging their shoulders and going on with their day to day tasks.
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It was not long before Elesia was smiling in contentment as she gazed upon her surroundings with wonderment and life. The Shire, while she had never before stepped foot upon it, was quickly becoming one of her few top ten places she had visited since the moment she had awakened from her slumber. It seemed that despite the dangers that boarded around the Shire, the darkness she knew was plaguing the lands had not yet touched the lives of these Hobbits.
To others - the race of men, dwarf, and elfin alike - Hobbits may have been considered children with adult facial features .. but to her, at least in this form, they were giants. They were also innocent, the Fay smiled softly as she strained her hearing to catch the laughter that carried with the soft wind. 'Small' to some they may be, Elesia could not view such humbled people as 'dangerous'.. though she knew it all depended on the person's decisions in the end.
Frodo, despite the fact that she only just met him, was quickly worming his way into her heart .. with his upbeat attitude and his kind nature. Elesia offered him one more glance before he moved as quickly as he could to a pair of Hobbits that relaxed lazily side by side against a tree trunk.
Elesia tilted her head curiously, amusement slowly settling upon her face as she took in their features and how they were - in fact - smoking. Weed, she silently guessed and though she never touched such things herself - she had known many that did before.. before the 'Great Tragedy' that became of her kin.
Frodo's smile widened gleefully as he stared at to of his friends, eager to show them the Fay that was sitting upon his shoulder, "Merry! Pippin! I must show you something, er.. make that 'Someone'." He directed his eyes downwards toward Elesia's form with an unspoken apology hidden within them, but Elesia only spared him a gentle nod to show that she wasn't irate with him to be labeled a 'thing' instead of a person. Flying forward with a soft sound of a tinkling bell following her form, Elesia nodded her head in greeting. The look of mischief growing from within her eyes as soon as she acknowledged that it mirrored from within their own. "This is Elesia Fay, a good friend of Gandalf's."
"Merry.." One of them hissed in awareness to get the other Hobbit's attention, his wide eyes zoned in on the fairy in front of him with surprise as he smacked "Merry's" arm with urgency. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?!"
"Indeed, Pippin.." The golden haired boy nodded his head as he looked from Elesia's hovering form to the blackened pipe in his hand, tilting his head in suspicion he turned his eyes to the darker haired Hobbit. "You don't suppose that they made this stuff stronger without notifying us, do you? It most likely is the only explanation to such an occurrence.."
Pippin nodded his head swiftly up and down, his hand moving wildly with his movements. "Has to be so, eh? Fairies have been gone for .. what? Thousands of years, give or take a few more?"
A hand blurred from the sidelines, hitting him upside Pippin's head to make him cringe away and cast his near tearful orbs at Merry with a betraying glint, "What was that for?!"
"For being rude." Merry's voice adopted a dry tone as he spoke, looking up from his spot against the tree to Frodo, Elesia, his pipe and back again. "Hallucination or not, could you imagine if this is real and you said such things?" Merry glared at Pippin before he smiled gently at Elesia, "My apologies in regard of him, we are still unable to determine just how many times he was dropped as a babe. My name is Meriadoc Brandybuck - though everyone calls me 'Merry' and the person beside me is Peregrin Took - though we call him 'Pippin'. It is wonderful to make your acquaintances, Miss Fay, and welcome to the Shire."
Pippin paused, shell shocked that Merry would say such a thing about him then skim over the insult as if it was only common nature to make such comments before he rubbed the spot upon his head that still hurt from the blow that he received .. before a wail left his lips, "Oh, the abuse I receive!"
Elesia looked from one to the other, her smile growing in size the more they bantered back and forth; before laughing wholeheartedly at the pair of them. Her eyes, shining brightly as the joyous sound carried from around her; making the two Hobbits pause - awestruck - at her bouncing form that struggled to hover straightly in midst of her newly found humor.
Yes, she supposed as Frodo reached out a hand in offering to help stabilize her so she wouldn't crash to the ground by accident..
Elesia had a feeling that she was going to like it here very much.
A bright smile curled upon Frodo's lips as he watched with amusement as the Fay leaned upon his outstretched hand for support - clutching her stomach with her small, seemingly delicate hands; Elesia's musical laughter that the two produced from her cut through the air. Frodo tilted his head as he stared at her beauty, wondering precisely when was the last time the little Fay had laughed.. or had found genuine joy in something, but was too afraid to ask.
Every Hobbit around them thus far had either looked at him strangely or had overlooked her form that radiated off pure energy and light .. was this one of a Fairy's character that the tales overlooked? ... To simply not be seen if she didn't wish to be seen? Frodo suddenly remembered how Gandalf had to literally coaks her out of hiding - seeming to do so out of thin air - and he acknowledged that even if it wasn't a 'Fairy thing' it may be simply a 'Elesia thing'. Where there other powers hidden from within this small ball of energy, that had yet it reveal themselves?
Gandalf wouldn't have even spared a thought to bringing her to The Shire if he so much as fleetingly thought that she was indeed a danger to others - including herself. So in turn, Frodo found himself both curious and trusting in regard towards the Fay. Elesia seemed worthy of such trust, despite him only meeting her this morning, and he found himself pitying her for her loss. She seemed lonely to him, isolated from others with no idea on how to fix it.. and it made him want to help her. To become friends with her.. In speaking of friends -
"Do either of you know where Sam is?" Frodo questioned the two other Hobbits, his eyes widening with happiness at the thought of introducing her to Sam - his very best friend, though he would certainly not tell Merry nor Pippin such a thing.
"Nope." Pippin offered cheekily in response, popping the 'P' in the word as he stared far away into the distance as if he were actually experiencing a hallucination that had encaptured his attention. He seemed more than a little dazed by the noticable glints in his eyes, along with a wide smile stretching his lips.
"Though I reckon that he is having considerably less fun than we are!" Merry chimed in, his decidedly important tone making Frodo roll his orbs good naturally at his friends; just as the two touched their pipes quickly in a show of agreement to those words.
"Come on, Elesia.." Frodo murmured softly yet it still echoed within the Fay's slightly pointed ears, before he turned his attention to the two in front of him; "We will see you guys later at the party." The dark haired Hobbit promised before he lead Elesia away to try and track down his other friend.
Elesia smirked softly as she felt Merry and Pippin cast their eyes upon the two of them; her sensitive ears catching the 'Damn, Pip, this sure is some really strong stuff. We didn't even have alcohol yet... Where did you say you got this again?'
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Sam, Frodo's other 'bestest' friend, turned out to be another blond fellow with hazel eyes that shone with loyalty every time he gazed a Frodo. He seemed a bit shocked at her presence, much alike the Hobbits she had met before him .. but he was kind in such away that Elesia only caught in very few since she had awoken.
He had bowed his head to her, mimicking her own greeting she gave as soon as Frodo offered an introduction - the same exact one he gave Merry and Pippin as it were. "A very hearty welcome to the Shire, Miss Fay. It is truly an honor to meet you. Please, tell me how are you liking it so far?"
He leaned forward so he could hear her speak, her aura brightening with contentment as she smiled upon his form. "I very much like it here, , thank you for asking. ..It is, I dare say, the most peaceful land that I have ever known since my awakening." Elesia nodded softly after she had spoken, the first and most peaceful place she had ever been would always be her home .. her true home, despite it being no doubt destroyed.
His answering smile that he cast upon her, was just a mere glimpse of the luminous light from within the depths of his soul.. and as she followed the both of them forward to Sam's home for some 'Afternoon Tea', she couldn't help but chance a glimpse upon Sam from where she rested, once again, upon Frodo's shoulder. As Sam opened his circled wooden door for them, Elesia smiled softly as peace settled from within the depths of her body.
Elesia had come to believe - even if she knew them for such a short time - that Sam, Frodo, Merry and Pippin to be a few good souls in a world shrouded by darkness .. and even if she supposed that they just didn't have knowledge of either as of yet..
They were destined for greatness.. That much Elesia was sure of.
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I hope that you enjoyed it. Please give me your feedback on it, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you for taking the time to read my story! :)