For disclaimer see Chapter One.
Authors Note: Please read and review:) this was a hard chapter to write!:p
Chapter Six:
Spiderman sized headaches
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'I remember my mind being squished by a meat grinder like feeling kind of…thing. And large…gray blue eyes. Grey swirls turning into colors, letters…words. Infinite possibilities that laid before me and strange symbols that suddenly began to make sense. I remember…I felt a queasiness. That I wanted to scream. That I was going mad...but none of that awful nightmare I had, happened.'
Consciousness slowly began to grip her, pulling her back from the cozy, muffled depths of her mind and into her catalepsy. Dreams she thought was what she was recalling. Dreams that were not just dreams to her but had turned into horrible nightmares.
'I feel… like I was, when I was high. Wasn't I high once? Just like back in college that one time. Oh…I felt bad, oh so bad, I feel…I felt? Why am I confused? Stupid brownies. I wanted a freaking brownie. I wasn't going to leave the damn horrible party without a brownie. I ate it at home, with nice cold milk. It was so soft and gooey. The chocolate had been just right, so velvety and sweet. Only after an hour was it that I had felt so…panicked.' The sweet euphoria of the taste of chocolate had all but gone, being replaced by a word. Panicked. It sent a sour sensation from her mouth all the way down to her belly as ice cold shivers came up her sides.
'I'm feeling so panicked right now! Why? My heart feels like it will come out of my chest and I'm so thirsty! Thirsty, like I crossed the Sahara desert. I need a drink or I'll die. Am I dying?'
Alejandra opened her eyes but the room was coming and going, in and out of focus. Her memories of queasiness coming back steadily from the depths of her innards and into actuality. Her eye lids closed momentarily before she tightly shut them, as if the tension would help ease her.
"I feel just like I was then…like I am now." Opening her eyes widely, she glanced around the room.
She could see the variety of shadows in the darkness, varying in their shades of nothingness as they played with her senses.
"I don't know what's real again. Am I real? Can I move? My arms look so... small." She began to giggle as she looked down. "Like a freaking Ty-rann-O-sau-rus Rex these arms of mine are! Yes they are! …Hah Ha…aaaa…why-why can't they move the way I want them to move?" She jerkily glanced around herself taking a moment or two longer then needed to grasp where she was. "Oh…I'm on a bed. Why am I on a bed?" An emergence of need then filled her very being. "Shit…I have to make the freaking bed…Ohhhh…I have to make it now! Oh no… How can I make the bed with these arms?" Unsteadily, she moved her head over and tried to lift her arms before she went into a short fit of delirious laughter. "HA AHAHAH. My arms!" She laughed and squealed maniacally before crying hysterically in fear. Her panic only lasted a moment longer before laughter over took her senses again. "What's—what's so freaking funny? Oh! I know! I kn—Oh no…I-ams-go-ing-to DIE. I am…going to…dies…I am—I can't make the DAMN BED! THE BED!" Her mind reeled suddenly in stabbing pain, sending her into a crying fit, filled with utter panic before once more, a misguided laughter over took her.
Soon movement in her peripheral vision caused her to try and adjust as someone came into her line of vision. She tarried in her greeting of the stranger. Making sure it was who she thought she was looking it as her pupils tried to adjust. Slowly a grin of recognition etched itself on her face.
"NESTEDIS! Help me Nestedis! Wait! …How did you get here?" Her eyes widened in unbelievable shock. "SHIT! You used the door! ...What is-what's a door? Nestedis, Nestedis…how do I know what a door is?" Her look of shock then turned into panic once more. "Oh no…HAaaaa…Nestedis! Help! The room is starting to MOVE! HELP ME! PLEASE! PLEASE!" Her screams of bloody murder in Elvish echoed through her rooms. Her eyes went comically wide, contradicting her panicked state. The room began to move for her again as she felt it flop backwards and then forwards shaking her along with it.
"Shhh you are fine!" Nestedis cooed as she lit a few candles around the dark room, casing more eerie shadows about the room. "Do not trouble yourself Alejandra. I am here now—Oh by the—!" Her shock came from seeing Alejandra's unruly state as she quickly crossed the room. Upon coming closer to assure that her eyes did not deceive her, she finally spoke. "Your pupils are so dilated! How…? And your Spirit! By the—what ails you so, Alejandra?" She wondered her concern aloud.
Silence greeted the Elven woman. Could Alejandra's talking merely have been in her imagination? Or perhaps the wizard's magic had not worked properly and she could not understand when spoken to? Chiding herself for asking so many questions too quickly, Nestedis sighed. The poor woman more then likely did not understand a word she had just said. It appeared as though Gandalf's magic had not been as successful as they had hoped. Nestedis hesitated on who to call to first; Elrond or Gandalf? As she decided on the best choice, she noticed Alejandra blinking. A few times it happened. Then a few more, before her blinking became quite rapid until her eyelids flew open as wide as could be.
"She talks!" Alejandra cried out in astonishment. "She talked E-E-English! ENGLISH! Why…English?" She blinked at her a few more times then with her ever open and overly dilated eyes. Nestedis would have laughed if the situation had not been so queer to begin with. "What the hell's the matter?" Alejandra shouted at her. "You don't like to speak Spanish?" And just as abruptly as she had shouted she quickly began to whisper as she rolled about in the bed. "SHHHHHhhh! Wait…wait—w-a-i-t…you…you—hehe…you brought light!" Her enthusiasm began to grow as the poor Elf woman stood there watching her decent into madness. "I know! I know who you are…you're fucking Edison! You—you have to help me! My arms are so freaking small! And I can't make the bed with—with…ty-rann-oOo-sau-rus arms!" Alejandra now spoke so rapidly and with such exaggerated emphasize to almost every word, Nestedis had a hard enough time trying to understand her, much less what she was talking about!
Alejandra never felt so far away or so close before in her life. At least not ever since that mishap in college. She couldn't even formulate her own thoughts coherently with out panicking. 'My arms!' Alejandra thought fearfully as she once more looked to her seemingly unmoving arms, that just so happened to move when she didn't want them to. "Why—why are they small? Am…I-Iiiii here?" She tried to point to her head, but ended up pointing towards the ceiling. "Where's here? …Oh Edison! Here are my arms! I found them! …Why?" The dazed look in her eyes was a clear reminder to Nestedis that Alejandra was on the verge of insanity as far as she was concerned. And when she started to laugh while incoherently trying to speak once more Nestedis had seen enough.
Not knowing what else to do, having never dealt with a person having a clear bout of insanity, Nestedis did the first thing she could think of. Siting down on the bed and taking a firm hold of Alejandra's hand, she began to sing; intertwining Elven healing magic into her voice as she sang. Alejandra's focus had been solely on the ceiling as she giggled, trying to reach up as if trying to grasp something. A full minute had passed before Alejandra became acutely aware of Nestedis' hold on her hand. She turned to watch the Elven woman sing. But as she made to sit up, her grip on the bed tightened. Seeming as if she was hanging on for dear life. The only indication of what was happening in her mind was when she tilted to the left and began shouting for Nestedis to hold on as well.
Alejandra's head brusquely hit the edge of her bed yet it did not deter her tight hold she had on Nestedis' hand. In fact, it was almost as if she hadn't even felt it, instead her gaze was fixed on Nestedis. Clear disbelief splashed across her face. "You—you don't…you didn't move! You're a-a-a spider! Nestedis! Nestedis! You're fucking Spiderman! You're on the wall!" She murmured hastily before taking in her own current situation once more. "Oh Shit! Me too!" She cried out hysterically but as swiftly as her outburst had come it once again disappeared into deep whispers. "How do our asses grip the wall? How?" She probed Nestedis in an unnerved mumble of words.
Alejandra's grip was so tight now that Nestedis winced, momentarily unsettled by the Woman's show of strength. But did not stop singing. Instead, she sang louder and stronger, infusing and weaving more healing magic into her hypnotic melody. The soft, dreamlike tune kept Alejandra's shadows at bay as they now seemed to dance elatedly along with the melody, pausing their torment on her mind. In any of Man's observance, the Elven song could have only been explained as being so beautiful, that it had stirred something deep within the Woman's heart. Yet only few outside of Elven kind would know the hidden power. Truly know how the music had engulfed the panicked woman, creating a comforting blanket to immerse her. Calming her distressed mind while reaching down to cradle her frayed Spirit.
Gradually, the swaying shadows evened out. And Alejandra's understanding of the world, of her surroundings, her own body came back to her conscious mind. Nestedis' song was gaining in effect. Alejandra looked down to her arms once more, seeing them somehow grow back to normal before her eyes. Slowly, unsteadily she sat up. The room coming back into a stable focus. Her grip on the bed and her companion loosened yet she did not let go. Afraid that her senses would betray her if she let go.
Nestedis brought her song to an end then. Watching the young woman intently. Alejandra's iris were slightly more visible though the lighting made it hard for even Nestedis to tell for certain since Alejandra's eyes were of a dark brown to begin with. Her Spirit was also still unbalanced in such a way, that Nestedis did not believe her song to be strong enough to right it. She sighed in mild annoyance. What was done with wizard's magic, would have to be undone by the same she supposed. Alejandra was at least calm enough she assumed, for her to leave for a moment or so to find Gandalf. A wizard, she considered, would be best for this situation.
A soft click of Alejandra's main door could be heard, gaining the attention of the two women as it opened once more. Allowing another person into the wayward scene, making their way towards the bedroom.
'That's my door.' Alejandra mused. 'Yea…it has to be my door. I know what a door is. Why wouldn't I?' As her bedroom door opened, she turned towards it.
Alejandra watched, as someone familiar came into her bedroom. The candle flames flickered from the movement of air, allowing their light to illuminate the man's features. She was about to call out a greeting when her voice caught in her throat. Once again she saw the same man came into the light. Only to stand beside his double. 'That can't be real…'
Disbelief filled her reeling mind causing her to let go of Nestedis. The sensation of movement began instantaneously giving life to the shadows again.
"Doub—double…a double per-son! It's aaaa…HAHA…fuck-ing Dou-ble person! IT'S LIKE THE-THE-THE RAINBOW! Oh My GOSH! …aaHA! Double!" Her hands began to move on their own as she tried to grab hold of the bed. "Oh SHIT! MY ARMS SH-SH-SH-RUuuuNK…AGAIN!" She screamed frantically, believing her arms had once again shriveled before her eyes. Abruptly, the room began to spin, taking her along with it.
The young Woman's wild and erratic actions left the twins starring in shock, slightly open mouthed at what was unfolding in front of them. Then before anyone could react, Alejandra's harsh movements on her bed caused her to loose any balance left she had as she promptly fell off.
She hit the floor with force, lucky not to have cracked her head as she imagined that some how she had come into contact with the ceiling. "The room! …Is moving a-a-again! HAHAHA…I'm on-on thefreakingceiling! O-M-G I fly, I flew! ooOOOOO-This is. Is. Is like FUC-KING Spi-der-man SHIT!" She whispered hysterically to herself, beginning a frantic crawl under her bed that miraculously, in her mind, hung on the ceiling with Nestedis' ass glued to it. All this was done while manically laughing herself into a fit of tears and fear.
'This is a fucking mad house!' She thought, frightened. 'Madhouse! Like-like Alice!' "STUPID HATTER!..." She screamed. "THE SPIDERMAN KILLED THE CATERPILLAR! HE KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE HAD ALL THE ANSWERS TO SUDOKU! Sudoku is dangerous…!" Her whispered warning was met with exchanged wide glancesfollowed by a few seconds of silence.
"She's. Gone. Mad!" Elladan was the first to speak after the trio of Elves had watched Alejandra hide herself underneath her large bed. Her legs had flayed about as she screamed and whispered before repeating that cycle until she was finally secure in her hiding spot. She continued babbling then about being stuck to walls and ceilings before she once again crying out about the injustice of how the Spiderman had killed a caterpillar that had only been smoking his pipe. The fact that she said it was legal in a few states now made no sense to them at all in trying to unravel her seemingly outlandish thoughts.
"Perhaps…I should find Mithrandir?" Elrohir stated next. His wide eyes and baffled expression spoke volumes from the hardened warrior of how uncomfortable the scene made him. Before his brother or Nestedis could answer him, he quickly turned and left. But not before making sure to close both the bedroom door and the main door so no other Elves would enter. Although having now moved Alejandra to the personal wing of Elrond Peredhil no other Elves would come to investigate. So it was more for the hope Elrohir thought, that she had forgotten how to use a door and could not suddenly run off in her bout of madness he thought as he rapidly made his way to Gandalf's room.
"What…happened?" Elladan asked softly, concern etched across his fair features as he walked over and knelt down to look under the bed where the Woman had crawled.
"Shh! The walls-walls—hear you, EARS!" Alejandra claimed in a hurried whisper as she shuffled underneath again in her awkward position. "They want to find me! They…they want my-my asssssssss…and my a-arms are too-tooooo short to fight the Spiderman! Shhh!" She whispered enthusiastically before changing her expression. "But the ceiling's good-ceiling's Celine-Dion friendly, but I-I can't make the bed with my arms! Shhhhh-HAHAahhh-shhssshhh!"
Glancing up at Nestedis, he was met with an expression similar to his own. "What, in all that is holy and good is she jabbering about? The walls have ears?" He questioned Nestedis.
She shook her head in disbelief. "She simply started screaming when I came in, but was beginning to calm after a few moments as I sang to her. I paused momentarily, debating to leave her for but a moment as I concluded who I should bring here first. Yet I am afraid she became disoriented when you and Elrohir appeared. Her Spirit is truly terrified and so distressed, it's almost as if it's tearing!" Nestedis explained. "She truly believes what she says she sees! Her vision is filled with sheer chaos! She is speaking our language but at what cost? I fear her sanity has paid!"
"Shhhh! …Walls." Their attention was drawn abruptly by a frantically whispering voice from underneath them. It was soon followed by the sound of palms slapping the ground as Alejandra scuttled around her hiding spot.
Sighing dutifully, Elladan laid himself on the floor. Their he saw Alejandra, just laying there with her forehead touching the floor. Her hair disoriented and flailed about, while her nightgown was barely covering her. Her arms and legs were spread apart, grasping onto the floor as if trying to hold on for dear life. The only indication she still held any life were the deep and heavy breaths that lightly lifted her surrounding hair on either side of her head.
"Alejandra," Elladan stated cautiously, " why don't you come out from there? No harm shall come to you from…the walls." He strained in saying the last two words from the sheer idiocy of it all.
Alejandra warily looked up, her eyes still largely dilated as she tried to focus on him. A few seconds passed before her eerie almost throaty whispered answer came, sending unnatural chills through both of them.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo..."
Wide-eyed, her forehead met the floor once more with a comical thud. If it were not for the severity of the situation, Elladan would have laughed out right but the look Nestedis shot him made it acutely known that she did not find it as amusing as he did. She continued her glare as she too planted herself on the floor beside him before casing her attention towards Alejandra and softening her gaze.
"Come Alejandra. We shall keep you safe from this 'Spiderman'. " She coaxed.
"Come to us. We will make sure you are safe, trust in us." Elladan said, slowly reaching for her. At that moment, Elrohir arrived with Mithrandir behind him. Seeing his brother and Nestedis on the floor talking to who he could only assume to be Alejandra under the bed, he too laid down beside Nestedis and was met with a blank stare. Then in slow motion, Alejandra stretched out her arm and hand to point at him with a wobbly finger.
"Eeny," she said steadily as she pointed to Elrohir's face.
"Meeny," her finger went on to touch Nestedis at the tip of her nose.
"Miny," her finger comically then pushed against Elladan's cheek. And her eyes went wide in horror as they looked to the empty space beside him…
"…Oh my freaking GOSH THEY T-T-TOOK FUC-KING MOE! NOT MOE! THE FU-CK-ING WALLS! SPIDERMAN TOOK MOE!"
At that, Elladan took his chances and pulled her out swiftly as she continued screaming about 'Moe', the walls and a 'Spiderman', unaware of who was holding her. But when she saw Mithrandir she steadied for a moment.
"Are yooou Moe?"
With pupils that were still wildly dilated she gently swayed to and fro while holding onto Elladan. She held out her hand suddenly and steady herself. For a moment the Elves thought she was coming to her senses but the notion was soon dropped. She held her hand in front of her face, almost mesmerized, as if she had never seen her hand before in her life. Her next sentence had the Elves sending Gandalf perplexed looks. "Duude…I can like…so see my molecules!"
With an exasperated sigh, Gandalf politely requested the twins to put her back into bed, as he would now take over. When asked if he would need the assistance of the lords Elrond or Glorfindel, he stated that their presence not necessary at the moment. Not only could Elrond, or Glorfindel not be found on such sort notice as it was early into the night, he surmised but they would also not have the powers needed in this situation. How fortunate of them.
Taking a seat beside Alejandra, he watched for a moment, assessing her state. The poor woman held onto her covers so tightly her knuckles were turning white, her breathing heavy from sudden fear. Soon after, he began his magic, his chanting causing the heaviness in the room to part; dissipating into nothing. A soft light took it's place as it formed around the two, providing a deeper warmth of safety. Soon Alejandra's breathing steadied into a blissful relaxed breath of sleep as he continued his chant, calming her Spirit further.
Alejandra had only slept for a few hours after her first encounter with the wizard and no one had expected her to awaken so suddenly, or strangely for that matter this early into the evening. It had happened by chance that Nestedis and the twins had gone to their rooms early. During Gandalf's impressive display of magical healing, Nestedis not wanting to wait until they had left the room had taken the time to whispered into Elladan's trained ear all of which that had happened before he and his brother had come. Finally having finished their tidbits of gossip between themselves, they could sense Alejandra's Spirit had calmed sufficiently. Enough so that they felt it safe enough to leave her be and take their leave. Leaving the wizard to continue fixing, what they thought he had partially had a hand in breaking as they went back to their rooms for the night.
"Good night lords Elladan, Elrohir. I shall see you in the morning." She politely stated. "Hopefully, Alejandra will be well by then." Nestedis said as she bid the twins a fair night once again. They bid her a good night before heading off to their own rooms.
"Do you believe Mithrandir shall be able to cure what ails her?" Elladan questioned his brother as they made their way slowly back to their adjoining rooms.
"I believe he will." Elrohir stated confidently with a lopsided smile.
"Why do you smile at such a time as this Brother? So confident are you that he will cure her of this madness that has befallen her?" Elladan observed to his brother cautiously.
"Yes! Indeed I am, Brother! She is a rather stubborn and resilient Daughter of Man, I shall have you know! Her training shows it! Rather quirky as well." He mused for a moment. "I believe she will recover just fine."
"I hope you are correct brother." Elladan too took his time to muse in a similar manner as his brother had done before breaking their silence. "In such a short time and with no language to converse in, she has become a rather amusing companion to have around. She is most unlike any Daughter of Man we have ever encountered."
"I am correct brother, you will see. And yes, she is unique. I am looking forward to seeing her again in better spirits and with a way to finally communicate," He paused a moment to smile, "without her overly melodramatic although quite proven, theatrical skills." Elrohir lightly jested.
"Oh? Why is that?"
"I should very much like to know why she believed she was on the ceiling, and who this Spiderman that killed a legal weed smoking caterpillar is." Elrohir said with a chuckle.
"Oh my dear brother! There is more! Much more!" Elladan smiled as he passed on the gossip all about Alejandra's escapades before they reached their rooms.
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Chapter part 6.1
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:~*~:
I awoke to the sounds of…stupid, chirping birds and the worst freaking headache—no migraine of my life! 'Where did this monster throbbing come from?' Groaning, I rolled over and noticed that I was in the bedroom Elrond had given me in the private wing of his home. This was where his family and Court or what ever they were, all lived.
So I was still here.
I had to close my eyes again. Even the damn sunlight hurt, and before long I covered my head with the blankets only allowing my nose to peek through as I turned sideways creating a little airway. This minute action only helped ease a fraction of my pain. After a few moments, I heard the door open and Nestedis greet me cheerfully as she always did before I suddenly realized I understood the rest. She was saying something about how she had heard me groaning, and something or other.
"Oh…please…not loud" For some reason I couldn't think of the right words to go in between those words for her to understand. I couldn't even think as to why or how I suddenly could understand her. Sort of.
"You…speak!…you feel…?"
I couldn't comprehend everything she was saying but it was better then before. I didn't bother taking my head out of the blankets to speak to her but I slightly started to remember what Gandalf had done. So it had worked.
'Ow.' Thinking more then I had to hurt. Why do I feel like I'm back in college finals?
"I can…" what's the word for understand? Why can't I remember it? "…Know little?" I respond to her slowly. I feel a tug on my blanket and I instinctively get a tighter grip. "No…please my…hurt. Sun…bad" I guess this was better then nothing.
"Ah," She seemed to understand and paused her actions. "Bring you…athelas..."
"Yes!" I moaned. "Please! Athelas!" Is all I could croak out before she stood up from my bed. I can only tell she left when I heard the door open and close. 'Oh good gosh.' This was horrible. I just wanted to crawl under my bed where it was nice and dark and stay in a fetal position all day. The light hurts so badly and I can feel my stomach starting to lurch. I heard the door open once more, but footsteps followed soon after. What kind of an Elf made heavy enough footsteps to hear?
'Did they have sumo wrestling Elves?'
"¡Ah! ¡Ya veo que ahora estás despierta! ¡Estabas dormida durante dos días!" I bolted up squinting my eyes at the person who stood before me but soon ended up grabbing my throbbing head with a groan while my other hand simultaneously went to rub my stomach in the most horrible game of PatRub ever. He just…did he just… he just said that, he sees I'm now awake and have been asleep for two days? …In Spanish! "Or would you prefer in the other language that you know? Although I do say so myself, I do like the flare the other has. This one is very much like the Common tongue. But I suppose either or will do fine."
"You…you can speak Spanish —and— English. How?" I asked him befuddled. My migraine then decided to take it's toll as my head started to throb to the beat of unseen bongos.
"Why yes, my dear. Can't you?" He asks me in return. My head hurts too much and it's too early for this kind of a conversation or any conversation at all. I just want to sleep and get rid of this migraine from hell.
"Yes." I acknowledged him and laid back down. Groaning, I decided to try and not be so rude, so I moved to look at him but noticed instead that I had light dirt smudges all over my nightgown. 'How the heck did I do that?' Gandalf strode easily to the side of my bed and sat down beside me, placing his large hand over my forehead. He closed his eyes while I stared at him, awkwardly crossing my eyes, for who knows why before I decided that was a bad thing to do when my stomach tried to heave again. For some reason it almost felt as if he was a grandfather, just checking up on my temperature in bed. I felt all warm and cuddly inside which miraculously helped my innards settle somewhat. 'How weird...Gandalf's checking my temperature...' I thought. It was actually kind of nice and reassuring, like an old relative just checking up on you. Almost like when I was just a young child... Unfortunately that's when another thought crossed my mind causing me to wish for instant brain bleach. 'Thank God he's not using a rectal thermometer...'
Lucky for me Gandalf took no notice of my ick face. "In a few days time," He stated in a mannerly way, "you should be speaking fluently in Elvish, Westron or as it's more commonly known, Common. That should then be followed by Rodirric and hopefully, I feel one other language or two. You should also be able to read and write as well!"
"What do you mean by 'should,' exactly?" I asked him as he took his hand off of my forehead.
"Well, you had the unfortunate whim of pulling away before I could finish transferring my knowledge of useful languages that are used here in Middle Earth. As well as a few other things that I'm afraid you will simply have to learn the normal way."
"Oh…Sorry." I felt a bit bad but my stomach decided to was time to tell him I felt damn guilty about the whole thing by lurching. I barely pleaded for him to help me up to the toilet just in time before I became sick. My stomach expelled strange swirly gray liquid like strands as Gandalf held my hair back for me. I never liked being sick but as usual it did help. A good five minutes later and I stood up, feeling much better. Although my stomach had quite a workout, my head felt much better. The wizard didn't seem the least bit fazed as he wetted a linen towel for me to clean myself up with.
"Ah, so that would seem to be a side effect on Men. Most interesting effect. I wonder if it is gender exclusive? I shall have to make note of that also." He said with a studious tone before quickly adding. "For further study of course."
"…Wait…" I looked over to him in disbelief, dropping the towel in my dirty laundry. I allowed what he had just stated to sink in before I felt myself get queasy. "WAIT! You mean you never did this before now?"
'I can't believe it! I was the wizard's freaking guinea pig!' I was reduced to being Pinky. The mentally challenged white lab rat while he had become Brain! I was in shock. He could have fried my brains! I could have become a zombie! The undead!
Before I could voice any of my complaints, Nestedis walked in with a hot cup of what looked like tea with an amazing smell of athelas wafting from it. I promptly decide to forget about shouting child abuse to a wizard and take the hot liquid with a smile from Nestedis. Walking into my living room towards my table, I pull myself up onto a large chair. "Gandalf, how do you say thank you in Elvish?" He began to tell me various ways to say my thanks and I choose one that fit exactly how I felt about everything that Nestedis has done for me.
"Nestedis, thank you from the bottom of my heart! My Spirit shines brightly because of you." I say to her. She smiles and nods back to me. I hear her say in Elvish something about how happy she is that I'm ok, and how worried they had all been.
Gandalf filled in the missing pieces and I felt glad to finally understand what was being said…somewhat. After a short while, she said she'd be back and would bring us food since I wasn't well enough yet to go to the dinning hall. I told her she didn't need to, with helpful translations through Gandalf. But she had insisted since I was still ill and what kind of a healer apprentice would she be, if she didn't?
So I had guessed right after all about her career choice. 'Thank goodness! I can now go and find her when I cut or bruised myself instead of Lord Elrond,' I thought to myself with relief. For as many times as I went to see the Elf lord each day, he now had reserved a rather amused and funny look each time he saw me. 'And I wouldn't have to see that other Elf healer either, Glaewron I think his name is?' He always seemed to sigh whenever he saw me come in when Elrond couldn't attend me. 'What do they want from me? So I bruise easily! Give me a break!' At the conclusion of my thoughts, I fond that Nestedis had left.
I shrugged my shoulders before taking my attention to the wizard. He was lost deep in thought as he looked outside my window. Taking a few more sips I found that with the tea, and most importantly, with retching my guts out, I really did feel a lot better. The silence between us was rather comfortable and I found that I actually did enjoy Gandalf's company.
"Now…" Gandalf softly stated, breaking the stillness in the room. "I would like to speak to you about something very important, my dear." He continued on in English.
"Ok Abuelito, shoot." He raised an eyebrow at the 'grandpa' nickname but continued.
"You do know the reasons of why you are here, correct?"
"Mostly." I stated taking another sip. "I know I'm here to keep Thorin and his family alive. Or well, the ones that are a part of his company, so himself, his nephews and I imagine his cousins as well. I also know that if I don't do it, the people in the future will suffer for it, as they will here." I took another pause, during which that strange little shift started to happen inside of me and I couldn't help what I said next. "Like, I mean, I am all for saving them, and what not, but in the future, it says that they, like, Thorin and nephews, like died. So like, I don't understand why I have to like, change that? Like, everything seems to work out in the end in a way and can it like, really affect the future that badly? Like, I just want to know why I guess. And I guess like…why me?" I hesitated a second realizing something fairly off putting which suddenly shifted my insides just as my eyes widened in disgust. Since when, besides freshmen year in high school, have I used the word 'like' so many freaking times?
'What the hell is happening to me?'
Before I could deliberate more on that grammatical matter or continue on in my mini meltdown, Gandalf pointed his finger at me like any stern grandfather would do when reprimanding you about how easy you have it. The whole —I had to walk nine miles, in the snow, two feet deep with only a sweater— kind of tone.
"My dear, everything will not work out in the end without you here to change it."
'Ok, yea…like that really helps me loads Gandalf,' I think snidely and give him a look.
He ignored the look and continued. "If you do not change their fate here in the past, It shall continue its affect into the future." He stated seriously.
"Ok…?" I answered just a bit confused.
He sat there looking at me, as if I should now be able to piece everything together after having the worst migraine and practically throwing my guts inside out in front of him. 'Oh good gosh.' Please don't tell me the Elves are like him in every day talk. I'll be climbing-up-the-walls crazy!
He continued to give me a look before finally including me in the apparently, oh so obvious matter with a sigh. "In his letter, Rómestámo, states that there is an illness or more, a genetic illness, he calls it. It has befallen Humans as a whole in the future where you come from. It will continue to take hold, killing millions, perhaps over a billion or more! Who will either die having had no ancestors before them. Or fall severely ill and be left to the whim to any minor illness of your time." He leaned over then, studying me. It all seemed so unreal. All these people were depending on me? But then again here I was, drinking tea with Gandalf in Rivendell of all places. A few more seconds passed by. I almost missed hearing the ticking of a clock before I looked up to meet his eyes. His tone then changed and became softer though the gravity of his words still sounded with a heavy weight. "This illness shows itself by adding height to those it affects. All those affected depend on you here. All of their ancestors before them depend on your actions here. It is the people of this time here who you must help first in order to cure those affected in your time." He leaned back a little, continuing his observation. "And you have until twenty nine forty one of the Third Age, to be ready."
'I have until…' I couldn't finish the thought before a cold chill ran down my back. The way he had stated that didn't seem like I had a whole lot of time. Funny how I was sent thousands of years back in time to now having no time at all. "So…their lives," I questioned, glancing up at the aged wizard, "and their ancestors lives all depend on me? How is that? What exactly do I change?" I couldn't hide the disbelief in my voice. Regardless if Gandalf was sitting right in front of me. "…What year is it now?"
"Yes."
I regard him for a moment. He seemed so weary saying that single three letter word being that it now carried the fate of billions. I tried taking another sip of my tea only to realize I had finished it all. His next response did little to ease my nerves. "You will change many things," He said. "But you will also keep certain things from changing." Why couldn't he give me a straight answer? I didn't like these riddles at all. I just wanted details! Almost as if reading my mind he at least answered one of my questions. "The year is twenty nine thirty six of the Third Age."
'Ok,' I mentally started my own pep talk, beginning first by counting in my head from what I could remember, 'I have a few years, around five…not so bad.' I put down my cup still holding it in both hands and started tapping my thumbs on the rim. I barely saw Gandalf's eyebrows twitch. 'That should be enough time to turn me into Xena the warrior princess. Ya know what? I can so do this! I have Glorfindel the damn Balrog slayer training me. Hell! I have Gandalf! Future Balrog slayer here with me too! I have an Elf Lord and a wizard, two legends! They should be able to train me so I can save all of humanity from being enslaved…or dying out in a couple thousand years or-or…so…and...and,' the color started to drain from my face just as I realized the enormity of what I was talking about, 'and…and oh shit I'm so fucked…' I pushed the cup away in time for my forehead to make hard contact with the table in a loud thunk.
Great…
"So apparently, as I'm coming to understand things, if I don't help stop or start certain things here, people's ancestors, or rather the people from this time period and on, won't even come to exist? As in never born?" I muttered, still keeping my head down on the table. An even worse thought then passed my mind. 'These people might even be enslaved if things don't go well!' I suddenly realized. Hell, I was stuck here and the War of the Ring would be coming in less than sixty years! I'd be an old lady by then so I would have to set things up now so it'd work out the way they have to later on or else all of humanity would somehow suffer because of me! Perfect. This is just peachy perfect! No pressure or anything Gandalf! "Ugh!" I groaned so loudly even I thought it was slightly overstressed. 'Go me, helping billions get out of slavery and not to mention get laid, not including myself.' This blows.
Gandalf wasn't the least bit fazed by my antics. It's almost as if he's dealt with crazier things than this. "You are correct Alejandra. As you must also ensure that Thorin's greed, prejudice nor his pride stands in the way of your quest. Which includes following your heart and mind." I glanced up at him. He was sitting there as if he hadn't just told me that I wasn't only in charge of keeping myself alive, but everyone else as well. It was as if this man was the epicenter of calamity and tranquility all at once. I was sure if I would have looked up oxymoron in a dictionary, I would have seen this man's face.
I sighed and pushed myself up into a sitting position once more. "Yea, yea, I heard that a few times before already. But, what's that part all about? The whole follow my heart and mind part? Rómestámo didn't have the time to tell me exactly." I could feel another slight head throb coming on.
"I cannot tell you much," Gandalf answered as he began searching his deep pockets. "It has to be done by you, on your own accord." He paused then a smile playing on his lips as he pulled out a pipe. "All I will say is this," I watched him lean towards me ever so slightly and point at me with the long stem of his pipe, "your heart will find its mate in your quest."
"Soo…? Does that mean I'm going to find someone special on this quest?"
He placed the end of the pipe's long stem in his mouth. "Perhaps…" I waited a moment and watched him light his pipe with his finger. He blew out his finger then and I waited for another moment. I was intrigued by how he just lit his finger on fire, as if it was the most normal thing to do. I finally decided then that he wasn't going to say anything else when he puffed out a rather large smoke ring around my head.
"Ok…ok. Fine. Don't tell me anything about that, Abuelito." I waved my hand around to clear the smoke. "Please don't smoke that in here. I have asthma."
"Do you now?" He stated before blowing another ring, this time higher over my head. I gawked at him. This man was going to kill me before I even started this quest.
"Yea…" I answered him. The smell wasn't overly so bad and I hadn't coughed like I usually did but still. "Asthma is an illness I have. It's where my lungs close up due to smoking and a few other things. Which is another reason why I don't know why I was even picked for this job when—"
"You have no need to worry about my smoking Alejandra. I assure you, you do not have this asthma. Not any more at least. Now, you had another question I believe?"
'How could I not have asthma any more?' But then again, with so many other strange things that had happened, why would my asthma suddenly disappearing be so odd? I drummed my fingers on the table for a few seconds. He wouldn't lie to me. Had no reason to, so why not?
"Alright you can smoke your pipe…but then can you answer this for me? I remember Rómestámo touched my motorcycle and my belongings before he then touched me on my head. I had a-a weird sensation fall over me. And I keep having these strange feeling inside of me. Like my insides—like my soul is…is unbalanced? Was that so I could pass through the Black hole thing without dying? Or something?"
He leaned back, blowing out a few more smoke rings in a long succession before answering me. "Or something." He whispered thoughtfully, lightly stroking his beard and looking off to the side somewhere.
'Really…?' I guess I was going to end up gawking at the wizard many times today. 'Ok I know I set myself for that one, but really!' I took in a deep breath, inhaling some of the smell of his sweet tobacco or what ever kind of herb he was smoking. The smell wasn't really so bad as some cigarette smoke I had to endure back home. It almost reminded me of incense I loved. My mood slightly lighten then.
"And?" I asked, hoping to gain more. I studied the old wizard as she sucked in more smoke before blowing out what looked like the star ship enterprise! I watched as it wove it's way through all five rings before dissipating. Gandalf smiled at me then.
"I did learn a few things about you as well Alejandra." Making himself more comfortable he began his story. "When Rómestámo was told of his second mission by Oromë, The Vala who sent both he and Alatar, were given a special magic to pass on to you by Aulë himself. This was after Eru Ilúvatar had chosen you specifically for this special purpose. Through them your life has been extended Alejandra, through your Fëa. You now have the longevity of a Dwarf. And…perhaps, a few personality and possibly physical traits that were, and will, past on to you, in due time as your Fëa and Hröa adapt which brings me to—"
"He turned me into a freaking Dwarf!" I felt my insides madly swing over before I could even control it. "Is that like, why I'm so freaking short! Oh my God…Female Dwarves have beards! I don't want a beard! I don't want facial hair at all! I hate the peach fuzz above my lip! Oh my God! I'd rather look like Xena! Not freaking Zorro! Who the freaking hell are Oromë, Aulë and Eru?! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! Holy Freaking Shi—"
"Hold YOUR TONGUE and do not insult what is Holy!" The wizard stated heatedly as an ominous shadow of dark anger cast about his form as he stood up, nearly engulfing the entire room. I shrank back in fright as I felt the floor beneath me actually tremble. I had to suppress my instinct of wanting to hide under the table. The whole atmosphere of the room had changed so drastically I felt my very breath taken away from me. He eyed me for a moment as the shift inside me took place before he spoke once more. "I do not know what is acceptable in the future Alejandra. But saying or referring to the greater powers of The Valar and The Creator himself, by name with such profanities is not acceptable in this time…" He bellowed slowly sitting down once more. It took a few seconds more before he allowed the dark shadows to retreat back into his form. "It is good I remind you now before you waggle your tongue in front of anyone or Valar forbid, Lord Elrond himself!" I gazed up at him now. The shock was wiped from my face to be replaced with mild annoyance. Yet it was still mixed with slight fear. But I knew full well that he couldn't do anything to me now. Since of course he and I both knew the future depended on my being alive.
'…I hope he can't turn me into a toad or anything like that though...' I really hope he can't. That fear still didn't stop my mouth from going.
"But it's ok when you do it, Mr. oh Valar forbid." I retorted cautiously, not able to help myself. I mildly winced when he pointed his finger at me.
"I am a wizard, and thusly allowed every few ages." He snipped. I still couldn't stop myself from flinching as he placed his hand down. I then let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"At least he didn't turn me into a newt…" I mumbled incoherently under my breath.
He raised an eyebrow at me then. "What did you say?"
"Nothing!" I answered a bit too quickly. He regarded me sternly before his gaze on me changed followed by his tone as he settled into his chair once more. I swear I could almost see a twinkle in his eyes but in a flash, it was gone.
"Nonetheless Miss. Alejandra, you were changed…" He took a long drag from his pipe, the ashes in the chamber bowl steadily glowing to a hot amber red as he sucked in the smoke. He then gently blew out the gray hazy mist. I watched in awe as it somehow took the form of a person, swimming through the air, following up the trail of smoke. "First and foremost your Fëa has changed. It is very unbalanced…more so after the mind melt I'm afraid. Yet there is no permanent damage, I can assure you. It is merely, leaning more towards youth and not the adulthood you once had. I can and have sensed it going back and forth as I'm sure you can feel it doing as well. And yet it seems to linger more and more towards a childlike quality and will possibly do more so in the coming months." He explained.
'So that could be where those stupid 'likes' were coming from. Great.' I thought to myself. I had to do everything I could so as not to become annoying. I wasn't about to put any Elves or Dwarves through that.
"It is quite possibly due to the fact that when you were given the long life of a Dwarf without being turning into one, that it confused your Fëa. Being that Dwarfs are still children when they are thirty, unlike Man who have grown to be adults by then." He drew out another puff of smoke holding it before exhaling. I watched in wonder as another figure arose. Soon what looked like a butterfly formed and began to flutter away just as another figure took shape. The figure of a child soon followed after it, chasing it in a game. I smiled watching the two figures frolic about in the air. "In due time, your Fëa will balance to what it once was." Here he paused a moment to watch the child bounce around in the air nearly catching the butterfly. "…As long as you follow the…correct paths that need to be taken..." Just as the child had grasped it's aim, the two figures dissolved immediately following his words. I turned to him then confused. Gandalf almost seemed to sigh unhappily having to give me this information, as if he knew something. A bit confused by the whole right paths to take bit, I sighed. It really couldn't be all that bad if Gandalf said that it needed to happen now…could it?
He turned then to watch me. It felt like forever but I knew it was only for a second or two. Then he answered something that I had completely forgotten about. "And no Alejandra…you will not grow a beard, my dear." At those words, I sighed contently. "And your height was never tampered with." He continued. "It appears as though the people from the future are far shorter then they are now in the past. And it is mostly thanks to your influence here that they come to that stature. Thusly the reason why people are growing taller from that genetic illness...and then dying." He rationalized. "Can you now see why it is so important for you to succeed?"
I nodded. "Yes. I guess so. But like, I have another question?" I cringed, immediately making a mental note to not use any more 'likes' unless I had to.
"Yes?"
"What's this Fëa and Hröa and li—I mean, how long exactly do I have to live?" If I could live a bit longer then the norm, then that would be useful in the entirety of my mission. I wouldn't have to look like a ninety year old grandma going off to war, sixty years from now.
"You have I would say…" He paused to think, sucking in the smoke before he puffed out what looked like a clock. It's little hands going round and round as it floated up. He had apparently picked up a lot from my time. He made a hmm sound then before glancing at me and answering. "A good two—to possibly three hundred years of natural life I suppose." My eyes bugged out. "Perhaps more, give or take a few decades or so of course. And as for Fëa and Hröa. The Fëa is your inner life force, your Spirit, and the Hröa is your body. One cannot fully exist in Arda without the other, not even in the Undying Lands can this be done. Your Fëa, or Spirit, my dear, is youthful again, which in turn will affect your Hröa, the body. Such explains your child-like manner and as I've said before it will change as it adjusts itself with the paths you take. Such as your body will, I'm sure become a little more Dwarvish. But again do not worry, you shall not grow a beard on that pretty chin my dear. But if you do…" He drastically leaned in as if preparing to tell me some secret spell to mutter when hairs on my chinny chin, chin started to appear. I too couldn't help but lean in. I wasn't going to miss out on any hair removal spells. "The Elves do carry the appropriate tools for one such as myself which you will be more then welcomed to use. Although being a female and having some Dwarf in you, you might prefer ribbons I assume?" He smiled mischievously leaning back in his chair as my look went from utter despair to full out amusement. He sat their patting his beard while I rolled my eyes and smiled back at him.
"You're something else Abuelito, you know that?" I laughed, shaking my head. That was when I happened to glance down at what I was wearing. "Oh and one more question! Why is my nightgown lik—I mean, why is it all dirty?"
"Ah!" he stated a bit too merrily. "The Elves were afraid to disturb you, lest they have a repetition of said events that lead to the smudging of your nightgown." I was about to ask him what he meant by that when a knock on the door signaled the arrival of Nestedis and our breakfast.
"Ah! Time to break our fasts!" He said happily to me in English before responding to Nestedis in Elvish, which I was happy I could understand. "Thank you Mistress Nestedis!"
"We're breaking our what?" I asked a bit confused. I was starting to get use to that notion at least.
"Ah yes, you call it 'breakfast' now do you not? I was able to gather quite a bit of interesting information from you of some things from your time. Well here it is still referred to as the breaking of the fast. And you, my dear, have fasted for two days so it is due time to 'break your fast'!"
"Oh…" I shouldn't have asked him. I did find it interesting but at the smell of food, I didn't want to talk about the history of words. I just wanted to eat.
My thoughts must have mirrored my expression since he simply answered with, "eat." And that's just what I did. As the three of us sat enjoying a good meal, I found out that the biscuits I enjoyed so much were called glîbas, or honey bread. But Gandalf said that they were also known as honey biscuits.
I am so in love with Elvish honey biscuits.
After I had my fill and was munching on my fifth honey biscuit, having stolen it from Gandalf —stating that he owed me. I figured he did since he had frighten me with his scary Peter Pan shadow impression—so his biscuit was therefor, mine! He eyed me and Nestedis stifled a very un Elf like snigger during the whole thing. I kinda enjoyed hearing that and gave her a grin, which she returned in kind. Sometime later after Gandalf got over my biscuit theft as he called it, the small talk began. It was a little bit of how I felt, and what had transpired. Soon Nestedis, with Gandalf's help in translating, hesitantly asked me if she could inquire about something that had happened a few days ago.
"Yes, please ask. It good." I replied in broken Elvish, nodding my head enthusiastically at her. I felt so relieved that I could finally somewhat communicate with her.
She smiled and articulated her words so I could better understand her. "Alejandra, I…ask you. Who…Spiderman…?" I blinked a few times. Though I only understood a few words, the last one took me by complete surprise.
The confusion on my features were clear before I turned to question Gandalf. "How the heck does she know about Spiderman of all people?"
The wizard idly smiled back at me taking a long sip of his juice. After clearing his throat he then proceeded to tell me everything that had happened that night when I had my Vulcan mind melt. And with Nestedis' help, everything that happened afterwards.
I didn't even know what to say. Whether to laugh at myself or blush from embarrassment that it wasn't just Nestedis and Gandalf that had seen me. But Elrohir and Elladan as well! Two seriously handsome Elven warriors that I not only had to see everyday but had to interact with on a daily basis! Nestedis didn't help my situation any more when she assured me that no matter how hard I wished for it —the twins' memories were excellent as far as any Elf's was concerned. Especially when it came to embarrassing moments.
So any hope I had of them forgetting about my unwanted rendezvous with the insane side of myself would basically happen when all hell froze over. Although I doubt that even begins to describe how I feel right now. Maybe I should change that phrase to when Mordor freezes over. Considering how daunting and almost impossible that seems…
'Yea, that about sums it up.'
Fëa and Hröa- Google it for a better explanation if need be, but it's basically your Spirit and body. (Dwarves have Fëa's as well since Eru adopted them from Mahal their creator, if you're wondering.)
¡Ah! ¡ya veo que ahora estás despierta! ¡Estabas dormida durante dos días!- (Spanish) Ah! I see you are now awake! You were asleep for two days!
Big huge thanks to everyone who's reading, a huge thanks if you're following and/or adding the story as a favorite, and of course lots and lots of thanks if you're taking the time to review! So thank you Skywolf42, mandrakefunnyjuice, T. Alana M, hannahcaiusvolturi, and Grizzlybearsandteacups for reviewing:)
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I would love reading what you enjoy about it:) Or what you dislike about it:/ I have a goal of 100 reviews by the time my story is done because this story is a practice run for an original I would like to write. So I'm trying out my writing style^_^ So I would love to know what your opinion is. Thanks!