Nine Rings of Power
"I look ridiculous," River muttered as she and LJ walked through the halls of the university, heading for the gymnasium which had been converted to a party area for the night. It was an annual event at the university, a Halloween Dance/Costume Party.
She grabbed the white fabric of her dress and hiked it up so she could actually walk without tripping, the dress LJ had somehow talked her into wearing was quite long, with a train in the back, very beautiful though…but she preferred pants and boots. She'd even tried her hand at wearing high heels just to possibly be able to walk in the dress, but to no avail.
She hated the costume, she really did. The dress was too long, too fancy, there was plastic stuck to her ears, fake jewelry in her hair, sparkles on her skin…
And worse yet…
LJ had made her straighten her hair!
It was ghastly! Her hair was curly. It should always remain curly. It just…didn't suit her being straight. Well, it wasn't completely straight, her curls had rebelled against all the product and heat she'd tried to apply. Her hair ended up being wavy instead with just a hint of straightness, which LJ actually said worked better for the pairing they were trying to portray.
"You look beautiful Riv," LJ said, having said it so much to counter her complaint that it ended up being more like a sigh than anything remotely reassuring, "For the 418th time," he mumbled under his breath.
River's eyes narrowed, "What was that?"
"Nothing!" he said quickly, "I said nothing, therefore you heard nothing. Nothing at all."
River shook her head, "I don't see why I couldn't have your costume," she reached out and tugged on his white cloak, covering more of his outfit.
He just rapped her on the head lightly with his white staff, "Because I'm a boy."
"That's no excuse."
He laughed at that as she pouted, she really hated her costume.
"And you'd have to wear the beard," he stroked his false white beard.
"I'd take beard over dress any day," she elbowed him in the gut.
She hadn't any idea how he'd managed to talk her into this. It had only been a few months, well, two months, since she'd met him, and he'd already figured out ways to talk her into things. She really needed to step up her game, she had to find some way to talk him into things too.
It just wasn't fair!
"Why did you even want to be them anyway?" she sighed as they neared the hall that led to the gym. She just couldn't wait for everyone inside those doors to gawk at her as she stood there awkwardly.
Sarcasm, you had to love it.
"I never told you?" he looked at her.
"Told me what?"
"The old stories are real."
She scoffed, "Right."
"No, seriously! They are!"
"And how is that possible?" she shook her head, "Last time I checked Earth didn't have elves or dwarves or erks."
"Orcs," he corrected quickly.
"Whatever."
"That's because the stories didn't take place on Earth."
"Not following."
He sighed, "You know how there are thousands of life sustaining planets out there," he gestured to a window where they could see the stars, she nodded, "There are even more species, including those that are similar to what humans call elves and dwarves and orcs, even hobbits!"
"But how did these supposedly real stories get written about by an Earth writer if all this happened on another planet."
He smirked, loving the in she'd just given him to make their friendship more unique, "Well, there are these rumors, whispers really, that there's a man from the stars...called the Doctor," he just barely managed to keep his laugh in when River stiffened, her eyes widening, surprised he knew about the Doctor. He couldn't help but think that he couldn't wait to see her reaction when she found out just HOW he knew the Doctor, how well. But, for now, he decided to keep the mention of his father was more than enough of a shock, best keep his mother a secret, "And he travels all over the Universe, having adventures, rescuing people, taking people with him and so. There are rumors that not all his companions are willing participants, some end up there on accident."
River blinked, shaking her head, "You're not telling me that J.R.R. Tolkien was an accidental companion are you?"
He grinned, "Exactly Riv! Well done!" she punched him in the arm, making him pout and rub it, "The Doctor was on Earth once, ended up taking Tolkien along for the ride to a distress call on another planet."
"That just so happened featured all the characters from Lord of the Rings?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Similar characters," he corrected, "I doubt the names were the same, that's just plagiarism," he shook his head, "Anyway, the stories go that he and Tolkien, with the help of a four children, were able to stop this alien from trying to take over the world with this powerful will-suppressor device…"
"The One Ring?" River guessed.
"Yep," he popped the p, "It was a little different than in the novels though. The One Ring really worked by creating a net with the nine rings of power gifted to the humans as a way to control the species, like blood control but on a wider scope, to launch war against the 'dwarves' and 'elves' as they were more weak-willed than the other two and become servants of the alien, who gave five rings to the 'dwarves' and three to the 'elves' as a means of hiding the deceit in giving controlling rings to the humans. Well, not really, those other rings were meant to weaken the species, cause them to die out, which...they sort of did in the novels now that I think about it," he shook his head, "Anyway, the Doctor, well…" he laughed a little, "Tolkien was so thankful that the Doctor had shown him such a world, inspired him so much, that he created a wizard, based on the Doctor. One that didn't exist on the planet…"
River stared at him, "You're not telling me that Gandalf is really the Doctor?"
"Well," he winced, "Not the way he's portrayed in the books, no. He's not a wise, old man. Well, he is. Well, he's old in one sense, and wise I suppose. But I mean, if the rumors are to be believed, that's not the only story the Doctor pops up in."
River blinked, "What, is he like the good wizard in all the fairytales?"
He stared at her, "How'd you know?"
She shook her head, "And you wanted to dress us up as this," she gestured at their costumes, "Because of a story like that?"
He grinned, "Well, can you think of anyone better to be for Halloween but the Doctor?"
"Evy," she said.
He had to blink and smirked, "Who?" he had to play dumb for now, he couldn't let on that he knew much more about the Doctor and Evy than she thought he did.
Oh he would LOVE her reaction when she found out who he was.
"There are rumors, whispers really," she mocked his words playfully with a smile, "That there's a woman who travels with the Doctor, Evy, helps keep him in line, does the impossible regularly," she assumed this particular adventure had been before Evy had joined the Doctor on his travels.
"Really?" he asked as she nodded, "You've heard about the Doctor then?"
She smirked, "I'm planning to write my dissertation on him and Evy," she admitted, "Finding them through history by use of archaeological evidence."
He whistled, she had NO idea just how busy those two had been, her dissertation would be a few hundred books long by the time she was done, and still new evidence would be popping up, "Maybe I'll help you," he offered.
She nodded, but then they reached the doors to the gym. She sighed, staring at the doors.
"Shall we?" LJ held out his arm to her.
She took a breath and then his arm, "Let's get this over with."
He laughed and opened the doors, the two of them stepping in to join their peers…
Later on, River would have to admit, it wasn't quite so bad the costumes LJ had selected for them, upon the promise that she could pick the next year's costumes. They had won the costume contest after all.
Everyone loved their Gandalf and Galadriel costumes.
A/N: Lol, there was a bridge-minisode where Amy was talking to the Doctor in Series 5 and he mentioned that he was like a Space Gandalf. I HAD to throw that in here for this chapter, turns out, here, he really is Gandalf lol :) Also explains where River learned about how he's 'the good wizard' in the stories in The Pandorica Opens. I really have NO idea where this chapter came from. I was thinking it was either a toss up between Nine Lives, with the duo finding a cat or something, or this. I love Halloween so...this it was lol.
Little hint about the next chapter...something LJ does will one day save his father's life :)
