The Empathic One

Much had changed over a period of time for both Middle Earth and the frayed looking ranger. He stood on land that had seen more evil than anyone could imagine, only yet to walk forward and see more. The ranger looked on to see the last of the Nazgul flee from the watchtower of Amon Sul. Much darkness and malice had radiated from these Ringwraiths, along with the need to steal back the ring from Frodo. He quickly caught his breath that was stolen by the battle that was fought.

"Strider! Help him Strider!"

Sam's desperate scream reached the ranger's ears and he quickly turned to see the situation before him. Three hobbits surrounded their fellow traveler and the barer of a small golden trinket. Each one of them had a look of worry emitting from their faces. Hobbits were not meant to see such evil as this. They were meant to live carefree lives, not lives in which saw trying times.

Strider made his way to Frodo quickly and Merry and Pippin moved over to make room for the ranger. Worry grew within the ranger's light blue eyes, as he realized that Frodo's state was not good. The hobbit's skin was quickly turning pale in color and the light in his eyes was beginning to fade. They had to make it off of this watchtower and to Rivendell quickly.

The blade melted into the wind as Strider pulled it out of Frodo and he threw the hilt to the ground. "He has been stabbed by a Morgul blade. This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine."

Strider spoke fast as he picked Frodo up and proceeded to lead the other hobbits away.

This was indeed no matter to delay in. If they did not hurry Frodo would be crossing to the side of the Nazgul. Sam had doubts as he ran with Strider as fast as his hobbit feet could carry them. He gave a sideway glance at Sam and Merry who looked just as worried and frightened about Frodo as he did. How could this all be happening so fast?

"We're 6 days from Rivendell! He'll never make it! " Sam said, leading Bill the pony forward and almost losing hope for his dear friend.

Strider sniffed, ignoring Sam's words. He had to have hope for Frodo, if no one else did it had to be left to him. He quickened his pace and the hobbits behind him struggled to keep up.

"Hold on Frodo." Strider whispered.

The pain was unbearable within him. He felt as if the darkness was beginning to cloud his mind. Never had he thought about the consequences that would be brought fourth when he slipped the ring onto his finger. The need to wear the ring and to have it to himself got to him for a moment as the Ringwraiths surrounded him. The blade in which pierced him felt like fire and in that instant he felt like his short adventure had ended. His mind raced as Strider carried him through the terrain and he screamed out one name that came to mind.

"Gandalf!"

Amara stopped plucking on the strings of her guitar and looked up at the clear blue sky. She sat underneath the protective shade of a tree, mulling things over in her mind. She needed to get away from elves, which had a hard time disguising their emotions. It was not that every time someone was mad or excited about something they would be straight forward about it and shout it to the heavens. No, it was because she could feel there emotions.

The first time it happened she did not at all recognize it as being something out of the normal. Only did she realize what it was when Elrond told her true nature, what her natural gift was. It was two weeks ago when he had told her this and that she belonged not on Earth but in Middle Earth.

Flash Back (beware it's lengthy)

Elrond had bid her to tell her story, which she did in hopes that he would believe her. The whole time as she told about how she was walking through her beloved park to end up at the gates of his home, Lord Elrond was looking intently at her as if he had known her from somewhere. To prove she was not at all from Middle Earth she picked up her guitar that she had left in his study and showed him.

This left Elrond astounded and he nodded his head. His brow creased as he paced his study, his long elven robes trailing slightly behind him. Amara watched him, wondering how he was going to come up with a way to get her back to where she belonged a wave of a weird feeling washed over her. This was not at all her feeling. Just before this unusual sensation hit her she was feeling both hungry and worried but now she felt different almost uncertain but certain and the same time.

This made her blink a few times. Why was she feeling uncertain? She looked at her hands with narrowed eyes. Something was not at all right.

"What troubles you?" Elrond asked as he watched Amara he had halted his steady pacing.

Amara looked up. Her forehead crinkled as she looked at the half-elven before her. Something is defiantly not right, she thought. Biting on her lower lip, she searched for an answer, an answer that she could not find for her brain was completely blank. To her amazement Elrond answered his own question for her.

"You feel different from your regular emotions, do you not?"

Amara nodded dumbly as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"You feel unsure of something but you can not comprehend what."

Again she nodded.

Whatever Elrond had thought about the girl before him was confirmed. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the girl Gilraen sent away for her own safety. A small smile crept on his face as he realized she had returned to where she rightfully belonged and with the gift she was promised to by the Valar no less. Dark times, he knew, where ahead for Middle Earth and there was no denying this but could the girl before him help aid in the war that was yet to be on their doorstep?

He searched Amara's dark blue eyes and believed she was indeed the lost kin to Aragorn when he realized how much she resembled him. She shared the dark slightly wavy hair and mysterious air that Aragorn had. Should she be told the truth of her origins, who her family was? No, now was not the time but she had to be told the truth of the powers that were blessed to her.

"You were feeling what I was feeling." He brought his hand to his chest.

Amara was even more confused than before. "What?"

Lord Elrond came forward and took her hands in his own. There was sincerity in his eyes that she mentally noted and he looked as if he was about to tell her something alarmingly crucial as if it would change her life.

"Lady Amara you are an empath. You have the ability to feel others emotions," Elrond said softly so he could cushion the shock, but oddly enough the girl before him was not shocked at all. Amara took her hands from Elrond and shook her head.

"I'm not a...a empath. I would know if I could feel other people's feelings and stuff. It doesn't make sense." She sat back down and fiddled with the strings her guitar held.

Elrond sighed and sat behind his desk. "When you first arrived here did you not feel some other emotion different to the one you had been feeling? Haselfur for instance?"

Amara thought for a moment seeing as her whole situation did not making any sense to her. Oh great I'm in Middle Earth so lets give me some super powers too! She thought as she racked her brain for the memory of Haselfur and found it. Okay, so she did remember feeling annoyance when he was questioning her but she hadn't been feeling annoyed, only tired. And when he led her to Lord Elrond a strong sense of hate flowed through her veins that did not belong to her.

Elrond's eye brows rose as he saw the girl think and he knew he was right in assumption. When first setting eyes on the girl before him, he could sense something radiating from her. The enigma that was twisted within her showed more than she thought. There was something recognizable about her and now he had no doubt that this was the child that Gilraen had sent away years ago. Of course, he did not believe that this could be her when she was escorted by Haselfur, but it was the first thing that came to his mind.

From her strange clothing and odd speech this was the only notion that he thought of. When his inner voice told him it was she he knew then to trust what he thought, for this voice had never failed him.

"You've gotta be kidding me. I mean...okay I didn't get when Legolas landed in my backyard at all, but then he told me that he thought that he was here to help me or something. That part I guess I got...or accepted, but-"

"I knew of your meeting with the Prince of Mirkwood. Mithrandir, the wizard, informed me of the happening. It is in fact my belief that Legolas was indeed-"

Elrond was interrupted by Amara sucking her teeth in the rudest manner. A scowl decorated her face. Apparently she had issues with the elven prince.

"I don't wanna talk about him. Let's just get over the whole 'Amara's an empath part.''

Elrond cleared his throat. "Yes back to the matter at hand." He quickly glanced at the necklace Amara wore around her neck, a silver chain which held a pendant in the shape of a small silver bird.

"The Valar which are-"

"Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt," Amara said somewhat nervous from stopping the mighty Lord Elrond from talking. "But you don't have to explain to me who the Valar are. I already know who they are. Where I come from your world, Middle Earth is nothing but a story, a story I read a million times as a kid."

She saw the questionable look Elrond was giving her and waved her hand. "You can go on, my bad for interrupting."

Elrond began to pace his study. "As I was saying, the Valar were to choose someone that could contain a unique power. They, I believe, felt that an evil was soon to stir. In this feeling was the sense of an unbalanced force. The force of evil would begin to acquire too much of its own kind and soon all that was pure in the world began to dwindle in comparison to evil. To at least attempt to level the balance between good and evil, the Valar created a power.

Amara began to bite her lip. This could not be good if evil was in a story that involved her.

"A mystic power that would help aid good in an upcoming battle against evil. This power could only be put into the most pure of souls..."

Elrond trailed off in hopes that Amara could put the rest of the puzzle together.

"Me." Amara finished for Elrond who nodded.

"Me." Amara whispered to herself.

"Me?" She now pointed to herself and looked at Elrond with wide eyes.

She shook her head, her dark locks moving wildly and her glasses slipping from her face. "You've got the wrong person. I was born on EARTH not Middle Earth. I think you found the wrong girl."

Yes, it was a fact that Elrond had left out a lot of vital information to this story, but he felt it was enough that she must deal with what she had inside herself. The Valar had given her this power because she came from a strong line and was the most pure of that line at the time.

He shook his head in an attempt to try to make the girl see. "Think Amara think. Why would the prince of Mirkwood, someone from Middle Earth be sent to you when you needed help? Why would you then in turn be sent to Middle Earth if you did not belong to this world? You fit the description of the child that I have carried in my mind well, that the Valar has blessed. You, indeed, were born to this world, for I was there to witness your birth and your blessing by the Valar."

Her brain was spinning. So many questions were presented before her. If I was born in Middle Earth then he must know who my parents are? Why would my parents send me to Earth? If I am an empath, what am I suppose to do with this power? She pinched the rim of her nose with two fingers and sighed, her breath sending the hair in front of her face flying upwards.

"You're kidding me." She said finally looking up at Elrond.

She seemed to get dragged into his stare and a feeling of seriousness enveloped her every being. She did not need his answer.

"Oops! Sorry I'm really sorry about that!" She had bumped into yet another maid, making her drop an arm load of folded laundry.

As the maid picked up her last article of clothing she scuffled off. For that brief moment the feeling of annoyance raked through her. She thought about yelling how sorry she was again but that wouldn't soothe the feeling of irritation. Amara always seemed to be running into something or someone so this was a feeling she was always getting acquainted with. The elves she was constantly surrounded by were kind to her, but that did not stop her from feeling what they really thought about her.

Ever since that intense chat she had with Elrond she could feel this so called 'empathic power' gradually grow within her. Every time she felt content and someone would pass by her feelings would instantly change. After three days of it, it was getting quite annoying. Elrond had let her stay in the room Arwen had given to her and she was spoiled with a closet filled with luxurious gowns. When she took a look she, of course, was utterly disgusted, but it would have to make due.

After all she couldn't wear her jeans and tank top day in and day out.

Amara walked by Haselfur, who she quickly avoided looking at. He looked at her blankly with his dark brown eyes. She could feel his detest for her and scurried by with her head down. Of course, this proved a mistake because she collided with a figure. Instantly she spoke of how sorry she was. Geez, this was becoming a habit.

When she stood straight up to see who she had so clumsily ran into she stuttered.

"S-S-orry. I really didn't see-"

"No need to apologize mellon-nin. It was a mistake." Arwen's glittering blue eyes smiled warmly at her. "But may I ask where you were heading in such haste?"

Arwen set the vase she was arranging flowers in down to focus on the new house guest her father had taken in. She was well aware of Amara's true history but she was sworn not to utter a word of the truth to anyone. The features of this girl though made it so obvious.

"Um...away from tall and grim over there. Hr doesn't like me. I can tell." Amara jabbed a finger in the direction of Haselfur.

"Can you tell because of your ability?" Arwen whispered curiously.

Amara nodded, taking her glasses off and wiping them on the extra material of her light blue dress. She took a sigh. "I don't think I will ever get used to this." She spoke freely to Arwen, who she felt had the air of a big sister. Her emotions right now where calm and relaxing, which made Amara want to spill her guts out of every woe she had. She felt the elven princess' hand on her shoulder. She took this as a sign to explain and so she did.

"My...this power that's in me. I can't get used to it. Ever since your father spoke to me on this I-I think it's been growing. You know when you eat too much? That's how I feel except its in my heart and I'm eating too much of everybody else's feelings. I mean it's a small feeling but I'm not used to it." Amara grunted in frustration. "It's too hard to explain."

It had taken time for her to believe Elrond's story. In fact, she even looked around her room to find hidden cameras. The fact that there were none and made her cope with the information that she was given.

There was a look of understanding on Arwen's face. From what her father had told her, Amara's powers were gradually developing. She would not run into real problems until later, when her powers grew. It was the fact that she was in Middle Earth made her feel and discover the power that was in her. She just needed time to get used to this new feeling inside of her.

"Amara, I believe if you search inside of yourself you will know how to live with the power you were given. It is something that is a part of you, it is you. Now come, take your mind off of such weary things and walk with me through the gardens. Father bid me to give you a tour of your new home." Arwen smiled and led the young girl off.

Amara could do nothing more than to smile in reply and follow. Her words, she took to heart.

End of Flash back (Phew!)

Now she sat forming odd songs on her guitar, the only thing she had left from Earth, that and her retainer she had found in her pocket. The sky was a lazy shade of blue and it quickly began to darken. No one had bothered her as she made her way to the secluded area. As time rolled by and she grew tired of her guitar, she set it aside and hugged her knees. Something was not at all right in the air.

Something, she felt was coming. Though she did not know what. Her power of empathy, she was told by Elrond, was at its lowest peak, but in time it would grow. This was just what she needed something to worry about. She remembered all the times she complained that her life was boring and uneventful. She thought about giving what she had up to go back to that life.

With a guffaw she shook her head. Arwen had developed into a good friend who always showed her new and interesting things that were hidden within her father's house. She would never grow bored when she had Arwen around. And when she was not around for whatever reason she, being the total bookworm that she was, would get wrapped up in one of the book in Elrond's many libraries. Despite the burden that was her power, which annoyed her from time to time, she was content.

Her dark blue eyes scanned over the land and quickly saw Imladris' princess leading her stead from the stables. Abandoning her comfortable spot and guitar, she ran for Arwen.

"Arwen! Yo, Arwen! Where ya heading?"

Arwen turned towards Amara. Who's smile quickly faded as she sensed her emotions.

"You're worried about someone?"

Arwen brushed a strand of hair from her face as she readied her horse. "Yes, I am. It is Aragorn. He has been gone for far too long and my father sends me in search of him."

It hit her. Why had she not have thought of this before. She had arrived in Middle Earth before the war of the ring had started. She watched Arwen mount her horse with grace and idea popped into her head.

"Can I go with you?"

Arwen looked down at the girl. There was a hint excitement in her. An idea began to brew in her mind. If Amara went she would meet Aragorn and possibly know or come to figure out that they shared something between them.

"It could prove dangerous." She said with a raised brow.

Amara shrugged her shoulders. "I'm up for a challenge."

Arwen extended her arm to hoist Amara on the back of her horse. "Hold on tight mellon-nin." She whispered into her horse's ear and he sped off into the night.