Chapter 21: A Violent Beginning
A/N: Not sure if I ever mentioned this before, but when I first wrote this story, my pen-name was 'Terreis'. This is information you need. Trust me.
A/N FROM THE PAST! (sorry guys, but this one's gotta stay): Finally saw Harry Potter. Well, actually, I saw what was probably the first hour and a half of 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'. It was on ABC last Sunday. But the whole thing took way too long and I got tired of all the stupid commercials. Sorry, but 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Gone With the Wind' are the only movies that I will sit still for four hours. Anyway, I know a little about some of the characters now. And I read a few fics in that section. Heavens above, what a mess! And I thought the 'Lord of the Rings' section was jam-packed with Mary-Sues and slash! I must confess, though, to being fond of a very strange pairing. Hermione and Snape. No, I don't understand it, either. But every fic I've read with the two of them, so far, has Hermione at the age of eighteen. At least it's legal. And I don't read smutty stuff. I'm thinking I like this pairing because I like anything that has to do with Alan Rickman. I LOVE Alan Rickman. Bad guy, good guy, romantic interest. He can do it all. By the way, the actual chapter won't start for a little while. If you don't want to read my special tribute or my shout-outs, just skip on down to that little green line.
Disclaimer: I'm depressed enough as it is, thank you.
SHORT SKIT: "Elladan, where are you going?"
"I am in search of maiden fair, dear brother. It is my appointed task to seek her out and make up for the fact that she has been neglected for so long. A grievous sin has been committed against her."
"What is this sin?" Elrohir inquired, falling into step beside his twin.
"You shall find out once we locate her."
For once content to follow, Elrohir said no more. It wasn't long before they met up with Aragorn and Legolas.
"Lady Terreis sent us out to seek a maiden by the name of 'Star-Stallion'. Do you seek her also?"
"I do. But why would she send the two of you when she has already sent me?"
"She was not sure which of us the maiden would prefer," Aragorn informed his foster brother. "I understand that Faramir, Boromir, and the hobbits will be joining us as well."
As if on cue, there was a great shout off to the left, followed by another shout, this one somewhat higher than the first. Pippin and Merry soon made their usual entrance by rocketing out of the nearby forest and hiding themselves behind Aragorn. The King of Gondor looked bemused for a moment until Boromir appeared next, breathing heavily, face flushed. An obviously amused Faramir followed him, along with Frodo and Sam.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Boromir raged. He started towards Aragorn, but the former ranger held up a hand.
"Boromir, I know not what our friends have done, but we have been given a task to complete. It would injure Lady Terreis greatly if we did not keep our word."
The elder son of the Steward wavered for a moment before finally giving in.
"I would sooner cut off my right arm than cause Lady Terreis grief. Very well. Let us be off then. The punishment of the hobbits can wait until after our quest is complete."
Two very audible gulps were heard behind Aragorn, but Boromir ignored them. The group continued on, finally coming to a small clearing in the forests of Rivendell.
"How wonderfully convenient!" exclaimed Pippin. "We did not have to search for long, did we?"
The Took was correct. Standing in the middle of the clearing was a young girl, no more than fourteen or fifteen. Her beauty was more than mere words can describe, so the author will not attempt to do her justice. Legolas was instantly entranced.
She stared at the group of elves, men, and hobbits, her eyes growing wider by the minute. What was going on here? It was Elladan who spoke first.
"Are you the lady called 'Star-Stallion'?"
The girl quickly found her voice as she looked into the grey eyes of the son of Elrond.
"I am known to some by that name. Others know me as Moon Star."
"I think Moon Star is a perfect name," breathed Legolas. The girl blushed and bowed her head.
"Friends, we have found her at last. Let us complete our quest."
The astonished Star-Stallion/Moon Star stood still as a statue as, one by one, each of them came up to her and gave her a delicate kiss on the cheek. Pippin, being Pippin, threw in a hug for good measure, which she joyously returned. And Legolas lingered a bit longer than the others, which she didn't mind at all.
"Lady Terreis has sent us all to give you her profound thanks, my lady," Faramir said.
"But what have I done?"
"Don't you know?" asked an astounded Pippin. "Merry, did you hear that? She doesn't know!"
"Yes, Pip. I heard. Clearly Lady Terreis has been more neglectful than we all thought."
Legolas stepped forward and bowed.
"You were the 100th reviewer, my lady. We have been sent to bring you back to Imladris for a great feast in your honor. I myself would be very honored if you would permit me to be your escort for the evening."
Star-Stallion definitely lived up to her name then because of the stars that appeared in her eyes. She practically melted as Legolas carefully threaded her arm through his and began to steer her away from the group, never once taking his eyes from hers. Elladan and Elrohir glared daggers for a while before taking off after them. Faramir and Aragorn, both of whom were already spoken for, shrugged their shoulders and followed. Frodo and Sam went after them, Frodo looking melancholy, Sam looking protective. But Merry and Pippin flew past all of them with Boromir hot on their heels, sword at the ready, yelling.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THOSE FREAKIN' ARROWS HURT?! DO YOU?! I DIED FOR THE TWO OF YOU AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?! BY PAINTING MY SHIELD HOT PINK WITH WHITE DAISIES? HOW MANY TREE TRUNKS DOES A GUY HAVE TO GET STUCK WITH TO GET ANY RESPECT AROUND HERE?!"
As the trio raced past Star-Stallion, she looked at Legolas questioningly. He smiled.
"It is best to not ask questions in situations such as this, my lady. Rest assured the hobbits are in no immediate danger."
And so Star-Stallion relaxed and enjoyed the feast that was held in her honor. The 100th reviewer!!
SHOUT-OUTS:
Star-Stallion: So, do you like it? Huh? Huh? Did I do good? Sorry I didn't mention it sooner. I've been meaning to for, like, the past three chapters. Forgive me, please.
Fool of a Rohirrim: singing You're my soul and my AFB inspiration Hm. Doesn't quite work, does it? Anyway, thanks again for the AFB idea. You're the greatest!
A.E. Hall: Yes, I thought Boromir might be a tad bothered by all the stories that have him alive and well. Personally, however, I enjoy a good 'Boromir lives!' story. And I have read a couple of good 'Denethor abusive' stories. I just wish PJ would've gone to a little more trouble with his character.
Only one day had passed, but several were already beginning to arrive for the council. The four friends from Ancient Greece had arrived first. Daniel, to his chagrin and everyone else's amusement, had gained another admirer in Gabrielle. In exchange though, the arrival of Hercules had effectively stolen Susan Pevensie's attention away from Daniel. Lucy, however, was still a follower of the archaelogist.
Eowyn and Xena had bonded almost instantly and could usually be found at the training grounds. And Hercules' friend, Iolaus, had managed to win the respect of the twins, Haldir, and Glorfindel with his superior hunting and fighting skills.
Next, four children had appeared, introducing themselves as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy. A man by the name of Severus Snape accompanied them. The Pevensies, apparently delighted with the arrival of more 'Brits' struck up conversations with Harry, Hermione, and Ron immediately. Draco didn't seem to be very inclined towards speaking with anyone and Snape, for the most part, kept to himself.
While the Harry Potter group was getting settled, the X-Men group arrived. This group consisted of Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Professor X, Iceman, Cyclops, Mystique and a rather familiar looking man who introduced himself as 'Magneto'. The Middle Earth residents, however, were convinced that Gandalf had, for some reason, returned from the Undying Lands in disguise.
More were now coming in a steady stream. Arwen had guessed correctly about word spreading. People and creatures she had never heard of were entering Rivendell, all eager to rid the world of fanfiction.
Buffy had arrived alone at first, but a friend of hers called Angel came not long after that and the two had disappeared into one of the many hiding places Rivendell offered. A young man by the name of Anakin Skywalker arrived with a beautiful woman he called Padme. Luke and Leia Skywalker, who were apparently the children of Anakin and Padme, were also there, along with their friend, Han Solo. Things got a bit confusing after that, though. Two Obi-Wan Kenobis showed up, each eyeing the other warily. It got even more confusing when Padme kept being spotted with the younger Obi-Wan in what seemed to be almost intimate moments. But that was nothing compared to the scene that had erupted when two seemingly harmless men arrived in Rivendell.
At first glance, anyway, they seemed harmless. An odd pair, to be sure, but harmless. One had dark hair that fell in waves to his shoulders. He wore a grey tunic and black breeches with black boots and a red cape. Completing the costume was a large grey hat with one side of the brim turned up. On that same side was an exceptionally long feather.
His companion's clothing and appearance was far more outrageous. His hair was dark, but much longer than the other's. It hung down his back and was decorated with colorful beads here and there. A well-worn tri-corner hat sat atop his head, covering the red bandana underneath. He was rather dirty in comparison to the other, but still quite charming. Then again, Arwen knew all about 'rather dirty' men who were quite charming.
It was upon closer scrutiny that Arwen realized who the two men were. The first one looked exactly like...Legolas! From her vantage point on the balcony of her room, Arwen frantically searched for the form of Elizabeth, hoping she wouldn't find her outside. Her hopes were in vain.
Elizabeth was outside, heading straight in the direction of the two newcomers. Even worse, Elizabeth was not wearing her AFB! She seemed rather calm, though. Perhaps she had been able to work through her difficulties.
Alas, such was not the case. The simple truth of the matter was that Elizabeth had not seen Will Turner or Captain Jack Sparrow. But, the moment Arwen caught sight of Elizabeth, Elizabeth saw her two love interests. Arwen watched, holding her breath, as Elizabeth froze in her tracks, her body going rigid. She steeled herself against the inevitable hysterics the young girl was sure to go into. But they never came. After emitting one short, piercing shriek, Elizabeth Swann fainted dead away.
Luckily, Daniel had been close by and he caught Elizabeth before she hit the ground. Unluckily, particularly for Daniel, Will hadn't seen Elizabeth until after she had fainted. Therefore, what Will saw was the love of his life in the arms of a strange young man. And, since Will was inclined to be very protective and had been known to take 'rash actions', the first thing he did was draw his sword and hurl himself at Daniel.
Teal'c had been standing nearby as well and, upon seeing the direction Will was headed in, realized that his friend was in danger. The Jaffa neatly stepped in between Will and Daniel just before Will reached them. Unable to stop his charge, Will ran smack into the muscular chest of Teal'c and fell to the ground, dazed.
Jack Sparrow had been quite content to stay out of things until he saw Will on the ground. Being a pirate, he shouldn't have really cared about any of it. But Jack Sparrow was a different sort of pirate and he rushed to aid his friend. The fight had begun.
From her balcony, Arwen felt the beginnings of another headache as several others joined the fray. Colonel O'Neill joined in because it involved Daniel and he was almost as protective of his team as Will was of Elizabeth. Anamaria jumped into the fight just to get another chance to smack her captain across the face. Glorfindel passed by and tried to restore the peace, but wound up with a fist in his jaw for his troubles. This enraged Elladan and Elrohir, who joined without hesitation. Haldir couldn't allow people to think that Rivendell elves were better or braver than Lorien elves, so he joined as well.
Others besides members of the fellowship soon joined. Gabrielle, ever the peacemaker, tried to stop the fight, but was soon drawn into the brawl. Xena, seeing her friend in a fight, drew her sword and with a loud, 'Ai-yi- yi-i-yi-yi-yi-yi!' she launched herself into the air, landing in the direct middle of the group. Eowyn followed, only to see the warrior princess in real action, but wound up as a participant anyway.
In no time, nearly every newcomer to Rivendell was involved in the fight. Lightsabers flashed and 'whooshed' . Wands lit up the area. The air around Rivendell darkened as a storm began to brew. Lightning flashed. Wolverine's claws flashed. Several people were experiencing cold chills as ice mysteriously found its way onto the ground. And Arwen fell into despair.
She slowly began her descent down the stairs and towards the ever-growing altercation. With every step she took, she asked the Valar why they had seen fit to appoint her the head of such a task. Just before stepping outside, she was stopped by a hand. Whirling around, Arwen found herself facing Sam, Evelyn, Anck, Celia, the hobbits, Susan, and Lucy. Everyone else, it appeared, was involved in the skirmish outside.
"Even though you can be quite loud when angry, Arwen," Celia stated, "we decided that you would need something other than your voice to get your attention."
She indicated Sam who, with a grin on her face, held out Colonel O'Neill's beloved Beretta. Arwen stared at the weapon in disbelief.
"You want me to shoot one of them?" she inquired. And was immediately stunned when she realized her inner voice was having no problems with that idea.
"No, of course not," Sam explained. "Just fire it up into the air. It's very simple."
The queen of Gondor hesitated.
"I do not think I should handle it. Samantha, would you do it for me? You are much more familiar with the weapon." Arwen left unspoken the thought that temptation might be too much for her…
"If that's what you want," Sam agreed.
Arwen smiled her thanks and then continued on her way. The others followed.
The smaller, more peaceful group surveyed the larger, warlike group with irritation for a few moments before Arwen finally spoke.
"Go ahead, Samantha."
With what could almost be seen as glee, Major Samantha Carter lifted her CO's Beretta into the air and fired. It had the desired effect.
When the dust had settled, Arwen could see that, while no one was seriously injured, there were many cuts and bruises that would have to be tended to. That meant delays. Arwen hated delays. Everyone looked at her, most not knowing what to expect, but several knowing that they were in for it. But Arwen did not yell. She was surprisingly calm, although her voice was low and forceful. Those who knew her best were unnerved by this fact. They knew it meant trouble.
"I want to see everyone in the council area in two hours. Glorfindel!"
The golden-haired elf emerged from the crowd. He had a swollen jaw, a cut across one arm, and a rip at the knee of his clothing. Arwen shook her head in disbelief.
"Glorfindel, would you please summon Erestor and have him help you tend to our guests' injuries? Elladan and Elrohir will help as well."
"So will we," Celia and Sam said in unison. Arwen nodded at them in thanks.
"Oh, and I am sure Haldir would not mind sharing the healing secrets of the Lorien elves. Would you, Haldir?"
Haldir, looking even more miserable than Glorfindel and the twins, shook his head slowly. Arwen smiled sweetly. Too sweetly.
"I wish to see our two newest arrivals after they have been tended to. Are Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner conscious?"
"Aye, they're alive and breathin'. Unfortunately," Anamaria called out. Behind Arwen, the hobbits struggled not to laugh as the others fought smiles of their own.
"Oh, good. Anamaria, could you see that they get to the library in one piece?"
"Aye."
"Thank you. As for the rest of you, just stay where you are for now. We will get all of this sorted out when we gather in the council area."
Arwen turned to go, but Sam's words stopped her.
"Where's Daniel?"
Looking around, Arwen could see no trace of the archaeologist or Elizabeth. Just as she was beginning to get concerned, a voice came from above them.
"I'm here!"
Everyone looked up to see Daniel on the balcony of one of the rooms. The members of the fellowship realized it was the room Elizabeth and Anamaria shared.
"Daniel, are you okay?" Sam called up at him.
"I'm fine. Not a scratch. Things got so crazy that I was able to pick Elizabeth up and bring her up to her room without any one even noticing," Daniel turned away for a moment, looking back into the room, and then turned back to the crowd. "She's still out, though."
"What are you doing in her room?!"
The question came from, who else, Will Turner. His eyes blazed as he fixed them on Daniel. Arwen pursed her lips, but wasn't able to speak before Daniel fired his own little barb back.
"I plan to seduce her and show her what it's like to make love to a real man," he retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Two short barks of laughter rang out, both belonging to men named Jack. Will started in Daniel's direction, only to be stopped by Anamaria. She was much stronger than she looked…
"Daniel, that's enough," Arwen chastised her friend, although she couldn't keep the amusement out of her eyes. She turned to Will and narrowed her eyes at him. "William Turner, I wish to speak with you immediately. Your companion can wait. Anamaria, will you bring him to the library now?"
"Aye."
"I'm not going anywhere until I know Elizabeth is safe and that man is out of her room!" Will declared. He jerked out of Anamaria's grasp and started towards the Last Homely House. Once again, he was stopped. But this time it was Hercules standing in his way. The son of Zeus looked down at Will, his arms crossed over his chest. Will scowled at him.
"I believe the lady wants to speak with you now, William," Hercules said in a low tone. His three friends exchanged glances. One of the things Hercules could not abide was for a man to ignore a woman. Will, unwisely, ignored the warning in the demigod's tone. He moved to step around him and Hercules moved to stand in front. They continued this strange little dance until Will, exasperated, finally gave in.
"FINE!" he yelled. He followed Anamaria in the direction of the library. Arwen, after thanking Hercules, went inside as well. Sam went up to make sure Daniel was alright and to help tend to Elizabeth.
"Well, it would seem that, no matter what color or length your hair is and whether your ears are pointed or not, you are destined to be the cause of trouble wherever you go."
"I beg your pardon?"
Will was very confused by Arwen's statement. She did not bother to answer him, however. Instead, she took a long look at his sword.
"What happened to your sword?" she inquired. Will scowled.
"I don't know. One minute I'm fighting with it and the next it just bent around into a loop. The same thing happened with Jack's cutlass."
Arwen kept her eyes on the mangled sword for a moment before returning to the situation at hand.
"William, I am speaking to you because of Elizabeth. She has become a good friend of mine and I will not have you or Captain Sparrow causing her grief while you are here. The poor girl is unstable because of all this fanfiction nonsense and you will certainly not be helping by rushing to her rescue every chance you get. For one thing, Elizabeth was not in need of any help this afternoon. Not from you, anyway."
"So she loves this man? The man that was in her room?" Will's face fell and Arwen felt a pang of sympathy for him. After all, he did really love Elizabeth. Even though he was far too protective of her.
"No, she does not love him. He is her friend, nothing more. What you saw was Daniel catching Elizabeth. She had fainted and he kept her from hitting the ground. As for what he said to you….I imagine he felt rather insulted that you would accuse him of….what you seemed to be accusing him of," Arwen finished lamely, not wanting to voice what Will's accusations had implied.
To his credit, Will looked rather guilty.
"I've been told that I'm rather inclined to rush into things by several people. I guess that's what I did this time."
"I would have to agree with you on that point, William," Arwen graced him with a small smile, endeavoring to make sure she didn't harbor any anger towards him. "If you and Captain Sparrow are to remain here, you will simply have to keep your distance from Elizabeth. Do not approach her. Do not speak to her unless she is speaking to you."
"Yes, Lady Arwen," Will replied, feeling like a schoolboy in a classroom.
"Now, I believe that Anamaria is waiting outside to take you and get those cuts tended to."
If there was anything Will Turner knew when he heard it, it was a dismissal. After apologizing to Arwen, he left the room and followed Anamaria to get his injuries tended to. Arwen sighed and sank into a nearby chair, but she wasn't able to find rest for long. Eowyn burst into the room, holding the sword that Faramir had given her as an anniversary present last year. It was Eowyn's pride and joy. And now it was a mess.
"Eowyn, what happened?"
"Look at my sword, Arwen!" Eowyn was practically in tears, which was quite a shock for Arwen. "How will I explain this to Faramir? How can steel simply tie itself into a knot?"
"I don't know," Arwen admitted, very perplexed by all the swords that were bent out of shape. A voice from the doorway caught the attention of both women.
"I believe I can explain it," said Professor X. He came into the room, followed by Storm, Rogue, and Gandalf. Well, the man who claimed he wasn't Gandalf.
"This is the handiwork of my good friend," the professor said, looking up at Magneto. The evil mutant merely smiled in return. He had managed to get in quite a bit of fun during that fight. All over Rivendell, guests were finding their swords and even guns bent into all sorts of impossible shapes. And one very angry warrior princess was holding a piece of metal in the shape of a figure eight that used to be her chakram.
"Well, then I finally do believe you are not Gandalf," Arwen said, her tone that of an imperious queen. "Gandalf would never play such a childish prank."
The smile quickly left Magneto's face, but the other three mutants seemed to find Arwen's comment rather amusing. Magneto was just plain annoyed by it.
"Don't worry, Lady Arwen," Professor Xavier continued. "Erik can fix them. Can't you, Erik?"
Magneto glared at the professor and it was Xavier's turn to smile back. Grudgingly, he finally admitted that he could.
"I would appreciate it if you did," Arwen stated matter-of-factly. Magneto merely nodded and stormed out of the room.
"Well. That went well," Eowyn said with false cheer. Xavier sighed.
"I apologize for my associate's behavior. He's been rather bored since our arrival. You don't have a great deal of metal around here and, during the fight, he was somewhat excited to see all that metal in one place."
"That is quite alright, Professor. No need to apologize," Arwen smiled again, pausing to wonder if her face was going to be stuck in these polite smiles for the rest of her life. "Now, if none of you mind, I would really like to get some rest before we meet in the council area."
"Of course, Lady Arwen," Xavier turned his wheelchair and made his way out of the room, trailed by Storm and Rogue. Eowyn stayed behind for a little while.
"Do you need anything, Arwen?" she inquired, feeling guilty for her own involvement in the earlier battle.
"Yes," Arwen sighed. "I need my head examined for ever thinking about doing anything like this."
"I guess I'll just leave you alone," Eowyn said. She tiptoed out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.
Once Eowyn was gone, Arwen laid down on a nearby sofa. She needed a nap.
A/N: Next chapter: The mini-council!