~*~*~ A/N: All rightie! Thanks for the positive reviews, I'm now in a MUCH better mood! It's kinna late, but I'm writing anyway. ^.^ I finally decided what to do with this fic... in the shower, no less. lol. Think in the shower, it's the best place! Well, that and when brushing one's teeth. ^.^ *~*~*~
Nicole's eyes shot open as she felt someone standing above her. She squinted in the darkness, seeing that it was merely Luinëlotwen.
"What?" asked Nicole in a whisper, as Luinëlotwen aided her to her feet.
"The Lady Galadriel wishes audience with you," Luinëlotwen replied, pointing toward the door. "You are to go quickly."
Nicole nodded, and stood, tip-toing across the wooden floor, wondering what could be so important that it required rousing her from a peaceful sleep.
She descended the stairs, the woods almost deathly quiet. Slowly, she neared Galadriel's garden, tilting her head as she rapped softly upon the door.
"Enter, Nicole," the wise Galadriel spoke, bidding her open the door. Nicole slipped in quietly, turning her attention to a corner of the garden, where Galadriel stood before a large vat.
"Look into my mirror," she continued, and Nicole stepped up, gulping slightly. She *so* remembered this part of the movie.
Galadriel poured water gently into the mirror. At first, the water merely rippled, and then was still. However, after a few more moments, the water seemed to darken, as images seemed to appear.
First, Nicole saw her mother, posting missing posters all over the city. Then, she saw herself, falling from the sky into Lothlorien. She saw next Haldir, aiming his bow and smiting an orc. She saw Haldir again, this time smiling at her as they neared for a kiss.
The image blurred, and then Nicole saw a young man, with dark hair and eyes, approaching her beloved Haldir from the back, stabbing him quickly. She could almost hear Haldir's shout in her mind.
Nikki gasped, grasping onto the edges of the mirror. Her jaw dropped as Haldir fell, dying.
"No!" she cried, reaching toward the water.
"Do not touch the water," Galadriel commanded. Then, the image disappeared. Nikki stared at the blank water in silence for several moments, then looked up at Galadriel.
"This is why Celeborn and I have warned you of romance with Haldir," she said lowly.
"I do not understand," said Nicole, shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the image. "Who was that, who killed Haldir?"
"Haldir's son smote his own father."
"Son?" Nicole raised her eyebrows, misunderstanding for a moment. "I did not know Haldir had a son."
"He does not," said Galadriel gently, placing a comforting hand upon Nicole's shoulder. "At least, he does not yet."
Nicole's jaw once again dropped as she realized the meaning of this. The meaning of the warnings, of the portents.
Galadriel nodded, reading Nikki's thoughts.
"Ai, my child. If you and Haldir should have a romance, this is how it would end; Haldir's own son killing him."
"Why?" Nicole whispered, looking down.
"It matters not why," said Galadriel wisely. "Merely that it will come to pass, if you do not heed our warnings."
"Have you shown this to Haldir?" Nikki asked, and Galadriel shook her head.
"Nae, for he is not meant to see it, and the mirror would not show it to him. Nicole, until you find a way to return to your own world, you must distance yourself from Haldir."
"Can I tell him of this?" Nicole asked, and Galadriel glanced downward in thought.
"You may, but he wouldst not believe you. Or you may not, and he would not understand why you refuse to romance him. It matters not what you choose to tell him - merely that you do not love him."
Nicole nodded slightly.
"I thank you, Lady Galadriel. For now I realize the danger of such a romance."
Galadriel smiled softly, and nodded in return. Nicole bowed her head, then turned, leaving the garden of Galadriel.
She crept quietly back into the House of Healing, but not quiet enough to avoid waking Haldir.
"Where did you go?" he asked, as she crawled back into her bed.
"The Lady Galadriel wished to speak with me," she responded, settling down against the mattress.
"Of what?" asked Haldir, sounding intrigued. "What could not wait until the morn?"
"About how to get me back home," responded Nikki, not even having to fake the yawn that followed. "I'm going back to sleep," she said.
"Good night, then."
The next morning, Haldir awoke early, getting quickly out of bed. His shoulder felt much better and, after an examination by Luinëlotwen, it was decided that he had healed, faster than was expected.
Nicole, however, was not so eager to awaken, for she had been plagued for the remainder of the night with nightmares. She buried her face in her pillow, blocking out the sunlight that poured in through the windows.
Haldir smiled, and watched her as she tossed and turned, trying to fall back to sleep, quite unsuccessfully.
Finally, she gave up, and sat on the edge of her bed. She stretched her arms, yawning.
"I need to get the Sun to leave for a little while," she murmured, and Haldir chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"We prefer the stars," he said, referring to all of the elves.
"Yes, stars are good.. not as much light," responded Nikki, finally smiling a bit. "Ungh, where's breakfast? I'm in the need for a bagel."
"Bagel?" asked Haldir, and Nicole pretended to collapse onto her bed.
"Oi.. no bagels?! I wanna gooo hooome!"
Nicole sat at the small table, beside Haldir, as they ate fruits and bread, drinking water.
"Still want that bagel," Nikki muttered, and Haldir shook his head, smiling at her. She ate a piece of a melon, trying not to allow juice to dribble down her chin. Once again, quite unsuccessful.
Haldir chuckled, and reached over to her, gently swiping his thumb over Nicole's chin, wiping the bit of juice away. She grinned, glancing down.
"Melons are a bit messy," she confessed, and Haldir nodded.
"They are," he agreed, and she grinned as he bit into a piece, juice gently falling onto his chin as well.
"Let me get that for you," she said softly, leaning forward and kissing his chin softly. He closed his eyes, a soft smile spreading across his face, and leaned forward, to kiss Nicole upon the lips.
A vision of her son killing Haldir passed quickly before her eyes, and she jumped backward, knocking a chair over in the process.
"I-I'm sorry," she said, as she stood, picking the chair back up.
"What is wrong?" asked Haldir, confusion in his voice.
"We cannot," she responded, shaking her head. And that is all she would say.
~*~*~ A/N: Ooh. The plot thickens. ~*~**~*~
Nicole's eyes shot open as she felt someone standing above her. She squinted in the darkness, seeing that it was merely Luinëlotwen.
"What?" asked Nicole in a whisper, as Luinëlotwen aided her to her feet.
"The Lady Galadriel wishes audience with you," Luinëlotwen replied, pointing toward the door. "You are to go quickly."
Nicole nodded, and stood, tip-toing across the wooden floor, wondering what could be so important that it required rousing her from a peaceful sleep.
She descended the stairs, the woods almost deathly quiet. Slowly, she neared Galadriel's garden, tilting her head as she rapped softly upon the door.
"Enter, Nicole," the wise Galadriel spoke, bidding her open the door. Nicole slipped in quietly, turning her attention to a corner of the garden, where Galadriel stood before a large vat.
"Look into my mirror," she continued, and Nicole stepped up, gulping slightly. She *so* remembered this part of the movie.
Galadriel poured water gently into the mirror. At first, the water merely rippled, and then was still. However, after a few more moments, the water seemed to darken, as images seemed to appear.
First, Nicole saw her mother, posting missing posters all over the city. Then, she saw herself, falling from the sky into Lothlorien. She saw next Haldir, aiming his bow and smiting an orc. She saw Haldir again, this time smiling at her as they neared for a kiss.
The image blurred, and then Nicole saw a young man, with dark hair and eyes, approaching her beloved Haldir from the back, stabbing him quickly. She could almost hear Haldir's shout in her mind.
Nikki gasped, grasping onto the edges of the mirror. Her jaw dropped as Haldir fell, dying.
"No!" she cried, reaching toward the water.
"Do not touch the water," Galadriel commanded. Then, the image disappeared. Nikki stared at the blank water in silence for several moments, then looked up at Galadriel.
"This is why Celeborn and I have warned you of romance with Haldir," she said lowly.
"I do not understand," said Nicole, shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the image. "Who was that, who killed Haldir?"
"Haldir's son smote his own father."
"Son?" Nicole raised her eyebrows, misunderstanding for a moment. "I did not know Haldir had a son."
"He does not," said Galadriel gently, placing a comforting hand upon Nicole's shoulder. "At least, he does not yet."
Nicole's jaw once again dropped as she realized the meaning of this. The meaning of the warnings, of the portents.
Galadriel nodded, reading Nikki's thoughts.
"Ai, my child. If you and Haldir should have a romance, this is how it would end; Haldir's own son killing him."
"Why?" Nicole whispered, looking down.
"It matters not why," said Galadriel wisely. "Merely that it will come to pass, if you do not heed our warnings."
"Have you shown this to Haldir?" Nikki asked, and Galadriel shook her head.
"Nae, for he is not meant to see it, and the mirror would not show it to him. Nicole, until you find a way to return to your own world, you must distance yourself from Haldir."
"Can I tell him of this?" Nicole asked, and Galadriel glanced downward in thought.
"You may, but he wouldst not believe you. Or you may not, and he would not understand why you refuse to romance him. It matters not what you choose to tell him - merely that you do not love him."
Nicole nodded slightly.
"I thank you, Lady Galadriel. For now I realize the danger of such a romance."
Galadriel smiled softly, and nodded in return. Nicole bowed her head, then turned, leaving the garden of Galadriel.
She crept quietly back into the House of Healing, but not quiet enough to avoid waking Haldir.
"Where did you go?" he asked, as she crawled back into her bed.
"The Lady Galadriel wished to speak with me," she responded, settling down against the mattress.
"Of what?" asked Haldir, sounding intrigued. "What could not wait until the morn?"
"About how to get me back home," responded Nikki, not even having to fake the yawn that followed. "I'm going back to sleep," she said.
"Good night, then."
The next morning, Haldir awoke early, getting quickly out of bed. His shoulder felt much better and, after an examination by Luinëlotwen, it was decided that he had healed, faster than was expected.
Nicole, however, was not so eager to awaken, for she had been plagued for the remainder of the night with nightmares. She buried her face in her pillow, blocking out the sunlight that poured in through the windows.
Haldir smiled, and watched her as she tossed and turned, trying to fall back to sleep, quite unsuccessfully.
Finally, she gave up, and sat on the edge of her bed. She stretched her arms, yawning.
"I need to get the Sun to leave for a little while," she murmured, and Haldir chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"We prefer the stars," he said, referring to all of the elves.
"Yes, stars are good.. not as much light," responded Nikki, finally smiling a bit. "Ungh, where's breakfast? I'm in the need for a bagel."
"Bagel?" asked Haldir, and Nicole pretended to collapse onto her bed.
"Oi.. no bagels?! I wanna gooo hooome!"
Nicole sat at the small table, beside Haldir, as they ate fruits and bread, drinking water.
"Still want that bagel," Nikki muttered, and Haldir shook his head, smiling at her. She ate a piece of a melon, trying not to allow juice to dribble down her chin. Once again, quite unsuccessful.
Haldir chuckled, and reached over to her, gently swiping his thumb over Nicole's chin, wiping the bit of juice away. She grinned, glancing down.
"Melons are a bit messy," she confessed, and Haldir nodded.
"They are," he agreed, and she grinned as he bit into a piece, juice gently falling onto his chin as well.
"Let me get that for you," she said softly, leaning forward and kissing his chin softly. He closed his eyes, a soft smile spreading across his face, and leaned forward, to kiss Nicole upon the lips.
A vision of her son killing Haldir passed quickly before her eyes, and she jumped backward, knocking a chair over in the process.
"I-I'm sorry," she said, as she stood, picking the chair back up.
"What is wrong?" asked Haldir, confusion in his voice.
"We cannot," she responded, shaking her head. And that is all she would say.
~*~*~ A/N: Ooh. The plot thickens. ~*~**~*~