Monstrous

by Leafy

Author's Note: This is my first LOTR fanfic ever. It is loosely based on an episode of the television show "Red Dwarf".

                Also, this fic is more based on the movie of Fellowship of the Ring, rather than the books.

I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I, the author of this fic, do not own anything Lord of the Rings or Red Dwarf.

Thank you for the nice reviews, everybody. J

A few catch-ups on my part:

Robin Gurl: Thanks for the lovely review! I'm quite glad you like it. I checked at a Tolkien source, and they said that Gandalf can touch the ring, only he reeeeeeeally doesn't want to, something that I'll be dealing with later in the story. Thanks for helping me out! J

Europa: Thanks for the nice reviews, I'm very happy that you're enjoying the story. What Gimli lost will be made clear in this chapter. Thanks again! J

Sarridy: I'm glad you like my story, too. Yeah, it does seem like those affected become a complete opposite of themselves, huh? Wait'll you see what happens to Legolas. ;-) Thanks!

Tiggivon: It's so cool, you watch Red Dwarf, too! I love that episode, too. And by the way, yeah, I think you know what I have in mind for Leggy. J Thanks for the review!

Thank you also, Lady Mercury. J Very kind of you.

And now, on with the story!

*              *              *

Merry's eyes fluttered open, and he sat up groggily, looking about at the dim campsite.

He had been asleep, lying on his cloak next to the fire. He had woken up because he'd felt something poke him in the shoulder. Merry looked around.

There was no one in the immediate vicinity, except Aragorn behind him, sitting up on a log. Supposedly, he had been keeping watch over to camp, but his gaze was fixed on Merry.

"What's going on?" Merry asked.

"It's your watch," said Aragorn gruffly, then stood up.

"But, I just went before you, didn't I?" Merry protested, stifling a yawn.

"Yes, but Pippin looks tired," said Aragorn softly, spreading his own cloak on the ground on the other side of the fire.

Merry got up and moved over to the log.

"So do you," he said, looking Aragorn over.

Aragorn laughed dismissively, lying down on the ground.

Merry sighed, rubbed his eyes, and plopped down onto the log. He couldn't help but feel annoyed. He did, of course, realize that there weren't as many of them able to help keep watch, but he felt like he'd barely gone to sleep before he was woken up again.

"Tired?" said Aragorn, looking up at Merry from his makeshift bed. He seemed a little smug.

"A bit," Merry admitted shortly, rubbing sleep from his eyes again.

"Mmm. Well, it is late," Aragorn continued, seeming to agree with the hobbit. "Still, my six hours were up, so--"

"Six hours?" Merry interrupted, shocked.

"Oh, yes--I took over for Sam, he looked tired, too."

"Suppose I mustn't have looked very tired," Merry thought resentfully, turning away from Aragorn and back to the trees.

He was still tired--quite tired, despite the six hours of sleep he'd just found out about. And what was six hours anyway? Not much at all. He couldn't help it if he was still tired. He'd had a hard day. A hard, hard day.

Merry allowed himself to slide off the log and onto the ground. He leaned his head against the log. He didn't have to pay super-close attention, anyway. The monster had already had three helping of heated emotions that day; Frodo's fear, Boromir's self-interest, and Gimli's anger, as Gandalf had explained earlier. Surely, the beast wouldn't bother them again, at least until morning.

Merry's eyes shut, but he forced them to open again. No, he had to stay awake, he had to stay alert and watch for the monster.

Just then, Merry heard someone approaching from behind. He turned to see Aragorn, standing on the other side of the log.

"If you're very tired, I can take over for you," he said coaxingly.

"Oh, no, thanks," said Merry. "You need sleep, too. You certainly look like it."

"I'm fine," Aragorn insisted. "And look at you--you're so weary, you can't even stay on the log."

Aragorn took a seat.

"Just rest a little while longer, why don't you? I'll let you know if I get tired."

"Uhm…"said Merry in feeble protest, but he could no longer think straight. He was too tired.

"Alright," he said finally, collapsing onto his side on the leaves and shutting his eyes. He was asleep instantly, and didn't even hear the sucking noise begin behind his head.

**********

"Where's Merry?" Aragorn demanded, standing between Pippin's occupied cloak and Merry's empty one, looking down at the sleeping one.

"Huh?" Pippin sat up, blearily looking over at Merry's vacant space.

"I dunno," he began, rather alarmed. "Can't you find him?"

"No," said Aragorn. "I was hadn't taken over for him twenty minutes when Sam came and told me he wasn't here."

"Oh, no," Pippin stood up, hurrying to the edge of the clearing. "Merry!" he called worriedly, honestly expecting this to work.

"Yes?" came the instant response.

Merry stepped out from the trees behind Pippin and Aragorn. He was carrying a large pile of neatly chopped firewood, on top of which was balanced Gimli's axe, with what looked like a new handle.

Aragorn gave him a puzzled look.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"Just chopping some wood," answered Merry insouciantly. "I noticed we were a bit low," he set down his perfect stack next to the still-sizable pile of sticks and brush Gimli had brought back earlier.

"I didn't hear you, though," said Aragorn, not taking his eyes off the hobbit, who was adding logs to the fire and neatening up the second pile of kindling, simultaneously.

"Oh, the really good trees were on the other side of the river," he explained, finishing with the wood. He went quickly over to his pack, pulled out a piece of flint and, sitting up quite straight on a log, began sharpening the axe.

"Is that Gimli's axe?" Pippin asked, studying his cousin and friend with the same concerned curiosity as Aragorn.

"Yes, it is. He said that I could borrow it, and seemed very pleased that I fixed the handle," said Merry. He paused and looked up at the pair. "What's the matter? Is it my turn to stand guard again?"

"You just finished," Aragorn reminded him.

"Still, if you're at all tired, I can take over for you. I don't mind in the least."

"No, you need to sleep," replied Aragorn stiffly. Something was definitely wrong with Merry.

"Sleep!" Merry scoffed amiably. "I don't need sleep, anymore than Frodo needs a sword."

**********

"Sloth," said Gandalf, as he observed Merry, who was systematically reorganizing the interior of everyone's packs whil the soup he'd prepared for breakfast was heating to perfection over the now-roaring fire. "Laziness. Meriadoc won't sleep or rest anymore, now."

"Ever?" Pippin and Sam chorused, looking up at the wizard, away from their amazement at the other hobbit.

"He'll believe he doesn't need to," replied Gandalf. "And nothing we say or do will be able to change that."

"You mean, besides killing the monster, right?" asked Pippin anxiously.

"Yes, Peregrine," said Gandalf. "All the more reason to try to find the beast as soon as possible."

Merry, who'd been humming energetically to himself, came over to the fire then, somewhat unsteadily, due to the fact that he had nine freshly-carved wooden bowls full of a succulent-smelling, thick soup balanced in his arms. He thrust a bowl at each of the members of the fellowship, who accepted them in turn. Merry ate his standing up, pacing back and forth, occasionally throwing extra fuel on.

Boromir ate about half of his soup, then declared that, while it was very good soup indeed, he didn't see why it should be wasted on him. He dumped the rest back into the pot, then said that he was going to stand guard until the others were ready, before disappearing into the trees. Aragorn, already at his wits' end, bowed his head in frustration at this, inadvertantly dipping the ends of his hair in his soup. Merry tentatively suggested that Aragorn's hair could do with a wash anyway, and had to dodge a half-full bowl of soup as Aragorn left to wait with Boromir.

**********

"What a fool I was, what a selfish fool!" Boromir explained to Aragorn, swinging his sword about carelessly at his side. "I almost don't want to find this beast, honestly, with all it's done for me. Still, if it's taught me anything, it's that my own opinion doesn't matter in the least, so--"

Just then, Frodo came dashing through the trees to speak to Aragorn, who had achieved a very numb state of mind by then.

"Merry's just cleaning up the breakfast things," said Frodo, then turned expectantly to Boromir, who instantly handed him his own sword. "Thanks," he said, then turned back to Aragorn. "Other than that, everyone's ready."

Aragorn nodded gratefully, then headed back up to the camp.

He sighed when he got there, and looked around. The lunacy of the past evening and night had begun to take its toll on him. He hoped fervently that they would find the monster today, soon.

Suddenly, Aragorn stopped dead in his train of thought. He looked all around the camp, turning around even, a full three hundred and sixty degrees.

"No," he thought desperately. "No, it can't be…"

"Come, let us depart!" Gandalf said then.

The others present slung their packs on their backs and made sure of their weapons, then followed the wizard. All except Aragorn, who remained where he was, looking like his head was about to explode. Gandalf turned back and approached him.

"Aragorn," he said firmly. "Come, we haven't a moment to lose."

"I think that's right," mumbled Aragorn, not making eye contact with him.

"What's wrong?" asked Gandalf, picking up his tone.

Aragorn faced him then.

"Look around," he rasped. "The elf is gone."

~~~End of Part 4

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this part up! I hope you liked it. Please review, if you're in the mood. I'd love to know what you think. J