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 fabulous reviews, everybody.
Tiggivon: Thank you for this wonderful review. All of your reviews and all of your encouragement have been a joy to read, and I hope that you will read and enjoy my next story, too. I'm so glad that you got so much pleasure out of this fic. :o) Thank you!
Raider314: Thanks for the great review! I've much enjoyed reading your reviews. Thanks for the tips, compliments, comments, and suggestions. I've loved them all. :o)
Marissa: :o) Thanks! Your reviews have been fun to read, and I hope you'll tune in for my next story, too. :o) Thank you again!
Europa: Thank you for the review, and for all of the reviews. I've loved your feedback, it was very kind of you. I'm glad you enjoyed this story. :o)
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Frodo could feel the warmth of the morning sun shining on his eyelids before he opened them. He felt somehow safe and secure, though he could feel that he was lying on his cloak on the ground, and his head ached as if something had fallen on it. He lay motionless, content, for a few seconds. Then, in a rush, he remembered all that had happened.
He sat up abruptly, his eyes snapping open, the pain he felt forgotten. In place of it now, worry. He looked around, just in time to see Aragorn turn to him from a few feet away. Almost imperceptible relief crossed the ranger's face as he got up and made his way over to Frodo.
"How do you feel?" he asked softly when he reached him, sounding still concerned.
"Not bad," said Frodo, after brief consideration. "What about the monster? What about the others? Where's Sam?" he asked the last question with alarm, recalling the last image he had of Sam, high in the tree before it collapsed.
"Sam's fine," Aragorn assured him quietly, taking Frodo's arm to support him as he got to his feet. "He was lucky enough to fall into some bushes when the tree came down. We've all been restored, the monster is dead; you destroyed it."
Frodo looked away now, a bit embarassed. A few yards before him, Gandalf, Gimli, and Boromir sat side by side on the thin trunk of a fallen tree. A small figure stood on the other side of it, looking away into the trees, then, slowly, turning its head toward Frodo.
"Frodo!" came the exclamation, and Sam bounded over the tree, up to his friend, taking Frodo's arm as Aragorn released it, stepping back to let the friends have their own time together.
"How do you feel?" Sam began.
"I'm fine," Frodo replied, giving him a hug, which Sam happily returned.
Sam's face held a hindered relief as the hug ended. He looked into Frodo's eyes, a tad mournful.
"Frodo," he said heavily. "I--just want to say that I'm…My behavior--"
"It's alright, Sam" Frodo interrupted with a smile. "We weren't ourselves. None of us were."
"Indeed," Gimli cut in from his seat. "It's terribly embarassing, remembering how very unhelpful we were."
"You came through in the end," said Frodo kindly, looking over.
Just then, another small figure emerged from the trees on the other side of the clearing, carrying two bulging packs.
"I found some strawberries," Pippin said happily, with his mouth full, lugging his filled-to-capacity bags over to the fallen tree.
"Excellent," said Boromir, getting off the tree and unburdening the hobbit. "This should sustain us for a while. Now, where are--"
Before he could finish his sentence, Merry stepped through the trees, blinking drowsily as if he'd just woken up from a long nap. He smiled at the others as Legolas appeared silently behind him, his pale face now clean and bright once more, his once-wounded arm bandaged finally, neatly. The sun shone brightly on his fine blonde hair, which was tied back out of his face again, as he, to, smiled expectantly at the rest of the company.
"Right, that's everyone," said Gimli, standing up. "We should set out."
"Just a minute, Gimli," said Gandalf, pulling something out from inside his robes, turning around. "Frodo,"
The hobbit looked up, his expression indicating that he knew just what the wizard was talking about. Slowly, soberly, he walked over and extended his hand resolutely. Gandalf, holding it by its chain, dropped the ring onto Frodo's palm, and the hobbit drew the chain over his head, looking up at the wizard with a strange sort of gratitude.
"You know, I'm almost glad that I can do this again," he said softly.
Gandalf smiled admiringly at him, then straightened up, looking off to the horizon as the sun began to rise over the treetops. He looked all around, at Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, and Aragorn.
"Let us go," he said.
The End
Author's Note: Some of you may have noticed in Chapter 10 that I said I was working on a sequel. Well, I am working on another LOTR story, but it's turning out to be more of a stand-alone than a sequel. It's probably going to be more serious than this one, but it should be exciting, all the same. The working title is "The Difference", and I'm writing the first part now, so it should be up soon!
I just want to thank everyone who reviewed my story for doing so. It's really kind, I look forward to reading the reviews so much, they're a gigantic confidence-booster. Thank you! :o)
And, I want to thank all of you, whether or not you reviewed, for reading and sticking with this story. Thank you for your patience in waiting for the updates, and thank you for giving me your time.
See you next story!
Leafy )--