Author's Note: Time for another Crossover beginning! I'm interested to see how this is received, much like some of the others, I noticed there aren't many LOTR/Twilight stories. And within those, there aren't that many of this pairing, or they've been let go after time. Basically, I couldn't resist! So, tell me what you think about it! Hopefully it won't be too cliché!
Story Information:
*Rating: Fiction M- language (at times!), adult themes/situations, violence (there's a war brewing!), some graphic descriptions, etc.
*Pairing: Legolas/Bella (Lily Collins-again!)
*Warning!: This is a definite AU/sometimes OOC crossover piece! Incorporating some Twilight cast into LOTR will change plenty. From the LOTR side, this will be mainly movie-centric, though some things from novel-centric themes will be used. So, if you're a stickler for the LOTR canon, this might not be for you. Of course, if you're a stickler for it then I have no idea what you're doing venturing into the Crossover section anyway!
Support and feedback is always welcomed and encouraged! Keep any story hating or flames to yourself though please, those aren't needed!
Disclaimer: In no way do I own or claim to own the characters/material from either the Twilight Series (movies/novels) or from Lord of the Rings (movies/novels). Those are purely the work of their authors/writers, producers, directors, etc. I also do NOT own any copyrighted/trademarked material that may be cited in this story. I just like to play with characters and only claim my personal plot ideas!
"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."
She hadn't the faintest clue where she was.
It was supposed to be simple; just a peaceful walk on a rare day where the cloud cover gave way to Washington sun and, if she possessed even the smallest bit of luck, she would manage to use her map and compass correctly, leading her to the meadow she once shared with him. She didn't even really know why it was that she wanted to go there. Sure, she had gone a little crazy at the beginning with her nearly catatonic state and all, but she wasn't going to go out and actively seek out painful memories. Maybe it was because her new, albeit shaky, support system in Jacob Black had obviously failed horribly. Maybe it was the need to reacquaint herself with a time she had been happy before she finally closed that door and sought out a new one. Or maybe…maybe it had something to do with the yearning deep in her soul she was barely aware of, a restless energy that called out for her, that had her tying the laces on her new hiking boots earlier that morning without a thought to the fact that she wasn't much of a hiker at all.
Whatever it was, Bella should have known that luck and herself didn't fit together in the same sentence, unless there was a negative adjective stringing them together.
Really she should have known better.
It started with the blisters, the fresh leather of her boots chafing her pale, delicate skin until it was a blotchy red and extra sensitive. Then there were the seventeen different trips, scuffs, stumbles, tumbles and minor falls she'd taken…(still counting, by the way). After that came the two times she was almost entirely positive she had gotten lost, the trees looking exceedingly similar to each other in the dense foliage as she spun around. Next, after she had finally managed to miraculously accomplish her goal of stepping foot in the meadow once more, already picturing its beautiful wildflowers painting an array of colors across the fresh, crisp greenness of its grasses, she caught a glimpse of it and froze mid-step in shock.
It was dead. There was no rainbow of vibrant hues, there was only brown- a yellowy brown of crumbling, crinkling dead things. Dead grasses, dead flowers, dead leaves.
It was all…dead.
The logical part of her being, dressed in a primly proper pencil skirt and button down shirt with her mahogany locks wrapped up in a tight bun at the back of her head and a pair of stern glasses perched on her nose, reminded her brain that "Of course it's all dead, you foolish girl. It is still winter after all!" While the emotional part of her, prone to switching from wearing styles in brilliant and striking colors to dark and somber hues at the most inopportune times (and with little warning), shrieked that it wasn't fair! "I'm finally ready to get over that douchecanoe and needed this one, itty-bitty, teeny-tiny thing to do it…and I can't even have THAT?!" Her outburst triggered a 'no holds barred' style argument between the two, rousing all the other parts of her subconscious that were gleefully ready to get a crack in after waking from their slumber, leaving Bella's mind a war-zone and her person entirely overwhelmed.
Too much, it was all too much, and her fragile mindset was beginning to crumple in on itself.
It was then that the Survivalist, decked to the nines in camouflage with little gadgets clipped here and there, flew into a flurry of motion, for once getting to do her job. She crammed and stuffed all the others back into their prospective rooms, her usually unheard screams of warning finally taken note of as the woods around Bella became eerily quiet and still.
Too quiet...too still.
"Get your ass moving Swan, NOW!"
She snapped her head up on demand, her deep hazel eyes darting around both warily and frantically as she turned to sprint (or make a decent attempt to, at least) back in the direction she had appeared from.
But it was too late.
Just to make sure she completely understood that she really was on Lady Luck's shitlist, a beautiful being that had long since been pushed to the back of her mind, yet never forgotten, picked its way through the trees toward her silently, a smirk of undisguised glee twisting its features. Laurent, her mind registered; vampire…and with red eyes to boot.
She was so fucked.
Already, there was nothing she could do, she didn't need any pieces of her consciousness to tell her that. He was a Cold One, supernaturally fast and strong, complete with razor sharp teeth, blistering venom, plus a penchant for blood…and Bella just so happened to be a delicacy on that menu. She stood absolutely still, frozen to her spot in the dead, dead, dead grass.
It didn't matter what her mind screamed at her to do, the instincts that roiled in her blood and demanded she run, or the disturbing yet striking resemblance that her brain called forth in the form of Edward Cullen in its attempt to convince her into moving her damned feet. She would listen to appease herself, willing yet unenthusiastic in her pitiful attempt to talk the immortal being down, but she knew it was no use.
They'd left her in a world no human could survive unaided, and she would die in it, alone.
If not by Laurent's teeth and hands, then by the jaws of the five massive wolves that had just slunk from the greenery! What the hell were those things, abominable snowmen on crack with a bonus of super sharp fangs?!
They were growling, snarling and snapping their great jaws, teeth bared and bodies shaking as they crouched their hulking forms low to the ground, dark and rage-filled gazes centered directly on her. Bella sucked in a stuttering breath, her heartbeat thundering in her chest, and squeezed her eyes closed as the jet black wolf at the very front prepared to spring at her, tear into her with his teeth…or…maybe not?
The ground beneath her feet rumbled, vibrated with the force of their paws as they both ran and leapt through the air, passing Bella by in a rush of wind that left her hair whipping around in their wake and nearly stumbling to the ground. Her breaths came in panting gasps and her heart beat that much faster as she realized they had let her be, they hadn't even considered her as they closed in on their target, their prey. Her eyes widened in realization as she spun to watch, just barely catching a glimpse of their tails disappearing through the trees on the opposite side of the clearing, Laurent nowhere in sight.
Laurent…they had gone after Laurent.
She should have relaxed after that revelation, should have taken deep breaths and calmed the pace of her heart that sounded like a herd of wild mustangs galloping in her ears, settled the rush of adrenaline in her blood. She should have followed her mind's advice and ran, stumbled through the forest back to her truck, back to the safety of home and then touched on the precarious topic of the day's discoveries.
But she couldn't.
She should have been fine, slightly dazed maybe, yet still fine.
But she wasn't.
Her breaths wouldn't calm, leaving her lungs in a stuttering frenzy as they did their best to expand and contract in an effort to keep up. Her heart continued to beat at such an irate pace, she felt as if it were battering the inside of her rib-cage, pulverizing bone as it did so. Her insides protested, roiled, and she swallowed convulsively between breaths in an attempt not to lose every bit of food she had eaten that morning. A sharp pain tore through her chest, knocking her legs from beneath her. She crashed to the ground with a pitiful cry, collapsing in on herself and hugging her arms around her body, hoping the pressure might relieve the searing burn that had ignited within her, but it did not.
"Let go child."
Bella would have gasped at the sound, voice, in her mind if she could have. But she didn't have the air to do so, what with panting it in and out already. It was a marvelous quality, like a mixture of things both comforting and wonderful all crafted into one alluring melody. Dimly, she compared it to that of the Cullen's and quickly decided theirs paled in comparison, there was no competition.
A soft laugh…The impression of a smile…
"It is time Isabella. You have remained amongst this realm for much too long, the moment has come to return to your own."
This…realm? What did they mean, this-
She hissed in a breath, clawing violently at her chest as it pulsed and burned. Her eyes were screwed shut tight but if she had the ability to open them and see herself, she would have been appalled. Writhing on the ground; dirt, twigs, and dead leaves matted to her clothes, hair, and bare skin. She bled there in the meadow, cuts and scrapes from small but sharp rocks splitting her ivory colored skin open.
Everything hurt.
"I know, sweet one. Just let go, and the pain will fade."
Could she?
What would happen if she listened, if she gave in and let go? Would the pain leave, she'd catch her breath, and then travel back to her trusty rustbucket? No, somehow she knew that if she let go like the voice asked of her, she would be there no longer. Not in the meadow, not in the forest, not in Washington, not even on Earth. A different realm, they'd said, something completely new and unknown…well not entirely since she apparently belonged there before. Which brought her to a new question, if she was meant to be there then why was she here in the first place? And who-
"All your questions will be answered in time, little one. But you must let go first."
She would leave…but really, what was she leaving?
Her mother hadn't had the time to speak to her in ages, constantly busy with Phil's traveling schedule and a new baby on the way. Jacob had left her behind, choking on dust as he took off down the rocky dirt roads of La Push after telling her she was no longer welcome there. The Cullen's had skipped town, abandoning her in the night. Charlie though, her dad…
"Ah. There are some things you have yet to know Isabella…trust in me. Come to us, Lalaith."
The name didn't even register in her mind.
She didn't want to leave him, especially after all he had done lately. They had never been closer than they were now. But the fiery pain was eating at her, she felt as if she might explode soon and she didn't know how much longer she could hold out. Already, pain-filled and horrific screams were escaping her lips, though unheard to her.
There was yelling somewhere, her name actually…but she couldn't really hear.
"Isabella-"
She gave in.
And could almost feel the relief from the voice.
"Relax your body, sweet one, keep your eyes closed. Let the magic take over your soul."
Bella sucked in her last stuttering breath, her fingers clenching into the dirt below her, before letting go of the tension in her body. With a huff of air she collapsed into the mud, flat to the surface and no longer curling in on herself. The pain flared, white-hot and blinding as she let out one last wail, her eyes sealed and unseeing to the commotion just beyond the trees.
There was a loud, crackling pop; followed closely by a ripping sensation, as if she had been forcibly yanked from the world.
And now, she was here, wherever here was.
When Bella peeled her eyes open, she snorted in ironic dismay at the dense tree and leaf-cover that crowded her vision of the sky above. Her entire body ached down to her very bone, every single cell alight with a doused flame. She'd be sore for weeks, she was sure. On top of that her head pounded something fierce and even considering lifting her body from the ground was laughable.
She let out a pitiful sounding groan as she attempted to lift her hand above her face.
Yes, laughable indeed.
Vaguely, she could hear voices and the sound of running footsteps, but it filtered in and out of her ears sporadically. Rolling her head to face the oncoming company was an impossibility, even the slightest movement and she swore she would be sick. Black dots danced across her vision, threatening to overtake her sight as her body throbbed and her chest heaved.
Cool hands touched her cheek.
Long, dark hair spilled around her in a curtain.
Piercing grey eyes and a faint smile were the last things she saw.
~.-.~
"I don't believe you! Stay away from me!"
Bella breathed sharply through the soreness in her body, trembling from head to toe, her hands shaking violently as they struggled to keep a firm grip on the water pitcher she held in front of her defensively. Her eyes shifted wildly, training on the four different figures in front of her, each of the males half a foot taller than her, the single female about even in height, and each with long, dark hair. Waking had been painful, confusing, and then a complete nightmare once she had caught sight of the abnormalities in the people before her.
They…they had pointed ears!
And claimed to be Elves!
She had no idea where she was, could barely stand up straight (not that she would let them see that), and the memories of how she had gotten there were so hazy, she couldn't tell reality from fantasy. Her mind told her there was a voice that told her she belonged in a different realm, but that was about as fanatical as these people before her trying to convince her they were Elves of all things!
"Isabella, please! If you would just-"
The man approaching her was of fair complexion, chiseled but serious features, had long and dark hair that draped down his chest, and striking gray eyes. They seemed familiar, like she had seen them many a time before but could no longer remember. There was a feeling in her chest, a dim spark, like she trusted and knew this person, loved them like she would a parent, really. But feeling such a thing had to be impossible, she had never seen him in her entire life.
"You are wrong, sweet one. You were right, you have seen him many a time before."
Bella jumped, her eyes flying wide open as that melodious voice returned to the insides of her mind. She completely disregarded those around her, though she kept the three men and one woman in her sights, just in case. She wanted to sneer in irritation, annoyed that she had once again found herself amongst such beautiful creatures. First the Cullen's and now these…whatever they were. It was a different type of beauty though, one that was captivating and almost ethereal instead of the dazzling numbness of a vampire that sought to claim you as prey.
"-unconscious for three days and nights, you must replenish your strength. Only then can we discuss what has happened. Isabella, are you listening to me?"
She wasn't.
She was still stuck inside her own mind, trying to comprehend even the smallest detail of what had happened.
And she was making the royals of the Last Homely House anxious.
They hadn't missed the shaking of her limbs, the overanxious beat of her heart, or the straining grip she kept on her makeshift weapon (something that Elladan and Elrohir both would tease her for once they had gotten through to her) that was leaving her hands trembling and her knuckles white. She possessed the same stubborn determination as her kin though, her face a mask to hide the pain, confusion, and fatigue she obviously experienced. She was exhausted and needed rest despite being unconscious since they had found her three days previously. The toll taken on her body due to the magics invoked was not one to be taken lightly and it was only because of the quality and strength in her blood that ran through her veins she had survived at all.
"Lalaith."
She wanted to know why the voice kept calling her that.
"Because you need to remember."
Bella pressed her free hand to her temple, trying to quail the impressing headache, or possibly shove the voice from her mind forcibly. She missed the way each of her visitors stiffened as her fingers entwined in the lengthened locks of her hair- something she had yet to notice – and the way they each sucked in audible breaths, like they knew any semblance of calm they wished to achieve had just flown through the very open balcony just off the room's backside. A fine sheen of sweat dampened the roots of her hair, and as Bella combed them back while swallowing heavily, her eyes still a bit wild, her fingers brushed against the oddest formation, making a shiver roll down her back.
"Isa, sweetheart, please-"
Her brow furrowed as her fingers reached to trace the formation again, her teeth sinking lightly into her chapped bottom lip. It was her ear, she decided, now if she could just-
The very breath froze in her lungs, turning to shards of ice.
"It is time you remember…"
Yes, Lady Luck so clearly despised her.
Not only had she almost died on many an occasion, she had agreed with a lovely yet wispy voice in her mind to let go of her own world, apparently to travel into another realm, where those who had found her in the depths of the forest claimed themselves to be elves. When she let her mind briefly consider the possibility, she found she was quite possibly in denial. She had already experienced the presence of Cold Ones and giant sized wolves with an appetite for vampire bits, so really, how much of a stretch could the existence of elves actually be?
Especially, she concluded as her eyes rolled back in her head and darkness took her vision once more, since she seemed to possess ears remarkably like theirs.
"My heart sings to see thee, granddaughter."