Disclaimer and notes in the Prologue.
Welcome to Feedback, I'm your host, Sil. Let's get straight to it.
Winterfox: I'm not sure how different this fic really, is, but I'm trying.. Hehe. I'm not even sure if this is a parody or just more proof I need to lay off the Pez..lol
GreyLadyBast: Lol, my innocent look needs work.. And I'm still working on reading your stuff! (So far, I love everything I've read.. Hee..)
Dusty Fedora: Her actions always affect things, whether it's just in her head or the world around her. That's still debatable. And WOO!! 50 cool points!! Only 5,897364973264 till I've caught up with all the points I've given you!! Still building that Shrine of Dusty by the way. It's also a karaoke place.. ;p
Xand: Deary.. I know you say more in palace, but my dear boy, SAY MORE HERE! Boost my ego.. lol
KoUsagi: Lacey is such a goofball.. She tries so hard not to be the fan girl she is and one blow to the head just brings it out of her.. lol. And I am writing more! See see?
Opaque: I'll continue as long as I am able.. Exactly what that means, I have no idea.. And thanks to you, I have a craving for cheerios now.. lol
Jafazmin: Thank you! I'll try!
GirlMeowth: I'm glad I could cheer you up in some way!! You didn't miss it, as it plays a part in both versions in some small way.. So you'll see the gift soon.
Pellagolloien: B Epilogue a coming up! No way I could just leave it like that. Lacey going back.. Well, let's just wait and see how that goes. The girl has a wandering mind and likes to beat me up when she changes it. (Damn she hits hard too.. *whimpers*)
Carrie: I'm honored to be the first story you've reviewed!! Actual pairings are still very iffy in this fic.. As I'm very random with it.. Course it doesn't mean Lacey won't pretend or wish..lol
Kayli: Sarcasm is just.. Fun. It's Lacey's best personality trait. *receives a wamp from Lacey to the back of the head* Ow..
Taraeldaiel: Neither one is quite over yet, but B does have maybe only 1 chapter and an Epilogue left..
Lil' odd me: I'll do my best to keep it up! Although I'm not too sure if my best is up to it. lol
chicory tee: To join, just follow the door to the left.. If you make it through all the tests, you're in! Or just follow the girl with the blue hair in pigtails to your right.
To the one who posted no name: To play, or not to play? I think I will. I just hope I don't damn my soul for eternity for it.. Lol
Shadow975: Combining the two would ruin what I have uh.. 'planned' (well, loosely planned..lol) The Boromir living lighthearted approach is what it was meant to be.. Lighthearted. Him dying is to prove that not even a Mary Sue can change a person's fate at times. Sue being stabbed in the back by Aragorn.. Not so much.. (Technically he threw it at her) You have to read 12B to understand that part.. Plus it was also to keep her from killing Lacey, who hadn't done anything wrong, if anything, she had just SAVED someone. As for the Mary Sues, they never loved anyone. They were types who would have jumped ship as soon as a new fandom became popular. Still, the actions of a Mary Sue can't be undone, just as.. Well.. They will never REALLY die. Look at how many fics pop up with them. Lol. Lacey and her actions are one of the key angst points through this new arc, I like to torture her.. lol
Wow, that was a lot. Lol. Once again, Uber hugs abound for everyone who's reading and/or reviewing! I appreciate all the comments and will continue to do so!
~Your Resident Uber Goddess of All Uber Goddesses, Silence~
*************
Chapter 12A - Voices
I felt like dying as the boat holding Boromir's body went over the falls.
Alone again.. Not a hope.. Not a prayer.
Just the sounds of my failure screaming at me.
What good was I? I couldn't even save someone I KNEW was going to die.
Mary and Sue were gone, their bodies had vanished. Their story ended I suppose. But what the hell was I still doing here?
I had killed Sue, gotten Mary killed, and I still hadn't managed to save Boromir.
Someone was enjoying themselves, and it sure as hell wasn't me.
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, even as Legolas began pushing a boat into the water.
"Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore." He turned to Aragorn, who was finishing putting Boromir's bracers on.
Aragorn cast a sad look at Frodo and Sam across the water.
Legolas's face changed in understanding. "You mean not to follow them."
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands."
Gimli joined the three of them, "Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed."
I stayed away.. I still didn't belong here. I was never GOING to. But I still couldn't escape.
Aragorn placed his hands on the dwarf and elf's shoulders. "Not if we hold true to each other." He stared at them intently. "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left."
He moved away and prepared to leave. "Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let us hunt some orc."
Gimli let out a mighty grunt of satisfaction before he and Legolas followed Aragorn into the woods.
With one last look at the falls, I ran after them as best I could.
----------
The day was spent silently from my end. I was still dwelling on issues I'd thought I'd never had to deal with.
I had killed someone. Self defense, but the end result was still the same. I pulled my gloves out of my pouch and stared at them as we walked. The blood was still there, not that I expected it to vanish like their bodies, but..
God. She was human. I could barely stomach the idea of taking an Orc life, and yet I had stabbed Sue. Was I murderer? Or did this completely not count because I wasn't in the real world?
But then it hit me.
This IS the real world.
Not mine, but it was still real. Everyone felt, they fought, they lived. It was definitely real. I must have let my thoughts wander too long, because I stumbled over a rock and let out a small cry of pain as I fell onto my hands and knees.
The others stopped instantly and came over to me.
"Fuck." I muttered. I'd called attention to myself, something I didn't want. I shoved the gloves back into my little bag of holding.
"Is there a problem?" Aragorn asked, a mix of concern and haste.
I nodded as I got to my feet. "Just some stupidity on my part. You'd think my brain was functioning on AOL.."
Naturally they didn't get my reference, but we started moving again, although Legolas stayed nearby.
"Are you sure there is--"
"I SAID I was fine." I snapped and walked ahead him, ignoring the feel of his eyes on me.
I was starting to hate elves.
We traveled until well after dark, and not only was my body aching, my entire being was. Guilt bombarded me from all over and I was slowly driving myself insane with it.
One crest after another.. A winding valley..
We didn't stop until the deep of the valley, and only then because the orc trail had vanished. The sky was still filled with stars, but I'd spent enough time here now to know dawn wasn't too far along.
I sat down with a weary sigh as Legolas and Aragorn discussed out next move. I took a drink of water from my flask. More walking was coming, and I may have been dead tired, but I was welcoming it.
It kept my mind off.. Things.
"Which way would they turn?" Legolas pondered. "North to Isengard, or Fangorn?"
"They will not make for the river, whatever they decide." Aragorn said. "They will take the shortest route over the fields of Rohirrim. We go north."
----------
I so wasn't enjoying myself. No hobbit banter. No minor talking to Boromir. Not even the death glares of Mary and Sue. Goddess how I wished even one of them were still around.
~Shouldn't have killed Sue then~
I growled at the voice in my head.
~Didn't do any good anyway.~
They were trying to KILL me.
~But look around, you're the one that lived. Why should you still be around when you can't even contribute anything?~
Shut up.
~You're just like Mary said. Useless. You should have let them kill you when you had the chance.~
"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"
The remains of the Fellowship froze and stared at me as if I'd gone mad.
Ignoring them, I put my hands on my head as that damn voice bombarded me with accusations.
~You're no better then the others. The only difference is that you can't do anything. You got lucky with Sue and Mary. Now what are you going to do? Just DIE already.~
I clutched my head and let out a cry. "Leave. Me. ALONE!"
Hands grasped my shoulders and I was forced to stare into the eyes of Aragorn.
"Calm down." He said softly. "Whatever is wrong, you must fight it, or else we will be discovered."
I bit my lip. "Easy for you to say. You aren't the one hearing voices in your head."
Aragorn's face filled with worry. "What kind of voices do you speak of?"
"Doesn't matter." I muttered and I tried to push him away, but his grip held. "Just let go of me."
"Not until you tell me what is wrong."
"Why do you care?" I snapped. "I'm NOT one of the Fellowship. I'm NOT a perfect Mary Sue. I DON'T belong here. You don't need me. You barely even SPOKE to me before now. Just let me go insane so I can throw myself over the nearest cliff in peace!"
"You will not." Aragorn frowned at me. "Do you think I did not know all of this?"
Okay, THAT confused me and the voice in my head vanished. "Huh?"
"Legolas and I knew the three of you were not to be here." The future king explained. "But it matters not. You ARE here, and under MY watch." He stared at me sternly. "It will remain so until fate dictates otherwise." Aragorn's eyes narrowed. "You are not like the others, so if you care at all about Merry and Pippin, you will pull yourself together."
He released me and began walking again, Gimli and Legolas following.
I started after them. I DID care. Of course I did. I'm not heartless. I LIKED Pippin. He was huggable!
Of course, now I was more lost then ever. They knew? But.. Why? How? And if they had known, why did they put up with us?
Why are they REALLY putting up with me?
Welcome to Feedback, I'm your host, Sil. Let's get straight to it.
Winterfox: I'm not sure how different this fic really, is, but I'm trying.. Hehe. I'm not even sure if this is a parody or just more proof I need to lay off the Pez..lol
GreyLadyBast: Lol, my innocent look needs work.. And I'm still working on reading your stuff! (So far, I love everything I've read.. Hee..)
Dusty Fedora: Her actions always affect things, whether it's just in her head or the world around her. That's still debatable. And WOO!! 50 cool points!! Only 5,897364973264 till I've caught up with all the points I've given you!! Still building that Shrine of Dusty by the way. It's also a karaoke place.. ;p
Xand: Deary.. I know you say more in palace, but my dear boy, SAY MORE HERE! Boost my ego.. lol
KoUsagi: Lacey is such a goofball.. She tries so hard not to be the fan girl she is and one blow to the head just brings it out of her.. lol. And I am writing more! See see?
Opaque: I'll continue as long as I am able.. Exactly what that means, I have no idea.. And thanks to you, I have a craving for cheerios now.. lol
Jafazmin: Thank you! I'll try!
GirlMeowth: I'm glad I could cheer you up in some way!! You didn't miss it, as it plays a part in both versions in some small way.. So you'll see the gift soon.
Pellagolloien: B Epilogue a coming up! No way I could just leave it like that. Lacey going back.. Well, let's just wait and see how that goes. The girl has a wandering mind and likes to beat me up when she changes it. (Damn she hits hard too.. *whimpers*)
Carrie: I'm honored to be the first story you've reviewed!! Actual pairings are still very iffy in this fic.. As I'm very random with it.. Course it doesn't mean Lacey won't pretend or wish..lol
Kayli: Sarcasm is just.. Fun. It's Lacey's best personality trait. *receives a wamp from Lacey to the back of the head* Ow..
Taraeldaiel: Neither one is quite over yet, but B does have maybe only 1 chapter and an Epilogue left..
Lil' odd me: I'll do my best to keep it up! Although I'm not too sure if my best is up to it. lol
chicory tee: To join, just follow the door to the left.. If you make it through all the tests, you're in! Or just follow the girl with the blue hair in pigtails to your right.
To the one who posted no name: To play, or not to play? I think I will. I just hope I don't damn my soul for eternity for it.. Lol
Shadow975: Combining the two would ruin what I have uh.. 'planned' (well, loosely planned..lol) The Boromir living lighthearted approach is what it was meant to be.. Lighthearted. Him dying is to prove that not even a Mary Sue can change a person's fate at times. Sue being stabbed in the back by Aragorn.. Not so much.. (Technically he threw it at her) You have to read 12B to understand that part.. Plus it was also to keep her from killing Lacey, who hadn't done anything wrong, if anything, she had just SAVED someone. As for the Mary Sues, they never loved anyone. They were types who would have jumped ship as soon as a new fandom became popular. Still, the actions of a Mary Sue can't be undone, just as.. Well.. They will never REALLY die. Look at how many fics pop up with them. Lol. Lacey and her actions are one of the key angst points through this new arc, I like to torture her.. lol
Wow, that was a lot. Lol. Once again, Uber hugs abound for everyone who's reading and/or reviewing! I appreciate all the comments and will continue to do so!
~Your Resident Uber Goddess of All Uber Goddesses, Silence~
*************
Chapter 12A - Voices
I felt like dying as the boat holding Boromir's body went over the falls.
Alone again.. Not a hope.. Not a prayer.
Just the sounds of my failure screaming at me.
What good was I? I couldn't even save someone I KNEW was going to die.
Mary and Sue were gone, their bodies had vanished. Their story ended I suppose. But what the hell was I still doing here?
I had killed Sue, gotten Mary killed, and I still hadn't managed to save Boromir.
Someone was enjoying themselves, and it sure as hell wasn't me.
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, even as Legolas began pushing a boat into the water.
"Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore." He turned to Aragorn, who was finishing putting Boromir's bracers on.
Aragorn cast a sad look at Frodo and Sam across the water.
Legolas's face changed in understanding. "You mean not to follow them."
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands."
Gimli joined the three of them, "Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed."
I stayed away.. I still didn't belong here. I was never GOING to. But I still couldn't escape.
Aragorn placed his hands on the dwarf and elf's shoulders. "Not if we hold true to each other." He stared at them intently. "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left."
He moved away and prepared to leave. "Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let us hunt some orc."
Gimli let out a mighty grunt of satisfaction before he and Legolas followed Aragorn into the woods.
With one last look at the falls, I ran after them as best I could.
----------
The day was spent silently from my end. I was still dwelling on issues I'd thought I'd never had to deal with.
I had killed someone. Self defense, but the end result was still the same. I pulled my gloves out of my pouch and stared at them as we walked. The blood was still there, not that I expected it to vanish like their bodies, but..
God. She was human. I could barely stomach the idea of taking an Orc life, and yet I had stabbed Sue. Was I murderer? Or did this completely not count because I wasn't in the real world?
But then it hit me.
This IS the real world.
Not mine, but it was still real. Everyone felt, they fought, they lived. It was definitely real. I must have let my thoughts wander too long, because I stumbled over a rock and let out a small cry of pain as I fell onto my hands and knees.
The others stopped instantly and came over to me.
"Fuck." I muttered. I'd called attention to myself, something I didn't want. I shoved the gloves back into my little bag of holding.
"Is there a problem?" Aragorn asked, a mix of concern and haste.
I nodded as I got to my feet. "Just some stupidity on my part. You'd think my brain was functioning on AOL.."
Naturally they didn't get my reference, but we started moving again, although Legolas stayed nearby.
"Are you sure there is--"
"I SAID I was fine." I snapped and walked ahead him, ignoring the feel of his eyes on me.
I was starting to hate elves.
We traveled until well after dark, and not only was my body aching, my entire being was. Guilt bombarded me from all over and I was slowly driving myself insane with it.
One crest after another.. A winding valley..
We didn't stop until the deep of the valley, and only then because the orc trail had vanished. The sky was still filled with stars, but I'd spent enough time here now to know dawn wasn't too far along.
I sat down with a weary sigh as Legolas and Aragorn discussed out next move. I took a drink of water from my flask. More walking was coming, and I may have been dead tired, but I was welcoming it.
It kept my mind off.. Things.
"Which way would they turn?" Legolas pondered. "North to Isengard, or Fangorn?"
"They will not make for the river, whatever they decide." Aragorn said. "They will take the shortest route over the fields of Rohirrim. We go north."
----------
I so wasn't enjoying myself. No hobbit banter. No minor talking to Boromir. Not even the death glares of Mary and Sue. Goddess how I wished even one of them were still around.
~Shouldn't have killed Sue then~
I growled at the voice in my head.
~Didn't do any good anyway.~
They were trying to KILL me.
~But look around, you're the one that lived. Why should you still be around when you can't even contribute anything?~
Shut up.
~You're just like Mary said. Useless. You should have let them kill you when you had the chance.~
"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"
The remains of the Fellowship froze and stared at me as if I'd gone mad.
Ignoring them, I put my hands on my head as that damn voice bombarded me with accusations.
~You're no better then the others. The only difference is that you can't do anything. You got lucky with Sue and Mary. Now what are you going to do? Just DIE already.~
I clutched my head and let out a cry. "Leave. Me. ALONE!"
Hands grasped my shoulders and I was forced to stare into the eyes of Aragorn.
"Calm down." He said softly. "Whatever is wrong, you must fight it, or else we will be discovered."
I bit my lip. "Easy for you to say. You aren't the one hearing voices in your head."
Aragorn's face filled with worry. "What kind of voices do you speak of?"
"Doesn't matter." I muttered and I tried to push him away, but his grip held. "Just let go of me."
"Not until you tell me what is wrong."
"Why do you care?" I snapped. "I'm NOT one of the Fellowship. I'm NOT a perfect Mary Sue. I DON'T belong here. You don't need me. You barely even SPOKE to me before now. Just let me go insane so I can throw myself over the nearest cliff in peace!"
"You will not." Aragorn frowned at me. "Do you think I did not know all of this?"
Okay, THAT confused me and the voice in my head vanished. "Huh?"
"Legolas and I knew the three of you were not to be here." The future king explained. "But it matters not. You ARE here, and under MY watch." He stared at me sternly. "It will remain so until fate dictates otherwise." Aragorn's eyes narrowed. "You are not like the others, so if you care at all about Merry and Pippin, you will pull yourself together."
He released me and began walking again, Gimli and Legolas following.
I started after them. I DID care. Of course I did. I'm not heartless. I LIKED Pippin. He was huggable!
Of course, now I was more lost then ever. They knew? But.. Why? How? And if they had known, why did they put up with us?
Why are they REALLY putting up with me?