Thanks to all who have provided reviews of this work. I really appreciate it!
Rating: PG-13 (mild violence and hobbit strife in later chapters)
Summary: In the middle of a celebration after the destruction of the Ring, Merry is melancholy. While Pippin is with him, the Lady Galadriel happens upon them. Her words to them provide little comfort at first, but eventually the two hobbits find succor in them.
Feedback: Constructive criticism is welcome. I attempt to keep as close to book canon as possible. Ideas on how to improve in this area are particularly welcome.
Disclaimer: The places, situations and characters of The Lord of the Rings belong to the Tolkien Estate. This work contains no original characters. No money is being made from this work.

Author's Note: This story is inspired by discussions in the Merry's Mob and Pippin's Playgroup threads formerly of Imladris.net and currently of khazaddum.com.



"The Vision of Galadriel"
Chapter Five: The Ringbearer

Here, Galadriel paused to look at the two hobbits. Merry's face was frozen as though he had seen an unspeakable horror, but Pippin's expression was much less anguished. He merely looked tired. It was not nearly the expression one would expect, given the story that Galadriel was telling.

'Of course,' thought Galadriel, 'merely because Meriadoc is hearing one thing does not mean that is the same thing I choose for Peregrin to hear,' and she smiled to herself as she thought this. What tale had the Lady spun for Pippin while at the same time she had been painting a vision of horrible death for Merry?

Afraid. Always afraid. Pippin found himself wanting to weep all the time. He had this Ring about his neck, but he didn't know where he was going or what was following him or what the Ring was doing to him. He supposed that since Gandalf had only seen fit to tell him a few things, what to do with the Ring in Mordor being one of them, of course, that was all he needed to know. Still, Pippin couldn't help but believe he would feel more secure if he had a little more knowledge.

Merry knew. Merry knew everything. He knew how to get to Mordor, and when it was safe to move and how to hide from what was chasing them. When he was frightened, Merry would comfort him. Pippin had always been very dependent upon Merry when he was younger. Pippin's aunt (and Merry's mother) Esmeralda used to laugh about how Merry was the apple of the young Took's eye. In the last few years, he had started to become more independent of his cousin. Now, he could feel himself regressing, for he was more dependent on Merry now than he had been since before he could walk properly.

'I used to cry to him when we had no more treats at the Smials. At least I'm crying to him now because I am being followed by murderous servants of Sauron,' thought Pippin. He let out a bit of a wry chuckle that caught Merry's attention. Merry turned back to look at him.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Really, Merry, what other emotion is left? I have cried, and I have screamed, and I have stayed silent, so why not laugh?"

Merry shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Pippin, but did not reply.

"Merry?"

"Yes Pippin?"

"What would happen if those things that were following us captured us?"

Merry blanched a bit and replied, "I do not know."

Pippin was not fooled; Merry knew quite well what the consequences of such a thing would be, but he was not forthcoming. Thus was Pippin wholly in the hands of his cousin as he followed him on a tree-path. Pippin was uneasy about this dependency. Merry would never answer his questions about what was going on. Pippin was rather sensitive about his intelligence and knowledge base, or as some would have said, his lack thereof. His sisters, parents, and some of his cousins—but not Merry—teased him good-naturedly about being less than bright at times. He was a bit resentful when Merry would pat him on the head and tell him not to worry instead of answering him.

'I can learn things too,' Pippin thought to himself.

Finally, one day, he asked Merry about this. "Merry," he said, juggling some small stones as they walked, "why don't you ever answer my questions about the Ring? It would make me feel safer to know. I think, well, they say that I'm thick enough already, you know, without having information held back from me when I'm actually inquisitive enough to ask for it."

Merry slowed down so that he could walk next to Pippin. "Now Pip," he began, "you are not a fool. You assume the best of people and things, and have a light heart. There are too many who will call you foolish for that, but do not pay any attention to them.

"You also seem to have been tricked by those who would have you believe that knowledge equals security. I'm terribly frightened too, and while I'm no Frodo Baggins when it comes to my lore, I know enough. I think you would be even more scared if I answered your questions. Knowledge provides no security unless you've got the power to control things, which neither of us has really got, in terms of what is following after us, anyway. Now Gandalf told me to keep you free from fear, and I believe this is the way to do it. Please trust me."

Pippin decided this was reasonable enough, and that Merry surely knew best anyway. Merry, in order to not leave Pippin completely wanting, began to tell him about the different regions of Middle-Earth, and about the lands they would be visiting. These conversations made for happier days for them both.

Still, Pippin was afraid. This was most true at night, when it was dark, and strange things, both large and small, that he was sure were searching for him and his Ring, crept about. One night though, Pippin could tell the steps were close. He looked to Merry, who waved at him off and gave him a look that said, "Go to bed." Pippin was dreadfully tired, and fell asleep. While sleeping, he had a very strange dream. There was nothing to be seen, but he heard a voice, a voice that told him that the power to control things and to free himself from fear laid in the Ring. Those that tried to keep the Ring off his finger were trying to keep him fearful.

The voice said more, but Pippin was stirred by noise. There was something in their camp. He looked over to Merry for protection, but Merry had fallen asleep, and something was upon him! It was going for his neck, and Pippin knew it intended to kill him. Fear like a fear he had never known filled his entire body, and the dream echoed back at him: "Take the Ring. Take it and have the power to destroy your fear!"

Pippin clasped the Ring in his fist, leapt up, and looked into the huge, strange, sad eyes of the creature before he killed him. The Ring fell from Pippin's hand, and bounced on the cord. The sword clanged upon the ground, and Pippin also fell to the ground. He started to wail and cry.

Merry didn't listen to him though; he didn't provide comfort. He yelled at Pippin, and told Pippin how bad killing was.

'But we don't have to be afraid of it anymore,' thought Pippin. 'Maybe Merry wants me to be frightened! Maybe the dream was right! It is time for me to take control so I don't have to be afraid anymore!'

With that, he put on the Ring.

Pippin could hear the echo of Merry's scream as he vanished into another world. It was blurry and disorienting, and Pippin had no idea where he was going, but he was not afraid. For a few days he went on like this—he could tell the difference between night and day—and was pursued by none but Merry. But on the fifth day, Pippin became quite aware of forces external to himself that were pulling and prodding him—in what direction, he did not know, but he knew the direction was wrong. It suddenly occurred to him that he had not only no knowledge of what was going on, but also he still had no control. Not only that, but he was being led along by something sinister instead of Merry.

'I need to take it off! I must take it off!' Pippin went toward the Ring, but it was hard to get it off his finger.

Finally, he was able to make it budge, and as it came off, scenes flashed before him, quicker than lightning. Fighting orcs. Endless waste. The roots of Mount Doom. The Cracks themselves. And the last most worrisome: Merry's face, distorted and terrible.

When he freed his finger from the Ring, his mind went blank for a moment. When he recovered himself, he was on the ground at the very edge of the Cracks of Doom, and the Ring was gone.