A/N: As you can see, I've rewritten the first two chapters in order to make
sense of their locations. Thanks to brachan90 and Llinos for the pointers
about the geographical errors, and a huuuuge thanks to brachan90 for all
the help in re-writing the first two chapters. Thanks guys ;o)
&&&
Chapter 3: Girls ARE stronger than boys!
Pippin and Merry ran into the woods, desperately trying to catch up with the changed Myrtle, but she was too quick for them, and soon they were wandering around, trying to find her.
"Myrtle?" yelled Pippin. "Myrtle, where are you?"
"Miss Burrows!" called Merry. No sooner had the words left his lips than a bundle dropped from the branches above him, landing on him and throwing him to the ground.
"Enough of the Miss Burrows, Merry, unless you want me to start calling you Master Brandybuck," she exclaimed, barely out of breath as she picked herself up from the floor. "But that would be too much of a mouthful."
"You shouldn't be going off into the woods by yourself, you know," Merry admonished.
"Why? I'm sure you two do it all the time. Is it because I'm a girl?" Her face fell into a frown for a moment. "Because I can prove I'm as strong as you two any day." Pippin looked at her disbelievingly.
"Boys are always stronger than girls," he retorted. Her face lit up at this unspoken challenge, and at once, she was on top of Pip, wrestling him to the ground. He shrieked in surprise as he tried to fight her off, but she had the advantage of surprise on her side. She sat on his stomach, looking down at him in glee.
"Y'see?" she gloated. Pippin frowned, tipping her off and engaging her again in combat. They rolled across the leaf-strewn ground as, yet again, she managed to end up pinning him to the floor. "Beat you again!"
Merry sat giggling at Pippin's discomfort a short distance away. "Come on, Merry, a little help here?" yelled Pip.
"Your own fault for fighting a girl," was his retort as he dragged Pippin away from her.
"So, why can't you behave as you like when other hobbits are around?" Merry asked her once they had admitted that girls could be just as strong as boys.
"You don't know what it's like, living with my mother," she answered dejectedly. "I'm the only girl in the family, so I'm expected to act like a lady, speak like a lady, walk like a lady. Don't even try telling mother I don't want to be a lady! She used to punish me for playing with my brothers, but there's nowhere else I'd rather be. If any of this gets back to her, then I can kiss any contact with my brothers goodbye."
As if the conversation had never taken place, her face lit up as she exclaimed, "Race you to that tree and back!" and took off running.
&&&
A few hours later, an exhausted Merry and Pippin escorted an energised Myrtle back to where she had hidden her dress and bonnet. They would never have thought that looking after a hobbit lass would have been so tiring. They had been expecting sedate walks around the town, and boring small talk. After a couple of minutes, Myrtle appeared from behind the tree, transformed back into the model of perfection.
With every step they took closer to the Brandybucks', Myrtle became more and more obnoxious. Her walk became stiffer, her footsteps smaller, and she repeatedly complained to them that she couldn't keep up with their march.
"What's that rustling sound?" Pippin had asked.
"Probably the straw in your head that substitutes for brains," she had snapped back at him. Pippin had stared at her in astonishment. Where had the carefree, happy-go-lucky, if somewhat difficult to keep up with, lass gone?
Back at home, she had shut herself away with her mother, getting dressed and ready for the main evening meal. Merry and Pippin had been banished from the house as Esmeralda and Eglantine cooked and prepared a marvellous feast. Their stomachs rumbled as the smells floated out to them sitting hungrily under the kitchen window.
"Why do you reckon she's so horrible in public, Merry?" asked a befuddled Pippin.
I'm sure I don't know Pip," his friend responded. Silence reigned for a few long moments.
"What do you reckon is for supper, Merry?" Neither of them could hold a conversation for long when the wonderful aromas were wafting around them. They both sniffed deeply, taking in the wonderful scents. A scream suddenly shattered their reflections.
"Merry and Pippin! Come here this instant!" They looked at each other in confusion. "Meriadoc Brandybuck!" came the furious female voice. They scrambled up hurriedly, rushing into the house.
Inside, a scene of pure chaos met them. Both women were standing in the middle of the kitchen completely covered with dead leaves.
"What is the meaning of this?" Eglantine screeched, beside herself with rage as a leaf, which was balanced on her head, gently floated to the floor. The two young hobbits looked even more confused.
"What on middle earth possessed you two to fill the kitchen cupboard with dead leaves?" Everything became clear. Well, almost everything, for they could not take credit for this particular prank.
"It wasn't us mum," Pippin explained.
"Don't you dare try to get out of it, Peregrin!" raged Eglantine. "You two are going to go too far one of these days. Off to your room!"
"But, supper?" Merry asked timidly.
"You can wait until everyone else has eaten first." As they trudged off to their room, grumbling and wondering how the leaves had ended up in the kitchen cupboard, a giggle caught their attention. They raised their eyes curiously just in time to catch a glimpse of Myrtle's skirt as she scampered away.
"Myrtle," Merry said grimly. This hobbit lass was MUCH more trouble than she was worth.
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elf of Avalon - Awww, thank you!
Natta - A Mary Sue is a fan created character, usually representing the author, with a story built around it. Mary Sues are not necessarily bad, but there are dangers in writing such a character in fan fiction. She is universally adored by all the regular characters, and she's usually the child or lover of the author's favourite. She is the most beautiful creature to ever live. She always saves the day, or dies heroically in the attempt, causing even the most cold hearted of the other characters to cry. She either becomes a figure of authority, defies it at every turn, or manages to do both at the same time. She has a wide variety of talents, putting her above and beyond mere mortals, and she's often named after the author. In short, Mary Sue is what everyone wants to be, and no one actually is. (Taken from http://www.echelon.ca/aldowdall/ld/marysue.html "Mary Sue and how to avoid her".) Hope that helps :oD
Llinos - Thanks for the get out clause, but I'd rather not make this an AU.
Indi - Who? Who?
brachan90 - you know how grateful I am already!
R&R. Go on, put some sparkle into my day! :oD
&&&
Chapter 3: Girls ARE stronger than boys!
Pippin and Merry ran into the woods, desperately trying to catch up with the changed Myrtle, but she was too quick for them, and soon they were wandering around, trying to find her.
"Myrtle?" yelled Pippin. "Myrtle, where are you?"
"Miss Burrows!" called Merry. No sooner had the words left his lips than a bundle dropped from the branches above him, landing on him and throwing him to the ground.
"Enough of the Miss Burrows, Merry, unless you want me to start calling you Master Brandybuck," she exclaimed, barely out of breath as she picked herself up from the floor. "But that would be too much of a mouthful."
"You shouldn't be going off into the woods by yourself, you know," Merry admonished.
"Why? I'm sure you two do it all the time. Is it because I'm a girl?" Her face fell into a frown for a moment. "Because I can prove I'm as strong as you two any day." Pippin looked at her disbelievingly.
"Boys are always stronger than girls," he retorted. Her face lit up at this unspoken challenge, and at once, she was on top of Pip, wrestling him to the ground. He shrieked in surprise as he tried to fight her off, but she had the advantage of surprise on her side. She sat on his stomach, looking down at him in glee.
"Y'see?" she gloated. Pippin frowned, tipping her off and engaging her again in combat. They rolled across the leaf-strewn ground as, yet again, she managed to end up pinning him to the floor. "Beat you again!"
Merry sat giggling at Pippin's discomfort a short distance away. "Come on, Merry, a little help here?" yelled Pip.
"Your own fault for fighting a girl," was his retort as he dragged Pippin away from her.
"So, why can't you behave as you like when other hobbits are around?" Merry asked her once they had admitted that girls could be just as strong as boys.
"You don't know what it's like, living with my mother," she answered dejectedly. "I'm the only girl in the family, so I'm expected to act like a lady, speak like a lady, walk like a lady. Don't even try telling mother I don't want to be a lady! She used to punish me for playing with my brothers, but there's nowhere else I'd rather be. If any of this gets back to her, then I can kiss any contact with my brothers goodbye."
As if the conversation had never taken place, her face lit up as she exclaimed, "Race you to that tree and back!" and took off running.
&&&
A few hours later, an exhausted Merry and Pippin escorted an energised Myrtle back to where she had hidden her dress and bonnet. They would never have thought that looking after a hobbit lass would have been so tiring. They had been expecting sedate walks around the town, and boring small talk. After a couple of minutes, Myrtle appeared from behind the tree, transformed back into the model of perfection.
With every step they took closer to the Brandybucks', Myrtle became more and more obnoxious. Her walk became stiffer, her footsteps smaller, and she repeatedly complained to them that she couldn't keep up with their march.
"What's that rustling sound?" Pippin had asked.
"Probably the straw in your head that substitutes for brains," she had snapped back at him. Pippin had stared at her in astonishment. Where had the carefree, happy-go-lucky, if somewhat difficult to keep up with, lass gone?
Back at home, she had shut herself away with her mother, getting dressed and ready for the main evening meal. Merry and Pippin had been banished from the house as Esmeralda and Eglantine cooked and prepared a marvellous feast. Their stomachs rumbled as the smells floated out to them sitting hungrily under the kitchen window.
"Why do you reckon she's so horrible in public, Merry?" asked a befuddled Pippin.
I'm sure I don't know Pip," his friend responded. Silence reigned for a few long moments.
"What do you reckon is for supper, Merry?" Neither of them could hold a conversation for long when the wonderful aromas were wafting around them. They both sniffed deeply, taking in the wonderful scents. A scream suddenly shattered their reflections.
"Merry and Pippin! Come here this instant!" They looked at each other in confusion. "Meriadoc Brandybuck!" came the furious female voice. They scrambled up hurriedly, rushing into the house.
Inside, a scene of pure chaos met them. Both women were standing in the middle of the kitchen completely covered with dead leaves.
"What is the meaning of this?" Eglantine screeched, beside herself with rage as a leaf, which was balanced on her head, gently floated to the floor. The two young hobbits looked even more confused.
"What on middle earth possessed you two to fill the kitchen cupboard with dead leaves?" Everything became clear. Well, almost everything, for they could not take credit for this particular prank.
"It wasn't us mum," Pippin explained.
"Don't you dare try to get out of it, Peregrin!" raged Eglantine. "You two are going to go too far one of these days. Off to your room!"
"But, supper?" Merry asked timidly.
"You can wait until everyone else has eaten first." As they trudged off to their room, grumbling and wondering how the leaves had ended up in the kitchen cupboard, a giggle caught their attention. They raised their eyes curiously just in time to catch a glimpse of Myrtle's skirt as she scampered away.
"Myrtle," Merry said grimly. This hobbit lass was MUCH more trouble than she was worth.
&&&
elf of Avalon - Awww, thank you!
Natta - A Mary Sue is a fan created character, usually representing the author, with a story built around it. Mary Sues are not necessarily bad, but there are dangers in writing such a character in fan fiction. She is universally adored by all the regular characters, and she's usually the child or lover of the author's favourite. She is the most beautiful creature to ever live. She always saves the day, or dies heroically in the attempt, causing even the most cold hearted of the other characters to cry. She either becomes a figure of authority, defies it at every turn, or manages to do both at the same time. She has a wide variety of talents, putting her above and beyond mere mortals, and she's often named after the author. In short, Mary Sue is what everyone wants to be, and no one actually is. (Taken from http://www.echelon.ca/aldowdall/ld/marysue.html "Mary Sue and how to avoid her".) Hope that helps :oD
Llinos - Thanks for the get out clause, but I'd rather not make this an AU.
Indi - Who? Who?
brachan90 - you know how grateful I am already!
R&R. Go on, put some sparkle into my day! :oD