When the Worlds Cross
By Heather and Jane
Disclaimer: Middle-Earth and its peoples belong to the great J.R.R. Tolkien. Mia, Rowan, and Randy belong to us. Any and all similarities to real life events/people are pure coincidence—unless they appear with permission.
Summary: The Quest is over and sad things begin happening. And there's another onslaught of Madonna music.
Authors' Notes: co-written between Jane and Heather, two Lord of the Rings fans that are trying to keep true to the story. First part more movieverse than bookverse, but will soon go to bookverse. Credit to Heather's father and our friend Wesley as story consultants.
There is a reference to the Back to the Future movies, the word 'smeg' (copyright Red Dwarf) appears again, and the song Ray of Light belongs to Madonna. If we missed any, let us know.
Teensy warning for spoilers for Return of the King, but only if you look real close.
Reader thanks following chapter.
Chapter Fifteen
Of Parting and Homecoming
~*~*~*~
A week after the festivities, the hobbits made plans to return to the Shire. Upon hearing this, Rowan began agreeing with the plans and raced off to find the maps that led straight to the Shire. (A bewildered Legolas followed her.) On the other hand, Mia winced unhappily about this—since she knew what was happening in the Shire and because she did not want to say goodbye—but told Frodo it was the best idea. He looked at her a bit suspiciously and said, "Is there something that you are not telling me?"
"Would it matter if there were?" Mia asked with a smile as they walked to the house that the hobbits and Gandalf had been sharing since the coronation.
"Perhaps," said Frodo, returning the smile. "It might help us."
"Frodo, you know that I'm not about to reveal things that might change the set path—"
He shook his head. "I know that! But Mia, the Ring is destroyed. What more could happen?"
Mia gave him a dirty look. "You do realize that you've just jinxed yourself, you know."
"I have?" Frodo said, looking alarmed. She nodded, stifling a grin. "Oh, dear. How did I do that?" And it was only later that he realized that the subject had been changed (quite accidentally) from what Mia was hiding to why saying certain phrases 'jinxed' days or missions.
The day before the hobbits were to return to the Shire (provided all went well), the four visited Aragorn's home, where Mia was listening to Legolas and Rowan boast about their archery skills. She said, "Someone shut them up now! Gimli went to talk to the Gondorian soldiers, probably out of boredom…and my head's about to split."
"Is it how many arrows they've shot or how many targets they've hit?" Pippin wanted to know.
"Pip, what's that—" Mia got to her feet, looked at him, blinked once, and then shook her head. It's been a week or so and I'm still not quite used to it! That doesn't seem quite fair… "I am NEVAH gonna get used to this. And what does that have to do with anything?"
"Just a question."
"Well, targets, but I think arrows are going to be next and—"
Rowan tuned into the conversation at that very moment, and gave her friend an incredulous look. "Mia, did you just use a gangsta accent?"
"Uh, no?" Mia offered weakly.
"What's—" Merry stopped when both girls gave him the evil eye. "I don't want to know, do I?"
"I think that it would take too long to explain," Legolas said tactfully, standing up. Boy, at least someone's trying to be diplomatic here, Mia thought, rolling her eyes. "And is there anything troubling you?"
"Not anymore, from the looks of it," Sam replied, glancing at Mia and Frodo. The two seemed to gravitate towards each other of late, the gardener had noticed, though they only stood near one another. Oddest bit of courting Sam had ever seen, but he supposed that he shouldn't say anything. That would only get Mr. Frodo talking about Sam seeing Rosie Cotton again, and Mia would get that all-knowing look she had at times.
Downright annoying—but then again, Sam had noticed Rowan giving Frodo and Mia the same type of look.
"Really," said Rowan, lifting an eyebrow. "I—all right, I'll stop."
"Talking about how many targets you've hit or making insinuations?" Mia asked sweetly.
Merry and Pippin stifled grins as Rowan goggled at her friend. "I am not—well, I am," she amended as the group began walking down the paths in the courtyard. Legolas trailed an inch behind, content to listen and smile in amusement. "But that's not the point—"
"It sounds as if it is," Merry pointed out.
"Oh, shush. Are you boys still planning on leaving tomorrow? With a lot of speed?" Rowan prodded.
"Yes," Sam replied.
"Good. Good, that is very good."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Gee, do you think that's good?" she asked the sky. Rowan smacked the back of her head. "Ow! Jeez, what the smeg was that one for?"
"Too much sarcasm."
"Girl, there's a reason why Legolas just said hypocrite in Elvish," said Mia, and Rowan whirled around to frown at the sheepish elf. "Well, you have to admit—"
"What is 'smeg?'"
Mia slapped a hand to her forehead. "Pippin," she said in a groan, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Gandalf was approaching. Maybe he can get this very responsible yet still too-curious hobbit to be quiet about that! "Not going to answer that. And why are you always asking me?"
"Well…" Pippin paused, thinking about it.
"'Cause you're special," Rowan teased, done scolding Legolas. And had now dragged him forward so she was holding onto his arm. (He didn't look as if he were too upset with this, of course.) "And you're nicer than I am."
Mia raised an eyebrow. "Haven't we had this conversation before?"
"Ummm…"
"That's very interesting," Frodo interrupted, and Mia turned to him. The former Ringbearer looked very concerned about something. "I have been wondering this and I keep forgetting to ask." Merry muttered something. "I heard that, Meriadoc!"
"What?" said Mia, Rowan, and Merry at the same time. Only difference was that Merry sounded too innocent, while the girls were confused.
Legolas coughed and nodded a hello at Gandalf. The wizard nodded back, smiling mysteriously.
"Nothing," said Frodo, blushing slightly. Oh, that's it, Merry is dead, Mia thought almost cheerfully as she put a hand on Frodo's shoulder. "What I was wonder was…Mia, where will you and Rowan go?"
The girls looked at each other and shrugged in unison.
Needless to say, the hobbits and Legolas were quite surprised. Frodo gaped and said, "You do not know? Gandalf, how…oh, never mind, you won't answer that."
"Won't I," said Gandalf, chuckling.
"And to answer your question…nope, we don't know. Haven't a clue. Wish we did, though," said Rowan.
Mia nodded.
There was a click-snap noise, reminiscent of a tape player turning on, and suddenly the sounds of Madonna's Ray of Light song filled the air. Mia and Rowan stopped short, their eyes widening. This was not supposed to happen. Rowan began looking around the courtyard suspiciously while Mia glanced at Gandalf. The wizard looked far too innocent.
Oh, brother.
"What is this?" asked Legolas, concerned.
The hobbits just looked amused at the sudden onslaught of music.
"…quicker than a ray of light," sang a male voice, and someone stepped out of thin air.
The music abruptly stopped and silence reigned for a few moments.
"Mr. Little?" Mia and Rowan finally yelled, looking stunned.
"Yes, it is I!" said Mr. Little, laughing and continuing to hum along to the now-silenced tape player. Everyone exchanged surprised looks, and Mia mumbled something about "ask and ye shall receive" before sitting down. On the ground. Frodo blinked at her.
"Don't look so surprised," the new arrival went on.
With a surprising amount of calmness, Legolas said, "It is not often that strangers appear out of the air."
"That's not a stranger, that's our English teacher," Rowan informed the elf, her voice sounding dangerously close to squeaking.
"No," Gandalf spoke up, outright grinning. "This is a paradox. That is me—in the future."
Silence. Then the girls shrieked, "What!" in harmony, making Sam and Legolas rub their ears. Rowan seemed reduced to gaping like a fish while Mia went on to yelp, "Wait! But how can you be here—and now—and also be there and then…and—oh, bloody hell, I've gone cross-eyed!"
"Mr. Little does not endorse that kind of language!" Mr. Little scolded her, not quite smiling.
Mia's jaw fell open. Oh, yeah, that's him, she thought dimly, shaking her head.
Somewhat puzzled and now recovered of her senses, Rowan looked from Gandalf to Mr. Little, and back. And blinked. She could see the resemblance. Not at first, but…it was there. "Whoa," she murmured. "Gandalf, thank you for not shaving."
"Very amusing, Miss Aran."
Merry tapped Mia's shoulder. "Psst," he said, and she glanced up at him. "What's an English teacher?"
Hoo, boy. Seriously, why is it always me? Mia sighed and began hissing a quick explanation to the hobbits. (All of who wanted to know why English teachers weren't called 'language arts' teachers more of the time.) Once she was finished with that, Mr. Little said, "I think I should explain exactly what I'm doing here—and what you three were doing here in the first place. And how you arrived."
"Yeah, that would help," said Rowan.
"It wasn't explained?"
"Shh!" Pippin, Sam, Frodo, and Mia hissed at Merry.
Mr. Little chuckled and began telling the story. He had intercepted the summons for great warriors, and easily recognizing whom it was coming from (or remembering, but he didn't say which), sent the three teenagers instead. "Rowan and Mia have done so much better than 'great warriors' would have," said Mr. Little to Gandalf.
"I quite agree."
He's agreeing with himself?! Mia began to get that cross-eyed feeling again.
Strangely enough, Mr. Little did not mention what Randy's purpose had been or what had happened to the boy's body. He only said, "A suspicion I had came true." Rowan and Mia exchanged looks at that one, wondering if the suspicion had been about Randy's corruption. It was highly possible.
And what was perfectly mind-boggling about the entire explanation was that it made sense. And it explained the 'follow my footsteps' dream too.
"We always knew you were hiding something," Rowan teased the English teacher (or wizard) when he wound down.
"Oh, I thought you two had already guessed! Mia looked suspicious often enough!"
Mia blinked. "I did? Since when?!"
"Or not," Mr. Little amended, and the hobbits burst out laughing. "But since the quest is now over, I think it's time that you two got back to the future." Mia raised her eyebrows. "Don't say it," he warned her.
"What, the joke about the DeLourean? I was just going to say that your timing is impeccable." Mia glanced at Rowan and Legolas, noticing that the two of them were less than happy at this statement. Or not. Sheesh, maybe there was something to be said for the hobbits making farewell rounds today. "Or…maybe not."
"Looks like those two need a moment," Pippin observed.
Sam elbowed him at the same time Rowan growled, "Thank you so much, Mr. States-the-Obvious."
"Fifteen minutes," said Mr. Little over the sound of Frodo asking if it wasn't supposed to be Captain Obvious.
Mia chose not to respond to the latter, and instead said, "Only fifteen minutes?"
"Time is a tricky business. Do not meddle with it and do not waste what time you have," Gandalf intoned.
"What are you, a fortune cookie?" Mia grumbled. "Hey, hobbit-lads, race you to the throne room. I didn't say go!" she shrieked indignantly when all four of them took the hint and sped off. She sprinted after them, growling to herself.
After exchanging bemused looks, Gandalf and Mr. Little followed them. Leaving Rowan and Legolas alone in the courtyard.
"Something tells me we will have to remind them of the time limit."
"You think?"
~*~*~*~
"Amin nowe ron n'kelaya," Legolas said under his breath, once the crowd had finished stampeding off.
"Could you repeat that, in the common tongue? The translators have disappeared!" Rowan reminded him, smiling despite herself.
The Elf Prince looked a tad sheepish. "Oh, forgive me. I said 'I thought they would never leave.'"
"My sentiments exactly." Rowan paused, and a comfortable silence passed between the two. Say something, say something, but do not say goodbye. That would…be very much not good. "I don't want to have to say goodbye," she said at last.
"Nor do I," Legolas replied frankly, and added something in Elvish. It sounded pretty, but Rowan still gave him a look. He smiled briefly and said, "I said that I would not let a day pass without wondering how you are."
Oh. Rowan blinked. She wasn't the type to lose it during sappy movies, but she still got a bit misty-eyed. "I won't either," she said. She thought a moment. "It sounds prettier in Elvish."
"That it does," Legolas replied before kissing her.
The kiss went on for a bit (or a few moments—Rowan wasn't quite sure). And then the two were content to embrace each other, counting heartbeats.
"AHEM!"
Startled, the two broke apart to see Mr. Little giving them a look. "What?" Rowan asked, trying to look casual and innocent and figuring that she was failing terribly.
"It's almost been five minutes and you don't have to separate to say your other farewells. And you're the declared losers of the race to the throne room."
Why does this not surprise me? Rowan wondered, and blinked when Legolas said, "We weren't involved in the race! How does this—"
"Legolas? Does it really matter?" Rowan asked him. The elf shook his head, but still looked a bit put out. Oi, vey. "Fine, let's go tell them that we aren't the losers."
"Or at least tell Miss Regan to take losing a race gracefully."
Rowan stifled a snort. "Fine. But you can tell her that one, all right?"
~*~*~*~
By the time Legolas and Rowan caught up, Mia had finished explaining the situation to King Elessar (or Aragorn, as the girls still called him) and the king was nodding. "I did think that there was more to your arrival than had been stated," he said. "It has been good knowing the two of you. Certainly an interesting experience."
"Same here. It's been fun," said Mia, grinning. "Ah, namarie."
"Namarie," Rowan echoed, and hissed, "By the way, Legolas is not happy about the comment that we lost the race."
"I didn't say it, Pippin did."
"Really. Oh, Pippin!" Rowan sang, grabbing Legolas' arm and pulling him over to the hobbit.
Mia sighed. "Here we go again—oh, Rowan! We have to say goodbye to Gimli, remember? Rowan!" Why do I think that I shouldn't have mentioned the bit about Pippin? she thought with another sigh.
Thankfully, the debate about who lost the race ended when Frodo told all of them to just 'be quiet, it was not a serious thing' and the girls said a quick goodbye to Gimli. The dwarf was a bit confused about the exact reasons of the girls leaving, but he was a bit busy with his axes and Legolas promised to explain matters fully.
"Or best I can," the elf added as the entire party walked back out to the courtyard. Gandalf was sitting there and Mr. Little was studying a pillar critically, or possibly for show.
"Just do that," said Rowan, smiling up at him.
Mia didn't feel like smiling. Now was the hard part. I don't want to say goodbye to the hobbits! she thought, noting that her mental voice sounded like a wail. But she managed, since that had been the plan for the day, and three of the hobbits were surprisingly upbeat about it.
"I imagine we'll see each other again," Sam told Rowan as he watched Mia approach Frodo. "Some way or another. Don't you?"
Rowan nodded absently, glancing at Legolas. "I suppose. I certainly hope so."
All right. Stay calm. Do not start blubbering. Mia took a deep breath and knelt down, looking Frodo in the eye. "I really don't want to have to say this again, but," she started.
"No," Frodo cut her off, and she stared at him. He stared back, looking sheepish but determined. "I've already said goodbye—or 'namarie'—to you once, Mia. I don't plan to do so again. At this point, it seems…final."
"Oh." He did have a point, Mia readily admitted, but she said aloud, "But goodbye doesn't necessarily mean that we'll never see each other again…" Merry and Pippin were making odd gestures behind Frodo's back. What on Earth? Were they trying to play Charades? "Or at least—mmph!"
The kiss was fairly short. Mia blinked and saw that Frodo was blushing furiously. Huh. Well, we still have a few minutes. She leaned forward and kissed him, managing not to blush.
"Oh, good grief," said Rowan in some disbelief.
"It certainly took them long enough," said Sam, nodding. That comment got at least five incredulous stares. "What? It did!"
Mi and Frodo had parted, and were smiling a little, even though they both looked teary-eyed.
"Perhaps, Master Samwise," said Legolas after a long beat.
"Yes, perhaps. That's enough. We have to go now," Mr. Little said tactfully, not looking at his watch. Reluctantly, the girls moved away from their friends, Mia blinking rapidly. "All right, then. Namarie, everyone! Nice seeing you again!" He waved cheerily at the group, who waved back not quite as cheerily.
Rowan and Mia glanced at the glowing ring on their English teacher's finger. Narya, Mia mouthed just as the world exploded into a rainbow-filled whirlpool of vertigo that they fell back into—
—And then there was darkness.
~*~*~*~
The darkness lasted a little longer than the feeling of vertigo, which thankfully ended with the rather unpleasant feeling of landing on pavement. Ow, that's…painful, Rowan thought, keeping her eyes closed. Spine in pain… She opened her eyes and saw a bright, sunny sky broken by a power line overhead. The same thing she saw if she looked up while walking away from the English classroom.
Yay, I'm back, Rowan thought sarcastically, sitting up and yelping. Her leg still hurt a little, Mia was groaning somewhere off to the left—and RANDY was sitting not two feet away, rubbing his head and looking a bit dazed. This isn't happening…I killed him! Sword went through his body and…
And then he disappeared, she reminded herself. He went bye-bye…yikes.
"Randy?" she squeaked.
"Yeah—ow—hang on—"
"Holy H-E double hockey-sticks!" Mia yelped, leaping to her feet. Rowan made a mental note to kill Mia if she ever said that particular phrase again. "Did it—ow, ow, eye, ow…guess it did happen." She touched her eye, which looked pretty much healed. "Ow. Randy, you evil neener-head." She batted Randy across the back of the head—and then she grinned, lunging forward and nearly cutting off the boy's oxygen supply. "You're alive!"
"GURK!"
"Mia, stop choking him!"
"Whoops." Mia let go.
Randy blinked, his disoriented (and strangled) look fading. "Um, yes, I'm…oh, my Lord, was I—"
Rowan got to her feet. Evidently, Randy remembered Middle-Earth and everything he had done while there. Which is good, because I really, really don't want to have to explain everything that happened or why Mia is acting like a maniac. Er, more of a maniac than usual. "Yes," she said simply, having no desire to add anything more. "You were."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh." Rowan picked up her backpack, wondering how Mr. Little had managed that since it had last been left somewhere on Middle-Earth, and figured it was because he was a wizard. And not just a wizard, but the coolest wizard ever. She smiled, and remembered the lecture dream. About the rings and what they had become in the future. And who has them…or is supposed to… Rowan patted one of the outer pockets of her backpack and felt a familiar lump. "Mia—"
"Gotcha," Mia nodded, reaching for her own backpack and opening it. "And got it, too…hmm." She picked up a book that looked quite battered and was covered in a familiar script. "Cool!"
"Lucky you—I lost my sword."
"Oh, quit whining," said Mia, rolling her eyes.
"Uh, Rowan? Mia? Were we really on Middle-Earth?" Randy asked. Two annoyed 'duhs' answered him. He winced. "I'm sorry. For, uh…well, everything…"
"You're not wholly at fault." Of course Mia would be the one to say that. Then again, Rowan thought with a small smile, Mia had been the one to tackle him. "But don't think we're going to be any nicer to you," the taller girl finished, looking triumphant.
"Yeah, didn't think so," replied Randy, smiling a little.
"Oh, you're not funny," Rowan said to Mia, who just smiled. Argh. Infuriating. She swung her backpack over her shoulders. "See you at lunch, Randy."
Randy tilted his head. "Yeah, I…where are you two going?" he asked them as he got to his feet.
"To take care of business," Rowan replied, glancing back at him. Mia chose to keep walking ahead. "You don't need to come along if you don't want to."
~*~*~*~
The girls' destination was their English classroom, which was empty save for Mr. Little—an anomaly during lunchtime, since he was lenient about allowing students to visit. He grinned at them, turning away from his computer. "Hello, ladies! Having a good day?"
"Hi, Mr. Little," Mia and Rowan chorused, and the former added a rather bland, "Yeah, kind of." By silent agreement, neither girl mentioned Middle-Earth. Rowan just handed over a rock and Mia dropped a necklace on the desk. The English teacher looked at the girls curiously.
"We don't want these anymore." Rowan shrugged. "Wouldn't be any use, anyway."
Mr. Little raised his eyebrows. "Really."
Mia also shrugged, affecting an unconcerned air. "Like we ever used them! C'mon, Rowan," she said to her friend, "I have this sudden craving for pizza."
"At least you didn't say coffee," Rowan muttered as they left.
"Oh, that too!" said Mia with false brightness. Rowan groaned. "What?"
Another English teacher passed by, and overheard part of the conversation. "Coffee. Now that's what I need," he remarked.
Any other teacher making this statement would have gotten a sarcastic comment of 'oh, you realize this now?'—but not this one. That English teacher got a little too bouncy if he had too much coffee, and his students were always less than amused.
The girls looked at each other in horror and turned to run after him. "Oh, no you don't!"
Inside the classroom, Mr. Little was looking at the deposited items on his desk. "Hmm," he said. This was very interesting.
To Be Continued…in Chapter Sixteen, where some very interesting things happen—and that's all we're saying. Please leave any form of commentary, good or bad, in the box below.
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