A/N - Well.... this is the penultimate chapter! Thankyou for all the fantastic support I have received for the writing of this story! Enjoy!
Chapter 14 - Celebrate.... good times, COME ON!
"Ladies and gentlemen...." the crackly tannoy system announced over the Olympic village. "We have reached the penultimate day of the first Official Olympics of Middle Earth, and it is my pleasure to invite you...... on behalf of the King...... to the official party in the official pub in the Official Olympics of Middle Earth! Bring your friends! Bring your family! And, most importantly, bring a fish! Gollum's getting out of hand again....." The tannoy switched off.
"A party?!" cried Frodo. He did like parties. They reminded him of Bilbo. Shame the old hobbit couldn't make it to see his victory against Celeborn in the staring contest. He blinked. Yes, they still worked.
"Free beer?!" cried Pippin.
"Noooooo! Not Britney!" cried Merry. Except that he actually did cry. Can't say I blame him though.
"Don't cry Mr Merry," said Sam, placing a comforting arm around Merry's shoulder, "If Pippin gets out of hand, I've still got that beautiful elven rope.... if you take my meaning."
"Thank you Sam." said Merry, wiping his tears on the back of his sleeve.
"Anytime, Mr Brandybuck. Anytime... Now! Let's go party!"
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Meanwhile, in Olympic's central (aka Aragorn's office), the King Elessar was once again buried under 7 feet of paperwork as he attempted to make the final arrangements for the closing ceremony.
"So we'll have a big parade, and all of the medal winners will be there, so I need to tell them what to do...." he rustled through the papers, "and I can't find the prize list..... Arwen!"
The wail was heard all the way up in Lothlorien.
"Yes Aragorn?" called Arwen patiently. Never let men do anything, she noted to herself as she ascended the stairs to the office for the twenty fifth time that day. They are incapable and always lose things.
"Have you seen my big long list of medal winners anywhere?"
"No.... where did you last have it?" she put on her best sweet and wonderful spouse voice. Now she knew why her father had been reluctant for her to marry!
"If I knew that, don't you think I'd have found it by now?"
"Well, yes.... but-"
"No buts...." said the rather irate king, "Fetch me the hobbits!"
"Which hobbits?" said Arwen. She really could not take much more of this....
"The ones who I went on that little quest with! You know....."
"Right." said Arwen.
Aragorn slumped onto the pile of paperwork and buried his head in his hands.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Gimli, Gandalf, Faramir and Éomer were enjoying a peaceful mug of White City's Best* ale in the pub. Well, it would have been peaceful if it wasn't for the party preparations that were going on around them. Several hobbits were stood on very rickety looking ladders, attempting to pin colourful paper chains to the wooden beams. Every few minutes there would be a crash and, as a stream of crepe in the colours of one of the regions of Middle-earth fluttered in the direction of our heroes, a cry of 'I'm OK - don't worry' would arise from the tangle of halflings on the floor. In addition to this, a group of ex members of the dark side were rehearsing for the evening's entertainment: part of their punishment for the behaviour they had since renounced. They were, of course, under the ever watchful eye of Éowyn. Or at least they would have been if Éowyn could have kept her eyes off her husband and his companions.
Likewise, Faramir was watching Éowyn, smiling at her happiness. He looked down at his fast emptying mug of ale, and spoke to Gimli.
"Tell me, master dwarf - how many of those orc heads did you hew? The gracious white lady of Rohan informs me that you were competing with a certain elf as to how many you could fell during the battle of Helm's Deep."
"It is of no importance," said Gimli, downing the last drops from his mug and wiping his beard, "But I can tell you now that it was far more than elf boy!"
"It is a pity that there were no medal for such an event!"
"I am thankful that there are not enough left for such an event."
"If there were, there would be no entertainment for tonight...." Faramir trailed off to glance at Éowyn, who was attempting to teach the orcs a complicated dance step. He laughed and returned to the conversation, "And we wouldn't want that - would we?"
Gimli shook his head, and headed to the bar for another round of ales. Faramir turned back to watch Éowyn.
"I never said thank you, you know," said Éomer to Faramir, causing him to return to his group.
"What for? I have done nothing for you."
"You have restored happiness to my sister, and that is a great and honourable thing."
"It was my pleasure to do such a thing. I would not have had her wilt like a lily left in the frost. Besides," he added, "She certainly showed those guardsmen of mine a thing or two in the combat events." A few days previous, Éowyn had indeed treated the crowds to a skilful display of sword fighting that had left the elves and men running scared. Even Aragorn had retreated to his wife and paperwork.
"That is very true. Let us toast now: to Middle Earth, to true love, and to the unlikely beings winning the biggest events at the Olympics!"
"Cheers!" the fresh mugs of beer were brought together.
"And to the party!" said Gandalf.
Oh yes.... the party!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "No, no, NO!" said Éowyn, "You're doing it all wrong!" She stood up and walked to the centre of the stage. The orcs stepped backwards, a couple tripping and landing on the polished floor. They were scared. Very scared. Well, you would be too if you not only had to provide the entertainment at the biggest party that Middle Earth had seen since.... well, ever, but you had to be taught the dance moves by the Lady Éowyn, and then be made over by Arwen.
"Right," said Éowyn, "Now. This is what you do...."
Éowyn did a couple of side-steps, followed by a funny little hop, an arm movement or two, a spin, jazz hands, and a box step. The orcs attempted to copy.
"Uhh..." said one of the orcs. "Can you do that again, we didn't see?!"
"Oh!" said Éowyn, raising the hem of her long dress so her feet were visible. She repeated the steps and grinned at the approving face of Faramir that had caught her attention.
The orcs did their little 'dance' again, copying her every move - including the playful smile and wave to Faramir.
Éowyn's sword was at the front orc's neck before he had put his hand down.
"Just WHAT do you think you're doing?" she demanded, fuming.
"We, uh..." the orc looked worriedly at the sharp blade under his chin, threatening to pierce his flesh.
"We were copying you," interrupted another, taller, orc, "Just like you asked."
"Oh," said Éowyn, lowering her sword.
The orc she had been threatening gulped and moved swiftly to the back of the group.
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Knock, knock!
"Uuuggghhhh...." groaned Aragorn, not wanting to open his door and administer yet another guest into his citadel. That could only mean more paperwork. He stretched and stood up, walking towards the door - which suddenly opened as if of its own accord. He looked to the floor.
"You called?!" said one of the four hobbits currently walking into his office. They sat down on the plush chairs and helped themselves to the cakes placed there. Sam was most disgruntled to find that he had picked up a portion of lembas - the only one on the plate!
"Yes." replied Aragorn, "You always seem to know what's going on around here, and I'm pretty sure you've made a few bets in your time at the Olympics...."
Merry and Pippin looked away and whistled innocently.
"We did nothing of the sort, Strider - don't be silly!" said Pippin.
"I don't care what you did!" said Aragorn. Merry's mouth opened in shock.
"Well what do you want then?" said Frodo, who really didn't have time for this. He was supposed to behaving lunch with Galadriel and Celeborn in ten minutes.
"I want you to make me a complete list of all of the prize winners at the Olympics. Every single one."
"OK." said Merry.
"OK?" said Aragorn, "That's it? No... 'how much will you pay us?'"
"Nope." said Sam.
"Great! Now.... leave me alone, I've got interviews for a new secretary starting in half an hour, and I want to see Arwen before then!"
He shooed the hobbits out and closed the door. After pushing aside the reams of documents blocking it, that is.
"You..." said Merry, pointing at Pippin with a grin on his face, "Owe me some money."
Pippin began to whistle again.
"Pip," said Sam, nudging his friend in the side, "Merry's talking to you!"
"What?!" said Pippin, "Sorry, I hadn't noticed."
"I said you owe me some money."
"Oh." said Pippin.
"Why?" enquired Frodo.
"We," Merry indicated to himself and Pippin with his hands, "Made a bet. I said that Strider would get lost in his paperwork and need our help. Pippin said he wouldn't."
"Right." said Frodo. Mental note to self, he added silently. Next time..... DON'T ASK!
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Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Sam left the citadel and walked slowly towards the party pub for the night's festivities. Their gazes lingered on the sights they had grown to love during their stay in the great city: the different inns they had visited, the houses of the men they had befriended and then spent time getting very drunk with, the fields where they had practised for their events...... They would, after all, be leaving them all behind after the Olympics were finished. Sam had a new family to attend to, Merry and Pippin their duties, and Frodo.... well, whatever he chose to do with his time.
They heard the celebrations long before they were within sight of the inn. They also heard the fangirls who had gathered around, or a near as they could get to it, the inn's entrance, in hope of seeing their favourite athlete. Patrolling the barricades that had been put up for the athlete's safety were several young females. Amongst them, Frodo thought he recognised Audrey and Tigerlily (aka the Gollumsitters), Amy - who had applied for the job as soon as she realised it meant being able to meet Legolas and make the other fangirls jealous, and Ailsa - the young, but extremely tough, bodyguard to the stars.
Eventually, they reached the doorway, which seemed to be vibrating due to the pulsating dance beat music being played inside. Ooooohh, thought Sam. The elves learnt some new songs. They entered the pub.
Wow, thought Pippin, as they waded through the sea of bodies that filled the inn. That's a lot of knees.
Sam suddenly began to feel very claustrophobic. Then, all of a sudden, he was in the air, high above the crowd. Legolas, disguised by a pair of mirrored sunglasses, had lifted him free and was carrying him over to the bar, where White City's Best flowed incessantly. Sam twisted around in the elf's arms to see his friends being carried in a similar fashion by Faramir, Éomer and Éowyn.
"Ah! Samwise!" said Gandalf, "I see you and your friends made it to this night of revelry."
"That we did Mr Gandalf, that we did."
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The night was one of the best celebrations seen in Gondor for many a year. The weight of the threat of Mordor and the Dark Lord's wrath seemed to have finally been exorcised from the people, and they were ready to party. Everyone seemed truly happy at last, and the mood was one of unprecedented excitement. Even Gollum had been allowed to attend the party, such was the generous mood of the people that night. He spent the night laying low and hissing around the bar and the buffet, hoping to catch some sight of the fish he coveted. Preciousssss.....
Aside from Gollum, the party was attended by everyone who had participated in an Olympic event, plus some specially invited individuals, such as Galadriel, and some gatecrashers - namely fangirls, who had snuck in when the security guards had been fawning over the King.
Some security!
Not that the people outside the pub didn't join in the fun! The music was so loud, and the atmosphere so widespread that everyone within about a three mile radius had their own party.
After an hour or so of food and merriment, the party really began. The room was suddenly enveloped in silence as the host for the night, King Elessar, and his beautiful bride, mounted the stage.
"Did I miss something?" enquired Pippin, as he returned from his fourth trip to the dining room.
"Ssssssshhhhhh!" hissed the attendants.
"Right," said Aragorn. "As you all know, this is the final evening of the first Official Olympics of Middle Earth. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for coming, and to say that I hope to see you tomorrow - at our closing ceremony. I also expect that I shall see some of you again in four years time for our second event!"
Arwen nudged the king with her elbow, and whispered something in his ear.
"Yes," he said, "My wondrous wife has just informed me that the entertainment is ready to begin." He stepped aside. "May I present to you......." he looked at the card Arwen had just presented him with, ".... 'Geez, I wish I had been on the good side'!"
The curious audience clapped graciously as the couple left the stage.
The lights were lowered. A slow melodious tune was played by a single violin. A shadowed figure began the ascent to the stage. A second violin took up the tune; slow and mournful in places, light and joyful in others. The audience sat, enchanted, wondering what on earth they were about to witness.
The answer came as a second figure entered the stage area. The first stepped into the spotlight and cast aside its cloak.
An orc of Mordor was revealed.
Half of the audience screamed in terror. Did they think it funny to set the enemy on them? The other half just screamed with laughter. It was, being the Olympics and all, no ordinary orc of Mordor. No. This orc was dressed in a tutu, pink, fluffy, and looking extremely embarrassed.
The second orc cast aside his cloak to reveal his purple tutu. Needless to say, this had been part of the makeover that Arwen had given them. The other part was revealed when the curtain lifted after the two orc's very short rendition of the Middle Earth version of Swan Lake.
The orcs were all in make up and long wigs.
The string music stopped.
The lights were raised.
Brightly coloured beams of fast moving light began to dance around the inn and the introduction to a popular song started up.
An orc in a blonde wig stepped forward and took up a microphone. Nervously, he started to sing.
"Oh Sauron, Sauron....
How was I supposed to know -
That you were so eeeeevillllll....."
Pippin sat, cringing at the off key singing and cheesy dance routine. He heard a loud thud next to him, and looked to his left.
Merry had fainted, a look of horror fixed upon his face.
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A/N - That was a very, very, very, very, very long chapter - wasn't it? I hope that you liked it!
*'White City's Best' copyright MagicalRachel 2002. Well, it would be if I had had it copyrighted. You are welcome to use it, but please ask first :)
The original version of '.....Baby one more time' belongs to Britney and her lot. The new version.... well..... I hold Éowyn responsible for that!
To all of my wonderful reviewers: your support and enjoyment of this story has meant so much to me! THANK YOU! *hugs and throws bars of Cadbury's dairy Milk* Ooops.... sorry - I didn't mean to hit you!
To Michelle - I hope that was Faramir-y enough for you! Thanks for encouraging me to get this chapter finished!
Once again..... REVIEW!!! And if you flame..... well - I have a bodyguard!
Rachel xxx