Disclaimer: the Fellowship characters are NOT mine, they never have been and they never will be. However, Kirby, (the girl, not the little bubble gum looking guy), and all her animal friends are MINE! MINE AND NO ONE ELSE'S! Ahem, ok, that's all I have to say.

Chapter 4: Flash Flood

Kirby: [sobs as her huge tears spill to the floor]

[Most of the floor is wet by now]

Pippin: [turns to Gimli] Gimli, that wasn't very nice! [walks over to Kirby] Kirby, don't cry, I'm sure Gimli didn't mean it.

Kirby: [cries harder]

Pippin: [drags a stool over, then climbs onto it and hugs Kirby] don't listen to that mean Dwarf [glares at Gimli] you're not a deranged idiot.

Kirby: [continues to cry]

Merry: [feeling concerned, walks over and hugs Kirby too]

Pippin: [is already soaked by Kirby's tears] aw Kirby, don't cry.

[The room is beginning to flood]

Purple Chickens: [cluck and flap their wings frantically]

Nana: [sees that Kirby is crying] [comes to her and nudges her] roar roar roar? [translation: what's the matter?]

Kirby: oh Nana…Gimli called me a—a— [sobs]

Blue: [walks over too, deeply confused]

Merry: [angry] he called her a deranged idiot [glares at Gimli]

Blue: [roars angrily and turns to Gimli, his teeth bared]

Gandalf: Gimli, I suggest you run, now.

Gimli: [screams and runs away]

Blue: [chases him, roaring loudly]

Kirby: [continues to cry]

[The tears are up to Merry's knees now]

Frodo and Sam: [glance at each other and nod] [walk over to Kirby and hug her]

Frodo: come now, Kirby, it's ok.

Sam: Gimli's sorry.

Gimli: [yells while still running] no I'm not!

Blue: [roars]

Kirby: [sobs]

Aragorn and Boromir: [shocked] Gimli!

Purple Chickens: [cluck in fright as they are getting wet]

Aragorn: [picks up two Chickens]

Boromir: [picks up two Chickens]

Gandalf: [picks up two Chickens] there now, Chickens, you're safe.

Hobbits: [pull away from Kirby]

Pippin: [dismayed] she's resisting Hobbit hugs. You must have really hurt her, Gimli.

Gimli: [still running] I don't care!

Blue: [roars]

Nana: [gets up on her hind legs and licks Kirby's cheek] [makes rumbling noises as she gets down again]

Kirby: [sobs] Nana [wraps her arms around the polar bear's neck]

Legolas: [looks desperate] Gandalf, what will we do? We're all going to drown!

Gandalf: [shakes his head] I don't know what to do. I don't think she's going to stop crying unless Gimli apologizes.

[The water has reached up to the Hobbits' chests now]

Merry: [frantically] we're going to drown!

Ruby: [disembodied voice] not in my story you won't! Climb on!

[A pink inflatable couch suddenly appears]

Hobbits: [scramble onto the couch]

Aragorn: what about us?

Ruby: [disembodied voice] sorry, buddy, you're on your own.

Boromir: [sarcastically] Gee, thanks.

Ruby: [disembodied voice] oh, no prob, Bori.

Legolas: what will we do now?

Gimli: [frantically scrambles onto the inflatable couch]

Blue: [stops in front of Gimli growling fiercely]

Gimli: [squeaks in fear]

Blue: [gets on his hind legs and lifts his paw high]

Ruby: [appears beside Blue and taps him on the shoulder] ahem! [nods towards the screen]

Blue: [suddenly glances at the screen and notices the younger readers] [smiles sheepishly and drags Gimli out of view]

Gimli: [screams and tries to find something to grab on to]

Ruby: [nods with satisfaction and fades out of view]

[Lots of pounding and growling noises can be heard, but the focus remains on the Hobbits, whose eyes are as big as saucers]

Gimli: [crawls back into view; he's bruised and his clothes are tattered]

Hobbits: [pull Gimli onto the couch]

Gimli: [buries his face in his hands and cries]

Hobbits: [watch helplessly]

[The water is now up to the others' stomachs]

Legolas: [glances over at Kirby and sees that she is no longer hugging Nana] [thinks a moment, then walks over and touches Kirby's shoulder]

Kirby: [ignores him and continues to cry]

Legolas: Kirby, come now, calm yourself [tries to stroke Kirby's hair]

Kirby: [pulls away]

Legolas: [lifts Kirby and sits her on the stool] Kirby, look at me, come on [lifts her chin]

Kirby: [reluctantly looks at Legolas]

Legolas: [calmly] Gimli is sorry and he didn't mean anything he said.

Gimli: [sobs] I'm not sorry and I did mean it! You are a deranged idiot.

Blue: [roars savagely]

Gimli: [squeaks in terror and hides behind Frodo]

Hobbits: [kick Gimli off the couch for insulting Kirby again]

Gimli: [thrashes around in the water for a moment and then gets on the couch again]

Kirby: [tears spring anew] [sobs loudly]

Legolas: [pities Kirby] [hugs her tight] [is soon drenched by her tears]

Hobbits: [watch in dismay as the water continues to rise]

[The water is up to the others' chests]

Aragorn: [grabs Legolas's arm] Legolas, we have to go, we must save ourselves.

Legolas: [lets go of Kirby and turns to Aragorn] [glances back at Kirby] Kirby, come on [grabs her hand and tries to pull her up]

Kirby: [shakes her head and pulls her hand away] [continues to cry]

Legolas: Kirby, you can't stay here, you'll drown.

Kirby: [doesn't move and continues to cry]

Aragorn: [gives Legolas's arm a hard tug]

Legolas: [reluctantly follows Aragorn and the others, looking back at Kirby to see if she'll follow them]

Hobbits and Gimli: [are relatively safe since the couch floats]

Boromir, Aragorn and Gandalf: [set the Purple Chickens on a floating coffee table]

Purple Chickens: [cluck in fear]

Gandalf: all right, let's see if we can find something to float on.

[They wade away through the tears]

Hobbits: [are sitting as far away from Gimli as possible] [give him the death glare]

Gimli: [feels utterly alone]

Sam: [worried] I wonder where the others are.

Merry: [wondering] who knows…

Frodo: [shivers] is it just me or is it getting cold all of a sudden?

Pippin: [yawns] no, it's you.

Merry: [elbows Pippin hard] it is getting cold.

Pippin: [massages his bruised ribs]

[Pretty soon all four Hobbits are yawning]

Merry: perhaps we should take… [yawns] take a little cat nap.

Pippin, Frodo and Sam: [yawn and agree]

Gimli: yes; that's a good idea.

Hobbits: [give Gimli the death glare] [lean against each other and are soon snoring softly]

Gimli: [curls up on his side of the couch and drifts off to sleep]

A/N: I think the funny is dying in this story. It'll be getting more dramatic from here on out, though I'll try to sprinkle humor in when I can.