Chapter 11: No Time To Say Goodbye
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*[ ]* - indicated the translation of the Elvish words into English.
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The minutes ticked slowly by and each second was agonizing. The car rode steadily, bumping little along the dirt road. Dust and rocks flew from the back tires and trees passed quickly past tinted windows. The spot where Ashley had first found Legolas was no more than three miles from her cabin.
As the car slowed to a stop, the trio exited and stood on the road, looking deep into the dense forest.
"This is it, right?" Amy asked.
Her friend nodded, "Yes..." but she gathered herself once more, "I hope this vortex appears soon though, I'm getting worried about Kenneth and the others. By now, those agents have realized that the lights were fake and may be coming back."
"Well, if that happens," Amy smiled, "I'll just take your car back, park it in front of your cabin, and jump in my own truck. They're sure to have not seen it, since I parked in the back and they'll just think it's another car traveling down the road."
Ashley nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere and Amy's words did not quite register. She turned her head, looking at the Elf beside her. Legolas stood looking into the forest, appearing to be listening intently to something unheard by human ears.
"Legolas?" she asked.
He looked down at her, his blue eyes smiling, "The vortex has already opened. I can hear it, though..." the Elf looked off again, "I can not explain what the sound is..."
Legolas stopped all movement and turned his head to the side, looking back down the road.
"Something's coming..."
Ashley too looked in the same direction as a blue car came into view but she sighed, "What is Dan doing here?"
"She probably didn't like the idea of that message you sent them." Amy replied with a laugh.
The trio stood for a few moments as the blue car rolled to a stop and a young woman stepped out, her hands on her hips.
"So... thought you could get away with it huh?"
Ashley held up her hands, "Get away with what?"
"You introduced your 'friend' to everyone but me! Kenneth told me about it, it's not fair!"
The two friends began to laugh, "Danielle, we don't really have time for this."
She walked up to the trio and stopped in front of Legolas, starring intently at him. He raised his head slightly, feeling her eyes upon him and frowned.
"Is there a problem?" the Elf asked, keeping his temper in check.
Danielle smiled, "Nope, no problem." and without any warning, the young woman threw her hands around his neck and hugged him.
Legolas was a bit taken aback and looked to Ashley with shock and confusion. But she just began to laugh, nearly doubling over.
After no more than a couple seconds, Danielle let the Elf go and smiled again, "Sorry.... I just always wanted to do that." and, her mood suddenly switching, she grabbed Ashley and pulled her toward the blue car.
"We'll be just a second." Legolas could hear the woman call out.
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"What are you thinking?!" Danielle asked when they were out of ear shot from even the Elf.
Ashley sighed, "It should be obvious what I'm doing."
"No! You don't get it! You could get killed or worse!"
"There's little worse than getting killed."
She was about to retort but shrugged, "Good point... but still! Just because he's your so called hero, you can't just leave! You can't just up and throw all caution to the wind and go off on some huge adventure!"
The older woman blinked, "Why can't I? This is my one true chance for adventure, Dan... I have to take it. No more role playing or day dreaming or writing about life changing adventures. Finally I can live what I've always dreamed of. So tell me now why I can't go."
Danielle stood there for a moment then laughed, "It's not just adventure is it?" when her friend didn't respond, she continued, "This doesn't have anything to do with a dwarf dressed as a nun does it?"
"What?!"
With a laugh, Ashley's friend continued, "I seem to recall a certain movie quote that fits your predicament quiet well."
Ashley put her hands on her hips, "Uh huh... and that would be?"
"Love is like oxygen. Love is a many splendid thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need..." Danielle stopped there.
"Is love." the older woman finished, "I know. I know."
"So then? You are doing this for more than just adventure."
Ashley avoided Danielle's gaze, "You know me pretty good I guess."
"You always have more than one motive, Ash. Always."
"What if I do?" The woman replied, "I've already had this talk with Amy, I don't need to have it with you as well."
"I just want you to think about this, that's all."
Walking a couple paces from the car, Ashley turned, "I have thought about it. I've been thinking about such things for days now. Danielle, if you had this chance, what would you do?"
Danielle thought for a moment, "I suppose I'd take it."
"Then it's settled."
"Alright. Alright. I'll tell the guys I couldn't convince you to stay."
Ashley smiled, "Guys just don't understand and I'm betting it was Kenneth and Mark who convinced you to come, right?"
"Yeah."
"Figures... Mark never could understand how emotionally complicated women are."
Danielle laughed, "Then I guess you'd better get going. I saw those MIB guys Kenneth warned me about back at your house."
"What? They should be long gone by now!"
"Nope."
Ashley turned but stopped, ran back and gave her friend a hug, "Thanks Dan."
And with that, hurried back to join the others.
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"Guys, Danielle said that those MIB agents are on our tails. We've got to hurry."
Amy nodded in the direction of Danielle's leaving car, "What happened?"
"I just had to convince her of something, that's all." Ashley replied with a smile.
Suddenly however, Amy heard the distinct sound of tires on a dirt road and turned. Behind them, about a mile off, drove three black cars.
"Guys, we gotta go... NOW!"
Ashley saw the cars as well and the three ran off into the forest as fast as possible. Legolas, who was used to running over fallen objects, made it to the vortex before anyone. They stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next.
Legolas however, turned and bowed to both Ashley and Amy, "Hannad le, Nileregwen, Enlygiel." *[Hannad le - Thank you]* but now he looked at the woman whom he had shared a house with for a week. The Elf smiled, "Ae u-an, Im boe gerin tolno haim. Hannad le a loth i Valar berio le." *[If not for you, I should have become lost. Thank you and may the Valar protect you.]*
Ashley shook her head, "Nay, Im tolath na le, ind le u-loth dui ha. Im u-innas no trenarathon al hen lu, Legolas." *[Nay, I am coming with you, though you may not like it. I will not be told no this time, Legolas.]*
The Elf shook his head, "No! I will not get anyone else involved!"
"It's too late for that!" The woman shot back.
"Guys, we're kinda pressed for time here!" Amy said in a hurried voice, "The MIB guys are coming! Either get in that freakin vortex or forget it!"
Legolas looked to her, "U-caro aphad nin..." *[Do not follow me...]* he bowed once more, "Navaer." *[Farewell.]* and, without another moment's hesitation, the Elf reached his hand toward the swirling light.
In a brilliant flash, he was suddenly gone. But the vortex continued to hover above the ground.
"Amy..." Ashley started, turning to her friend.
But she just smiled back and threw the bag at Ashley, "Get going."
The woman nodded, hugging her friend, "I will write to you guys, everyday."
"I know." she replied.
In the next instant, Ashley too had disappeared with a brilliant flash of light. But Amy had her own problems to worry about.
She quickly rushed toward the nearest clump of foliage and, as she ducked low, the MIB agents came within sight. They ran toward the vortex but were too late and it disappeared mere seconds before they reached it. A curse could clearly be heard from one of them and Amy got the sudden urge to laugh. The lead MIB agent reminded her of the guy off The Matrix and, with all the Middle-Earth talk, her mind drifted to a conversation which included the phrase, "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson." Holding back her laughter, Amy waited a few more moments as they walked back out of sight. The recollection of that conversation brought back many memories of herself and Ashley, laughing about under the sun. Those had been good times...
Now though, her friend was gone and had taken the step into adventure. Amy remembered that Ashley had once said she wanted to be writer for the sole purpose of creating adventures. She had always wanted to have one like those in TV and the movies, but this was real life.
"Now you have your adventure." Amy whispered, making her way as quietly as possible back to the car. "Make it memorable..."
A few minutes later, Amy found the car and there was no sign of the MIB agents. She got into the SUV, her friend's SUV, and drove down the dirt road once more. Now that she had Ashley's keys and car and basically everything else her friend owned, what would she do with it? Amy thought about just holding onto all Ashley's stuff until she returned, but something in her mind said that Ashley would never again set foot on the Earth. It was not a dark feeling or a sense of danger but one that told Amy, her friend would find happiness beyond her wildest dreams in the faraway land of Middle-Earth.
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Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1 for this.
Also, I don't own The Matrix either but I just remembered that Mark and Amy and I had talked about the quote, "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson." So, I thought it appropriate in an attempt to further describe these MIB agents.
Also, I don't own the quote about love or about the dwarf dressed as a nun. It's from Moulin Rouge, which I watched yesterday and had the need to put in here. You know a movie's good when one of it's opening lines is...
"There was just one problem... I'd never been in love. Luckily, right at that moment, and unconscious Argentinean fell through my roof. He was quickly followed by a dwarf dressed as a nun."
So, that movie and it's music (man, Ewan can sing pretty good) have inspired me a bit recently. But I just thought I'd say that I didn't own any of that stuff.
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Reviews:
Shannon: Thanks! I'm glad it's not one of those 14 year old girl things because... that's just kinda wrong. I mean yeah, my character's like 23, 24... and he's nearing like 3000 but still. She's a bit immature at times (like me!) But it comes from hanging around people younger than her. I'm also trying to make this as complicated as possible, meaning that there's no real love at first sight thing going on. Course, I guess that's not really true for my character's point of view because she kinda did... but who wouldn't fall for an Elf at first sight? Answer me that truthfully.
Aidenfire: Soap Opera huh? I get that sometimes... it all depends on the mood I'm in when writing. So, does that mean you like the soap opera type stuff or would you rather there be less of it? Yeah, and Elf and an SUV... a dangerous combination. I hope above that I explained the pop the balloon thing. If not, just tell me and next time I'll go into detail. Now, the stuff with X was a bit complicated. But in this show there are 7 good guys (Dragons of Heaven) and 7 bad guys (Dragons of Earth). When they fight one on one, they put up shields using their inner energy, their ki or chi. When the creator of that ki or chi barrier is killed, the barrier suddenly dissolves and, instead of the battle occurring in another reality, it shows through in the real world. Thus, if they destroyed all the buildings around when the shield was up, when it comes down all those buildings are actually destroyed. Now, I compared it to this instance because it was like something was fighting in another reality and each little light was like a separate battle. Only when Legolas was flung through the vortex did something happen in that other reality battle. Course, in this case, there wasn't really a battle in another reality but it was something trying to get through and damage this world. Does that make any sense? And lastly, yes it did sound a bit like "I'm coming with you!" didn't it? I kinda wanted it to since my character has a very strong attachment to those books and she feels that it's been put on her to help. Why else would fate have intervened in such a way? I'm hoping I made some sense in there, if not, tell me and I'll try a different approach of explaining it all.
Cassie-bear01: Looks like that brain freeze lasted a while cause I know my writer's block did. Sorry about that...
LanierShazar: You're not being greedy, don't sweat it! I'm betting you're going to hate this stopping spot even more.
ShellMel: You're soon going to find out what she thinks of Middle-Earth cause that's where the next chapter starts from! But I did want to try and explain that there's a reason he gets pulled into the real world, which has still not yet been completely explained. It most likely won't be all clear until close to the end of the NEXT story. Yes, there are three parts to this tale...
Mickie: Same here, *sniff sniff* no more Krycek and Mulder.... *sniff sniff* but yeah, I've seen'em all and have most of them on tape or dvd. They're expensive on dvd though, $105 per season. But I've tried to stick things from movies or books or tv shows that stood out to me and hopefully pop out to you guys as well.
Juniper Holly: Thanks! I try my best. But that journal thing is going to play a very huge part in, not only the ending of this story, but in the next two stories as well. Without those journals... the fellowship might just fail and you'll eventually see what I mean by that. I'll most likely explain the arrows thing, but if I don't... it's because she tries to make her own arrows and can't quite get the hang of it. The piccolo... it is most possible that it will be heard. Though I sound 100% better on the flute, that's a bit too big to stick in a backpack, plus it's heavier. And on Brian, nope, he's pretty much out of the picture. Though, there might be a mention of him by Amy later. Also, she doesn't need her bow and that too you'll understand soon. Lastly, where they'll end up may be slightly confusing, but there's a point to it in the end. Course, when that'll get explained will most likely be later as well. I like having to make you guys think on things for a while. Hehehe...
Akima: Right now.
Uta: See! There's more now! Hehehehe... And yeah, that government thing was kinda added at the last minute. I didn't mean for them to stay on Earth for as long as they did. But then I wasn't sure how to do the Middle-Earth stuff yet and now... I think I've got it all ready!
Princess of the Leaves: Thanks! And I will, provided you guys keep giving me such nice reviews!
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Author's Note: Here's an explanation of "Pop the balloon." It's from the show, Aqua Teen Hunger Force which can be seen on Cartoon Network late Sunday nights. My friend Kenneth and I saw it and the next day he just kept saying, "Do What Now?" and I'd respond with, "Pop the Balloon!" You kinda have to see the episode, but let's just say that we've driven some of our teachers to the point when if either phrase is said, a pencil comes flying at our heads. And we're not even in the same class... or grade for that matter. Anyway, trying watching the episode entitled, "Balloonenstien" or try downloading it from someplace like WinMX or something. It's worth the wait because, if you're easily amused, you'll be laughing for hours. For another good laugh, check out the Angry Kid episode, "Blood Juice" from Atomfilms.com. I was going to put a joke about that in here, but then realized that I'd have to explain that as well.
