Author: Mirrordance
Title: The Plague
Summary: The Fellowship must reunite to save Middle-Earth again when Pippin unwittingly finds the legendary Pandora's box and opens it, releasing great evil upon the lands…
Part 1: Trouble in the Shire
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The Shire
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Why must the peace be so constantly shattered?
Frodo looked upon his friends miserably. Brought together once again were they, in Bilbo Baggins's hut, gathered around a table by the fire. They were miraculously quiet for a group of young hobbits, weighing their sins, counting their few options.
"Why shouldn't I have opened it?" Pippin exclaimed in defense of himself, as if he was simply resuming an argument inside his mind, "I found it. It was a box. Why not?"
"Why not?" Merry snapped, his eyes bulging and his face contorting. Pippin rubbed at his forearms nervously as he awaited the wrath of his friend, "It must have been buried for some reason, Pippin. You should have been more cautious. You ought to know by now that the world is rife with evils. Curse your curiosity!"
"I'd have opened it," Samwise admitted, in Pippin's defense, "He is right. If it were a right pretty box…"
"Then curse your curiosity as well," said Merry, "Gandalf will have our heads in a platter."
"Perhaps nothing will come of it," Frodo said uncertainly, though he surely didn't believe it.
From what little he had was able to grasp of Pippin's frantic blabbering a few minutes ago, the incident sounded grave. The hobbit had heard of making a time capsule from a traveler who had passed into town some weeks ago, and decided to make one of his own. His mind set on burying it until his children's children's children's children (i.e. very deep) would be the only one to find it, he instead found a compact, intricate, bejeweled golden box. Excitedly, he opened it, and said that a skinny black, slithering, lizard-like thing had flown away, leaving a foul smell and soaring to the skies. Horrified and panicked, Pippin shut the lid of the box and ran with it to the place where the river current was quick and destructive, eager to rid himself of the box, its demons, and most likely, all traces of his crime.
"Master Frodo is right," agreed Sam, perpetually optimistic, "We've not had trouble yet, and this was quite some minutes ago, wouldn't you say?"
"I think maybe the river destroyed the box," said Pippin eagerly, nodding, "and if the box were destroyed, so would all its demons."
Merry frowned. "To be able to rid the self of grave danger with such ease is almost always never the case."
"Maybe this once, Merry," Frodo said quietly.
"With all my heart, I hope so," Merry said honestly, "But I could not help but doubt."
Frodo bit his upper lip, made a
decision. "Would it appease you if we
wrote a letter to Strider? It would be days until he could receive it, but he
may know more of this than we."
Merry looked slightly
embarrassed. "You needn't do anything to
satisfy me, Frodo. I merely find it
prudent to be on the side of caution."
"A letter, yes!" exclaimed Samwise, "I think it would be best, Master Frodo."
Pippin bit his lip. "None of them are going to be very happy with me, are they?"
"Perhaps nothing will come of it," Frodo said again, wishing with all of his heart.
TO BE CONTINUED…
PREVIEW OF PART 2, "The Ravage of Rohan."
Stepping out of their tour of Fangorn, Legolas and Gimli find Rohan destroyed by the plague Pippin had unwittingly released…
A SCENE FROM PART 2:
"Is anyone home?" Gimli called out, his stubby fingers reaching for the door, Legolas readying his bow for any surprises that may come from within.
The knob slid smoothly, unlocked as it was. The two companions left their nervously whinnying horse outside, and stepped into the dark home.
Legolas's eyes adjusted quickly to the dark, and he caught his breath at the horrid sight, his arm tensing as he prepared to shoot his arrow, although what violence may have occurred in this home had been over long before he and Gimli had walked into its doors.
Gimli growled beside him, "This is like walking into a grave."
Bodies of the inhabitants of the house lay on the ground, not stirring, their faces turned away from Legolas and Gimli. They had no obvious wounds, although they were still and oblivious, seemingly dead…