Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR. Surprising, isn't it? Also, this story might
contain some post-modernism philosophy, but it's easy to ignore if you
don't like the stuff.
A/N: Some of the characters, being reincarnated, will have a different sex than they had in the original series. I simply did this as a point of interest, and, if a romance happens to evolve, I'm not suggesting whatsoever that the characters involved in said romance harbored secret feelings for each other. I just know there are some slash-freaks out there that will accuse me of slash, but I assure you, this is not the case. Anyway, on with the story.
Chp. 1
Fred Baisley laughed in amusement as his best friend, Sam Grainwise, came rushing out of class seconds after the final bell of the day had rung.
"Was math really that awful Sam?" Fred teased as they walked down the hallway of their public high school together.
"You have no idea," Sam groaned as they rounded a corner, "I'm so glad we're out of here in a couple of months." Sam glared as Fred continued to laugh, "You got out of class early today, what's the occasion?"
"Mr. Bigin's retirement party," Fred stated, looking over at Sam, "You didn't forget, did you?"
"Of course not," Sam replied, "I just didn't think you'd get out of class early for something like that."
Mr. Bigin was a history teacher at the high school Fred and Sam attended. Though all the students loved the humorous, eccentric teacher, the two of them had developed a special attachment to the elderly man.
"Do you think Mary and Peter are going?" Sam inquired as he collected the textbooks he needed for that night's homework.
"If they haven't landed themselves in detention again," Fred sighed, "How those two haven't been expelled yet is beyond me."
"Who's getting expelled?" a short girl with curly brown hair piped up behind Fred. However, her brown eyes glinted mischievously, and a knowing smile crept across her face.
"No one Mary," a guy with dirty blonde hair who matched her height replied, "They don't have any evidence."
"Oh, Pete, speaking of evidence, the next time you blow up the school's toilets, make sure to take your notebooks with you," Fred sighed as he shoved a green spiral notebook into his friend's arms, "You're just lucky I was the first one on the scene."
"Hey, thanks man I owe you one," Peter answered casually, seemingly unconcerned at his narrow escape.
Fred and Sam rolled their eyes as the group of four headed to room 101 where the party was being held. Despite Fred's obvious displeasure of Peter and Mary's actions, he wouldn't change their personalities for the world. They had been friends since kindergarten, drawn initially to each other because of their unnatural shortness. But they had made the best of it, forming a union of short people against a height-conscious population.
Room 101 was small, quaint but cozy, there was nothing that really distinguished it from any other room in the high school. Mr. Bigin was standing towards the front of the room, a bottle of water clutched in his hand, and he was laughing merrily as usual. He waved happily as he saw Fred, Sam, Mary, and Peter enter the room, and motioned that he would be over to greet them momentarily. Then the soon-to-be retired teacher turned back to the person he had been conversing with. Fred exclaimed excitedly when he saw the woman he had been speaking with, a substitute teacher of the district, Miss Grey. The tall woman was the most favored teacher at the high school, but it was rare that she made an appearance at Fred's school. A million rumors were circulated among the student populace as to what Miss Grey did when she wasn't teaching, ideas ranging from work with the CIA to underwater research in Micronesia, but she seemed to rather enjoy the mystery and had not chose to enlighten them. She too, raised a hand in greeting to the small group, and continued to jest with Mr. Bigin.
Fred and his friends surveyed the room and were glad to see that a lot of students had come. They helped themselves to refreshments provided and grouped around a couple of desks. It wasn't long before Mr. Bigin and Miss Grey found them.
"Congratulations," Fred greeted as the two adults came near; "No one has earned retirement more than you, Mr. Bigin."
"Please, please, it's Bob now," the cheerful elderly man replied, "and I thank all of you for attending today, though I truly hope this is not good- bye."
"Of course not," Sam laughed, "You'd have to try a lot harder to get rid of us than this."
"I hope you are all staying out of trouble," Miss Grey commented as she looked pointedly at Mary and Peter. Fred and Sam grinned as Mary coughed and had to tie her shoelace while Peter found something of remarkable interest on the ceiling.
"Yeah, you guys better behave or she'll beat you with her rod," Sam teased causing Mary and Peter to look momentarily guilty. It was a well-known fact that Miss Grey always carried a thin metal rod with her and currently she was waving it threateningly in front of the two rebellious teens.
"So what class did you substitute for today?" Mary asked, making a valiant attempt to change the subject.
"No class," Miss Grey replied, shrugging, "I came in today for Mr.-I mean, Bob's retirement party."
The four looked wide-eyed at their former teacher and he replied, "It was a shock, to be sure that Genevieve, or Miss Grey to you, but it was a most welcome one. We've been friends for many years, but lately it has been far too long between meetings."
"Indeed, my old friend," Miss Grey sighed, "Far too long."
"How long have you guys been friend?" Peter questioned, looking askance at Miss Grey, for she appeared to be young, and couldn't possibly have been older than him by more than a decade.
"I've lost count," Bob replied, grinning, "Just be content with a very long time." * * * * *
The party was winding down to a close when Genevieve and Bob stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Fred, Sam, Mary, and Peter were still there, of course, but most of the other guests had headed home to relax and go about their normal evening routines. They sat down on a bench near the sidewalk, simply enjoying each other's company, a mutual appreciation of silence existing between the two long time friends.
"Have you decided which of them you are going to give the Key to?" Genevieve inquired, breaking the silence at last.
Bob sighed deeply, a sentiment of exhaustion and weariness that he had been battling his last couple of years as the Key bearer, "They're still so young yet Gene, they haven't yet finished high school. Certainly this decision can wait another year?"
"You know that can't be," Gene replied patiently, "The power of the Enemy is growing, our advantage has always been in secrecy, the fact that the Enemy does not know who possesses the Key. Giving Him another year to locate the position, and bearer, of the weapon could be disastrous for the cause."
"I know. . .I know Gene," Bob responded tiredly, "It's the same arguments, the same infallible logic. . .but still, I wish there was some other way."
For the first time since their meeting, a look of sympathy crossed Gene's face as she looked upon her old friend, "Spoken like a true Key bearer."
Bob smiled sadly as he looked up at the tall, brunette woman, "But you already know my decision, do you not Gene? You know the histories and legends better than I, maybe better than anyone does. You know who the Key must go to."
"It doesn't have to!" Gene insisted, a flash of contempt crossing her eyes, "You have the opportunity to give it to someone other than Frod- I mean Fred."
Gene lowered her eyes, embarrassed about her slip, but Bob patted her arm comfortingly and reminded her, "It's alright, my friend, we all slip from time to time."
Gene shrugged off his arm, unconvinced but at least reassured, "So what is your decision?"
Bob looked at Gene, a hesitant look momentarily crossing his face, but when he spoke, his voice was firm, "The Key will go to Fred."
A sense of dread chilled the blood in Gene's heart as she heard these words, as if even then she could sense the implications of that decision, but she decidedly ignored the unpleasant sensation. She still believed Fred could bear the Key with the same lack of incident as his predecessors.
"So be it."
Reviews are always, always appreciated!!
A/N: Some of the characters, being reincarnated, will have a different sex than they had in the original series. I simply did this as a point of interest, and, if a romance happens to evolve, I'm not suggesting whatsoever that the characters involved in said romance harbored secret feelings for each other. I just know there are some slash-freaks out there that will accuse me of slash, but I assure you, this is not the case. Anyway, on with the story.
Chp. 1
Fred Baisley laughed in amusement as his best friend, Sam Grainwise, came rushing out of class seconds after the final bell of the day had rung.
"Was math really that awful Sam?" Fred teased as they walked down the hallway of their public high school together.
"You have no idea," Sam groaned as they rounded a corner, "I'm so glad we're out of here in a couple of months." Sam glared as Fred continued to laugh, "You got out of class early today, what's the occasion?"
"Mr. Bigin's retirement party," Fred stated, looking over at Sam, "You didn't forget, did you?"
"Of course not," Sam replied, "I just didn't think you'd get out of class early for something like that."
Mr. Bigin was a history teacher at the high school Fred and Sam attended. Though all the students loved the humorous, eccentric teacher, the two of them had developed a special attachment to the elderly man.
"Do you think Mary and Peter are going?" Sam inquired as he collected the textbooks he needed for that night's homework.
"If they haven't landed themselves in detention again," Fred sighed, "How those two haven't been expelled yet is beyond me."
"Who's getting expelled?" a short girl with curly brown hair piped up behind Fred. However, her brown eyes glinted mischievously, and a knowing smile crept across her face.
"No one Mary," a guy with dirty blonde hair who matched her height replied, "They don't have any evidence."
"Oh, Pete, speaking of evidence, the next time you blow up the school's toilets, make sure to take your notebooks with you," Fred sighed as he shoved a green spiral notebook into his friend's arms, "You're just lucky I was the first one on the scene."
"Hey, thanks man I owe you one," Peter answered casually, seemingly unconcerned at his narrow escape.
Fred and Sam rolled their eyes as the group of four headed to room 101 where the party was being held. Despite Fred's obvious displeasure of Peter and Mary's actions, he wouldn't change their personalities for the world. They had been friends since kindergarten, drawn initially to each other because of their unnatural shortness. But they had made the best of it, forming a union of short people against a height-conscious population.
Room 101 was small, quaint but cozy, there was nothing that really distinguished it from any other room in the high school. Mr. Bigin was standing towards the front of the room, a bottle of water clutched in his hand, and he was laughing merrily as usual. He waved happily as he saw Fred, Sam, Mary, and Peter enter the room, and motioned that he would be over to greet them momentarily. Then the soon-to-be retired teacher turned back to the person he had been conversing with. Fred exclaimed excitedly when he saw the woman he had been speaking with, a substitute teacher of the district, Miss Grey. The tall woman was the most favored teacher at the high school, but it was rare that she made an appearance at Fred's school. A million rumors were circulated among the student populace as to what Miss Grey did when she wasn't teaching, ideas ranging from work with the CIA to underwater research in Micronesia, but she seemed to rather enjoy the mystery and had not chose to enlighten them. She too, raised a hand in greeting to the small group, and continued to jest with Mr. Bigin.
Fred and his friends surveyed the room and were glad to see that a lot of students had come. They helped themselves to refreshments provided and grouped around a couple of desks. It wasn't long before Mr. Bigin and Miss Grey found them.
"Congratulations," Fred greeted as the two adults came near; "No one has earned retirement more than you, Mr. Bigin."
"Please, please, it's Bob now," the cheerful elderly man replied, "and I thank all of you for attending today, though I truly hope this is not good- bye."
"Of course not," Sam laughed, "You'd have to try a lot harder to get rid of us than this."
"I hope you are all staying out of trouble," Miss Grey commented as she looked pointedly at Mary and Peter. Fred and Sam grinned as Mary coughed and had to tie her shoelace while Peter found something of remarkable interest on the ceiling.
"Yeah, you guys better behave or she'll beat you with her rod," Sam teased causing Mary and Peter to look momentarily guilty. It was a well-known fact that Miss Grey always carried a thin metal rod with her and currently she was waving it threateningly in front of the two rebellious teens.
"So what class did you substitute for today?" Mary asked, making a valiant attempt to change the subject.
"No class," Miss Grey replied, shrugging, "I came in today for Mr.-I mean, Bob's retirement party."
The four looked wide-eyed at their former teacher and he replied, "It was a shock, to be sure that Genevieve, or Miss Grey to you, but it was a most welcome one. We've been friends for many years, but lately it has been far too long between meetings."
"Indeed, my old friend," Miss Grey sighed, "Far too long."
"How long have you guys been friend?" Peter questioned, looking askance at Miss Grey, for she appeared to be young, and couldn't possibly have been older than him by more than a decade.
"I've lost count," Bob replied, grinning, "Just be content with a very long time." * * * * *
The party was winding down to a close when Genevieve and Bob stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Fred, Sam, Mary, and Peter were still there, of course, but most of the other guests had headed home to relax and go about their normal evening routines. They sat down on a bench near the sidewalk, simply enjoying each other's company, a mutual appreciation of silence existing between the two long time friends.
"Have you decided which of them you are going to give the Key to?" Genevieve inquired, breaking the silence at last.
Bob sighed deeply, a sentiment of exhaustion and weariness that he had been battling his last couple of years as the Key bearer, "They're still so young yet Gene, they haven't yet finished high school. Certainly this decision can wait another year?"
"You know that can't be," Gene replied patiently, "The power of the Enemy is growing, our advantage has always been in secrecy, the fact that the Enemy does not know who possesses the Key. Giving Him another year to locate the position, and bearer, of the weapon could be disastrous for the cause."
"I know. . .I know Gene," Bob responded tiredly, "It's the same arguments, the same infallible logic. . .but still, I wish there was some other way."
For the first time since their meeting, a look of sympathy crossed Gene's face as she looked upon her old friend, "Spoken like a true Key bearer."
Bob smiled sadly as he looked up at the tall, brunette woman, "But you already know my decision, do you not Gene? You know the histories and legends better than I, maybe better than anyone does. You know who the Key must go to."
"It doesn't have to!" Gene insisted, a flash of contempt crossing her eyes, "You have the opportunity to give it to someone other than Frod- I mean Fred."
Gene lowered her eyes, embarrassed about her slip, but Bob patted her arm comfortingly and reminded her, "It's alright, my friend, we all slip from time to time."
Gene shrugged off his arm, unconvinced but at least reassured, "So what is your decision?"
Bob looked at Gene, a hesitant look momentarily crossing his face, but when he spoke, his voice was firm, "The Key will go to Fred."
A sense of dread chilled the blood in Gene's heart as she heard these words, as if even then she could sense the implications of that decision, but she decidedly ignored the unpleasant sensation. She still believed Fred could bear the Key with the same lack of incident as his predecessors.
"So be it."
Reviews are always, always appreciated!!