Author's note: So Arwen has saved her mother and she has come back to Rivendell to find that Estel is a very different boy than the one that she left. This story has a lot more of Galadriel in it so beware! May I also inform you beforehand that I wrote this completely for entertainment purposes and frequently you will find technical errors in my work, such as the fact that elves cannot get sleepy and that Middle-Earth probably doesn't have a rock band called The Weasles, or any other name for that matter. Rest assured I know that these things are not true and look more at the humor content and exposition for reviews. Thank you!

Ironic Though it Seemed: Home Again

As Arwen caught the first sound of the waterfall in Imladris she felt as though she had left there only yesterday. In an Elven sense she probably had. Those few years were nothing compared to her total age of 2702. The past five years had passed quickly, in a blur. Not, however, without the administration of pain on both sides of the confrontation. True, Arwen and her brothers Elladan and Elrohir had hunted down the party of orcs holding their mother captive and she now rode beside then, speaking merrily as though it had never happened. But as she spoke she frequently rubbed the poisoned wound on her shoulder, though it was already closed and nearly healed, and there was a shadow behind her eyes. Elladan and Elrohir had already left them, determined to kill any other orcs they came across to avenge this injury and Celebrian was left in the care of her daughter, who was telling her of a charming little boy that awaited them in Rivendell.

"Well, the first few days were bloody Mordor! He was so obnoxious and inappropriate I thought facing Grandma Galadriel in Lorien would have been better."

"Oh, my. That is bad," Celebrian said.

"Oh it was! Anyway, after the first few days I found that he was really quite sweet! Of course, that very next morning I had to depart. He wished to come help save you, quite a noble offer for one of his age. It pained me to leave him after such a short acquaintance. But no doubt this time he will not need time to warm to me and I should have no more similar problems. And he shall be older and, to a degree, more mature. He'll be twelve by now. He might need a week to get used to you, though. I will warn you now."

"Thank you, love. I'll keep that in mind. But, oh, it is good to be home. Look how the gardens shine!"

And indeed as they approached the gardens the bright colored flowers seemed to give them a glow, nearly outdoing that of the sun high over their heads. Arwen smiled as she saw the stairs to her father's house. She remembered very well the day that Estel had jumped on her back thinking she was an enemy intruder, smashing her into the pavement. She inwardly sighed of relief. There would be no more of that nonsense-

"Sheeze Louise, Lady Arwen, took you long enough!"

Arwen heard the scream at just about the same time she felt a heavy person fall on top of her back. Her horse reared, startled by the sudden weight increase, and both Arwen and Estel went flying off of its back. Arwen landed seat first on Estel's stomach, who grunted and brandished his arms.

"Sweet little boy, hu?" Celebrian laughed.

"You need to lose a few pounds, Lady Arwen! Get off of me!" Estel cried. Arwen stood and spun around to survey the preteen she had been sitting on. He was much larger than he'd been five years ago, with more muscle in his arms and legs and sharper features in his face. Her hope that he'd be maturer vanished. A clumpy purple mixture covered his face in a war-like fashion. She wouldn't have been surprised to find his room in the same state it had been before, filled with plastic swords and shields. As he stood he glared at her with eyes much darker than they had been before.

"Well, that's a lovely welcome, Estel."

"That's Lord Estel to you, Ma-dumb."

Arwen stood her tallest, but Estel nearly equaled her height and there was little chance of intimidating him. "Since when have you deserved a title of such high superiority?"

"Since I said I did," Estel said, smiling and puffing out his chest. But his smile vanished when he heard a dreaded voice behind him.

"Estel!" Galadriel thundered, "What are you doing out here!"

"It's Lord Estel," he said under his breath.

"I thought I told you to wash that disgusting mixture off of your face! It looks positively dreadful!"

"Awww, Miss Galadriel! It's nothing but bilberry juice. It's my war paint. It will was off-owowowowowow!" Galadriel took a hold of his ear and dragged him up the stairs.

"You heard me, young man! It makes no difference to me that it is bilberry juice! You shouldn't be putting beverages on your face anyway. Now come on, I am going to watch you clean it off. Now go on, up to the washroom!

The two disappeared through the doorway. Arwen looked at her mother and they both burst into laughter. Even the egocentric Estel could not overpower the cleanliness-obsessed Galadriel. But they stifled their laughter when Galadriel stuck her head out the door.

"By the way, lovely to see you, darlings! I'm so happy to see you are safe, my daughter. I've been waiting here in Rivendell for your return!" Estel peeked his head through the space between her arm and the doorway.

"Yeah," he said, "And we didn't even invite her."

"Estel!" she yelled and grabbed his ear again. "By the way, darlings, your faces are rather grimy from your journey. After I've seen to Estel, why don't you come up to my room and I'll get you some of my special Lothlorien facial cleanser!" Then she turned and dragged the whining boy to the washroom.

*I know, not much for the first chapter. But just keep this in mind. I have written only 3chapters in Ironic Though it Seemed so far (Though I have not posted them all, obviously) and it is already over 3 pages longer than my 5 chapter long Hope We Meet Again. And there are at least 4 more chapters coming. Hope you liked it!