The Matrix Nightmare
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"At last."
Estel blinked, registering the form of the grey wizard before him. Mithrandir! He wanted to cry, but found no words.
"Welcome, Aragorn. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Mithrandir." the wizard replied, sitting comfortably in a large chair before the blazing hearth of Imladris' Great Hall.
"It's an honor." the young man said, as he nodded slightly out of respect.
"Please. Come. Sit." as Estel did so, the wizard continued to speak. "I imagine, right now, you must be feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole?"
Rabbit hole? Estel's thoughts rang. What is he talking about?
Once more however, words left the young man's lips that he never even knew had formed.
"You could say that."
"I can see it in your eyes." Mithrandir replied with a slight smile, "You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, this is not far from the truth. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Can you tell me, Aragorn, why are you here?"
Why I am here? Estel thought on this for a moment. He was here because of a dream. Because of many dreams in fact. Everything in his life seemed to be spinning out of control and even in sleep he could not escape the thoughts which crept upon the back of his mind. Why was he here? In this room?
"You're Mithrandir, you're a legend. Most would die to meet you."
Once again the wizard smiled, "Yes. Thank you. But I think we both know there's more to it than that. Do you believe in fate, Aragorn?"
Fate? It was a question he had never truly pondered. Fate was a line which one had to walk, as some believed. Did he believe in fate?
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life." Estel replied, even though he only somewhat believed that idea.
"I know exactly what you mean." Mithrandir replied. "Let me tell you why you are here. You are here because you have the gift."
Gift? The Gift? What Gift?
"What gift?"
Finally! Estel thought. My words and thoughts are working together instead of against one another!
"I've watched you, Aragorn. You do not use your sword like a tool. You use it like it was part of yourself. What you can do in battle is not normal. I know. I've seen it. What you do is magic."
It is hardly magic, Estel thought. I am only just beginning my training under my brothers. I have never even been in battle before!
"It's not magic."
Two thoughts the same as my words! Maybe this is getting better after all, the young man wondered.
"But it is, Aragorn. It is. How else would you describe what has been happening to you?" Mithrandir asked quietly, his gaze on the fire at their side. "We are trained in this world to accept only what is rational and logical. Have you ever wondered why? As children, we do not separate the possible from the impossible which is why the younger a mind is the easier it is to free while a mind like yours can be very difficult."
Freeing my mind? From what? What is irrational or illogical about the things I believe? Am I that naive? I am still a child, my brothers constantly remind me of that fact!
"Free from what?"
Three thoughts... perhaps I may get the answers to my questions.
"From the Matrix."
Not this again!!! He wanted to scream.
"Do you want to know what it is, Aragorn? It's that feeling you have had all your life. That feeling that something was wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad, driving you to me. But what is it?"
The Matrix... Estel closed his eyes, though his body within the dream showed none of these actions. I have always felt that something was wrong, that something was stirring... but it is rumors of the return of the Dark Lord, not the Matrix!
"The Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window, or within your very self. You feel it when you go to training, or go to dinner or to sleep. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth."
NO! THIS IS A LIE! WHAT TRUTH?!
"What truth?"
Mithrandir sat forward in his chair, as if to emphasize his coming point. "That you are a slave, Aragorn. That you, like everyone else, was born into bondage... ... kept inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind."
LIES! I am no slave! Estel tried to reason, but something was telling him that deep down, he was a slave... but a slave of what?
"Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."
How do I see something that I do not believe in? The young man wondered.
"How?"
"Hold out your hands."
Estel's dream body did so, and as this happened, the wizard put an object into each of his hands.
"This is your last chance. After this, there is no going back." Mithrandir warned seriously. "You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe."
Things can go back to normal?
"You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."
I can learn what has been nagging at me for years?
"Remember that all I am offering is the truth. Nothing more."
The truth... Do I want it that badly? Do I want to know my fate? Do I want to know what this abnormality in Arda really is? Do I want to be free?
Closing his eyes, Estel's form swallowed the red pill which Mithrandir had offered.
"Follow me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Estel jerked awake once more.
The day before he and Legolas had decided it would be best to tell Lord Elrond about all of the young boy's dreams. However, they had learned that the Lord of Imladris and his twin sons had quickly departed the haven on horseback for Lothlorien. An urgent message had been sent and his counsel was requested by the Lord and Lady of the Wood. It looked like Estel's disturbing dreams would have to wait.
Now, as the boy woke within his own room, he pondered everything. The dream was true. There had always been something within him that screamed that Arda was wrong. In one way or another it was wrong. Had Elrond felt it too? Did Legolas or his brothers sense this disturbance? Or was it just him...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PART II:
More Confusing Dreams
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't go back, can I?"
Estel looked up from the edge of his bed, he was speaking with Mithrandir once more. He had learned the truth, some of it anyway...
"No. But if you could, would you really want to?"
Looking to the ground, Estel pondered the wizard's question.
"I feel that I owe you an apology. There is a rule that we do not free a mind once it reaches a certain age. It is dangerous. They have trouble letting go. Their mind turns against them. I've seen it happen. I broke the rule because I had to."
Freeing my mind at a certain age? A set time? In this dream I can not even tell what age I am...
"When the Matrix was first built there was a man born inside that had the ability to change what he wanted, to remake the Matrix as he saw fit. It was this man that freed the first of us and taught us the secret of the war; control the Matrix and you control the future."
What Matrix?! Estel inwardly sighed. There is no Matrix! Legolas said it was just a story! A tale! We are not enslaved! We never have been... have we?
"When he died, the Oracle at the temple of Zion prophesied his return and envisioned an end to the war and freedom for our people. That is why there are those of us that have spent our entire lives searching the Matrix, looking for him."
What prophecy?! I... I have studied much with ada and I know of no prophecy concerning me!
"I did what I did, because I believe we have been brought here for a reason, Aragorn. You are here to serve a purpose, just as I am here to serve mine."
Here with we go with purpose again...
"I told you I don't believe in fate." Estel found himself answering.
Mithrandir just smiled, "But I do, Aragorn. I do."
The wizard stood, turning to exit the room. "Get some rest. You're going to need it."
"For what?" the young man asked in confusion.
"Your training."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Legolas..."
The Elven prince looked up from the book he was reading. He smiled as Estel entered the room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His smile faded however when he realized that it was still quite early in the morning, far too early for the young human to be awake.
"Estel, what has awoken you at this early hour?" he asked, realizing that the sun had not even risen yet.
Sitting in a chair opposite the elf within the Halls of Fire, the human sighed.
"It happened again."
"The dream?" Legolas pressed, setting his book down and watching Estel intently.
The boy nodded, "But it was not ada this time... it was Mithrandir."
"The Grey Pilgrim?!" Legolas exclaimed, giving the human a look of surprise. "Were his intentions the same as Lord Elrond's?"
Estel shook his head. "No. No. Nothing like that. He... he was trying to show me the truth... to train me for something... something I do not understand." suddenly, the boy locked eyes with the prince. "Legolas, do you believe in fate?"
The archer was slightly taken off guard by this question. It took some time for him to collect his thoughts on the subject, but eventually he nodded. "I do... at times. I believe everyone has a destiny that they are supposed to fulfill, yet many rarely see it's end. If you are asking if fate guides our day to day lives, then I would have to say no. We make choices, our own choices, Estel. But those choices may or may not help on our path to fulfill our destiny's." when Legolas' eyes returned to the boy's, he saw a look of confusion on the youth's face. The prince smiled, "I suppose that did not help you very much, did it?"
"Yes... and no."
~"Why, Aragorn, why, why do you persist?"~
~"Because I choose to."~
The words flowed through the youth's mind. He had made a choice... a choice to fight... but to fight what and for what gain? These were questions which he still had no answers for...
He turned to go but a hand stayed him. Legolas stood behind the boy, a hand on his shoulder.
"Tell me, Estel... what have you dreamed of late?"
"I..." he was loath to say anything at first. "The latest dream was not of ada or Mithrandir."
Legolas looked at him puzzled, "Then what?"
"It was of a woman... a beautiful Elvan woman..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Estel found himself starring at perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Her hair was dark and she dressed in the fashion of the Elves. She was an Elf... but he did not even know her name.
"I want to ask you to do something, but I don't know how." the young man found himself saying.
"I promise you, if I can, I will." she replied, holding his hand.
"What if I asked you to stay out of this, no matter what. To stay out of the matrix?"
Wait... the Matrix is not real! It is a story!
"Why?"
"Please."
A few moments of silence passed before the woman nodded.
"All right."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas knew immediately who it was that Estel was describing, yet he did not wish to give the boy an answer just yet. It was Lord Elrond's place to tell him about Arwen, not the prince.
"Estel... have your dreams been coming more frequently of late?" he asked softly.
The boy nodded, "I do not understand them at all."
Something in the back of the prince's mind clicked and he knew he could figure them out. Yet a piece of the information was missing. He needed to confirm it from Lord Elrond and luckily the Elven lord would return within the week. He seemed so close to understanding the strange visions the young boy had been seeing.
Suddenly, Estel grabbed his head.
"Estel!"
"I can see them... I can hear Mithrandir's words..."
Slowly the youth repeated everything he was hearing. To Legolas, it sounded like a part of battle training however.
"Good. Adaption. Improvisation. But your weakness isn't your technique."
"If you can free your mind, the body will follow."
"Anger is a gift, Aragorn, but it's a heavy one. You have to learn to let go of that anger. You must let go of everything."
"You must empty yourself to free your mind."
"If you never know failure, how can you know success?"
"The body cannot live without the mind."
Legolas grabbed Estel by the shoulders and shook him suddenly. The youth's eyes popped open and he stared blankly back at the prince. It took a moment for the Elf's features to register in the boy's mind and when they did he suddenly hugged the Elf.
"I cannot even escape it when I wake!" he closed his eyes again before regaining some of his composure. "When will ada return?"
"The end of the week." the prince replied, putting a hand on the boy's head. "Do not worry, Estel. Just tell me every single thing you have dreamt so far. Perhaps, together, we can begin to unravel this mystery before Lord Elrond and the twins return, mellon nin."
Legolas realized that sometimes it was hard for him to remember that the boy was in fact just that. He was only thirteen, and Elfling with his appearance would be well into their first century at least. The prince had to constantly remind himself that this youth was not as grown as he appeared to be at times.
In response to a possible solution to his nightmares, Estel nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TO BE CONTINUED...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer:
I do not own either "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Matrix".
The dialogue between Aragorn/Neo and Elrond/Smith in the dreams is actually taken from the three films, "The Matrix", "The Matrix Reloaded", and "The Matrix Revolutions", but altered to better fit this story.
I give the credit where it is due... and that is not to me but to J.R.R. Tolkien for the "Lord of the Rings" characters and to the Wachowski Brothers for the "Matrix" characters.
I simply play in their worlds... though this was my first step into the 'brother's' world before and I am returning to Tolkien's once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note:
I'm back!
Legolas: It took you long enough.
I bought a lot of great things! See! I got you a new tunic, Legolas and Aragorn got a new cape.
Aragorn: I did?
Yeah, and I even got some new shades for Neo... wait... where is everything I bought?!
*Neo laughs*
Neo: It is in the Matrix.
But I...
Neo: You cannot buy it and bring it to the real world. The Matrix doesn't exist, neither do the things you buy in it.
*frowns and sits down*
Well, it was worth a try...
*thinks*
So... I could live in the Matrix and have anything I want.
Neo: If you make a deal with the Agents, I suppose so.
A deal?
Neo: Don't even think about it! Smith will want information on me and on Zion and you can't tell him that.
Oh yeah... drat!
LINK! CANCEL THAT SECOND TRIP INSIDE!
Author's Real Note: As a note, this chapter was kinda short because I ran out of dialogue between Morphius and Neo. I was going to have the third chapter be a lot of Trinity and Neo dialogue, but I realized they really only kissed or had sex when they were expressing their love for one another, except near the end of "Revolutions" which I can't use either. So, in the third instalment... you'll all find out what the hell I've been writing and talking about! You'll find out why Estel is dreaming of these things and I'll draw the lines between "The Matrix" and "The Lord of the Rings"... courtesy of my beloved Legolas... MWAHAHAHA!
STAY TUNED!
