Hey guys... I've read a few reviews and it seems that the overall opinion of
the return of this story is... good. Yeah it seems ya'll kinda missed me... LOL
just kiddin' ya'll! Actually it's wonderful to be back writing. I've really
had a terrible writing time since I stopped this story. I think all's going
to be fine now. Well, here ya go!
A/N: I'm doing a bit of a time warp here, okay... I'm sorry but it happens! Things are gonna seem really hard to follow but just remember the last chapter and know that chronological order, does not exist.
Disclaimer: I don't own it... But I do own the chess set! Weee! Also the song lyrics used in this chapter belong to a band called Blind Guardian, not me! Woo Hoo!
Chapter Seventeen: The Pain of Change
"Where's Jericho, I haven't seen her all night?" asked Frodo from his seat by the fire. Merry glanced at Bilbo and Strider in the corner. They seemed oblivious to the world, like he felt.
"I don't know, she was acting rather odd yesterday," Sam answered glancing at Pippin. The young hobbit hadn't looked up; he just sat there staring at his lap his fists clenched tightly, obviously lost in his thoughts as well.
"I hope everything's quiet all right, I'm a bit worried," Frodo continued worry lining his face.
"She's not well," Pippin mumbled bringing even Merry to his attention.
"What do you mean?" asked Merry wildly.
"She's in pain... she's tired, tired of it all! She wishes to die, to leave, to fall away and never return." Pippin sat there staring madly into his lap not even raising his head for a second.
"How do you know this Pip?" asked Frodo anxiously.
"Because she... she trusts me to help her," he said quietly finally lifting his head. There were tears in his eyes.
"She knows I'll believe her and I'll always be there for her." He broke down and started sobbing. Merry looked on as Sam and Frodo comforted the young Took.
"Merry, do you know what he's talking about?" asked Frodo. He sighed.
"We fought again..." he said slowly, "After she told us she had regained her sight-"
"Regained her sight??"
"Yes, but that's not the point, the point is that she's convinced she's a human Frodo! Why does she believe so?"
"Why is the sky blue?" asked the ring bearer simply.
"What?"
"Why do birds sing?"
"I do not understand..."
Merry, my dear cousin, there are some questions that have no answer, and some answers that have no question."
"But, it's completely illogical!"
"She's told you everything about herself, and yet, you've hidden one simple factor about your life," Frodo paused and patted Pippin's back, "Tell her Merry, go tell her now." Merry looked at Frodo in slight shock. A moment passed where he was going to protest, but then... he realized that Frodo had been right all along. He nodded and left.
()
Jericho thrashed about the room in pain. She screamed silently as her joints stretched and grew inside her also stretching skin. Her feet were shrinking, her arms elongating, and her eyes were red and filled with agony. There was a knock at the door.
"Uh... Madame?" an unfamiliar voice asked.
"Go away!" she said hoarsely throwing herself against the far wall.
"Is everything all right?" it asked.
"GO AWAY!" she moaned sliding down the wall to the floor. Her clothes were becoming too small for her rapidly changing body. She ripped off the smock that had been with her since that fateful day at Crickhollow. It now lay in pieces by her feet that were retracting hair in a sick grotesque way.
She writhed on the floor spastically before passing out with an abrupt jerk.
()
The leaves of the willow grazed the top of Boromir's head as he walked in the moonlight. There was a full moon that night, and the stars were no less dim compared to it. He sighed slightly as he thought of his home and of his family.
There was a loud commotion behind him behind him. He turned to see a woman standing at the far edge of the garden. She rubbed her forehead where she had just run into the tree.
"Excuse me miss, I didn't see you there," he apologized.
"That's because I wasn't here," she explained, "I followed you here. I just wanted to see you... with my eyes." He looked into her eyes to see that they were pale, as white and milky as the moon above. He wondered why they were so.
"You have seen me, is there anything else I may help you with?" he asked raising his eyebrows slightly.
"No," she smiled and walked away into the darkness.
()
She awoke bathed in sweat. She looked down at her naked body only slightly blurred by her visionary predicament. A moment passed and she felt as if she were not in her own body. Her soul felt as naked as her skin and she began to regret what she had done.
Shaking her head sadly she silently got up and walked to her wardrobe. There stood a long gown with a silver tassel and short sleeves, she took it out and put it on. Once she had covered herself she stepped out the door.
()
Merry knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Jericho asked from inside rather exasperated. He took a deep breath.
"It's me," he said. There was a loud scuffle and then a shout.
"Go away, Merry!"
"Jericho I need to talk to you," he pleaded.
"I don't care, go away!"
"It's my room too!" There was another loud noise and then her muffled yell.
"Fine! Come in!"
He walked in to see the place in absolute shambles. Broken things lay on the floor, bed sheets were strewn everywhere. Even his sword lay on the floor by his bag.
"I'm not coming out," her voice rang from the closet. He looked at it to see it cracked open so she could see him.
"Why can't I see you?"
"Because, you don't trust me."
"That doesn't seem like a very good reason."
"It works for me," she spat. He winced at her words.
"Jericho please, I need to talk to you."
"Oh so now you want to talk, eh? After all is said and done then you wish to speak to me!"
"What are you talking about Jericho?"
"I know what you're going to tell me. First you are going to say that you never meant to hurt me, but that you must tell me something that you should have mentioned from day one! You are gong to tell me about Sandy."
"How do you-"
"Pippin told me, then you were going to tell me that you still don't believe me, but that you love me and always will no matter what I look like!" Her words were sharp and painful he winced yet again with the sting of her truth.
"What you have said is true," he answered sadly coming towards the closet, "But what you didn't mention was the one thing that was most important."
"What ever could it be?" she asked.
"All this time all I've ever wanted for you was for you to be able to see again. I wanted you to see me, to see the flowers, to see the sky, and everything else you'd ever wanted to see. Now you can, now I am truly happy for you. And I know that you will hate me for the rest of my life because of what I've done to you, but just remember the one thing I wanted for you... your happiness." He dropped to the floor and laid his head upon the door to the closet. Moments past and he listened to her breathing on the other side.
Suddenly the door flew open and he fell into the closet. He opened his eyes and saw two dainty feet before him. They were pale, small, and completely hairless.
()
Jericho returned to her room. Boromir was an amazing man, and it made her happy to know that she could see him just once. She walked to where Merry kept his things and drew out his sword. It shone in the evening moon that fell from the window above her. The light from it reflected in her pale eyes and she imagined the feeling of the blade cool against her skin. She placed her forehead on the blade and it was quite cool, in fact it was possibly frigid. She pulled back and looked at the blade thoughtfully and then at her arm. After a quick twitch of her hand to get a firmer grip within her right hand she started to tap the inside of her left wrist with the blade. A very light tap was that, and she started to sing...
"Nightfall, slowly it corrupted and changed us all, Nightfall, slowly it corrupted and changed us all..." A tear fell down her cheek and landed on the blade of the sword. It was resting precariously on her skin. 'It's now or never,' she told herself.
There was a knock at the door.
Jericho jumped at the sound and dug the blade into her wrist by accident. She bit back tears as she quickly wiped her blood off the blade and placed it on the floor.
"Who is it?" she called biting back tears and grasping her wrist in pain.
"It's me," came Merry's voice from the other side. She glowered at the door and clutched her arm tighter.
"Go away," she growled.
()
"He's not going to like what he sees," Pippin mumbled wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Pippin, what do you mean?" asked Frodo grasping Pippin's shoulders.
"She did it, Frodo, she did it!" he wailed.
"You don't think she..." Sam trailed off looking about frantically.
"Of course she did!" Pippin cried mournfully, "It was bound to happen. You could see it in her eyes, the way she looked after every fight, the way she cried after every nightmare, the way she looked in the morning dew..."
"What are you talking about Pip?" asked Frodo. Pippin looked up, his eyes betraying the feelings in his heart.
"Forget that!" Sam exclaimed, "What are we to do?"
"What is there that we can do?" Frodo answered giving Pippin a suspicious look.
"There's nothing we can do, nothing at all. Except wait," Pippin sighed looking toward the door and placing a hand on his pocket.
La dee dee da! I'm setting up conflicts for the sequel, isn't it grand?? I thought so, hope you've enjoyed; I think that either the next or the one after that will be the last chapter. Not sure yet, things aren't all put together yet. Love ya!-DB:D
A/N: I'm doing a bit of a time warp here, okay... I'm sorry but it happens! Things are gonna seem really hard to follow but just remember the last chapter and know that chronological order, does not exist.
Disclaimer: I don't own it... But I do own the chess set! Weee! Also the song lyrics used in this chapter belong to a band called Blind Guardian, not me! Woo Hoo!
Chapter Seventeen: The Pain of Change
"Where's Jericho, I haven't seen her all night?" asked Frodo from his seat by the fire. Merry glanced at Bilbo and Strider in the corner. They seemed oblivious to the world, like he felt.
"I don't know, she was acting rather odd yesterday," Sam answered glancing at Pippin. The young hobbit hadn't looked up; he just sat there staring at his lap his fists clenched tightly, obviously lost in his thoughts as well.
"I hope everything's quiet all right, I'm a bit worried," Frodo continued worry lining his face.
"She's not well," Pippin mumbled bringing even Merry to his attention.
"What do you mean?" asked Merry wildly.
"She's in pain... she's tired, tired of it all! She wishes to die, to leave, to fall away and never return." Pippin sat there staring madly into his lap not even raising his head for a second.
"How do you know this Pip?" asked Frodo anxiously.
"Because she... she trusts me to help her," he said quietly finally lifting his head. There were tears in his eyes.
"She knows I'll believe her and I'll always be there for her." He broke down and started sobbing. Merry looked on as Sam and Frodo comforted the young Took.
"Merry, do you know what he's talking about?" asked Frodo. He sighed.
"We fought again..." he said slowly, "After she told us she had regained her sight-"
"Regained her sight??"
"Yes, but that's not the point, the point is that she's convinced she's a human Frodo! Why does she believe so?"
"Why is the sky blue?" asked the ring bearer simply.
"What?"
"Why do birds sing?"
"I do not understand..."
Merry, my dear cousin, there are some questions that have no answer, and some answers that have no question."
"But, it's completely illogical!"
"She's told you everything about herself, and yet, you've hidden one simple factor about your life," Frodo paused and patted Pippin's back, "Tell her Merry, go tell her now." Merry looked at Frodo in slight shock. A moment passed where he was going to protest, but then... he realized that Frodo had been right all along. He nodded and left.
()
Jericho thrashed about the room in pain. She screamed silently as her joints stretched and grew inside her also stretching skin. Her feet were shrinking, her arms elongating, and her eyes were red and filled with agony. There was a knock at the door.
"Uh... Madame?" an unfamiliar voice asked.
"Go away!" she said hoarsely throwing herself against the far wall.
"Is everything all right?" it asked.
"GO AWAY!" she moaned sliding down the wall to the floor. Her clothes were becoming too small for her rapidly changing body. She ripped off the smock that had been with her since that fateful day at Crickhollow. It now lay in pieces by her feet that were retracting hair in a sick grotesque way.
She writhed on the floor spastically before passing out with an abrupt jerk.
()
The leaves of the willow grazed the top of Boromir's head as he walked in the moonlight. There was a full moon that night, and the stars were no less dim compared to it. He sighed slightly as he thought of his home and of his family.
There was a loud commotion behind him behind him. He turned to see a woman standing at the far edge of the garden. She rubbed her forehead where she had just run into the tree.
"Excuse me miss, I didn't see you there," he apologized.
"That's because I wasn't here," she explained, "I followed you here. I just wanted to see you... with my eyes." He looked into her eyes to see that they were pale, as white and milky as the moon above. He wondered why they were so.
"You have seen me, is there anything else I may help you with?" he asked raising his eyebrows slightly.
"No," she smiled and walked away into the darkness.
()
She awoke bathed in sweat. She looked down at her naked body only slightly blurred by her visionary predicament. A moment passed and she felt as if she were not in her own body. Her soul felt as naked as her skin and she began to regret what she had done.
Shaking her head sadly she silently got up and walked to her wardrobe. There stood a long gown with a silver tassel and short sleeves, she took it out and put it on. Once she had covered herself she stepped out the door.
()
Merry knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Jericho asked from inside rather exasperated. He took a deep breath.
"It's me," he said. There was a loud scuffle and then a shout.
"Go away, Merry!"
"Jericho I need to talk to you," he pleaded.
"I don't care, go away!"
"It's my room too!" There was another loud noise and then her muffled yell.
"Fine! Come in!"
He walked in to see the place in absolute shambles. Broken things lay on the floor, bed sheets were strewn everywhere. Even his sword lay on the floor by his bag.
"I'm not coming out," her voice rang from the closet. He looked at it to see it cracked open so she could see him.
"Why can't I see you?"
"Because, you don't trust me."
"That doesn't seem like a very good reason."
"It works for me," she spat. He winced at her words.
"Jericho please, I need to talk to you."
"Oh so now you want to talk, eh? After all is said and done then you wish to speak to me!"
"What are you talking about Jericho?"
"I know what you're going to tell me. First you are going to say that you never meant to hurt me, but that you must tell me something that you should have mentioned from day one! You are gong to tell me about Sandy."
"How do you-"
"Pippin told me, then you were going to tell me that you still don't believe me, but that you love me and always will no matter what I look like!" Her words were sharp and painful he winced yet again with the sting of her truth.
"What you have said is true," he answered sadly coming towards the closet, "But what you didn't mention was the one thing that was most important."
"What ever could it be?" she asked.
"All this time all I've ever wanted for you was for you to be able to see again. I wanted you to see me, to see the flowers, to see the sky, and everything else you'd ever wanted to see. Now you can, now I am truly happy for you. And I know that you will hate me for the rest of my life because of what I've done to you, but just remember the one thing I wanted for you... your happiness." He dropped to the floor and laid his head upon the door to the closet. Moments past and he listened to her breathing on the other side.
Suddenly the door flew open and he fell into the closet. He opened his eyes and saw two dainty feet before him. They were pale, small, and completely hairless.
()
Jericho returned to her room. Boromir was an amazing man, and it made her happy to know that she could see him just once. She walked to where Merry kept his things and drew out his sword. It shone in the evening moon that fell from the window above her. The light from it reflected in her pale eyes and she imagined the feeling of the blade cool against her skin. She placed her forehead on the blade and it was quite cool, in fact it was possibly frigid. She pulled back and looked at the blade thoughtfully and then at her arm. After a quick twitch of her hand to get a firmer grip within her right hand she started to tap the inside of her left wrist with the blade. A very light tap was that, and she started to sing...
"Nightfall, slowly it corrupted and changed us all, Nightfall, slowly it corrupted and changed us all..." A tear fell down her cheek and landed on the blade of the sword. It was resting precariously on her skin. 'It's now or never,' she told herself.
There was a knock at the door.
Jericho jumped at the sound and dug the blade into her wrist by accident. She bit back tears as she quickly wiped her blood off the blade and placed it on the floor.
"Who is it?" she called biting back tears and grasping her wrist in pain.
"It's me," came Merry's voice from the other side. She glowered at the door and clutched her arm tighter.
"Go away," she growled.
()
"He's not going to like what he sees," Pippin mumbled wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Pippin, what do you mean?" asked Frodo grasping Pippin's shoulders.
"She did it, Frodo, she did it!" he wailed.
"You don't think she..." Sam trailed off looking about frantically.
"Of course she did!" Pippin cried mournfully, "It was bound to happen. You could see it in her eyes, the way she looked after every fight, the way she cried after every nightmare, the way she looked in the morning dew..."
"What are you talking about Pip?" asked Frodo. Pippin looked up, his eyes betraying the feelings in his heart.
"Forget that!" Sam exclaimed, "What are we to do?"
"What is there that we can do?" Frodo answered giving Pippin a suspicious look.
"There's nothing we can do, nothing at all. Except wait," Pippin sighed looking toward the door and placing a hand on his pocket.
La dee dee da! I'm setting up conflicts for the sequel, isn't it grand?? I thought so, hope you've enjoyed; I think that either the next or the one after that will be the last chapter. Not sure yet, things aren't all put together yet. Love ya!-DB:D