Avery nearly screamed at her computer in frustration. Why couldn't the Mary Sue authors be just a bit more subtle? Must they write such blatant self-insertions? This was making her sick to her stomach. In disgust, Avery exited the browser window, in which there had been written a horrendous fanfiction story, worthy of being MSTed to the end of eternity. She had just left a seething comment to the author, which satisfied her enough. For now. She flicked off the lights and collapsed into her bed.

---

Avery awoke with a very bright light in her eyes. That was odd, since her bedroom was on the west side of her home, west being the side the sun didn't rise on. She blinked repeatedly, trying to clear her eyes of their temporary blindness. When they did clear however, she continued to blink, mostly in confusion, for she was no longer in her own room. Since this kind of thing didn't usually happen to Avery, it was a bit disconcerting. Where the hell was she? It was a very grand room, that was for sure. The walls were a delicate ivory color, and there were trees growing right out of the floor! Elegant wooden carvings adorned almost every surface. A full-length mirror was hung on the wall. All Avery could do was gape openmouthed at all the splendor. It was all so regal… a bit too regal. Avery was a rather suspicious person, and when something didn't seem right, she began to feel a bit leery.

There was a knock on the door, which shook Avery from her thoughts. The door swung open before Avery could react, revealing a tall, beautiful woman. She had blue-black hair, and piercing sapphire eyes. Dressed simply in a forest green dress, and she carried with her another gown of a rich crimson, decorated with intricate gold embroidering. Before Avery could speak (or attack), the lady breezed past her, laid out the dress, and started making up the bed Avery had just vacated. After she was done, she smiled daintily, and said in a melodic voice,

"Master Elrond sent me to ready you for the secret council."

There were a few moments of silence,

"Master WHO?"

"Elrond." The woman repeated, peering at Avery as if she was demented. "Elrond of Rivendell."

Avery could only stare at her incredulously. Then she asked the question that had been plaguing her ever since the women appeared.

"Are you on crack?"

The woman seemed rather baffled at that question. Taking advantage of her silence, Avery continued to rant without waiting for her to reply.

"Even if Elrond of Rivendell really does exist, which he doesn't, why on earth would he want ME to join him at the secret council? And speaking of secret councils, if it's so 'secret', how do you know about it? Why am I here? Where IS here? And don't give me that bogus story that I'm in Rivendell, because that's a fictional place." She continued, now more to herself than her bewildered companion, "Common sense tells me that I'm either dreaming or in a coma. Except when I pinch myself, it hurts like hell, so I must be in a coma." Avery said this all in one breath, rubbing her arm in the place she had tested her pinch theory. Her mind was racing. How could she be in a coma? She didn't remember doing anything that would lead to becoming comatose. The woman was now backing away from her ever so slightly.

"Master Elrond wishes you to attend the secret council." She simply repeated, and turned to flee the room from the seemingly psychotic occupant. Avery shook her head, and only then did she catch sight of herself in the full-length mirror. There stood a girl with waist length hair, black as a raven's wing in color. Her face was creamy white, with features that seemed to have been chiseled out of marble. Full, ruby-red lips were set above a petite chin, and her eyes were a dazzling blue. And, to Avery's horror, the tips of her ears tapered into delicate points.

An earsplitting shriek could be heard, echoing across a picturesque valley, frightening several birds into flight.