Okay then, the poll results so far are:
Hotaru/Legolas = 17
Hotaru/Aragorn = 2
Hotaru/Boromir = 3
Hotaru/Sam = 2
Hotaru/Made-up = 2
Hotaru/Frodo = 2
Hotaru/Ellehan = 3
Hotaru/Ellehior = 3
Hotaru/Gimli = 2
Hotaru/Faramir = 1
Triangle = 5
We can obviously see who's winning ; But honestly, I was very intrigued with the thought of a Boromir/Hotaru. ... but the polls control my life, hehehe!
Ages:
(I'm sticking closer to the movie with this part.I mean.who would want Frodo to be 50 years old with a pot belly? .Not me. So yeah.)
Hotaru: 18
Legolas: 2931
Frodo: 23
Pippin: 24
Sam: 23
Merry: 24 (even though he should be 8 years older than Pippin..)
Gandalf: .old.
Boromir: 28
Aragorn: 29
Gimli: 33
Hotaru Goes to Middle Earth
Chapter Three
By:
Vale (Saturn Angels)
Last time.
"Well you guess pretty well because I'm not. At least I think I'm not. I don't know, I was in an accident and I'm supposed to be dead.then the next thing I know is that I wake up in this place unscarred and people are saying things about gentle hobbits and there are short people with hairy feet. And you're the only seemingly normal one here but you say you're a wizard! I'm confused! Where am I? Are there normal people here?" Before Gandalf had the chance to say anything Frodo walked into the home picking up the ring like nothing then looked up expecting to see Gandalf alone but was surprised to see someone wearing some.really strange clothing.
This time.
"Gandalf?" Frodo asked confusedly, looking to him for an explanation.
"Bilbo has gone... he left you everything. Even his gold ring..." Gandalf said, ignoring the fact that the hobbit had been inquiring about Hotaru...
"The ring! Has he left me that? I wonder why... still it may come in handy some day." Frodo said, gazing at the ring he held in his hands, "But, Gandalf... who is she?" he asked, motioning towards the senshi of death and destruction.
"Tomoe Hotaru.... it's a pleasure to meet you." Hotaru said with a slight bow.
"Now that she has answered your question for you..." he looked suspiciously at Hotaru, unable to speak to her freely with Frodo there, "I should not make use of the ring if I were you Frodo... but remember, keep it secret, and keep it safe! Now... there are some matters I have to attend to."
"But it's late Gandalf! Aren't you going to stay the night?" Frodo called out as Gandalf was wandering out the door.
"No, there is something... that greatly requires my immediate attention." Gandalf said, before shutting the door firmly behind him leaving Frodo and Hotaru alone.
So, Frodo was the master of Bag End now... the thought still struck him as odd-- it seemed strange that Bilbo wouldn't ever return to Hobbiton again...
"Ah, Tomoe was it?" Frodo asked, looking back at his guest.
"Hotaru..." she corrected with a faint smile.
"Ah, pardon me Hotaru... do you have a place to stay in Hobbiton? It's strange that any menfolk would come to visit... very strange. Are you hungry?" he asked, babbling slightly in his nervousness. She wasn't much taller than him yet that extra foot or so of height was enough to show she was of the race of man.
Hotaru shook her head, "I do not have a place to stay... in fact I hardly know where I am or how I got here... and ... I am a little hungry."
"You can stay here for as long as you need to then." Frodo said smiling amiably. "Follow me to the kitchen and I'll make you a snack... do you like pancakes?" he asked.
Hotaru blinked and giggled quietly at the thought of having a breakfast food for dinner before she nodded and smiled, "Yes."
They sat in the kitchen, eating what was on their plates, occasionally Frodo inquired things about where she came from and her culture and such ("Your clothes seem so foreign...") but other than those brief moments they ate in silence.
Once Hotaru finished her meal she politely waited for Frodo to finish while busying herself by staring at the plate in front of her or looking out the window at Mr. Baggins's beautiful garden...
"The garden..." Hotaru began speaking, causing Frodo to look up at her, "...it's very beautiful." She had always loved flowers...
Frodo smiled slightly as he looked over at the garden, which was kept by Samwise Gamgee... one of his dear friends. "You like flowers?" he questioned at which Hotaru nodded fervently.
At her response he smiled again, before standing and pushing in his seat, picking up the dishes they used and cleaning them before wiping his hands clean on a small washcloth. "Do you want me to show you your room?" he asked, at which Hotaru nodded and said: 'If it wouldn't be too much trouble..'
So Frodo showed her to her room, which was on the side with the windows faced the garden rather than the rooms without them.
Hotaru smiled her appreciation and looked around the small, tidy room, "Thank you very much Mr. Baggins for letting me stay here." she bowed lightly, her hands clasped in front of her.
"Call me Frodo." the hobbit said, "call me if you need anything. I'll be right down the hall sifting through the gifts I have to give out come tomorrow morning, now that Uncle Bilbo is gone..."
Hotaru nodded and Frodo closed the door to her room before walking back towards the study.
She fell asleep surprisingly quickly, dreaming of a place which seemed a quieter, lonelier version of Hobbiton. Everything was deadly still as she wandered through a field of flowers which seemed to whisper to her as she passed by them, the gentle breeze causing them to sway towards her before reverting to their upright position.
She was caught in the dreamlike feel of the place, the hazy sky beckoning to her in a lethargic tone, clouds stark against the blue sky but fading into them dully calling out to her...
Hotaru smiled softly, momentarily forgetting everything. Where she was even... all that mattered is that she was in the Garden of Eden... her own personal Eden...
Then she came across a large river, impossible to pass for it was too wide and violent. Yet there was a bridge crossing to the other side, yet the water was threateningly close to the wooden boards as if at the slightest weight put on it, it would be engulfed...
Yet on the opposite side... all of her friends were there... immediately recognizing Haruka, Setsuna, and Michiru she chanced it, running towards the bridge and beginning to cross it.
She continued seeing them, nine of the senshi, smiling at her but making no move to go to her. When she was about halfway to the other side a board fell from the bridge, and her foot was caught in the gap. At the feel of the boards scraping her leg she immediately snapped out of her hazy self and looked up to the other side to see 9 figures clothed in black... their faces couldn't be seen underneath their cloaks yet she could sense evil emanating from them.
And thus she tried to escape from them, and ended up falling into the river, the cold water engulfing her.
Which was when she sat up, gasping for air, and she looked at her surroundings... She was sitting on the floor next to the bed in the guest room Frodo had let her stay in...
She allowed herself to calm down a bit, wondering what those cloaked things had been before she listened intently to the loud voices coming from down the hall... quite a many voices.
The quiet voice of a male that she hadn't heard before snapped out after snorting, "Foiled again!" came the dull voice, "And after waiting sixty years. Spoons? Fiddlesticks!" then the voice retreated and she head a door close- apparently the front door.
Hotaru stood up, pacing around the room wishing the people to just leave before she exited-- for some strange reason she didn't want anyone to know she was there... they would suspect something of Frodo that wasn't true. And she didn't want that to happen.
She heard a woman's whining shrill voice as she left the home as well, "You'll live to regret it, young fellow! Why didn't you go too? You don't belong here; you're no Baggins- you- you're a Brandybuck!"
Then the door closed and she heard Frodo speaking to someone else, though in a much friendlier tone.
"Did you hear that, Merry? That was an insult, if you like."
"It was a compliment." someone said, and Hotaru guessed that it was Merry who was speaking, "and so, of course, no true."
Hotaru sat upon the bed boredly, wishing that everyone would leave when she heard Frodo's next words that made her quite relieved.
"It's time to close the shop, Merry. Lock the door, and don't open it to anyone today, not even if they bring a battering ram."
Hotaru giggled at that, assured that everyone was gone except Frodo and Merry so she left the guest room, after of course fixing the bed.
As Hotaru wandered down the hall, getting closer to the kitchen and passing the study she heard a soft knock at the door-- as did Merry and Frodo though they did not notice Hotaru was up and about yet.
Hotaru looked around looking for a place to hide herself, she spotted one of the long couches and dove behind it. Frodo heard the thump and put down the cup of tea that he had been denied since he woke up.
The knocking grew louder but he looked behind the couch, "Oh-- I see you're awake." He said congenially, "have you met Merry?"
She blinked and shook her head, blushing slightly in embarassment since it was rather rash to just jump behind the couch like that...
Merry waved slightly at her, then looked at Frodo than back to her, "Ah, my dear Frodo: you've finally found yourself a ..." he paused, "is she a human? Well, you have good taste in girls even though she isn't a hobbit."
Hotaru furrowed her eyebrows and glared at Merry, a look which was very childish for her, "There's nothing between Frodo and I. He's just kind enough to let me stay here until I find somewhere else..."
Again the knocking grew louder before a very familiar face appeared at the window.
"If you don't let me in, Frodo, I shall blow your door right down your hole and out through the hill." Gandalf said dangerously, causing Frodo to look up in surprise.
"Gandalf! Hold on one minute..." he jumped off the couch and ran to open the door, once he had thrown it open he apologized saying he thought it was someone named Lobelia.
"I've been having such a busy morning, I half wanted to just put on the ring and disappear.." Frodo said with a sigh as he ushered Gandalf into his home before closing and locking the door behind him.
"Be careful of that ring, Frodo... in fact, it is party about the ring that I've come to say a last word..." Gandalf said, nodding to Hotaru who stood up from behind the couch.
"I see she's still here, a kind thing for you to let her stay with you... but I have a strange suspicion of that ring... yet I must confirm it. Remember Frodo, keep it secret and keep it safe. I will return this evening if it is indeed what I think it is..."
And with that the wizard left, Merry, Frodo, and Hotaru hardly even having the chance to say goodbye to him.
"He's odd that one, but I suppose that's why he's a wizard, eh?" Merry asked, "Now! Who's up for breakfast?"
So, they journeyed to The Green Dragon, and had drinks there, Hotaru avidly refusing to even touch the vile thing. It was of course of one the factors in her death.
And it was thus that they overheard something that Sam was saying to some hobbit seated across from him in the corner. Something about someone named Hal who had seen a walking elm tree in the North Moors... and how the elves were heading west to the docks passed the 'White Towers'.
Other than that Hotaru was too busy laughing at what Merry was saying than to actually be paying much attention to the conversations around her. Before nightfall they left, Sam was still there with his friend.
Frodo insisted on leaving early just in case Gandalf should stop by his home.
"Come now, Gandalf's always late." Merry said, even though they were already closer to Hobbiton then they were to The Green Dragon at Bywater.
Frodo entered the house, not completely surprised to see Gandalf already sitting inside waiting for his return.
"You left the door open..." Gandalf explained.
And he told Frodo and Hotaru to sit down-- Merry had decided to head home before they had even reached Bag End.
And thus the wizard began telling them what he had found out-- about the rings of power, Saruman the Wise, and how the Dark Power would no longer look hobbits-- since it had been in the care of them for a long while now. And the of Sauron the great, the Dark Lord, most importantly. Then Gandalf asked to see the ring and Frodo; very relcutantly, held it out to him by its chain.
"Do you see any markings on it?" Gandalf asked as he studied the ring.
"No, there are none. It never shows any scratch or sign of wear at all.."
"Then look." Gandalf grasped it quickly and threw it into the fire, Frodo quickly tried to grab it with the tongs but Gandalf held his hand out to stop him.
Hotaru was surprised that nothing seemed to be happening to the ring- she had half been expecting something evil to appear out of it after hearing how it seemed to take over the mind of the wearer...
After a while of waiting Gandalf stood and closed the shutters and drew the curtains, casting the room in darkness save for the glowing of the fire. Soon enough Gandalf grabbed the tongs and he himself took it out of the fire, handing it to Frodo after assuring him that is was 'quite cool'.
"I cannot read the fiery letters.." Frodo said in a quavering voice.
Gandalf said that he could, and said they were an ancient form of Elvish-- the language of Mordor which he would not utter. "In the Common Tongue it says: 'One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. It is two lines of a verse long known in Elven-lore."
"What is the verse?" Hotaru asked, her voice somewhat shaking despite herself. She didn't like being afraid of something-- but what was happening seemed... very serious and foreboding.
Gandalf began reciting it,
"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."
"I would say it was beautiful... if it didn't seem so ominous..." Hotaru whispered.
Gandalf looked at the ring that Frodo held in his hand, and said slowly, "This is the Master-ring, the One Ring to rule them all. This is the One Ring that he lost many ages ago, to the great weakening of his power. He greatly desires it-- but he must not get it."
"I wish it need not have happened in my time..." Frodo said.
"So do I..."
Hotaru mentally nodded, she couldn't have picked a worse time to die.. could she?
"And so do all who live to see such times." Gandalf continued, "But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. And already, Frodo, our time is beginning to look black. But the enemy still lacks what he needs the most-- the One Ring.
"The Three, fairest of all, hid from him so he never sullied them. He retrieved 3 of the 7 rings from the dwarves, the others were consumed by the dragons. 9 he gave to mortal men who quickly fell under his trap. They became Ringwraiths, shadows under his great Shadow..."
Gandalf went on to tell Frodo and Hotaru (though Gandalf had somewhat forgotten that Hotaru was there at all), of Gil-galad and Elendil-- of how Isildur did not destroy it and it was lost in the river Anduin. Then of Smeagol and Deagol, how they had come across the ring in the river, how Smeagol killed his friend for it and became known as the creature Gollum.
And unlike Frodo, Hotaru thought the story to be saddening... it was horrible how Smeagol murdered someone for the ring... but, how he was thrown out.. the poor thing.
Though Frodo of course was angered that Gollum was at all related to hobbits...
After some discussion between the two, about how Bilbo found the ring and such, Gandalf shook his head saying that the ring had left Gollum-- not the other way around.
"Behind that there was something else at work, something not of the Ring-maker's intent. I can't say it any plainer than: Bilbo was meant to have the ring, and therefore you are meant to have it. And that can be a very encouraging thought..."
Then he continued talking, perhaps the reason why he had returned, because things had become serious. Frodo had asked how he had learned everything, accused him of simply guessing when Gandalf told him that he had tracked down Gollum. That Gollum had left the Misty Mountains traveled in search of Bilbo, to get his ring back. He had gone through Mirkwood, even to the streets of Dale. Then he told of how he had gotten the help of Aragorn to track him down-- the greatest traveller and huntsman of the world.
And he had brought him back, and they had discovered that Gollum had made his way to the Land of Mordor-- "He was caught at the gates and examined, and through him the Enemy learned that the One had been found again, he found out everything from Gollum, and at last he found out about hobbits and the Shire. He may be seeking it now, I fear the long unnoticed name of Baggins has become very important to him."
Frodo seemed deathly afraid now, and not without reason Hotaru thought to herself. "We have to leave then." Hotaru said, shaking her head, "We must leave. It's the only thing we can--"
Frodo interrupted her, "No no, we can destroy it-- hammer it or melt it..."
"You cannot destroy it with any fire, especially not one in the Shire. Not even in the anvils and forges of the Dwarves... it was said that Dragon's fire could melt and consume the rings of power but there are none left on earth in which the old fire is hot enough, or ever was. Not even Ancalagon the Black is left, who could have harmed the One Ring, the Ruling Ring."
"Then how do we destroy it?" Frodo asked anxiously.
"You must find the Cracks of Doom in the depths of Orodruin, the Fire-mountain, and cast it in there. But the decision is yours-- Frodo."
"Why don't you take the ring?" Frodo asked, desperate to pass it off to someone other than himself.
Gandalf refused, telling Frodo not to tempt him. And he seemed adamant about it, saying that he would be engulfed by it and such.
"I will take the ring just out of the Shire, to some better keeper..." Frodo said, "I cannot stay here, I put everyone near me in danger."
Gandalf praised Frodo for his choice, saying how unpredictable Hobbits were and such, "But I do not think you need to go alone... but be careful in choosing your companions."
He heard a noise outside the sill of the window and Gandalf immediately went and threw open the shutters, bending and grabbing whoever had been listening in.
Sam.
"Please Mr. Frodo don't let him hurt me! Don't let him turn me into anything unnatural! I didn't mean any harm honest..." he pleaded, frightened of the wizard who had him in his grasp.
Hotaru stared at the scene and Frodo began laughing, causing Hotaru to laugh quietly.
Gandalf demanded Sam tell him everything he had heard, and Sam went on and did as he was told, also mentioning that he was jealous that Frodo got to leave on such an adventure and that he would greatly want to see the elves and such.
"Hotaru... you and Sam will accompany Frodo on this quest. You must leave now, quickly, the enemy is on the move."
"Me, sir!" cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk, "Me go and see the elves and all!" he shouted then he burst into tears.
Quite an embarrassing thing, to see a grown man cry... Hotaru decided as she snickered softly momentarily forgetting about the urgentness.
"Just where are we going exactly though?" Hotaru asked suddenly, as Frodo busied himself packing a small bag. Where would they find someone who was a better keeper for the ring? Somewhere where it would be kept safe? Did they even have a clue in which direction to travel?
"Rivendell would be the best... yes, the road there is not too perilous." Gandalf replied. Sam, go home, pack your things. You leave first thing in the morning."
-------
End Chapter Three
Vale: Yes, yes, I know it was boring and not really worth the wait, but next chapter things start picking up, they start their journey, and probably meet up with Aragorn. Perhaps we'll even get to the Council of Elrond, hm?
Arnvid: It is going rather slowly...
Vale: Shut up, I don't care, grr! Here's the shout-out list, you know the rules Bold for signed, italics for anonymous, bold for anonymous with e-mails
So thanks goes out to: Black Aura-Sama, DreamReader, kapies, Lady Fireball, flyingsheep, WuffieLuver, CrazyJ Girl, sakura, Ankle, Tenshi, Kolinshar Benito, Tenshi Mahou, Jennifer, Anavel Gato, lilbirdy, Silently pensive, Seishi Sairensuno, High Priestess of Saturn, (blank), kkkk, Hikariangel, Reiko5, Angel, El loco, Asia, Hellish Kitten, Lady Phoenix Slytherin, Youko Sorceress Erisonii, hikari, Awaiting reader, Harpygirl91, XtremeNuisance
To El loco: Woah there calm down This is a Hotaru-centered fic so if you don't really like her, you don't have to read it, and I don't think I insulted Gimli directly, it's "Hotaru/Gimli" that I think is ew. He shall be with Galadriel! MUWAHAHAHA! is hit with a random object ; sorry I'm a fan of that couple... jeez.
Vale: And once more to everyone who review or just read this story-- I apologize for not having this chapter out soon, forgive me forgive me!