AN: I'm baaaaack! Sorry for the delay, school has been controlling my life. To refresh your memory,
Last time: Nazgul shot down the Eagle Meneldor over Minas Ithil and gained the Seed of the Skies. The winds changed. Hotaru (the Seed of Darkness) continued to lead Frodo and Sam, and they encountered Haruka. Glorfindel and the twins (Elladan & Elrohir) set out from Rivendell and arrived in the Grey Havens for the Seed of the Seas. The foresighted Cirdan quickly surrendered it to them and urged them to hurry South along the coast, for "It is in the City of the Stars that they will be united, for good or for ill." Giving them some final advice, he sped them off on one of his remaining ships, Mirengaer.
Thus we have the foundations for the three "stages" where the plot will build. Onward we go! "..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN or definition, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted.
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The Sea was gentle as the quiet twilight deepened. Glorfindel stood by the stern of the ship, his strong arm guiding the rudder along a course parallel to the shore. He sighed deeply as the weight of the ages fell from his shoulders. How long had it been since he had felt the smooth wood of a tiller beneath his palms? How long since he had touched a sturdy mast or a soft canvas sail? The calluses on his hands had disappeared ages ago. Now, at long last, he felt complete again, alive and young upon the endless ageless Sea. He breathed a sigh of contentment.
The night sky was clear. Earendil twinkled brightly above. Hope and longing grew within Glorfindel's heart as he gazed at the brilliant star. Lowering his eyes and turning to the open Sea, the lull of the waves filled him a strong desire to abandon the shores of Middle Earth and turn the tiller to the West, to the Blessed shores.
But no, now was not his time. Wrenching his eyes and heart from the calling of the open sea, he focused himself on his mission. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the brilliant blue crystal, the Seed of the Seas. Glorfindel held the crystal aloft as Earendil shown down. Watching in fascination, the Seed reflected the light of the star, and the two seemed to pulse together. Awe and wonderment filled Glorfindel's eyes as he slowly lowered the crystal, returning it to the safety of his pocket.
Glorfindel mused quietly for a while, savoring the peace of the Sea and the starlight. As the moon reached its zenith, he recalled to mind the twins whom he had sent below deck to rest. Setting the tiller, he resolved that it was time they learned the ways of the Sea, and he went below to rouse them.
A lone gull cried in the night air, as the stars shone above.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Treebeard smiled down upon the two sleeping hobbits in his hall. It had been many long years since any creature had made him feel young. Yet here were two such creatures-- small and light-hearted like the elven children of old, yet simple and curious at every aspect of life. And their laughter reminded Treebeard of the good people beyond the Forest... the good-hearted and innocent people who might soon come under the Shadow.
Treebeard raised himself towards the East. The rumbles and groans of the Land echoed in his heart. Darkness was coming. Would the Seed of the Forest be enough to protect the trees he loved so much? Could they withstand the coming wave of evil?
'We will stand, hroom,' Treebeard rumbled to himself. Then, more quietly, 'we *must* stand.'
His heart roared and his eyes burned in memory of what Morgoth, the original Dark Lord, had done to the Trees in the First Age, when the Overlord gained the Seed of the Forest. All had been death and despair, and so much had been lost. He could not risk any careless moves that would endanger the Forest once more.
'And yet,' he thought as he gazed upon the sleeping halflings, 'who will protect the Land of the Little Folk, the innocent and light-hearted people who have no guard against the Darkness?' With one final fatherly gaze over the little ones, he turned his troubled eyes away and strode through the trees to begin his work. (1)
~*~*~*~*~*~
Frodo's initial relief to be free from Emyn Muil was soon dampened by the horrific Dead Marshes. Their progress slowed as the small dark-haired sprite sought to find a solid path through the soggy ground. The taller, tan-haired figure continued to keep her (2) distance, seeming to direct the winds. In truth, Frodo and Sam should have been especially grateful to this aloof figure, who blew the deadly fumes away from the hobbits' fragile lungs. Yet they could feel grateful for little as they struggled through the marshes, mud soaked to their waste, grimy and exhausted.
With a brief hopeless thought, Sam remembered looking out across these very same marshes from Emyn Muil, what seemed like centuries ago. The land had seemed so vast, even from that high height. Looking back, Sam could still she the deadly cliffs clearly, and realized how far they had come.
This would be much worse than the marshes with the hobbit-eating flees on the way to Rivendell. And they had only just begun.
Sam sighed, tightened his belt, and struggled onward.
~*~*~*~*~*~
With confusion and shock, Merry looked closely at his cousin, from head to toe. "You're taller," he stated suspiciously.
"Who?" Pippin replied innocently.
"You!"
"Than what?"
"Than me!"
Pippin adopted an innocent look. "I've always been taller than you."
"Pippin, everyone knows I'm the tall one, you're the short one," Merry replied matter-of-factly
Pippin mimicked Merry's tone. "Please, Merry. You're what? Three-foot-six? At the most? Whereas me, I'm pushing three-foot-seven." He groaned treeishly. "Three-eight!"
Merry glared suspiciously. "Three-foot-eight? You did something."
Looking from his cousin, to the container held in Pippin's arm, Merry leapt up and grabbed the container.
"Merry, don't! Don't drink it! Merry!" Pippin cried desperately. Merry just laughed and ran faster, trying to tip the contents of the container into his mouth while running. Pippin laughed and joined in the chase. The two young hobbits ran and jumped and laughed through Treebeard's hall, while the strange Ent Draught sloshed in the container, and most ended up on the ground (erupting into bright flowers and green grass). Somewhere above, a clear laugh joined their young voices.
Merry stopped mid-tackle, his arm suspended in mid-air. (3) "Did you hear that?" he asked with a hint of worry.
Pippin sat up quickly, a smile still on his face. "Yah. Probably just some tree or another laughing at us."
"That didn't sound like a tree," insisted Merry.
The clear laugh sounded again as they caught the hint of a tall green-clad figure flitting among the branches above. The hobbits watched in wonder and fascination as she continued to laugh with them. In an instant, she swung down from a branch and landed soundlessly on the ground. She was tall, with brown hair pulled back into a tail, and an indecently short green skirt with boots and a large bow on her chest. With a smile and a quick bow, she leapt up to the branches once more and disappeared, though her laugh lingered.
The two hobbits looked at each other, awed smiles on their faces.
"Wow," said Pippin said after a moment, "I wonder who she was. Think she was an elf?"
"Nah," replied Merry, still looking at the trees, "she wasn't an elf. It's like... she doesn't belong to this world or something."
Pippin smiled wider. "Do you think we've seen a *faerie*?!"
Merry shrugged. "Maybe, Pip. Maybe."
~*~*~*~*~*~
The Dead Marshes were endless, Sam decided, and it only got worse with each step. He longed just to feel a fresh breeze on a solid green hill-- even the tall woman that seemed to control the wind couldn't find much fresh air now.
And now there were the Lights to contend with. Strange lights and fires that hovered on the edge of their vision, through the fog, longing to lead them astray.
But now a new figure had joined them. She had been waiting as they reached the lights, dressed in a similar garb as the others (Sam blushed and averted his eyes from her legs), with a short red skirt, heels, and a huge bow. Her hair was long and black, and her eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire. In fact, her whole being seemed to radiate heat, but it was not the deadly suffocating heat of the Marshes, but a welcoming warmth. She moved to lead them on, as the small dark haired girl fell back, trying to ward off the deadly Lights.
The red clad girl turned and stared at them intently, her deep eyes gazing into their souls. "Welcome," her voice reverberated through their hearts, though they couldn't be sure if she actually vocalized the words. "I am the Senshi of Fire, Mars. The Senshi of Darkness, Saturn, and the Senshi of the Winds, Uranus, have led you thus far. But now you must trust in me. There are evils in this Land that will seek to lead you astray, leaving you lost forever in its depths. Set your heart and deafen your ear to these calls or all will be lost."
And she had led them true, thus far. Though she seemed as insubstantial as the others, she chose the solid path and avoided the waters at all costs. For now there seemed to be things in the waters, deadly faces from long lost wars...
Sam shivered and averted his gaze from the nasty pools. Looking up, he saw the red-clad sprite, Mars, still leading them forward. But where was Mr. Frodo?
Sam turned his head quickly from side to side, and suddenly caught sight of his master, almost lost in the fog. "MISTER FRODO!!!" he cried desperately as he lunged to the side of the path.
Mars turned immediately at the sound of the cry, but Frodo paid them no heed. Sam ran forward, but stumbled and his leg fell into a deep pool of sucking mud. "FRODO!!!!" he cried again, unable to move, trying to call his master back to the path and away from the Lights.
Mars moved faster than the hobbits could see. She cried to Hotaru and Haruka, and the two tried to blow away the fog and hide the Lights in Darkness, but they were too far into the depths of the Marshes and unable to do much. Mars closed her eyes and called to Frodo, reaching out an insubstantial hand. "Listen to my voice," she pleaded, penetrating his soul.
Frodo shivered as he felt something warm touch his shoulder, though he was sure that nothing was there. He shook his head and the all-consuming beauty and power of the Lights faded from his mind.
Turning his head slowly, he saw the semi-transparent Senshi of Fire standing behind him, her translucent arm outstretched to his shoulder. As she opened her eyes, they simmered gently, while her entire being seemed to glow. "Please," she seemed to say softly. "You must follow *my* light."
~*~*~*~*~
Gandalf woke suddenly from his bed in Theoden's hall.
He looked around the room suspiciously. All should be well here. Grima was gone and the king was healed. Yet something was not right. Something was stirring. Something was coming.
"It will not be long now," Gandalf echoed softly.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A soul-searing screech filled the air. As one, the heads of the three senshi shot upward. "Black Riders!" cried Sam with horror.
The cold grip of fear seized Frodo's heart as he fell over, clutching his shoulder and the old wound in agony. The screech echoed through the air again, as a great monstrous dragon flew into view, a horrible Nazgul on its back. Sam fell to his knees covering his head, while Frodo writhed in pain, a darkness falling over his eyes and heart.
Something touched his shoulder, and Frodo slowly felt warmth seeping into the icy wound. "I am here," came the soft voice, "follow my light." He loosened his grip on the Ring that he clutched so tightly.
Gradually, her light seemed to lift the darkness from his soul. The Marshes returned to his eyes. He found himself fallen on the ground, with Sam nearby clutching his hand. The small girl, Saturn, was standing over them and seeming to radiate a darkness to hide them. The tall figure, Uranus, stood nearby with a look of disgust on her face at the retreating dragon form. "It has come to it at last," the wind carried her strained voice, "Wraiths on the Wind." She looked away, her face taunt, so that they wouldn't see the extreme sorrow that this new horror caused her.
"I thought they were dead!" said Sam angrily, strugling to his feet.
"No," said Mars sadly, "not dead. Never dead. As we are senshi of Cosmos, so are they senshi of Chaos," she said softly to herself. She looked up at the hobbits again and added, "Their spirits are also tied to the Ring you bear, Frodo Baggins."
Sam gasped and Frodo shied away, clutching his chest suspiciously. "How--? Who told you?" cried Sam angrily. "You have no right to know! Who are you anyways?! It is no business of yours!!!" He was red in the face when he finished.
"That is where you are wrong, Samwise Gamgee," said Mars softly, "for your mission is the business of all free peoples of Middle Earth and beyond." She lowered herself to one knee as the other women followed. "We are three Soldiers of Light, imprisoned by the Dark. Our physical forms are lost, our powers are ensnared, but our spirits are free. Only the pure of heart may see us, and we will lend you any aid we can. I, Sailor Mars of the Fire, do so swear."
"I, Sailor Saturn of the Darkness, do so swear," came a voice in waves of feeling.
"I, Sailor Uranus of the Skies, do so swear," came the voice on the wind.
"We will see this journey through to the end."
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(1) For those insistent on a timeline, Treebeard left to spread word of the Entmoot. Merry and Pip will wake up and find him gone, but he will return later in the morning.
(2) Yes, everyone confuses Haruka for a guy, but her spirit is in her senshi fuku, so I decided they'd probably realize that she was a girl. ^_^"
(3) I'm not a big fan of Treebeard taking over Tom Bombadil's role, which is why I didn't include that.
AN: So, if you're wondering why Rei has taken up the leadership role through the Marshes, it's simply because of her element. Each senshi is playing her part-- Haruka controls the winds, blowing away their scents (a trail) and in as much fresh air as possible; Hotaru tried to hide them and cover the Lights in her darkness; and Rei guides them with her fire. It's as simple as that. Now, Review Responses:
Andtauriel Longwood Baggins- yah, Lothiriel is canon, but I was always kinda annoyed by her. Simply because there is no character for her or anything but her name. Which is why I keep Eomer on the avaliable bachelors list... besides the fact that I love him so much lol. ;D And about Treebeard and Gandalf... I'm not sure how clear this came off at the chapter, but Gandalf didn't really cause Treebeard to snap. Gandalf cause Treebeard to bring up memories that are still a sore spot after thousands of years... Treebeard actually snapped at Morgoth and all the evil he did, not Gandalf's pleading. Thanks! :D
minnieshon- Dwarves are 5'0? LOL!!!! I dunno if that's right though... I know that today legal dwarves are people over 30 that are under 4'8". So I'd think they'd be even shorter in Arda... hrm... And the whole Rei pairing isn't set in stone (though I am leaning towards it), but yah gotta look physical appearances or height and look at character etc. (Believe me, I know height problems ark).
Chibi-Cola- yah, I haven't decided what exactly I'm gonna do with Rei yet. It would be really weird if she became a hobbit. Funny maybe though lol. ^_^" And Glorfy! ::glomp:: ::drool:: heh.
CIGaL- Minako/Eomer might work. ;) Thanks lol!
messiah of fate- The 'guardians' will have bodies eventually. ;D But it will take time. They can communicate in ways related to their power source though.
SilverRose82- Haha! :D Yah, just Meneldor died, though Fandil isn't in the best condition. The others aren't dead... yet. MWHAHAHA!
M.J- Thank you so much! Yah, RotK was amazing. ::sigh:: Huzzah! And thanks for the long review lol.
Sunshine Fia- Yah, that's exactly what Gandalf was trying to tell Treebeard. Treebeard is convinced he needs to protect the forest and will be able to do so with the Seed of the Forest. But Gandalf knows that it won't be long before Sauron--or Saruman--is strong enough to invade Fangorn and take the crystal. Setsuna will be the next senshi to appear, Usa will be last (though I've been dropping hints along the way as to why ::wink wink::) Thanks so much!
Kitoky- ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yah, I bet the Nazgul do have a spa somewhere in Minas Morgul LOL!!!! And Glorfy will meet Cosmos... eventually. You shall see, heheh. ;D
Eyes_of_Pearl- Thank you! i'm a big fan of mixing book and movie, because, though the movie explained things in simpler ways, it doesn't have everything. Mixing the two offers so many opportunities! :D
DragonStar- haha, thank you! I'm personally giving you a note. ;D As for the pairing... I think I'm gonna have to keep emphasizing that if Rei/Frodo does happen, it's not a sexually oriented romance. The way I see it, Frodo is lost in darkness and needs a guiding light... and with concern and care for him, Rei will try to guide him out of that darkness. That's the kind of love I'm thinking of, not one based on appearance. ;D Thanks!
Vittaria- Huzzah for the Silmarillion! Am doing a research paper on it. ;D And can you guess who has the Seed of Fire now? ::wink::
datajana- Have I read your new chappie yet? Something is telling me I haven't... note to self to check it out. And Hotaru/Eomer will be a stretch... I'm thinking I might just give her one of the twins and pair Minako with Eomer. Hrmm... Thanks for the encouragement! :D
Amy- Thank you SO much!!! :D:D:D:D ::feels very loved::
Loopy (and) Lu- Welcome to insanity, enjoy your stay! :D Lol. And yay Weird Al!!!!! ^_^"
Thank you also to:
SilverKnight7solarmistress17
Thanks for all your dedication. Hopefully there won't be as much of a delay for the next chapter. Ja!
~Calli-chan