Disclaimer: I do not own lotr etc, etc. I also use part of 'the song of Luthein and Beren' full version of which can be found on page 187 of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Authors Note: This chapter didn't make much sense before so I did some major editing, here's the new, improved, extended, uncut DVD edition. (Decidedly Vacant Ditz, reffering to Eowith's character obviously. Well no that's a bit harsh, she's more of a Slightly-Ditzy Flower Child.)

There's No Such Thing As Elves

Chapter 3: Reflection From a Time Long Past

Arwen was walking home with Eliza, who lived across the street, "so you think Venus is into him?" Eliza was asking "definitely, she was giggling and she said to me and Charlotte that she thinks he's cute!"

"well I, for one, am disturbed. How anyone could see anything other then an immature little brat in Aragorn is beyond me. But you should be glad, if he starts going out with her her then people won't be able to give you grief about the whole name thing."

"I guess..." Arwen decided she would be more encouraging of Venus in future. In fact as Arwen crossed the road to her side of the street she was thinking up ways to set the pair up.

Her sister was waiting inside with a huge grin on her face "your in trouble!" Luthien trilled delightedly "why? Luthien what have you done?"

"mummy was talking to your teacher on the phone. Your gonna be in trouble!" Arwen dumped her schoolbag and tore of through the house in search of her mother. She was found in the lounge "mum!" Arwen said "Whatever it was I didn't do it!"

"what are you talking about?" Arwen was now very confused although slightly less distressed "Luthien said you were talking to my teacher"

"oh, no no darling. Your not in trouble"

"then why were you speaking to my teacher?"

"I wanted to find out why you were having such a hard time at school, I found out about the class teasing you and I'm going in to school tomorrow to talk to them"

"you are doing WHAT!" this was much worse then being in trouble at school. That Arwen could deal and probably worm out of, but this, this she'd never hear the end of. "no! No you are not. Don't you dare"

"don't be silly Arwen, I am. Now I know you don't need to feel like you can't ask for help but if your being bullied the most important thing is to get support from parents and teachers" as usual Arwens' mother had swallowed a textbook. Or maybe this was more likely to have come from one of the pamphlets the school gave out with names like 'coping with teenage problems' and 'bullying in schools' Arwen rolled her eyes "do you think you could actually speak in your own words for once."

"what's that suppose to mean?"

"nothing. Don't worry you don't need to come into school"

"but if your being bullied I have to help"

"I'm not being bullied"

"but your teacher said that the other students in your class..."

"nothing I can't handle"

"If your sure..."

"very"

Arwen was walking through the garden. It was summer and the evening was warm, the crickets in the grass chirped noisily to the stars. They had quite a big garden and Arwen was walking right to the end of it where there used to be empty fields. Now the area was ripped to pieces for a new development much like the rest of Minas Tirith. She sat under one of the few surviving trees and stared out over the muddy mess that had once been green and full of wildflowers. Suddenly their was someone behind her "Arwen" Arwen jumped and turned. Beside her sat a woman. That woman looked just like her.

Arwen shook this woman was her exact double, apart from the fact she was much older they could have been twins "who are you?"

"I am you"

"what do you mean? Your 'me' you can't be me. I'm me."

"I am Arwen Undomiel the evenstar"

Arwen daughter of Anita stared open mouthed, this woman was clearly crazy "you bear my name, don't you" Arwen nodded "It is not chance you were given my name" Arwen Undomiel said "it is fate"

"why"

"you are my heir"

"heir to what" Arwen Undomiel looked carefully at her younger counterpart, who felt like she was under an x-ray "it is not time for you to know that yet. But return here every new moon and when I think it is time I will be here."

Arwen awoke under the tree and glanced at her watch, it was eleven, her mother would be going spare. In fact she could hear two voices shouting her name. Her mother and Luthien were out searching "I'm here!" she called to them "Arwen, what have you been doing" her mother scolded her "I couldn't find you and Luthien was refusing to go to bed until you were found and it's a school night"

"sorry mum, I fell asleep at the bottom of the garden. I had the weirdest dream. So vivid."

"I don't care about what dream you had just get yourself and your sister to bed"

"okay, come on Luthien"

She got Luthien into bed but she wouldn't go to sleep "how about I read you a book"

"I can read myself"

"mums story books"

"yes!"

"show me" Luthein went to the bookshelf to where their mother kept her books of mythology and pulled out her favorite, one called 'songs of the elder days' her little voice began, with some difficulty to chant the song of Luthien and Beren "the leaves were long the grass was green

the- what's that word Arwen?"

"hemlock-umbels"

"what are they?"

"flowers"

"oh, okay. The hemlock-umbels tall and fair

and in the glad-"

"glade"

"and in the glade a light was seen

of stars in shadow shima-shima-shima-"

"shimmering"

"it's too hard! Arwen you read it to me"

Arwen chanted "Tinuviel was dancing there

to music of a pipe unseen

and light of stars was in her hair

and in her raiment glimmering

there Beren came from the mountains cold,

and lost he wandered under leaves

and where the elven-river rolled

he walked alone and sorrowing.

He peered between the hemlock leaves

And saw in wonder flowers of gold

Upon her mantle and her sleeves,

And her hair like shadow following."

suddenly she glanced at the clock "it's too late, you have to go too sleep now" Luthein yawned "Luthien and Arwen were just the same weren't they? "

"I think so"

"they were both very pretty"

"and they both gave up their immortality for love"

"which one came first? "

"Luthien"

"then mummy should have named you Luthien and me Arwen" Arwen agreed, although for a slightly different reason. The little girl finally drifted off to sleep but Arwen stayed awake thinking about her dream, it was silly but she almost wanted to go back and see if Arwen Undomeil came again. Just to get that absolutely surety that it was nothing more then a vivid dream ... but that was just stupid ... it would all seem faded in the morning ... like all dreams ... and Arwen fell asleep.

"Well usually when you have a dream that vivid it has significant meaning to you, in your subconscious if not in your conscious mind" Eliza's statement was met with total disagreement from Venus "if you can't remember falling asleep who's to say you ever did?" Eliza snorted "don't be silly, Arwen was not visited by a dead elf, it's not within the realms of possibility"

"Just because it's not within the realm of human imagination doesn't mean it's not within the realm of possibility, two words Eliza: 'middle earth' pay special attention to the word 'middle' implying there are other realms around it"

"Only in one religion"

"I'm getting tired with your denial of the Valar"

"I'm always going to be atheist Venus, nothing you can do or say will change that"

"people!" yelled Charlotte "can we not stage major religious debates during lunchbreak" Eliza and Venus turned and shushed her "The Valar are in everything in our world, how can you not see that? " Charlotte gave up as Venus revved up again "look at this water" she said, brandishing her drink bottle. Eliza raised an eyebrow "it's a bottle of water, I don't get what I'm supposed to be seeing"

"The spirit servants of Ulmo live in all the water of this earth" Venus said, then she unscrewed the cap of the bottle and threw the water over Eliza "and that is their vengeance upon you" then she quickly picked up schoolbag and swept away before Eliza could recover enough to respond. The shocked Eliza just stood still for a moment, then without a word she picked up her own bag and left in the direction of the bathroom, presumably to go dry her hair "Ai, Elbereth" said Arwen wearily "why do I get the feeling that this is the beginning of the end"

"because it is" suggested Charlotte, Eowith shook her head "I'm sure if we help they can sort out their differences and be friends again" she said before becoming suddenly transfixed by something across the courtyard "oh! A butterfly" she said and left to go make friends with the fluttering insect.