Title: The Road is Destiny
Author: Firefly Lantern
Rating: PG-13 for language and violence

Author Note: [kind of mean, but I'm making a point here] Okay, here it is. I openly admit I
have written a Mary Sue type story ::gasp!::. And you know what? I don't care
what any "Tolkien Purists" have to say about it. Whine all you would like, but please,
if you are going to tell me this story isn't HARDCORE Tolkien or whatever belittling
tidbits you'd like to throw my way, please email me instead of taking up space on the
review board. Thankies. ^.^. This story is for FUN. I am not trying to create a
masterpiece in the style of Tolkien, I prefer creativity and originality to redundancy.
Okies? An open mind is a wonderful thing! Have fun on the journey.
Hang in with me here!

Disclaimer: JRR owns the LOTR characters. Any other modern things mentioned here belong
to the makers, etc.

Oh, and P.S. Legolas IS very attractive. Pretty boy = attractive to girls.
I personally love Orlando Bloom and the way he portrayed Legolas. So deal :P hee hee ^.-





_The Road is Destiny_


Julie closed her eyes and focused on breathing deeply. Her shoulders relaxed; her
spine straightened. The eye of her mind pictured alush green forest. Amidst the tall trees and
the cool grass, she felt peaceful and safe. The air was rain-dewed and sweet, the sky was a
faded mix of the hues of dusk. She ventured further into meditation. . . She saw herself,
clothed in a flowing garnet robe, running through the forest with the lithe of a deer.
She halted to allow the sunshine to bathe her skin in loving gold.

Suddenly, she felt the presence of an intruder. Breathing slowly, Julie focused on
retaining the wonderful state of bliss, but the presence did not vanish. It was a man.
A tall, ethereal creature--a son of the forest. Julie felt herself smile at the figure who haunted
the dream-like haze of her waking dream. Tentatively, his hand reached out to touch her.
She was only a dream; he was only an illusion. And yet a shiver tickled Julie's spine as
his fingerstips touched her sleeve. She glancedupward to gaze into the most crystalline blue eyes
she had ever seen. They were striking.

Julie gasped, springing back into reality. The pain and the beauty of those eyes...
He seemed so real. Then again, her imagination had always been vivid.


_______________


"Legolas, what is it?" A man with a coal-smear of beard stubble rose from his seat
at the small fire. "What did you see?"

"Was it an orc?"

"Was it a rabbit?"

"Did it try to eat you?"

"Merry... don't speak of food. My tummy is rummmblins."

The golden Elf remained silent for several moments.


"I'm not sure of what I saw. It was a forest sprite or some other impish creature playing folly."

"Was it a she?" Pippin whistled.

"Yes. From what I could tell."

"I bet you could tell alot!" Merry quipped wickedly.

"Quiet, young Hobbits!" Gandalf thundered, wanting only to enjoy his pipe in peaceful reflection.
"Run along until dinner is cooked,
you're testing my nerves."

"C'mon, Merry, we're wasting time! The sooner we leave, the sooner we eat. And the sooner
we eat, the better!" Sam cajoled.

"Allright..."

_______________

"Mom, what do you want from the store?"

"The list is on the fridge. Be sure to get milk for Patrick's cereal."

"Okay! Be back in a while, bye!" Julie slung her messenger bag purse across her shoulder
and grabbed a new box of carmel almond Crunch N Munch popcorn. She snagged the list from
the fridge, and tromped out of the house.

_______________

"Merry, no! Gandalf said never to play with his staff! Don't touch that!" Frodo scolded
as the younger Hobbit craftily took the staff from the napping wizard.

"I only want to take a look at it! Shhh, you're going to get us into trouble."

"Us?! Quick, put it back for Aragorn or Boromir sees." He pleaded.

"I will, but first I'd fancy a spell casting." He managed to stand the staff vertically
though it threatened to topple over. He coughed, "King of Ice
and Queen of Fire! Send forth my heart's desire! From the sky fall unto me! Something
sweet... and ah... something pret-tee."

"Way to rhyme, Merry!" Pippin cackled. "The word is pretty."

"Hey! It was very good considering I've never--"

****FLASH****

****THUMP!!!***

The Hobbits shivered in terror and disbelief. Lightning did not stike without rain...
The spell worked! But what did Merry conjure? They scurried from the camp for the meadow
where the light had flashed so brightly.

"Stop!" Boromir called. "Come! We fly!"

_______________


Julie lie sprawled out on her back the grass like a fighter smote by a savage punch. Oh God,
where was she? The last thing she remembered was tripping over a broom on her way to the car.
In fact, she had dropped the keys and grabbed onto the broom to keep from falling. It still was
clutched in her hand. The box of popcorn remained in the other. Did she die? Because of a stupid broom?

Before she had a chance to panic, she noticed four small children running toward her. Wait...
Children didn't have large hairy feet or such pudgey hands. What were those things? Trolls?!

"Stay back! Back!" She screamed, wielding the broom like an old woman shooing away a
pesky cat. They paid her no heed. A trio of men ran behind the waddling quartet of trolls.
Two of them carried swords, whilst the other brandished a
bow and arrow. Oh, swell.

"Oh HELL!!!" Julie muttered frantically, throwing down the popcorn box and dashing in
the opposite direction. She wasn't a fast runner, but fear urged her to flee

into the forest. The light of day was nearly gone... she could lose them if she hid.

"Oooh! What a lovely lady!"

"She's mine, Sam! I brought her here!"

"Look what the lovely left for us! Food... I think." Pippin picked up the disguarded
Crunch N Munch and shoved his handinto the open box. Tentatively, he tasted one of the
carmel-drenched kernels. "Yummm! Try this!" The quartet hungrily devoured the
exotic treat. "This my something sweet, Pippin. Told you!"

"Merry! What have you done...What have you done..." Frodo wailed.

"What is that?" Aragorn mentioned to the blurr of motion which disappeared into the forest.

"You mean what is she."

"A young woman, that's what! Merry cast a spell, and she fell out of the sky...
Put your weapons away! She's a girl, not an Orc!" Pippin wiped away stray pieces of
popcorn from the corner of his mouth.

"Night is upon us. She will not survive alone, we must help her."

"Legolas should go, he's the least scary-looking one of you."

"Yes! But remember, she's mine!"

"Merry, you're in enough trouble." Aragorn gathered the Hobbits like a
shepard tending his flock.

"Legolas?" Merry turned to speak to the Elf. He was nowhere to be seen.
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