Chapter 3
"Legolas!" Aragorn screamed as his best friend disappeared underneath the
cheesewheel. The thing was so massive, it could possibly crush the elf to
death. Strider leapt forward, Anduril flashing in the sunlight, not only
to try and save his friend, but also because Frodo was in the direct path
of the cheese.
Elrond leapt to his feet. "Estel!" he yelled at his foster son. "Watch out!"
But there was no reason for the Lord of Imladris to yell a warning. Not only did the human have the cat-like reflexes of the elves, but at the moment it hit Legolas, it made a sharp right turn. It hit the chair where Aragorn had been sitting and rolled in the opposite direction, hitting the chair where the missing elf had sat, and continually bounced between the two.
Suddenly, Merry and Pippin ran in screaming, "Don't hurt our cheese!"
"Your cheese?" spat Strider, rounding on them. "Your cheese just ran over the Prince of Mirkwood!"
"I don't think so. I don't see any elves sprawled on the ground anywhere," pointed out Pippin, trying to give the false impression that he was a sensible hobbit, if such a thing exists.
Gandalf thought he understood something. "Peregrin Took? Meriadoc Brandybuck?" he asked in an all-together too gentle voice. "DID YOU PUT ONE OF MY FIREWORKS IN YOUR CHEESE?" he shouted that those in Valinor could have heard him.
"We just wanted to make it spicy, answered Merry in a small voice.
"You didn't take the one in the green box, did you?" said Elrond, his eyebrows raised.
"Since it was the biggest, we figured it would be the most flavorful," Pippin replied, frightened of what the combined efforts of the elf-lord and Istari could do to him.
"Fool of a Took," the aged wizard muttered.
"Could someone please explain what's going on here?" Aragorn yelled, worried for his friend's safety.
"That firework's formula," Elrond said quietly, "was created by my friend Mr. Andersen so that we could cross the world gap to visit with each other."
Aragorn got angry. "That's not funny! Legolas could be in danger, and you try to tell me that Neo Andersen is real and you've met him?!?"
"Estel, the Matrix isn't just a story Mithrandir made up. It's true. I've been there. When you set off that firework, a portal opens to that world. But ground up, mixed with cheese ingredients, and baked," here he glared at the cowering young hobbits, "who knows where Legolas could have ended up." He hung his head in sorrow.
"I'm going in after him," Aragorn declared, making up his mind.
"No Estel!" Elrond commanded the young man. "You have no idea where you may end up."
"That's exactly why I have to go, Ada. Legolas could be in danger, and I have to help him."
Knowing the strong bond between the two, Elrond knew that he could not dissuade Aragorn. "Find," he said, defeated. "Just be careful, okay?"
"I will, Ada."
Gandalf had known that someone would have to go after the prince, and now that it had been decided, he took charge of the situation. "Right then. Everyone, get out of this area and move the chairs in a tight circle. You saw how this thing moved erratically when it hit Legolas."
The dwarves didn't like being bossed around, but when Gandalf bristled his eyebrows at their leader, Glóin, and threatened to hand them over to Thranduil, they all heeded him.
While they were setting up, Elrond pulled Aragorn aside. "Listen, Estel. There's someone in the Matrix who looks a lot like me. Don't trust him, whatever you do."
"Ada, I think I could tell if it was you or not."
"You don't understand. He looks exactly like me, except his ears aren't pointy, he has short hair, and he wears a suit. He took my form after he saw how close I was to Neo." Aragorn opened his mouth to say something, but the elf-lord help up a hand to stop him. "I don't want you getting close enough to see such miniscule details as pointy ears. So I'm definitely not going in."
"Ada, I'll be fine," the man said, turning away.
"Estel, look at me." Aragorn reluctantly turned back. "Don't even get within arm's length of Smith."
"Smith? But...but Smith can turn other people into himself, and Legolas..." Aragorn didn't want to think of the possibility that his best friend was now a Smith.
"I know, Estel. Just find him and keep yourselves out of trouble until we can figure out how to get the two of you back."
"But..." Aragorn was still concerned.
"Aragorn, relax. You need to keep your mind on finding Legolas. Besides, we don't even know if it's going to take you to the Matrix. I'm just warning you in case it does."
"Aragorn," Gandalf called over, "we're ready."
Aragorn walked over and leaped into the ring of chairs where the cheese was rolling. "I'll be back soon," he said before the cheese hit him.
As Estel was transported into another world, Elrond thought to him, "Be safe, ion nin."
Elrond leapt to his feet. "Estel!" he yelled at his foster son. "Watch out!"
But there was no reason for the Lord of Imladris to yell a warning. Not only did the human have the cat-like reflexes of the elves, but at the moment it hit Legolas, it made a sharp right turn. It hit the chair where Aragorn had been sitting and rolled in the opposite direction, hitting the chair where the missing elf had sat, and continually bounced between the two.
Suddenly, Merry and Pippin ran in screaming, "Don't hurt our cheese!"
"Your cheese?" spat Strider, rounding on them. "Your cheese just ran over the Prince of Mirkwood!"
"I don't think so. I don't see any elves sprawled on the ground anywhere," pointed out Pippin, trying to give the false impression that he was a sensible hobbit, if such a thing exists.
Gandalf thought he understood something. "Peregrin Took? Meriadoc Brandybuck?" he asked in an all-together too gentle voice. "DID YOU PUT ONE OF MY FIREWORKS IN YOUR CHEESE?" he shouted that those in Valinor could have heard him.
"We just wanted to make it spicy, answered Merry in a small voice.
"You didn't take the one in the green box, did you?" said Elrond, his eyebrows raised.
"Since it was the biggest, we figured it would be the most flavorful," Pippin replied, frightened of what the combined efforts of the elf-lord and Istari could do to him.
"Fool of a Took," the aged wizard muttered.
"Could someone please explain what's going on here?" Aragorn yelled, worried for his friend's safety.
"That firework's formula," Elrond said quietly, "was created by my friend Mr. Andersen so that we could cross the world gap to visit with each other."
Aragorn got angry. "That's not funny! Legolas could be in danger, and you try to tell me that Neo Andersen is real and you've met him?!?"
"Estel, the Matrix isn't just a story Mithrandir made up. It's true. I've been there. When you set off that firework, a portal opens to that world. But ground up, mixed with cheese ingredients, and baked," here he glared at the cowering young hobbits, "who knows where Legolas could have ended up." He hung his head in sorrow.
"I'm going in after him," Aragorn declared, making up his mind.
"No Estel!" Elrond commanded the young man. "You have no idea where you may end up."
"That's exactly why I have to go, Ada. Legolas could be in danger, and I have to help him."
Knowing the strong bond between the two, Elrond knew that he could not dissuade Aragorn. "Find," he said, defeated. "Just be careful, okay?"
"I will, Ada."
Gandalf had known that someone would have to go after the prince, and now that it had been decided, he took charge of the situation. "Right then. Everyone, get out of this area and move the chairs in a tight circle. You saw how this thing moved erratically when it hit Legolas."
The dwarves didn't like being bossed around, but when Gandalf bristled his eyebrows at their leader, Glóin, and threatened to hand them over to Thranduil, they all heeded him.
While they were setting up, Elrond pulled Aragorn aside. "Listen, Estel. There's someone in the Matrix who looks a lot like me. Don't trust him, whatever you do."
"Ada, I think I could tell if it was you or not."
"You don't understand. He looks exactly like me, except his ears aren't pointy, he has short hair, and he wears a suit. He took my form after he saw how close I was to Neo." Aragorn opened his mouth to say something, but the elf-lord help up a hand to stop him. "I don't want you getting close enough to see such miniscule details as pointy ears. So I'm definitely not going in."
"Ada, I'll be fine," the man said, turning away.
"Estel, look at me." Aragorn reluctantly turned back. "Don't even get within arm's length of Smith."
"Smith? But...but Smith can turn other people into himself, and Legolas..." Aragorn didn't want to think of the possibility that his best friend was now a Smith.
"I know, Estel. Just find him and keep yourselves out of trouble until we can figure out how to get the two of you back."
"But..." Aragorn was still concerned.
"Aragorn, relax. You need to keep your mind on finding Legolas. Besides, we don't even know if it's going to take you to the Matrix. I'm just warning you in case it does."
"Aragorn," Gandalf called over, "we're ready."
Aragorn walked over and leaped into the ring of chairs where the cheese was rolling. "I'll be back soon," he said before the cheese hit him.
As Estel was transported into another world, Elrond thought to him, "Be safe, ion nin."