Part 1 - Fires of Revolution
Chapter 9 - Minas Tirith
Miles and Gwen were sitting in a café back in the latter's dimension. Neither wore their suits, but they both had bags with them that held them in case they had to make a quick escape. Miles noticed that Gwen was looking anxious and worried again. It was strange: they were in the same position, but somehow Gwen seemed to have taken the bigger mental hit from it.
"Hey, you OK?"
"I feel guilty."
"For putting the Enterprise in so much danger? They could easily have kicked us off, but they didn't. It was their...no?"
Gwen shook her head, cutting him off.
"I feel guilty because Conall saved my life. What if I made a mistake? Maybe he wasn't going to kill us? After all, if he was going to then why would he save me?"
Miles took Gwen's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"Does it matter? We're on the run now. We can hardly afford to focus on the past. We have to look at the present, and also think about the future."
"Again, where did you get all this wisdom from?"
"I learnt from the best." Miles replied with a grin.
Gwen chuckled and gave Miles' hand a squeeze.
"If we need to think about the future, we should make a plan."
"If you have a bit of paper we can make a to-do list."
"We live in the modern age, Miles. I have a phone. So do you."
"Oh yeah. Of course."
Miles took his out and opened a notepad app.
"Step one..." He muttered.
"Step one should be to drink your hot chocolate before it get's cold."
"I'll get to that. Step two should be to find an Ethereal Plate. If we do that we can find a way to keep you constantly charged. Where would we find one?"
"No clue. I say we go to...4136."
Miles looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"Was that just a random number?"
Gwen nodded.
"That and I have a good feeling about it."
"If you say so."
"Now we just need someone to redesign my suit to work with the plate."
"And your ability to summon swords and stuff."
"I don't think I'll ever be able to master that. The blades keep coming out all twisted."
"You'll get there in the end. I mean, you figured out the whole Spiderwoman thing."
"This is a bit different."
"Either way, we need someone to make you a new suit. I mean, that repair you did on the arm is only going to last so long anyway."
Gwen looked down at her bag. She had stitched it together as best as she could, but Miles was right. Threads were coming loose.
"We could go to May's house again." She suggested.
"I'm not entirely sure I can look at her with a straight face after she caught us."
"We'll find someone. Let's forget about it for now, though, until we have a plate."
Miles put his phone back in his pocket. He drained his mug of hot chocolate, then dug out a dollar bill for a tip.
"Come on, we should go before Conall finds us."
They stood up and left the café before turning right towards an alley not too far away. Gwen slid her hand into Miles'. He gave it another reassuring squeeze.
A few minutes later, they were standing in their spider suits.
"4136, was it?"
"Yeah."
They punched in the number on their watches.
"See you on the other side, Spiderman."
Miles and Gwen burst into the new dimension, only stumbling a little.
"That went better than last time." Commented Gwen as she looked around.
"This time there weren't any star ships to mess up space and all that." Replied Miles as he too took in their surroundings.
"Where are we?"
The pair appeared to be standing on top of what seemed to be an extremely tall city built on the side of a mountain. A white tree grew in the middle of the top level where they stood. Over the edge of this level was the rest of the white city, sprawling down the mountain slopes. Beyond the city walls lay a long stretch of dead grass. In the far distance, a smaller city could be seen either side of a river. On the very edge of the horizon, mountains rose high into the air.
"This place is incredible." Gwen whispered.
"But they're still in the old days. Those soldiers over there; they have spears and shields."
As Gwen turned to look, the doors to the only building on the top level swung open. The pair realised they were right in the middle of the path which led straight up to them.
"Maybe we should move?" Miles suggested.
"At least step aside."
They moved to the side of the path as a man in royal robes approached. Behind him, a man with a white staff and cloak followed. Two guards flanked them with their hands on their swords.
"I think they're coming for us." Gwen whispered.
"Should we run?"
"I don't think running will help. Look."
Miles looked around and saw a few other guards approaching, blocking any escape. They would never be able to swing out of here. The only thing high enough was the lonely spire, and it was too far. The man in royal robes stopped and looked between them both.
"What business brings you to Minas Tirith?" He asked in a firm, yet kind voice.
"We...err..."
Gwen was hesitant to give this man a reason. He could be one of Conall's ambassadors.
"We were just leaving." Miles replied.
"My friends, all are welcome here. You have nothing to fear. I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and high king of Gondor."
Miles and Gwen exchanged looks through their masks, before Miles dropped down on one knee in respect. Gwen followed suit, not sure what else to do.
"Our apologies, your majesty. We're not from around here."
"Rise. Your confusion is understandable."
Miles and Gwen stood up again, slowly. The man in white narrowed his eyes.
"Neither of you is from this world."
Miles' heart skipped a beat. In a moment Conall would probably be there and stick a sword through them both. Aragorn turned to the man in white.
"Not from this world, Gandalf?"
"Indeed."
Aragorn turned his gaze back to the pair.
"If you are not from this world, you must have travelled far. Come; we shall find you food and warm beds. You must have many stories to tell."
"Th...thank you, your majesty." Miles stuttered.
Whilst they had both had drinks not long before, neither had eaten for a couple of days, simply because they were scared Conall would catch them whilst they ate. The company entered the throne room through the doors. The two spiders looked around in awe, forgetting about Gandalf's knowledge of them not being from around here. They removed their masks to get a better look. The guards eyed them curiously as they entered another room with a long table. Aragorn beckoned for them to sit, as he took his own seat at the head of the table. He whispered something to one of the guards, who promptly disappeared.
"Tell me, what are your names?" He asked.
"I'm Miles, this is Gwen, your majesty." Miles replied.
"It is good to meet you. As I said, I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This here is Gandalf the White, my advisor, and good friend. So, you are from another world?"
"Well...we're from different worlds, both of us. From each other, I mean. We met by accident nearly two years ago, now." Miles replied.
"An interesting story, I'm sure. So, what brings you to Middle Earth? And to Minas Tirith?"
"We're...on the run, your majesty." Gwen replied.
"You are criminals?"
"Not really. We're more running from someone who, if they were governed by any laws, would be a criminal." Miles explained.
Gandalf gave a grunt.
"It sounds like the being you speak of is the Lord of the World Between Worlds." He said slowly, appearing to think carefully about every word he said.
"You know him?" Asked Gwen.
"I know of him. Saruman, the head of my order, was the 'temporal ambassador' of this world."
"Was?" Miles pressed.
"Saruman chose a path which could lead only to death. And to death it led."
"Then there isn't an ambassador here?"
"No."
"That's reassuring, in a way."
Aragorn rested his head on his hand and stroked his beard.
"Of all the worlds, why would you come to this one?" He asked.
"We're looking for something." Gwen replied.
"What is this something?"
"Officially it's called an Ethereal Plate. It glows, and is surprisingly light. It's about this big:"
Gwen made a series of gestures to try and show them how big it was. Gandalf closed his eyes.
"What you have described sounds similar to the Arkenstone, or the King's Jewel. However, the Arkenstone is round, like a stone from the bottom of a river."
"Perhaps we've come to the wrong world." Miles concluded.
"I was not finished. There are many stories of an object similar to what you have described in the darkest depths of the Mines of Moria. It is said all who touch it die a most painful death, leaving behind only their flesh for the many thousands of Orcs which roam the depths."
"That's it." Said Gwen.
Aragorn sat back in his chair.
"What do you need this...'Ethereal Plate' for?"
"Gwen has the ability to draw power from it. She can use that to fight, or she used it once to provide power for these:" Miles raised his wrist and flashed his dimensional watch.
"It sounds like this is an extremely powerful object. What would you need this power for?" Asked Aragorn.
"To protect us from...what did you call him again, Gandalf?" Started Miles.
"The Lord of the World Between Worlds."
"To protect us from the Lord of the World Between Worlds. It also means we can start to sort out a mess with the rest of them."
Gwen looked at Miles.
"That wasn't part of the plan."
"Think about it. If we sort out the mess Doc Ock and her employer were making then maybe Conall will let us live?"
"It might work, but only might."
"Gwen, we can't just keep running. We have to find something to do or we'll lose all hope."
"I guess. Where are these mines?"
"They're about a week's ride from here. The path is a dangerous one." Replied Aragorn.
"Is there anyone who's services we can hire? We're willing to pay. Although with what I'm not sure." Asked Miles.
"There are few people here who would willingly enter the darkest depths of Moria, or enter Moria at all. I assume you do not have a place to stay tonight?"
"No."
"Then you may stay here tonight. In the morning I shall set out with you both, along with Gandalf and a handful of my best men. For now, eat. Rest."
A number of people entered the room and placed a variety of food in front of them.
"Thank you, your majesty." Said Gwen, overwhelmed by the generosity of this person she had never met before.
A few hours later, Miles and Gwen stood on a balcony, watching the sky slowly changing colour as the sun set. The sun itself was behind the mountain on which Minas Tirith was built.
"Once we have the plate, I think we have a chance. Even if Conall does find us." Miles whispered to her.
He felt as if all of Middle Earth could hear them from this height.
"I don't know. It depends if I can master my ability to create weapons. And if we can get a new suit made."
"Hey." He turned to her. "You know we'll get that sorted. Conall seems unable to track us down quickly."
"I question whether he's incapable, or just has other things to do."
"Either way, he takes his time trying to find us."
"Yeah."
Gwen wrapped her arms around Miles' neck and pressed her lips to his. She didn't know why she did it, but it was reassuring to feel him so close to her. She felt safe, like everything would turn out OK for them.
The kiss lasted for almost a minute, interrupted only for them to get breath. Miles wanted it to go on forever, but an almighty bang, followed by a crackling sound, had interrupted them. They broke apart slowly and turned to look at what it was. In the fading light of dusk, they saw an enormous silhouette in a shape that was all too familiar: a shape that made their blood run cold.
Crossovers in this Chapter
- Lord of the Rings