Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own anything you recognise, J.R.R Tolkien does, though it would be nice to have a Legolas all of my own!

Summary: Aranel always had trouble fitting in, but that was the way she liked it. However, the continuing emergence of greater powers and a fateful trip into the bush leads her to discover her second life. Legolas O/C, girl falls into middle earth but with a (hopefully) new twist.

A/N: Italics are character thoughts.

Chapter 1: A walk in the woods.

Aranel came from a dysfunctional family, as a matter of fact her whole life could be classified as pretty much dysfunctional. She was 17; she wasn't ugly, with long blonde hair, blue eyes and a fairly slim figure she was probably quite far from it. She did have her faults though, she went under constant battle with her skin as most teenagers do and even though she tried to exercise she really thought treadmills were for people who couldn't be bothered moving anywhere; her brother would tease her and say she needed a personality transplant more than anything, but really, what can you expect from brothers. At the moment we can find Aranel walking, as she often does, in the bush surrounding her home, on the outskirts of Sydney, and it is here that her journey starts.

The sun had started to sink below the horizon, casting long shadows on the ground as Aranel negotiated the familiar fallen log that was in her path. She had a lot on her mind tonight, which wasn't unusual, she always had a million and one things on her mind but tonight it was something different, something she usually hid in the dark depths of her conscience. It's happened again, she thought as she replayed the scene in her mind.

She had been at school, her archenemy Jason had, as always, been saying something nasty and degrading about her along the lines of what a 'Freak' she was, when it had happened. The pair of scissors lying on the desk between them had, apparently on their own accord, flown into the air and just about imbedded themselves in Jason's arm. It was assumed she had thrown them and as she was lead down the all to familiar corridor to the principals office, Jason' s mingled shrieks of pain with the word 'Freak' echoing behind her, she could only think that he was indeed right. She really was a Freak, freakish things tended to constantly happen around her. This little episode had resulted in yet another long talk between the principal and her mother, yet another suggestion of some kind of counselling and detention for the rest of her life.

And so here she was now, trying yet again to walk away from it all, only to be betrayed by her mind as it replayed it to her. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, just to add to her misery. Things like this often happened when she was emotional, very happy, angry or stressed. She had found it funny as a child when her toys went whizzing through the air occasionally, though no one else laughed, but as she got older and came to realise these things were far from normal, she had become more and more secluded, afraid people would see her for the what she really was, a Freak, she thought, Jason making that all to real for her.

It was in the middle of all this contemplation that she almost walked straight into him, well, the point of his arrow that was unfortunately aimed at her head.

'Mani naa lle umien?" he said in rather a demanding voice.

Aranel, not having ever been in a situation like this before and having no idea how to handle it, stared dumbly at the man with her mouth open.

"Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie?" the man said looking slightly annoyed.

"Er...um… Lle quena what now? " she stammered, very nervous of the arrow still being pointed directly at her.

"Do you speak elvish?" he asked again, his voice slightly accented.

It was at this point that it all clicked in Aranel's mind. Of course! That's what this is about, my brother has got one of his friends to pull a stupid prank on me, just cause I love Lord of the rings. Idiot.

"No, as a matter of fact I don't." Aranel said now, her confidence coming back to her, "And you can tell my brother I hate him." She continued as she brushed past the arrow and went to walk past him. But, so quickly she was unable to register the movement, he was in front of her again.

"Ok, nice costume and everything, good accent and stuff but you've done your job. I'm gonna go now." Aranel said in annoyance and went to push past him yet again. But again he was in front of her before she could blink.

"Actually, I have not done my job, you will answer my questions calmly now or I shall have to take you back for questioning." The mysterious man said, now a little to menacing for Aranel's liking, his hand coming to rest on a dagger in his belt.

He just doesn't give up! She thought as her stubborn side raised its ugly head and she stupidly took a few steps towards him.

"Look buddy, I don't need this right now, all I want is to go for a quiet walk by myself and you rock up and start demanding things. Seriously, I get it, my brother thought it would be funny to have Legolas jump out at me and threaten my life, nice joke, I'm laughing see. Ha ha. Are you happy now, can I go please?" She was getting worked up now and the thought of what had happened earlier today was still clearly in her mind, she prayed he would get the message and leave her alone before something else happened.

"This is your last opportunity, you will tell me what you are doing trespassing on these grounds or I will be forced – "

"Will you just leave me alone!" Aranel cut in, poking him hard in the chest.

He drew his dagger slightly at the contact, making Aranel even more furious.

"You will refrain from using physical action against-" and before he could finish this time, a number of this happened all at once.

The thing that Aranel had feared the most was the only thing she really noticed. In her state of complete annoyance and anger at this man she wasn't really surprised to see a rather large branch flying through the air for his head. But just as she focused on this her mobile rang, the Spanish Hat Dance ringing out amidst the flashing lights attached to her phone, startling her and breaking her concentration on her surroundings. The man in front of her, completely oblivious to the branch that had fallen just short of him, was apparently still in character and had his arrow out again, this time pointed directly at the phone.

"Oh for gods sake get a grip!" Aranel just about snarled as she answered the phone.

"What foul magic is this!" he demanded, as she heard her mums voice on the other end of the line.

"Where are you, it's getting dark, I think you should come home." Her mum said. Aranel could hear the concern in her voice.

"What magic-"

"SHUT UP!" Aranel yelled at the mystery man.

"Who's with you?" her mother asked suspiciously.

"Only one of Brad's stupid friends who thinks it's funny to annoy me." Aranel replied, turning to glare at the man only to find that he was flat on his back. Aranel could only stare in shock as the sick sinking feeling settled in her stomach.

"Which one?" she was vaguely aware of her mum asking. "……Aranel? Are you there still?"

"What….oh….yeah…coming" Aranel said absently, hanging up on her mother and focusing on the problem at hand.

She crouched next to him, checking his pulse and breathing which were both fine, apparently he had just been knocked out and she couldn't help but notice that the branch had moved from its earlier resting spot. Must have been when I yelled. She thought desperately, tears prickling her eyes. Oh God I hate this!

After standing in shock for a minute still staring at him, she decided to do the only thing she thought she could, she walked away, and after about 2 meters she ran.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

By the time Aranel got home it was dark and she could see her mother peering through the curtains, looking out for her. As she approached the house she wiped the tears off her face that had been falling as she ran, now she just hoped it wasn't too obvious she was upset. Just head straight up stairs before anyone notices. She instructed herself, her hand on the doorknob. Ok, here we go. And she opened it, shutting it a little to loudly in her hast and began a quick dash for the stairs when her mothers voice stopped her half way up.

"Aranel, sweetie, can we talk." Her mother said, a little shyly, but Aranel knew better, no matter how sweet and compliant her mother seemed, she would get answers eventually. May as well get this over with, Aranel thought dejectedly as she backtracked down the stairs into the lounge.

"Yes mum?" she said in what she hoped was a calm voice.

"How are you?" her mum said casually but Aranel could see her mothers analysing look as she took in her appearance. Aranel gazed back at her mum, taking in her dark curly hair and her height. Aranel, unlike her brother, hadn't inherited much from her mother, besides her stubbornness perhaps. Her brother, sitting on the couch, was from her mothers first marriage, Aranel had apparently been an accident after the marriage had ended, her mother never talked about Aranel's father so she could only assume she was more like him.

"Fine." Was the only reply Aranel was willing to supply after a moment, hoping against hope that this might be the extent of their talk.

"You look a little…upset, sweetie. You're all flushed, are you sure-"

"I'm fine mum, I was running, that's all." Aranel cut in, still determined to steer the conversation away from where she knew it was going.

"Good…. Because you know you can tell me anyth-"

"Yes mum, I know I can tell you anything."
"Good…And your not to upset about what happened today at school?"

Ah, here we go… Aranel thought, "It's fine, these things happen." Aranel said, even though 'these things' never happened to anybody else.

"Yes, I suppose they do, we all get a little angry sometimes, we do things we can't help. You have nothing to feel ashamed for Aranel you know that-"
"Yes mum I know," Aranel replied quietly, looking at her feet. She had mixed emotions about her mother when she was like this. Her mother knew perfectly well what had happened, that odd things happened around her daughter and Aranel didn't know wether she should be glad her mother never seemed to upset or annoyed because at least if her mother was angry with her it might seem slightly more normal.

"Good, that's good then." Her mother said though Aranel wasn't really listening anymore.

"And you had a nice walk?" Her mother asked casually as if their awkward conversation had never happened.

"No," replied Aranel, glaring daggers at her brother, "He sent some idiot to play a joke on me and threaten me in a stupid costume."

"What?" Brad asked, looking extremely confused.

"Oh, really, that's what that was about then, you did seem very distracted." Her mother said over Brad.

" 'What?'" Aranel said imitating her brother and ignoring her mother's comment, "like you don't know. Just send some psycho after me dressed as Legolas to threaten me. Thanks for ruining something I enjoy." She continued bitterly.

"What! But I didn't! Wish I had though, that's a great idea!" Brad replied chuckling at the idea.

"Yeah right, you're such an idiot! I hate you. You ruin everything for me!" Aranel said a little to loudly.

"That's enough you two." Their mother cut in.

" That's harsh sis, I'm serious, I didn't do anything, you think I'd do that to you after what happened today?" Brad continued.

"Why do you always bring that up! I hate it!" Aranel said furiously, she could feel the tears returning and her brother knew it.

"Hey, calm down, it's ok. Look, I'm sorry I brought it up ok? But I seriously didn't send that guy after you, though maybe we should say something to the police if he threatened you…" Brad trailed off, putting his arms around Aranel and looking to his mother for support.

"Yes, I think maybe we should, this sounds serious sweetie. What exactly happened-"

"Nothing, it was nothing, I……I recognized him, that's all, I just assumed it was one of your mates Brad," she said nervously, looking at her brother. "It must have been someone from school…I just got mixed up that's all….ha ha" Aranel laughed nervously as she pushed away from her brother and headed up stairs. "Anyway, I have a lot of homework. Night." She said as she made a hasty retreat to her room. She had a lot to think about, even more than when she had started out on her walk that evening. The logical part of her was protesting madly, she should go to the police really but….there was something, somehow it was obvious to her that he wasn't just a guy in a costume waving a bow and arrow around, he was the real deal, which could only mean that he was an….No, you know they can't possible exist. Cut in the logical part of her mind.

And it was with these thoughts chasing each other around in her head that she finally drifted off to sleep, the logical part of her mind giving up its protesting till the morning.

So there you go! First chapter, please please please review cos I'll only post more if people like it! Oh! And no flames please, I'm only young!

Elvin Translations:

Mani naa lle umien? What are you doing?

Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie Do you speak elvish?