Rin: Howdy do folks. I will be conducting the delivery of the disclaimer today. As we all know Lola doesn't own anything from the Lord of the Rings. That of course is owned by the magnificent J.R.R. Tolkien.

She does however own me, my sis Cally, any other characters that have yet to be introduced that you don't recognize, and the horse Valaine. Whose mystery will be uncovered today. She is not making any profit off of this fic what-so-ever, so please don't sue. Get it? Got it? Good. Own with chapter 7!

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Valaine"

Chapter 7: A Horse is just a Horse. Or is it?

Running

That was my specialty.

Not in track or anything. Just running away from my problems. Not trying to solve them. Getting away from them was enough.

But I didn't run from every problem. No, just arguments between me and Calien seemed to trigger my fleeing response. I didn't bother to argue with my instinct. So I listened to it. And I ran.

I just ran wherever my feet would take me. Back through the winding corridors. Not even bothering to say 'excuse me' to Elves that I ran by. I was too distressed and confused to care.

Who knew that my stupid feet would end up taking me back to the front gate of the courtyard? That huge arch between the last Homely house, and the rest of Middle-earth.

I stopped right in front of it, not even tired from the non-stop running.

'Thank you Elven abilities.' I thought gratefully.

I leaned my back relaxed against the archway and stared out onto the road that leads away from here. The forest seemed so calm and luring. The trees stood taller than Redwoods, and as green as the purest forest green paint. I looked down at my feet accusingly, giving them a look that would've said 'why did you take me here?'. If shoes could talk mine would've said 'because you weren't paying attention, I had to take you somewhere.'

I took this moment to really study my shoes. They were worn.

'Well duh. You did walk around for over two days. And you haven't taken them off since.' My mind probably rolled its eyes.

The sole probably would've come off if I had kept walking in them even for another few hours. The rest of my outfit was a wreck. My skirt had snags here and there. It had a rather large hole on my thigh that had to be at least five inches in diameter. My halter was probably the only piece of my clothing that was seemingly untouched. This was because it would have been snagged if it had sleeves, but instead it was my arms that had to suffer. They were covered in numerous scratches, and my upper right arm is wrapped tightly in a bandage. I looked a mess.

'Why didn't I change when I first woke up?' I whined.

I roll my eyes at myself, weird huh, and look back out of the arch towards the forest. I sigh heavily when a thought occurs to me.

'Is this a sign?' I ask myself 'Could this mean don't wait around just get your ass out of Rivendell?'

I laughed at how stupid I was being. I laughed at how irritated I was. Fights between me and my sister always ended up like this. I would run off, and try to calm down. We'd make up in about a day or a few hours on a good day. But no matter what I was always the first to apologize.

I was about to turn away from the forest and keep aimlessly wandering when I heard it. It was the ever so faint but distinct sound of a horse galloping at a steady pace. I looked out, and in the distance I saw the clear form of a horse.

As it came closer I started to distinguish it as a black female horse. The name escaped me for a moment. I closed my eyes and started trying to remember who this horse was. Then my mind screamed it to me.

"Valaine." I breathed. I opened my eyes and she was only a yard away from me. "I see you're back."

"I told you I would be. And I have your belongings as I also promised." She said in my head. I don't care what anybody tells you, you never get used to having a horse communicate with you telepathically. It's just way too weird. But I couldn't contain my enthusiasm that she was finally here with my stuff. I could've jumped for joy. And I did.

I was literally bouncing/skipping as I went straight for my guitar case. "Yeah you did." Was my only reply as I started to unclasp my guitar from the belt type thing that bound it to her back.

I stopped mid-movement as I gazed at her shiny black coat. The sun was radiating off of her. This sight alone brought tears to my eyes. Tears of sorrow and sadness. I blinked them away and continued to un-strap the rest of my things. I kept stealing glances at her after each piece of luggage was removed. Try as I might I just couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't a coincidence that this horse brought tears to my eyes. I hadn't got the chance to get a really good look at her the first time; I was too busy trying to figure out where I was. But now that I look at her, I know. Those big brown eyes, the almost metallic black coat. If I could estimate her height I would easily say 16 to 17 hands. Maybe, just maybe…Nah. It couldn't be. Wishful thinking is all that was.

'Don't be so quick to rule that out. You didn't think it was possible to be in Middle-earth either.' My hopeful side suggested.

'Yeah but that is just completely and utterly impossible. No way in a million years could that happen. It can't be.' I argued

'There is a way to find out ya know. Just do it.' My other side urged.

'Curiosity killed the cat.' I said.

'Yeah. But you're not a cat.' My other half countered.

'True.' I shrugged. 'Alright, I'll do it.'

I took a deep breath and with a slightly unsteady hand, I moved the mane up a few centimeters. Just a little bit more. I moved it up a few more inches; I thought my heart would stop beating right then and there. I snatched my hand back from the mane as if it were on fire. I put my right hand over my mouth and took a large step back. I was shaking my head; I knew it couldn't be true.

Why am I so freaked out and unbelieving you ask? Because right on the spot under the mane was a slightly pink patch of skin. No hair grew there. It was the tiniest place where not a strand of black hair grew. The strangest part was, it was shaped like a crescent moon. Before I knew what was happening I was holding my head, and an old memory was flashing in my mind.

(Third Person)

A little girl around the age of nine was grooming a horse in a field outside of a stable. She was small height, that would all with the years, and had long black hair that reached a little ways past her shoulders. She took long strokes from the left to the right. She was standing on a stool. She had to for the horse was at least four feet taller than her. The horse was black, pure black. Not the slightest hint of any other color. Except for the brown in the eyes. The eyes were of the richest chocolate brown.

The girl was humming a little tune, something similar to the song 'Hopelessly Devoted' from Grease. She was interrupted when a shriek of "Rin!" was called some ways away.

Another girl who looked exactly like the first came running out of a building nearby. It was obvious that they were twins. A smile lit up the latter's face. She had very exciting news.

Once she reached her sister she put her hands on her knees and bent over out of breath. But she still tried to inform her sister of the news.

"Mom…Dad…Star…Raven…ours!" She pointed to herself at the last word. The girl called Rin looked confused and amused at her sister's behavior. She hoped off of the stool and put the grooming brush on the stool. She went over to her sister and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Calien. Speak in complete sentences. 'Cause I have no clue what you're saying." She laughed.

After a few seconds when Calien finally seemed calm, she broke with excitement.

"Mom and Dad bought Starfire and Raven! Their ours!" She jumped. "They still stay here of course but they belong to us now. No one else can ride them without our permission. They ours. Officially!"

After a minute realization dawned on Rin, she finally owned her own horse. She started jumping up and own too. Until they heard their names being called from the building that Calien had run out of. At the doorway stood two adults of Mexican descent by their appearance. They looked to be in their early thirties. The woman had called them.

"Come on. We have get home and tell Bren and Haley." Calien was still bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"You go. I'll be right there." Rin smiled.

Calien nodded and ran off, but she turned around and said, "And cover up that scar."

"It's not a scar it's a birthmark." Calien rolled her eyes and kept running.

"Did you hear that Star? You're all mine now. It doesn't really make that much of a difference though; I've always seen you as mine." She stroked her muzzle gently. "But now it's official. And it only took two years."

The horse bobbed her head as if to agree. Rin handed off the reigns to a stable hand that was nearby and also walked in the direction of the building.

Rain was pouring down outside. Aerin watched through the 'Olive Garden' window as it trickled down the sides. She picked at her Lasagna. Somehow she knew that something bad would happen. She had felt it all day, but as the day wore on she didn't think about it too much. Today was her day. Well it was her sister's too. It was her fifteenth birthday. Her special day. Twenty minutes later found her, her mom Maria, her dad Carlos, and her sister Calien all heading back to the car after their big birthday dinner. It was around 7:30 now. This was Calien and Aerin's favorite part, 'cause it meant they could go and hang out with their friends now. They were walking through the parking lot. The rain had stopped about ten minutes ago. Then Carlos's cell phone rang. They didn't know it now, but that phone call would bring great misery to a certain member of the family.

"Carlos." He answered the phone with his name like he always did.

"Mr. Diaz? This is George Campbell, manager at Stone's Hallow." The voice on the other end said.

"Hello George how can I help you?" Carlos asked confused as to why he was being contacted by the manager of a riding ranch this late on a Saturday.

"There's been an incident. Apparently…fire…under control…quickly." The jumbled voice said.

"George? George I can't hear you you're breaking up." Carlos spoke louder directly into the speaker.

"Come quick…bring Aerin." Was the last thing George said before he hung up.

Carlos turned to his family one they had stopped at the minivan. They were all eager to know what the phone call had been about.

"Who was that Dad?" Calien voiced what everyone else was thinking.

"That was Mr. Campbell from Stone's Hallow. I couldn't hear him too well, but he said come to the ranch and bring Aerin." He was still confused himself as to what was going on.

"Did he say why?" Maria asked.

"All I could really hear was the word 'fire'." He said. Aerin's face went pale at that. She immediately feared the worse.

They were at the Ranch in less than a half hour later. They only had to see the thick black smoke from a mile away to know that the stables had caught fire. Aerin was the first out of the car when it came to a stop, she went directly to the stable that was on fire, and in front of it she saw a sullen George Campbell.

"Mr. C what happened?" Was the first thing she could say.

"There was a fire." He began. "Kevin is the most incompetent stable hand I have ever worked with."

By this time the rest of her family had caught up.

'What was the big emergency Mr. C?" Calien asked worried.

"Fire. The entire stable is ruined. And-"he stopped and looked into Aerin's eyes. "We lost two horses. Nickel and…and Starfire."

"No." Aerin said defiantly, fists clutched at her sides.

"I'm afraid so. We lost her at-"He glanced at a sheet of paper in his hand. "7:13."

"No! She's not dead!" Aerin screamed. People turned their heads. It was then that Aerin realized that there were firefighters and other people there.

"Hunny, calm down." Maria put a hand on her daughters' shoulder.

Aerin turned to her in a fit of rage. "Calm down mom! My horse is dead!" She closed her eyes and let the silent tears fall. "My horse is dead." She whispered.

Calien hugged her sister as if she was afraid she'd die too if she wasn't held. Aerin just cried, miserable. She looked down at her necklace it was glowing bright red. Almost as if it was a flame. She thought to her self.

'My Starfire was taken from me at 7:13 pm July 13, 2003. My birthday.' She thought bitterly.

She returned her sisters embrace, but no one could help her. The only way to end her grief was to bring Starfire back.

If only.

I opened my eyes. Tears pouring down my cheeks. I looked up at the horse that had come closer to me.

"Starfire?" I asked hopefully yet incredulously.

"Yes." She answered.

I didn't hesitate to throw my arms around her neck and hold her. I was now crying tears of joy. Happiness. I was jubilant that she was here with me once again. I stayed like that with my arms around her for as long as I could until her voice broke my thoughts of 'I can't believe it.'

"Maybe you should let go now. If you hold on too long we might be stuck this way." She said.

"Well I never. I haven't seen you in over 2 years. Can't I show at least a little bit of affection?" I joked. I let go of her and looked into her eyes. Those big brown beautiful orbs that I had known since my third riding lesson when I was seven years old.

"A bit? That was a few miles more than a bit." She stated plainly.

I pretended I was hurt by that. "Okay." I chocked out. "I-I guess you d-don't lo-love me anym-more." I sobbed.

"I guess not." She said. She trotted away slowly.

"Hey!" I said. I picked up my bags and I hurried after her laughing. Even though I had never talked to Starfire before she died, I had always imagined that she'd be like this. Joking with me, like a real friend. We stepped through the archway and just stood there.

"Ya know I never dreamt of this happening- I mean seeing you again. Alive." I admitted. "It's just amazing."

"I did. I knew you were coming someday." She said.

"So what do I call you now?" I asked. "Do you want me to call you Valaine?"

"No I would much rather that you call me Starfire. Just like the good ol' days." She said.

"Great. 'Cause I would never really get used to Valaine. And-wait! I'm just getting this. You knew? You knew I was coming here? And Cally too?" I asked.

"Not until I got here. And we met in your 'landing spot' I just decided to mess with your head a tad." If she were human she would have the goofiest grin on her face.

"Good to know it was just an act. All of that 'The One' crap. What was that about anyway?" I asked with a smirk.

"Oh nothing. I just felt that you needed a strange welcoming to Middle-earth. And what better way to do that than to mention the necklace that you've had all your life." She admitted with a horse-like shrug.

"Ha. Ha. That was so funny…not!" I rolled my eyes. "But ya know I knew there was something familiar about you that day." I mused.

"Did you know that you say 'ya know' an awful lot." She brought up out of the blue.

I pondered this for a moment. It was true. Sometimes when I said 'ya know' at least once, I would say it at least ten more times before the end of the conversation.

"Ya know, I think you're right." I replied with a small grin. She started laughing, in my head I might add, which in turn got me laughing too.

We started walking around the courtyard. We walked around so many times I lost count. Reminiscing about the old days, and discussing what we've each been doing the last two years apart. We got strange looks from Elves. Not just because there was a pretty big black horse walking around, but also because it probably looked like I was talking to myself. Can we say Mad woman?

I told Starfire about my parents splitting up and Calien moving away shortly after she died.

"Wow. I can't imagine what it must've been like for you. You two were inseparable, it must be painful to be apart."

She told me about roaming Middle-earth for the past two years. She said when she died she somehow ended up on the outskirts of Gondor. From there she traveled all over. Lothlorien, Rohan, the shire (the hobbits seemed extra small to her), Bree, she said she had even come to Rivendell before. But she wandered all on her own, how did she find her way around? I'll never know.

"You say you've never had a master in Middle-earth? But you've got a saddle and reins. Where did those come from if no one rides you? And you had them when you got my stuff." I accused. We stopped halfway through our twentieth round of the courtyard.

"Like I said before, I expected you. I had someone help me put these on after I found them. It took that idiot too long to know what I meant. I did that about a year ago." She started walking slowly. "I haven't had it off since."

"That's not good." I gasped. "You've been busy. Ya know what you need? Grooming, some real food, a sheltered place to sleep, and relaxation. Doesn't that sound nice?" I suggested.

"I have to admit that sounds wonderful. But where can I get such treatment?" She asked in exasperation.

"Hmm. We cou- I could ask someone." I explained. We waited a few minutes for an elf-maiden to come pass. "Excuse me miss?" I called

She turned up her head and over to us. She did a small curtsey and nodded her head once in greeting.

"Hi. Could you please point me in the direction of the stables." I asked very politely. "My horse is long overdue for some well-deserved rest." I patted Star gently on the nose.

She told us exactly where to find the stables. And when I say exactly, I mean every turn we would come to to get there.

"Gracias!" I said walking off with Starfire in the first direction she had pointed us in. And I could sworn as we were walking off I heard her say "What did that mean?"

TBC….another chapter!

I know that that chapter was uneventful. Just thought she liked to know who Valaine/Starfire is. And before people start flaming me on how even Meras can't communicate telepathically, I will get to that in time. Just have patience. I know it was kinda boring. Think of it more as a filler chapter. Thank you for reading, and please Review!