A/N: In which Sakura makes it to Imladris, meets Lord Elrond, and states something that they really should be taking her seriously on.

here's part 3 of sakura's adventures in arda! i'm sorry, strider, if you thought sakura defeating nazgul was shocking enough you have a whole different storm coming

thank you CrystalRequim for the beta

Sakura frowned in thought as they walked. Strider said he was leading them to the River Bruinen, which he said led to the entrance of Imladris. From what Sakura gathered, it was the running water aspect that held the border, which meant there was a powerful magical barrier placed there. She hoped she could study it. Sakura was good at barriers, and one that hid a city sounded fun.

"Miss Sakura?" Sam asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" Sakura said, and smiled at him. "Just thinking, is all."

"What about?" Pippin asked.

"The barrier for Imladris. Running water by itself can protect from a lot of things, but it sounds like the river has some magical properties on its own. And Lord Elrond added a barrier on top of that, too!" Sakura said.

"You are passionate about such things, then?" Frodo asked.

Sakura nodded. "I like barriers! They're one of the first and best things that my magic could do on its own."

"Magic can do stuff on its own?" Pippin asked.

"Kind of," Sakura said, and waved her hand back and forth. "Magic relies on intent, mostly. And energy, you need the strength to back it up. But having something to cast makes it easier."

"Like family recipes," Sam said, "You can do stuff by intuition, any good Hobbit can, but the recipes are what's worth anything."

"Yes, exactly!" Sakura said, beaming at him. Hobbits made some very good analogies, didn't they? She rather thought Kero would like them.

The crossing that Strider led them to was shallow, and clear. Sakura gasped at it as she looked up and down the bank. The water was so pretty and it sparkled like shards of glass. She could see the river rocks that lined the bottom, smooth and brown. There weren't any fish that she could see, but that was okay. The rocks sparkled enough on their own.

"Well, this is a nice river," Sam mused hesitantly.

"At least we can walk over it," Merry said firmly. He grabbed Pippin's hand and held it tightly.

"Do you not like water?" Sakura asked, curious.

Frodo shook his head. "Hobbits are dense as a people. We tend to sink in water." There was a look in his eye that told Sakura that he had some bad experiences with water himself.

Sakura frowned. "Well, that won't do."

She eyed the water, this time feeling for the magic. Strider had said that Lord Elrond had placed a barrier on it. That meant she couldn't just move the water aside, since she didn't want to break anything. And… yes, there it was. It was very nicely layered into the structure of the river.

"Miss Sakura?" Sam asked.

"Everyone, please gather together," Sakura said, and grabbed Frodo's hand. He looked startled, but she smiled to reassure him.

"Oh, you're gonna cast magic!" Pippin exclaimed, and hurriedly pushed Merry towards them. Strider looked amused as he also stepped closer. Sam was already at Frodo's shoulder.

Hmm… Fly could only work on one person at a time. She could summon Fly as itself rather than as the wings she normally used to fly, but that would be very conspicuous. Also awkward to explain, maybe.

"Windy, bring us across!" Sakura chanted, and held out her free hand.

Windy burst out from her hand and wrapped the group in a sphere. Sakura ignored the group's calls of shock and excitement as their feet lifted off the ground. She leaned forwards, directing them. Windy brought them across in a smooth arc and, just as smoothly, brought their feet back to the ground.

"That was amazing!" Pippin cheered, jumping in the air.

"Thank you?" Sakura said, blushing. Windy returned to Sakura, amused and pleased at everyone's reactions.

It wasn't that impressive, was it? If only she knew the spell that Syaoran used when she Captured Erase. Having solid air would have been nice… hm. She'd have to train with Windy, or maybe even Shield…

"Is there a reason why we did that instead of just walking across?" Strider asked, looking particularly shocked. Epona nipped at Sakura gently in reprimand for the surprise.

Oh. Sakura should have probably explained what she was doing before she did that. "Um," Sakura said, and glanced at Frodo. "I didn't want the Hobbits to have to deal with the water?"

Frodo blinked at her, and then smiled as he realized what she meant, "Thank you, Miss Sakura."

Strider glanced at Frodo, and then nodded at her, smiling as well. "It certainly was impressive."

As they walked further into the forest, following a trail only Strider seemed to know, Sakura looked at everything in awe. To her untrained eye, there really was nothing different between this particular forest, and other forests she had visited. But there was magic that thrummed through the air and the earth, and it sung to her.

"Miss Sakura, is something wrong?" Sam asked.

Sakura shook her head. "No. But there's so much magic here, it almost feels alive. Or is it that it brought the forest itself alive? More than forests generally are."

"A combination of both," Strider confirmed, examining her, "The forests all have their own spirits, as the Elves have tended to them since the beginning. But Lord Elrond's barrier over Imladris, it has created a… net, I would say, where the energy gathered and built what you currently feel now. Even those of other races than Elves have mentioned they can feel that the forest is alive."

"Yeah, it's all warm and staticky," Pippin agreed with good cheer, "I almost feel like I can zap someone if I touch them!" Next to him, Merry's expression suggested was waiting for Pippin to do exactly that and preparing to step in for damage control.

"It doesn't quite work that way, but it is an accurate description," Strider allowed, amused.

Sakura blinked, and wondered if she should mention that she could, indeed, shock someone in just the way Pippin described. Probably not important? Sakura was a Wizard, and Elves seemed magical in nature. If Elves could do it, Sakura probably could as well.

Epona nudged her shoulder and looked at her, as if she knew exactly what Sakura was thinking. Sakura patted her on the nose, smiling mischievously. It would be a good prank, maybe? She thought that this group of people wouldn't mind. And it wasn't particularly mean, either, so Sakura felt comfortable with it.

"Does Lord Elrond have special training, or something?" Sakura asked Strider. He seemed very knowledgeable about Elves in general. "You said Elves are magical by nature, and tend to trees, but that doesn't mean they can all make barriers."

"Lord Elrond is firstly a Healer, and is considered one of the best in all of Arda," Strider said slowly, as if thinking about it, "But yes, he does have some abilities that most Elves do not. His power is not to be taken lightly."

Sakura hummed. Healing… oh, she was most interested in the barriers, but she'd never met a proper magical Healer before. "I wonder if I can have him teach me something?" Sakura mused.

"Lord Elrond is incredibly busy with his duties, I imagine," Strider warned, "But even if he does not do so, the Healers themselves would not mind teaching you something. They are ever accepting of new students."

"Oh, that would be nice," Sakura said brightly.

Even if it was very basic stuff, anything that she could bring back home would be wonderful. Though there were healing spells and magic that Kero and Yue could teach her, they were advanced compared to what she was currently learning. Here, Sakura felt that there would be more basic magical healing spells that she would be able to do even at her current level.

"I imagine that they would be interested in your own magic," Strider said.

"Really?" Sakura asked, and thought about it. Why not? If Elves really lived for as long as Strider said they did, they'd probably be excited about new things. And Sakura knew she was a new thing, here in Arda. "I look forward to meeting them!"

Sakura frowned, and looked around. Epona huffed lightly, casting a suspicious glance to the trees surrounding them.

"Miss Sakura?" Frodo asked, looking at her with worry. "Is everything alright?"

"Ah, yes?" Sakura said, looking at the trees. "Well, it's not bad, at least. It's just- I feel like we're being watched?"

"More than we already have been?" Sam asked anxiously. "I've been feeling as if there were eyes on us this entire time."

"That was just the trees, I think," Sakura told him, "and whatever magic Lord Elrond placed over the forest, like an alarm. Now, I think we're being watched by actual people?"

"That would be the outer guard," Strider said, looking back to them. "There is no need to fret, I promise. They're just checking on us."

Sakura relaxed. "Oh! That does make sense."

"Why not just come and say hello?" Merry asked curiously. "It seems the polite thing to do."

"I imagine they're a bit upset," Strider said amusedly. At what, Sakura didn't know. "They're not used to being spotted before they start singing to people."

"They sing to people as greeting?" Pippin interjected, "What kind of singing?"

Strider looked to Pippin. "Humorous songs," he said simply. And refused to say anything more when Pippin needled him about it.

Sakura continued to look around. As they got closer to what had to be Imladris itself, the magic became more and more dense. But, a comfortable sort of dense. In fact, it felt rather like water, like the ebbs and flows Sakura could almost follow.

Sakura frowned, and pulled back her senses just a little bit. Ah, that was better. Hm. It seemed that there was more to thee magic than just Lord Elrond's power. Maybe an amplifier? There were spots around Tomoeda and Tokyo felt similar to places like this, even if they were much smaller. Those places tended to be caused by strong artifacts.

...she wished Kero or Yue were here. They knew much more than she did, and could explain to her what she was feeling.

"How much further until we're there?" Sakura asked Strider. She was going to deal with Sauron first, like she promised. But she hoped the Elves also had a way to send her home.

Sakura supposed Strider saw something in her expression, because he smiled reassuringly. He did have a nice smile, and it made her feel better. "We are almost there, Miss Sakura."

"I am looking forward to it," Frodo said, glancing around. "My uncle has told me many stories about Imladris."

"I'm sure they were very interesting," Strider said. Sakura examined him with interest, wondering why he seemed so amused.

Strider stopped them when they reached the crest of a hill. Sakura followed, and took a deep breath when she saw what awaited.

Imladris was beautiful. It was like liquid metal and wood, shaped into spires and buildings. Trees and foliage clung to everything, but not in an overgrown or wild way. Each plant strategically placed, instead of left alone; Sakura could imagine hiding in certain places and not being seen.

The city sat on the cusp of the edge of a river and a waterfall, along the side of a mountain. Water poured through large arches that acted as bridges. Its buildings seemed to collect the light from the afternoon sun, giving everything a golden glow. Embellished swirls covered the whole. Art Nouveau, Tomoyo would have called it.

There was magic here too. It shimmered like heat, but sparkled like water. It wasn't oppressive, and Sakura only saw it because she was looking, but it was there. It made Imladris seem both larger and smaller than it might actually be. Or maybe it seemed exactly as small and as large as it actually was; magic could make space fold in on itself, both increasing and decreasing distance as it was applied. Perhaps Imladris used it as such here…

"Oh, it's really pretty, isn't it?" Sam said, staring at the city. "I wonder who deals with their gardens?"

"I believe it has been called an 'Elf thing' before, to tend to greenery and all it entails," Strider replied with amusement. "But yes- Imladris is indeed beautiful."

"Are we going, or are we waiting for an escort?" Sakura asked Strider. She could still feel the guards following them, and keeping a close eye. Or some of them, at least. Most of their watchers stayed back along the border.

"An escort will be shortly along, I imagine," Strider mused, looking in the distance. "I would normally be able to lead you through the closest of the wards myself, but you are a Wizard, and I bring with me four Hobbits, one of which is related to Mister Bilbo Baggins. Lord Elrond will want to provide some measure of ah… propriety, in this case."

"Okay?" Sakura agreed, and the others echoed her sentiment. Sounded awkward, but whatever.

Though Sakura now wanted to know what Strider meant about leading them through… she turned her senses outwards.

...there were wards this close to Imladris, but they seemed to be maze wards. It felt like maze wards. Sakura could lead them through it, she had the sheer power to do so, but that'd break them. And maze wards were useful. And breaking them would be rude.

"Oh!" Frodo said, "Look, here come some horses and their riders!" All the Hobbits went quiet as they waited together. Even Pippin was watching with wide eyes as the Elves approached.

Sakura examined their approaching escorts as well. Trotting towards them were a group of three. The horses were tall with gleaming coats, their manes and tails brushed and braided lightly. Their riders were tall and slender, with long hair braided back, wearing leather armor and carrying bows along their backs, and swords at their hips.

"Hail!" the forwardmost one called as the trio of riders neared them. They had dark hair and dark eyes and skin, with brightly colored beads decorating their small braids. They grinned at Strider. "It's nice to see you return to us- Strider, was it?- and with guests, too!"

Strider sighed, and Sakura was suddenly overcome with the knowledge that these two were very good friends. "Yes, Lim, I am here."

Lim clicked their tongue in friendly reprimand. "Hopefully for a long while, yet. Lord Elrond worries, you know." They turned to Sakura and the others. Despite their genial and upbeat tone, Sakura saw the serious glint in their eyes. "Hm. You are no Wizard we recognize, but recognize your power we do all the same."

"Nice to meet you," Sakura offered politely, after she had managed to parse through that rather strange greeting. It seemed that Lim was speaking not only for themselves, but for the other two Elves as well.

"And your companion there is also welcome," Lim added, looking Epona over. "A strong horse for a strong Wizard, yes?"

Epona preened under the Elves' gaze. Sakura patted her on the snout. Epona put on a brave face, but she also kept close to Sakura. "Yes, I am very lucky to have met her."

Lim appeared pleased, and jumped down from their horseback. "I will be your escort for the remainder of your journey, however short it may be," they said, and motioned to the other two Elves. "Those two will head back to inform Lord Elrond on what to prepare for your arrival."

"If that is what we are doing," Strider agreed, even as tired as he seemed.

Sakura had no idea why Strider appeared so weary when presented with his friends. Unless it was because Lim was teasing him? It felt like family-and-friends teasing, though. Maybe the Elves were like Touya? If so, Sakura understood completely. She'd be weary too. Especially if she were outnumbered like Strider was.

"It's okay," Sakura said, and placed a hand on Strider's arm. She looked seriously up at him. "I'll protect you from your older siblings."

There was a pause, and then all three of the Elves started laughing heartily- Pippin and Merry along with them. Frodo sighed, but looked amused as he went to stand with Sakura and Strider, showing where he stood in this little face off. Sam just watched them all with an exasperated expression.

Strider stared for a long moment, before he relaxed. He placed his hand on her own, and smiled at her. "Yes, thank you Miss Sakura. I will endeavor to protect you from your own older siblings as well."

Sakura nodded firmly, pact made.

"I don't much like being the center of attention like this," Sam mumbled quietly as they were led through Imladris.

"Neither do I," Frodo agreed, sticking close to his friend. "I understand that many Elves have not seen Hobbits before, but I do not appreciate being stared at."

Luckily, Merry and Pippin seemed unaware of the eyes following them, just watching everything they passed with curious expressions.

Sakura stuck to Strider, who also drew attention, but in a different manner. The Elves here all recognized him, and peered after him with an expression Sakura was familiar with; that look that said she had done something dangerous and needed to be checked on.

Epona, of course, preened at the appreciative gazes sent her way, even as another Elf offered to lead her to the stables. They weren't against the horse following them, but it wouldn't be as comfortable. Epona willingly allowed herself to be drawn away.

"It's okay," Sakura turned to Sam and Frodo and spoke quietly, "If it gets too bad, I will hide us away."

Frodo looked at her, thankful. "If you can please, Miss Sakura."

Sam sighed. "At least they are polite about it. It really is better than how Hobbits would react if Elves came walking right through the Shire."

"It will be fine," Strider assured them, returning the periodic greetings some Elves called to him. "When Lord Elrond decides what to do, then things will settle down."

Nope. Sakura frowned, wondering why she felt that rebuttal so strongly. Then she thought about it, and what she was planning to do, and shrugged mentally. Between stopping Sauron and trying to get home, it wasn't going to be peaceful by any means. It definitely wouldn't 'settle down' as Strider put it.

...though she hoped that the staring would stop, at least. It really was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Erestor!" Lim called to another Elf. This one had dark hair and eyes, though not as dark as Lim. "I bring Strider, and our guests."

Erestor looked to them. They reminded Sakura of Yue, more than any of the other Elves had. They were serious, yes, but a lot more open emotionally than people expected. It was something in their eyes. "Yes, I see," they said, and looked at Frodo for a long moment. "Follow me, please. Lord Elrond is waiting to see you."

"Lighten up, love," another Elf called. This one was tall, with the brightest golden hair Sakura had ever seen. Something about them was very loud magically, and Sakura blinked the spots away from her eyes. They grinned cheerfully as they leaned over a railing above. "You're going to scare our guests that way."

Erestor sighed. "If you say so."

Sakura blinked and stepped up to Erestor. It was all gentle teasing, even if Erestor didn't appreciate it. She didn't feel the need to stop it, really. Maybe she could even indulge with a bit of teasing on her own?

"It's okay," she said, looking to Erestor, "I'll protect you from the bullies."

More pealing laughter. Even Strider smiled at that. Erestor sighed heavily a second time, but looked to her with a spark of mischief in his eyes. Oh, he was rather like Yue! He didn't appreciate the loudness or the teasing, but he didn't let it bother him as much as he acted, either. You had to pay attention to see how he felt about things.

It also helped settle Sam's and Frodo's nerves about the staring. Sakura hadn't meant to do that, exactly, but she wasn't complaining about it either.

"Thank you," Erestor said dryly.

Sakura beamed at him. He wasn't Yue, but the familiarity was nice. "It's not a problem, I promise!"

"So you have come to us," Lord Elrond declared as they approached. He was settled in an inner courtyard, kept private from the rest of the surrounding area.

Sakura stared at him, wondering and- oh. "Hello," she greeted formally, and bowed. Not a full bow, but polite. He wasn't a star like she was, but he had relations to a star. And she'd recognize the feeling of another Seer anywhere. "It is nice to meet you."

Lord Elrond looked at her, smiled, and returned the bow. It wasn't the kind she was used to in Japan, but the meaning was clear. "Greetings, young one. It is a pleasure in return."

"Miss Sakura?" Pippin asked curiously, but cautiously. His attempted restraint seemed to strain the few manners that he had. "What's going on?"

"Ah," Sakura said, and sought out Lord Elrond. He wouldn't mind, really, but it was polite to ask first, right? He nodded to her, amused, and she turned back to Pippin. "We have the same type of magic, for a particular thing. And similar magic for another thing."

It was definitely more complicated than that, but the full explanation was a bit much to get into right now. And Pippin, as curious and excited as he was for any magic that Sakura showed him, probably wouldn't appreciate the details. Sakura didn't really, and she was a bit more invested in it than he was.

"What things?" Pippin asked.

"Foresight and the stars," Sakura said.

"Oh," Pippin said, and shrugged, curiosity sated.

The other Hobbits looked politely curious still, but they wouldn't ask, either. Big Things didn't hold their attention like it did for non Hobbits.

Lord Elrond turned his attention to Strider, and his expression softened. "It is good to see that you have returned to us in good health, Estel," he said.

Strider inclined his head. "It is good to return, Ada," he said.

Sakura looked between Strider and Lord Elrond. She shared a glance with the Hobbits, who did invest in Big Things like family. Sam, the oldest of them, motioned for her to do something.

Well, she did already show that she had some known presence here. To the Hobbits, it wouldn't be impolite for her to meddle a little bit.

Sakura sighed. She pressed her hand into Strider's back, and gently pushed him. "Go hug your dad," she said.

Strider looked to her, completely startled. He did what she said automatically. Despite that, the hug he gave Lord Elrond was firm, and he leaned into the Elf. Lord Elrond closed his eyes momentarily, but looked to Sakura with a grateful smile.

She returned it, pleased with the outcome. Everything else could wait for the moment.

Later, after they had been given rooms and tended to, with food and drink to satiate themselves, Sakura and Lord Elrond sat to the side to speak privately.

"You are not from this world," Lord Elrond said, watching the waterfall. "I felt your arrival, but did not try to seek you out when I felt that you were no threat to me and my own. I imagine that the others who have the ability to sense you refrained from seeking you out for similar reasons."

"None of you were curious?" Sakura asked.

She was a Wizard, and she'd want to head to a strange new thing that suddenly appeared in her vicinity. You couldn't be a magic user without curiosity. At the very least, she imagined that the Wizards would want to meet her.

Lord Elrond laughed lightly. "Oh, I imagine that Mithrandir at the very least was curious," he allowed, "but he has been busy of late. In fact, he is likely on his way to meet you, if you are staying for any length of time."

"He does fireworks," Sakura said, feeling for that particular thread of knowledge. Being around another Seer made her more aware of it. It was strange, but she did like mimicking other people's magic. It was how Yue and Kero taught her. "The Hobbits spoke of him. They don't like that he takes them on adventures, but they said he that he made fireworks for parties."

"No, I don't imagine that they do like some of his tendencies," Lord Elrond sounded very fond as he spoke, "But as adventures often are, the adventurer never regrets it in the end. Even a gentle hobbit like Mister Baggins."

"I'd like to meet him," Sakura decided.

And he did sound like such a good person. The Hobbits had only positive things to say about him. Frodo's uncle was important, in a way, like that loud golden Elf was. Lord Elrond was important, too, but it also felt sort of… aged. Like what he did was before Sakura arrived in Arda. Probably related to why he felt like a star.

"I believe that he would like to meet you as well," Lord Elrond said, "For he has taken to writing down stories. And what stories you would be able to tell, I feel, would entertain anyone."

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "I don't think it's that great, really, but I suppose it's because I'm used to it?"

"Familiarity, yes," Lord Elrond said. He glanced to the waterfall, and the deep wards placed upon the water. "Your arrival in Imladris has reminded me of how appreciative I am of the River and the protection it provides. I had grown complacent with its magic of late."

There was something else there. Sakura set down her cup of tea. "I didn't come here by chance, did I?" she asked.

Lord Elrond looked to her. "I don't think so," he said slowly, as if thinking something out. "I had no part in it, nor will you meet anyone in Arda that has the power you do."

Sakura frowned lightly. "The traveling was all my fault," she said, thinking to that rip she had fallen through. Nope, that was all her. Poor Kero and Yukito had been scared for her when they realized what she had done. "But the destination was not."

"Why are you here, Miss Sakura?" Lord Elrond asked.

Sakura took a deep breath. "I imagine the same reason that Frodo is," Sakura said. She still didn't know why the Nazgûl were hunting him down, but she was starting to get an idea. "I don't know why he is here, exactly, but the cause is the same."

"Oh?"

"Strider explained to me that I am what you call an Istari," Sakura said, "Not one of them, exactly, but I've chosen for my purpose here to be the same." She was a Wizard all the way through, of that much she was certain.

Lord Elrond looked seriously at her, but there was a spark of hope in his eyes. Yes, he understood where she was going with this.

"I am going to stop Sauron."

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