Author's Notes: I don't own anyone from Lord of the Rings. If I did Frodo wouldn't have gone on to the Grey Havens. Legolas would be teaching me how to use a bow and arrow. Aragorn and Arwen would have been married long before the Ring was found. I don't own any of the Inu-Yasha characters. If I did, Sesshomaru would be joining Legolas in teaching me how to use a sword. Enjoy.

Recently I got copies of the show and saw that the spelling of Sesshomaru is indeed spelled wrong. Forgive me but I was going by what I saw in the magnas. I did correct the spelling in all the chapters.

Chapter 12

Meeting with Galadriel

A she-elf walked beside a human male. She was carrying two buckets of water that she had been sent to fetch. The man was leaning on his staff as he walked. Suddenly the she-elf stopped dead in her tracks as something moved across her backside. The slap echoed through the forest.

Tori shot up on her pallet and looked around the platform. "Why do I have the feeling that Miroku just got slapped?" Tori untangled herself from the covers and slowly climbed to her feet. She looked around the platform and saw the three Elves cooking over the small-contained fire.

Orophin climbed to his feet and made his way over to Tori with a bowl in his hands. "I trust that you are feeling better, nin hiril."

"To a point." Tori looked at the bowl skeptically. "I'm not sure I could eat much of anything without it coming back up."

"Try this. It is a rabbit broth and I put some athelas in your bowl." Orophin handed Tori the bowl.

Tori took the bowl and took a small sip before she shoved the bowl back at Orophin and started to heave. Once her stomach stopped rebelling, she looked up at Orophin. "Told ya." She curled up under the covers and tried to drift off to sleep again but her stomach had other ideas. "I really hate this."

"A healer will look after you when we get to Lorien and Lady Galadriel." Orophin turned back to the packs and helped Sango pack up the food that she had pulled out. "Rest, nin hiril. We will leave soon."

Tori relaxed within the covers of her pallet while the rest of the group cleaned up the platform. Her eyes followed the three Elves as they helped Rin and Shippo get ready for the day. Sesshomaru stood near Tori's pallet as Orophin kicked the ladder over the side.

He knelt next to Tori. "Are you ready to travel, my love?"

"As ready as I will be." Tori flipped the covers from her legs and slowly climbed to her feet.

Orophin watched as Sesshomaru wrapped an arm around Tori's waist and helped her to the ladder and the waiting harness. "We will lower you, nin hiril."

Tori nodded as Orophin quickly tied the harness around her body. The ropes were tied to the harness and Tori kept her eyes closed as she was slowly lowered to the forest floor with Orophin climbing down the ladder beside her. Tori's feet touched the soft grass under the trees and she looked around. The rest of the Fellowship had also arrived and were starting to gather their packs.

Aragorn came toward Tori carrying a water bottle filled with some type of tea. He held it out to Tori. "I made you some athelas tea. It will help, nin hiril."

"Thank you, Aragorn." Tori slid the bottle into one of the pockets of her tunic. "I can't wait to have a hot bath and relax."

"After you speak with the Lady of the Golden Wood, it will be arranged." Haldir started forward. "Come. We have far to travel."

Sesshomaru kept pace with Tori and Orophin as Aragorn and Legolas walked with Sango directly behind Haldir. Shippo and Rin were chasing each other between the trees. The Elves laughed at the two children and their antics. One of the elves joined the children's game of tag as Koga and Gimli watched. They came to another river. Haldir caught the rope that one of the elves on the other side of the river had tossed to him. He tied it to one of the trees.

"We're supposed to cross over the river on that?" Tori looked at Haldir, who was nodding, for a moment before turning on her heel and starting back the way they had come. "Good luck with that."

"Lady Tori, I have two other ropes. One will be waist high and the other shoulder high. You have nothing to fear." Haldir patted her arm softly before throwing the ropes across the river.

The Elves on the other side tied the ropes to the same tree and waited for the group to start across. Legolas stepped up and placed a foot on the bottom rope. "I will go across first."

Sesshomaru scooped Tori up into his arms and moved to the edge of the bank. "I will take Tori across."

Koga watched as Kirara transformed quickly. "I think the Hobbits should go with Kirara and I'll take the children."

Sesshomaru nodded once before he jumped over the river. Koga swung Rin up onto his shoulder while Shippo jumped on his head. He jumped across the river with a single leap as Legolas hurried across the rope. Aragorn helped Sango onto the rope as Kirara, with the four Hobbits, jumped across the river. Boromir eyed the rope suspiciously as he inched his way across. Aragorn took one last look back the way they had come before he hurried across the rope. Haldir followed Aragorn across the rope. He turned and nodded to Orophin, who had stayed on the other side, to untie the ropes. Orophin pulled the ropes back across the river before he and the others disappeared back into the woods.

"Aren't they coming with us?" Sango looked over at Haldir.

"No. They go back to guarding our borders against the Orcs." Haldir motioned to the four horses being held by four more Elves. "These horses are for Lady Tori, Lady Sango, young Rin and Shippo."

Tori looked over at the four Hobbits and saw Frodo rubbing his feet slightly. "Haldir?"

"Yes, nin hiril?" Haldir half-turned as Tori moved closer to him.

"Perhaps we could let Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin ride with us. They 're just as tired as we are." Tori motioned to the four Hobbits.

Haldir looked the Hobbits over slightly and nodded. "Of course, nin hiril."

Sango smiled as she lifted Pippin onto the reddish brown gelding with a black mane and tail. Haldir made Sango jump when he grasped her waist and lifted her onto the saddle behind Pippin. Sam helped Rin onto the brown and white spotted mare before climbing on himself. Merry was bouncing as much as Shippo when he scrambled into the saddle of the black and white mare. Tori watched as Frodo climbed into the saddle of a white gelding with a dark brown mane and tail. Sesshomaru lifted Tori into the saddle as Haldir started to pass out several colorful scarves made of silk.

"What are these for?" Koga looked down at the emerald green scarf in his hand.

"We must blindfold you." Haldir carefully wrapped a lavender scarf around Rin's eyes.

"But why?" Pippin looked between the scarf and the Elves.

"These are dangerous times." Haldir was looking around the group and saw that they had wrapped the scarves over their eyes. "Let us go."

Tori grabbed a hold of the saddle horn as the gelding started to move. She heard Rin giggle as the group was led deeper into the forest.

-----

Haldir stopped the group several hours later when a messenger approached them. He took the parchment and quickly read the missive. "You may remove the blindfolds." One by one the group untied the blindfolds and let the fragile fabric fall from their eyes.

Tori let the silk fall into her lap. She looked around and saw that they started to travel once more. The horses stopped again an hour later when they reached the crest of a hill. Below them stood a shimmering city.

"Behold Caras Galadhorn, where dwell Lord Celeborn and Galadriel, Lady of Light!" Haldir lifted his arms as if to embrace the tiny city.

Sango's jaw dropped as she looked down on the city. It seemed to shimmer as if a thousand candles had been lit within. Tori giggled slightly when she looked over at her friend.

"Well, let's keep going." Tori nudged her gelding slightly and followed Haldir down the hill.

Another hour had passed when the horses stopped a final time. A set of spiral stairs gently rose before them. Haldir motioned to those on the horses to dismount. "Now you will speak with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel." He started up the stairs and knew that the Fellowship would follow him.

-----

Three hours and we have finally seen the end of these blasted stairs. Tori almost let out a cheer as she stepped off the last step and stood on a regal looking platform.

Two royal looking elves slowly came down the stairs to stand on the last step above the platform. Sango saw another male standing to one side, hidden in the shadows of the evening. The male elf stepped forward slightly as he looked over the Fellowship. "Sixteen set out from Rivendell but I only see fifteen here. Where is Gandalf? I would like to speak to him."

"He did not pass the borders of these lands." The she-elf's crystalline eyes fell onto Tori's face. "Gandalf fell into darkness and shadow."

"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame." Legolas heard Sango take a shuddering breath. "By a Balrog of Morgoth."

"He sacrificed himself so that the rest of us could make it here." Tori laid a hand on Gimli's hunched shoulders.

"We were led needlessly into the Mines." Boromir refused to look up from his boots until Sango slapped the back of his head.

"Gandalf was only doing what he thought was right." Sango glared at Boromir while she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Enough. The quest now stands on the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all." Galadriel eyes drifted over the group. "Yet hope remains while Company is true. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil." Her gaze stopped on Tori, Sesshomaru, Koga, Sango, Rin, Shippo, and Kirara. "If the strangers of our lands would stay, I wish to speak with you."

Aragorn led the rest of the Fellowship away from Galadriel and Celeborn as the shadowed male stepped from behind the guards. The man bowed to Galadriel and Celeborn before turning to look at the ones that were still standing before the Elves. Tori's mouth dropped open as Sango dropped Kirara to the floor of the platform. Sesshomaru crossed his arms as Rin and Shippo ran up the stairs and tackled the man to the ground. Koga laughed as he watched the children.

The man climbed to his feet with Rin on his shoulders and Shippo clinging to his leg. "Good evening."

Sango watched Kirara jump onto the man's head. "Miroku? Is that you?"

Tori looked up at Sesshomaru. "This explains so much."

Celeborn turned to his wife as Sango flung herself into her husband's arms. "I do not think that we are needed here."

"I agree. Lady Tori, if you will come with me I will take you to the Healers." Galadriel held a hand so that Tori knew that she meant no harm.

"How…?" Tori looked confused until Haldir took a step forward.

"I sent word that you were ill, my lady." Haldir bowed slightly as Tori nodded.

Tori trailed after the elegant Galadriel as Sesshomaru turned to look at the monk with his arms wrapped around the demon slayer. "How did you come to be here, Miroku?"

"Well, I believe that is a story for me to tell your entire group." Miroku started down the stairs that the rest of the Fellowship had descended. "Come. The Elves have prepared rooms for you and your group. I believe you would all like to bathe as well." Miroku ducked as Sesshomaru tried to hit the back of his head but he still wasn't fast enough to avoid his wife's Hiraikotsu.

-----

Tori drifted in Galadriel's wake as they made their way to the platform that held the healers. Galadriel turned and saw Tori looking out at the beauty of the trees around them. "Beautiful, is it not?"

"Yeah it is." Tori turned and looked up at the she-elf. "Why are you bringing me down here? Surely Haldir knows where the healers are?"

"Ladies must stick together and I believe that if a male were to bring you we might not find him." Galadriel smiled softly as Tori blushed.

"You heard about that, huh?"

"Yes. Orophin sent word that you tried to 'cut off his lower extremities and use them for bait'; I believe is what he said." Tori cringed slightly until Galadriel laid a slender hand on her shoulder. "Not to worry I said the same thing when I was with child."

Tori started to shake her head. "Sessho and I have only been back together for a …" She slapped her forehead. "My dream. I forgot about that what with being transported here and everything else."

"What was your dream?"

"I dreamt that Sessho and I had a little boy and a little girl. I thought it was sweet because they were both full demons instead of half."

Galadriel smiled brightly. "Come. The Healers wait." She led Tori into the room that contained several healers.

-----

Sesshomaru was laid out on his and Tori's bed when she finally came into the room with a brilliant smile spread across her face. "Did the healers tell you what illness befell you?"

Tori nodded slightly as she crawled across the bed toward her mate. "Oh they had something to tell me all right."

"And that would be…?" Sesshomaru watched as Tori crawled toward him like a dog stalking a frightened rabbit, not that he was frightened.

"I'm gonna have a baby." She stretched out on top of Sesshomaru and snuggled into his shoulder. "That means you guys have an extremely hormonal woman on your hands."

"When do we not have that?" Sesshomaru placed a kiss on the crown of Tori's head. "Come. The maids have drawn a bath for us."

Tori wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pick her up and carry her to the bath. The scent of the lavender and rose water surrounded them. "Are you sure you want to smell like flowers?" Tori kept her arms wrapped around Sesshomaru's neck as he placed her on the floor.

"With all the flowers you and Rin weave around me, I smell like them anyway." Sesshomaru started to undo Tori's tunic.

-----

Miroku and Sango stood on the balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens and watched as Rin and Shippo played among the flowers. Sango sighed softly as she watched the happy children playing tag with several of the elves. She turned in Miroku's arms and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad we found you."

"So am I." Miroku placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. "Have you heard from Inu-Yasha and Kagome?"

"Not a word. I'm starting to worry." Sango saw Legolas and Aragorn setting up camp in the gardens. "Come on. I want to introduce you to our new allies."

Miroku rolled his eyes and looked longingly at the bed. Oh well. I'll get her there soon. I hope. He followed Sango out of the room.

-----

Aragorn looked around at small camp that he and Legolas had set up. He saw Rin and Shippo running through the gardens. Koga had turned down the use of one of the rooms in order to help protect Frodo and the Ring and was now returning with a rather large load of firewood. Aragorn caught Rin and swung her up onto his shoulders as Legolas carried a pitcher with him to get some water. Shippo ran after Legolas and jumped onto his shoulder as Sango and Miroku stepped into the gardens.

"I see that you're making yourselves at home." Miroku bowed slightly to his wife's friends.

Sango giggled slightly. "Are you jealous, Miroku? After all these guys have been traveling with me for the last few weeks."

"Me? Jealous? Never." Miroku failed to convince the man and the Elf standing with the children.

"Yeah, right." Tori and Sesshomaru stepped into the clearing as Miroku whipped around, his staff jingling happily. "Miroku, allow me to introduce Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Legolas of Mirkwood, Boromir of Gondor, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Gimli, son of Gloin. Guys, this is Sango's husband, Miroku."

Aragorn looked between Sango, Koga, and Tori. "Oh yes, the lecherous monk you've told us about."

"I'm not a lecherous monk." Miroku pretended to sulk slightly.

"And that's why Galadriel has had the maids complaining about wandering hands." Tori quickly ran behind Koga who had taken refuge behind Aragorn and Rin.

"Why are the two of you hiding?" Legolas looked confused until he saw Sango's right eye twitched and she started to look around for something to hit Miroku with. "I suggest we hide our weapons."

"That would be a good idea." Aragorn noticed Gimli had handed a rather large branch to Sango. "Gimli!"

"What? Doesn't she have the right to punish her husband?" Gimli was amused as Sango grabbed the branch and swung it at Miroku's head…repeatedly.

"I've…" The branch thumped against his head. "… warned… you …about …flirting…with…other…women." Sango glared down at her unconscious husband. "Men."

Aragorn and Legolas had flinched with each hit of the branch while Koga and Tori had taken the children over to Frodo and Sam. "How long will he be out?"

"Not long enough." Sesshomaru moved to stand with Tori. "I would suggest that we get comfortable. He will have a tale for us when he awakens." He looked down at the groaning monk. "And that might be sooner than I thought. It seems that Mistress Sango is losing her touch."

Sango's eyes narrowed as she turned slowly to look at Sesshomaru. "Say that when you're not near your wife."

Tori giggled slightly as she wrapped an arm around her husband's waist. "I'll take care of him later, Sango. He just needs to remember not to piss this pregnant woman off."

Miroku sat up and turned his head so fast you would think he had gotten whiplash. "Pregnant?! No way!"

"So you're awake?" Gimli frowned at Miroku. "Shame."

"Gimli." Tori sank to the ground before looking at Miroku who was trying to cuddle with his wife. "So…How did you get here?"

"Well…As you know I jumped into the portal after you." Miroku laid his staff across his legs.

Miroku grabbed at the branches as he fell until he was hanging a couple hundred feet above the ground. His staff fell past him landing on the ground with a clang. He hung there for moment to get his bearings and looked at the ground below. It was littered with several large boulders and there was a river flowing to his left. To his right were the ugliest creatures he had ever had the pleasure of seeing, Naraku excluded. They had pulled out bows and arrows and swords and were coming toward him and the river. He glanced back at the serene river and saw an army of tall, graceful creatures marching toward the ugly monsters. Looks like I've got to drop into battle…again. He let go of the branch and landed on the ground in a crouch. He scooped up his staff and climbed to his feet just as an arrow flew past his head. He reached into his robes and withdrew several sutras. He charged them as the monsters tried to rush him. The sutras were thrown as several of the graceful creatures' arrows embedded themselves into the monsters.

"Stand back, gentle sir. We will handle the Orcs." The leader of the creatures was leading his army on the charge across the river.

"Wait! I can help!" Miroku grabbed the beads wrapped around his hand. "Keep your men back and hold off those things as long as you can." The leader nodded as his army stopped behind the monk. I hope this works. He unwrapped his hand to reveal the swirling hole. "Wind Tunnel!"

The swirling vortex within his hand opened and started to draw the Orcs into it. Miroku tried to hold his ground but fell to one knee. The leader motioned to two of his warriors to help this man that had decided to risk his life. They grabbed his extended arm and braced it as the last of the Orcs were sucked screaming into the Wind Tunnel. Miroku managed to rewrap his hand before collapsing completely to the ground. He gave the warriors a soft smile moments before darkness overtook him.

Miroku heard soft singing close to him as he started to come around. A beautiful blonde woman was leaning over him. "I see that you have returned to the land of the living."

"This is the land of the living? I thought I was in heaven being tended to by the most beautiful of all the angels." Miroku tried to grasp the flitting hands that checked his body for wounds.

"My husband will be pleased to hear that you liken me to the Valar." The woman smiled as she turned to take a glass of water from another woman. She sank onto the edge of the bed and helped Miroku lift his head. "Drink this." She placed the glass against his lips.

Miroku gulped down the water as if he hadn't drunk anything in a week. He dropped back wearily as soon as the glass was empty. "How long was I out?"

"Three days. Haldir told me what you did to save our warriors." She bowed gracefully from her sitting position. "Thank you, gentle sir."

"Miroku. My name is Miroku."

"I am Lady Galadriel and you are in Lothlorien." She rose to her feet and looked down at him. "I will leave you to your rest now."

"Aye, my lady." Miroku's eyes drifted closed as Galadriel glided from the room.

"Since then, I've been on patrol with Haldir and telling him, Galadriel, and Lord Celeborn about our group and our quest for the jewel shards." Miroku looked around the group. "And I already know about the Ring and your current quest. I was present when the messenger from Rivendell arrived."

"Well, that does save us some explanations." Tori stretched slightly as she climbed to her feet. "But those will have to wait for morning. I'm exhausted."

Sesshomaru cocked his head to the right as he heard the soft singing. "What is that?"

"It is a lament for Gandalf." Legolas bowed his head slightly to hide the tears forming in his eyes.

Rin plopped down in Legolas's lap and gave him a big smile. "What are they saying?"

"I cannot tell you, Rin, for me the grief is still too great." Legolas smoothed Rin's bangs form her eyes as she hugged him tight.

"I bet they're not saying anything about his fireworks." Sam climbed to his feet. "The finest rockets ever seen; they burst in stars of blue and green, or after thunder golden showers came falling like a rain of flowers." Sam frowned slightly. "Oh that's no good. I can't do them justice."

"I happen to think that you did very well, Sam." Tori leaned down to kiss the top of Sam's curly blonde head. "Now, I'm off to bed."

Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around Tori's waist and led her back to their room. The rest of the group followed suit, making due with the grounds of the garden while Sango and Miroku left for his room.

-----

Tori had barely fallen asleep when something woke her up. A pale light drifted through the crack in the doorway that they had left for Rin if she needed them. She saw a figure gliding past the doorway as she reached for the robe tossed over one of the chairs by the bed. Tori quickly wrapped herself in the robe and started out the door. She followed after the glow and realized that she was following a person but who? Slowly the grand halls gave way to sloping stairs and the gardens. Tori barely glanced at the sleeping Fellowship as she hurried past them. She started down the last flight of stairs and saw Galadriel filling a pitcher with some water flowing from a nearby fountain.

"Will you look in the mirror?" Galadriel poured the water into a flat, silver basin.

"What will I see?" Tori slowly moved down the stairs toward the basin.

"What has passed, what is, and what could be." Galadriel watched Tori as she moved closer to the basin.

Tori took a deep breath and leaned over the basin. She gazed into the water and saw several quick flashes of her parents before the accident. She also saw when she was captured by the droids. So that's how they did it. Tori watched as she was thrown into the cell with Sesshomaru and the others. Boy I wish James were here. Then I'd beat him to a bloody pulp. She saw herself standing and addressing the Galactic Senate and the final battle on Naboo. She saw when they had returned to their times and Naraku's first reaction of her. Tori smirked as she had cut his hand off with her sword when he dared to touch her. She saw the swirling vortex that had sucked them here. She saw her friends fighting. She gasped when she saw Sango traveling through a barren wasteland with no one around her. She saw Inu-Yasha riding on a horse over the plains of a strange land. She saw Kagome staring out a window past a waterfall. A flaming red eye hanging over a tower slowly turned toward her. Tori gasped as a voice echoed in her head. I see you. Tori pulled back from the basin and crumbled to the ground in a panting heap.

"What the hell was that?" Tori looked up at Galadriel. "What did I see?"

"You saw your past, the present, and the future should the Fellowship fail." Galadriel stood tall and pale against the moonlight.

Tori glanced back at the basin and shuddered at the thought of the burning eye. "What do I need to do?"

"You must follow your heart."

"My heart tells me to let Frodo go but my head's saying that I need to stay with him." Tori closed her eyes for a moment before opening them to look at the stars in the sky. "I'll let Frodo go if that's what he wants." Tori climbed to her feet slowly before bowing to Galadriel. "Good night, my lady."

"Good night." Galadriel watched as Tori made her way back to her rooms.