Merry Christmas! Most of you probably won't read this until after Christmas, but oh well! Nickel and Kelsey are busy (well, you didn't tell me WHAT you were doing, Nickel) so I've decided to update sooner than I expected 'cause I love you guys! Btw, only 2 more reviews until we reach 50! YAY! Reviewers...

Theo--YAY! You're new! Here's a present. (hands out (fill in the blank)). And a cookie. And I'm so glad Ernie's the coolest. He's not the best in rael life, but we made him better in the story 'cause he's...I'll wait to say what he is 'till the sequel. ; )

Iceprincess141414--LOL I know the feeling. Where you type but nothing comes out like it's supposed to? Yeah...GO BEING SUGAR HIGH!

Just Me--You're back! YAY! We missed you! I'm going to have so much fun with Ernie, but mostly his story is in the sequel. Still, you'll get to learn enough about him now and in RotK.

Gina--Our first reviewer this time! Here's the Legolas pillow. (hands over pillow). Just don't murder him. Have fun in New Mexico!

OMG it's Christmas Eve! If any of you see Santa, say hi to him for me! Hope you all have a wonderful Christmahanakwanzadon and keep reviewing!

Disclaimer--I officially do NOT own anything related to Lord of the Rings except for my characters and Ernie who is half mine/half Tolkien's because I'm morphing 2 chartacters. Deal with it.

Our Friends Return

Nicole's PoV

"Now to business!" I turned to Ernie. "Apparently, you are—in some way, shape, or form—the most evil being to ever exist that has been confined to the uttermost dark and has now returned." Ernie looked at me like I was crazy. I get that look a lot.

"So?"

"You're on the good guy's side and you're a bad guy, in a manner of speaking! Just don't get attracted to anything too shiny. It was your doom last time around. Now, we have to think of how to use this to our advantage." I began to pace, fully knowing that Ernie was watching my every move.

"Geez," he muttered, sitting back onto the couch and running a hand through his already wild hair. "This all started as a camping trip and your odd obsession with Lord of the Rings and now I'm the bad guy in a world where I can barely identify characters."

"Relatively speaking," I said quietly, still deep in thought. How was I supposed to find a reason to give the bad guy (figuratively) a reason to be good (figuratively)? "Of course! You're angry at Sauron for trying to take over the world—that's your job."

"What does that do?"

"It gives you a reason to stay on our side."

"That makes sense," Ernie commented.

"It's possible, yes, but we'll have to break it to everybody else slowly. Man…this is going to shock Kelsey…"

"But how do you know all this?" Ernie asked, frowning. I tried my best to put on a thoughtful expression.

"Well…clues, I guess. Sauron calling you Master…and Gandalf. Everything he's seen of you and what I know of you would explain how you could be Melkor or Morgoth." Ernie seemed to accept this and went back to his reading.

"Okay."

"Whatever." I sauntered out, heading toward the tower place. "Finish your reading, then come out. We need everyone we can get, but don't get killed."

"Aye aye, cap'n!"

Mandy wasn't there yet—no doubt she'd gone Legolas hunting—but Theoden was.

"Hola!" I greeted him

He simply stared into the distance, contemplating.

"This is rather boring," I told him, and left.

Mandy's PoV

"Oh Legolas!" I sang, barging into the room where I'd heard him earlier. Unfortunately, I saw some ugly old guy instead. "Oops! Sorry!" I slammed the door shut to see Legolas emerging from another room. "Leggy!" I leapt at him, giving him a big hug. "I see you're healing."

"Oh that," Legolas touched his eye, where it had developed a lovely light, purplish coloring. "I had hoped it was healing."

"Hey, you want to come with me to the tower place?" I asked, grabbing his hand. "Nicole wants me to look for Aragorn and Kelsey." Legolas's features visibly grew darker.

"I will go, but I do not trust to hope," he said sadly. I rolled my eyes, dragging him along the hallway.

"What is it with Middle Earth and pessimism?" I demanded, pulling him up a staircase. "Do you realize that if everybody were pessimists like you, nobody'd have any hope? Actually…" I paused to decide which hallway to take. "Almost none of you people are optimists, save possibly Gandalf and Aragorn. Yeah, y'all are screwed." I glanced back at Legolas to see confusion fully etched into his features.

"Well…uh…" Legolas trailed off as I shoved a door open and cheered.

"The tower!" I yelped, running across the room towards the window, my upper half soon hanging out of it. "Whee!"

"Excuse me—"

"AAHH!" I screeched as hands grabbed my waist and pulled me away from the window. "Assault! Get off! What the—Theoden? What the heck are you doing here?" I demanded as soon as I had seen the face of my captor. At that moment Nicole burst in.

"Mandy, what's wrong?" She demanded, eyes wide at Theoden trying to restrain me. "Wow…what happened here?"

"He pulled me away from the window!" I whined as Theoden yelled, "She was about to hurl herself out of the window!" Legolas decided to intervene as well.

"She was just overexcited, Nicole," he began, but Nicole just scowled at him.

"Shut up," she snapped. "Theoden, let go of Mandy. I'm positive she wouldn't have thrown herself out of the window, and—"

"How do you know that?" Theoden demanded, releasing me. I squeaked and ran over to Legolas, cowering behind him.

"Um, she's not wearing a parachute," she reminded him. "And even Mandy's not that stupid." I stuck my tongue out at her. "Now, Theoden—"

"King Theoden," he reminded her.

"Whatever," Nicole waved it off. "One of your guards wants to talk to you. Something about defenses." With a wave of her hand, she left and Theoden followed, but not before shooting me a nasty look. I stuck my tongue out at him too before crossing to the window.

"Stupid meanie," I commented. Behind me, Legolas laughed and followed me over to the window. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and I giggled—sometimes being ticklish wasn't a good thing. Actually, when was it ever a good thing?

Legolas kissed the top of my head, and I was about to say something cute and mushy when something caught my eye.

"Kelsey and Aragorn are back!" I yelped, leaping from his arms and racing to the door. "Come on!" I ran back and grabbed Legolas's hand (he looked so bewildered...teehee) before stomping down the stairs and racing to the courtyard where Kelsey and Aragorn were dismounting. "Kelsey!"

"Wha—" I tackled Kelsey to the ground.

"You're back!" I squealed, hugging Kelsey tightly until Legolas pulled me off.

"Yeah," Kelsey gasped. "Where's…Nicole?"

"Somewhere," I answered. "But let's go. Aragorn's off to see the king!" Kelsey got up from the ground grudgingly and followed me. No sooner had we left the courtyard than Nicole ran up with Ernie.

"Oo…Kelsey's back," Ernie commented.

"No," Nicole muttered sarcastically. "It's an evil clone."

"Really?"

"No!"

"You're late." We all looked up to see Legolas and Aragorn talking. After a few quieter words, Legolas placed something shiny and silver into Aragorn's palm.

"Aah, it's okay." Nicole patted Eowyn's arm, who had suddenly appeared at Nicole's side. "You knew he was a loser."

"No he's not!" Kelsey snapped.

"Hey, does anybody have any food?" Ernie asked. I shrugged.

"No, but I'm hungry too. Let's find something to eat." I followed Aragorn and Legolas into the King's hall, hoping to find some type of food. And we walked in at such a great time.

"There are at least ten thousand strong," Aragorn informed Theoden, whose eyes bugged out. (A/N: Okay, I read this one fic where someone wrote 'bugged out' almost everytime something suprising happened. I just added it in 'cause it sounds really funny. They are not literally bugging out…though that is a very funny image...)

"Ten thousand?"

"Oh joy," I moaned. "Bunches of ugly orcs. I can't wait."

"We'll need every man and boy who can fight," Theoden mused, pacing.

"And us," Kelsey added.

"Us?!" I squeaked.

"Of course," Kelsey replied. "Oh yeah…and you have until nightfall to learn how to fight."

"Nightfall?!" Theoden and I both shrieked.

"But I CAN'T FIGHT!" I yelped.

"But we haven't the time!" Theoden shouted. Kelsey shrugged.

"Not my problem."

Happy Chrismahanakwanzadon! R&R please!