weeeeell, I wasn't expecting this plot bunny, but it attacked me so I succumbed. Errm, by the way, Lyric isn't mine, she's WoodElfJedi... This chapter is a little more serious, although I will say that the next one the humor will be back, I promise...

WoodElfJedi: oh good. No probs, Mellon nîn! I think Maglor is just plain sweet. Like the mushy, romantic valentines day type of guy who will sing and give you a bunch of red roses. I do t know, but he seems to be that way anyway. Meh. I digress. Okay, gotcha, that's your elvish name. ;)

Chapter 21

My hair. Oh Force, my hair... I looked in the mirror with a sigh and shook my head. It wasn't bad, that's true, but it still looked a little odd. Oh well. At least it's unique, and matches for Valentine's day.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" I settled my obi and turned to the door just as it opened and two little elflings along with Elíl came in, shutting the door behind them.

Mairon, who slept in my room at his insistence, slumbered on, and the twins joined him on either side. Elíl smiled along with me at the endearing sight.

"They're adorable." She murmured. I laughed softly.

"Mairon is by far the cutest." I declared. She rolled her eyes.

"Amrod is mine." She sniffed, and we both shared a quiet laugh.

*I asked Master if we could start a little late today for some scheming for our brothers and he agreed, as well as Lord Nàmo.* Elíl informed me, straightening my tabard a little more promptly.

I nodded. *Alright. What did you have in mind?* I replied, helping her as well. Her hands were a little less blue, almost fully normal now.

*I'm not too sure actually, I was planning on trying to find someone for Maedhros today while on duty.* She mused, going over to my jewelry chest and riffling through it in search for a proper match for my clothes. We had officially moved into the house, so all of our clothes and things were now in our own rooms.

*Good idea. Do you think we ought to go out and find ourselves a dress for lover's day? I know we don't have anybody, but we can take our elflings as partners since they are underaged.* I suggested, and she nodded.

*That would be a good idea. Hmmm, I know! Let's make chocolate today! I've seen cocoa beans here, so it should be possible!* She suddenly squealed, doing an impromptu jig and clapping her hands with a giggle. I grinned.

*Obligatory chocolate for our brothers, hmm?* I teased! and she rolled her eyes at me. *No really, I think that's a great idea. I like it. I also want to make some for Ammë and Atto and the other Valar.* I said with a smile. She nodded.

*Me too. Do you think we'll have enough time?* she wondered, and I winced.

*I don't know-*

*Míleth, Elíl, please come to the Mahanaxàr. You have been summoned.* Manwë's voice broke in on our conversation. We stared at each other for a moment, then with a shrug thought ourselves away to the Ring of Doom.

We bowed and stood quietly, waiting our commands. Manwë gave us a small smile that had us relax slightly, but still remain at attention.

"Thank you for being prompt, Míleth, Elíl. We have come to another unforeseen event that has us all rather at a crossroads. We have called you because we believe that you two are the answer to our problem." Manwë nodded to Aulë, who nodded back and stood.

"Our concern is, mainly, Aman and Arda; however, we also must take care of all of Eä, as you know. Now, normally things such as this do not happen, but it seems as though it has this time. You know that my creations, the dwarves, have their 'Ones.'" He paused to see if we understood. We nodded.

"Good. Elves also have their own 'soul mates.' But, it seems as though one particular elf's soulmate has not been born here on Arda, but rather has been... 'Misplaced' on Earth, in a manner of speaking. You two are the brother of Maglor, so we assume that you would have concern over his welfare." He stopped, and the Valar watched us, giving us time to answer to ask questions. Elíl and I glanced at each other.

*Maglor? AWWW, that's sweet. He's so kind as such a sweet ellon.* Elíl giggled.

*Yep. Our dear brother he is. And we should help him...* I replied.

*Well duh, we would do anything to help* Elíl muttered.

*True. So we go along with whatever- mission- quest- THING- the Valar have cooked up, eh?* I asked her. We laughed riotously in our minds, although not outwardly.

*Right* she giggled. All of that took place in a matter of seconds.

"Of course, my lords. We will do whatever is required of us." Elíl answered for both of us as I nodded.

Manwë smiled. "Good. The way we plan to fix this dilemma is to send one of you down to Earth in order to retrieve the person. You will inform her of this choice, inform her of everything, what is expected of her, all that you have gone through and what you know. If she accepts, bring her. If she does not, then leave. Which one of you shall go, and do you have any questions?" He finished.

Elíl and I glanced at each other again. "My Lord, how shall we know who this person is, and how shall we bring them?" Elíl asked.

"You will know, believe this. Do not worry, they know of the Silmarillion and all of these things necessary. As a part of this world, they are naturally gravitated towards anything that speaks of it. As for how you shall travel, do not worry, we shall tell you when it is time." Manwë answered.

I chewed my lip thoughtfully. "One more concern, my lord- how much time do we have to accomplish this?" I asked worriedly.

"As much time as you need. Most likely whenever you get back hardly any time will have passed, whereas it might have been weeks there." Manwë answered calmly.

Elíl and I consulted with each other. *You'd better go. I'm no good at convincing people, and besides, I still have some reborn to work with. I should ask master if I can have some time off to prepare for tomorrow.* Elíl told me.

*You sure? If you want to go I don't really care.* I answered.

*Nah, better you go. I really am not good at that stuff, my forte is more like seeing things carried out in an atmosphere I'm comfortable in, not missions like that. You are, though.* she shrugged mentally.

*Alright then, I'll go.* I agreed.

"I will go, my lords. Whatever is required of me I will do it." I bowed to the council.

"Very good, Míleth, so be it. You shall leave as soon as possible. Elíl, you are excused to your duties." Manwë nodded.

"Of course, my lords." Elíl bowed and thought herself away as I was left alone.

"You will be given as much time as you need, Míleth. As a Maia, communication will be possible between realms, as you already know. This time, however, you are to use ósanwe. However, be careful, as it is taxing to do so. As for how you shall return, ElfSky and Drago shall accompany you. That is their main purpose. Ah, and as for accommodations, you shall be given everything you need." Manwë finished.

"Of course, my lords. That will be fine." I answered.

"Good. As soon as you arrive Drago will be there. May Eru guide you on your quest." Nàmo spoke up for the first time since the meeting had started.

I bowed. "Valar valuvar."

There was a flash of blue and golden light, and then all went completely black.

...

Something was nudging me insistently. *Wake up, master, wake up* a voice whined in my head, sounding familiar.

Water was pelting me as well. I groaned and sat up, shaking my head. When I peeled my eyes open, there was a large bundle of soggy fur in front of me, nosing me gently.

"Drago?" I croaked, coming around slowly.

*Yes master.* was the replying pant. I shook my head once more and felt my head clear and vision steady.

When I looked around, I found myself in a large lark, it seemed, with benches and everything- but it was empty. And then it hit me- it was raining, that's why there was no one there. I sighed as the chill worked its way into my skin and left it stinging with cold.

Something tugged my hand, and I realized that it was a leash attached to Drago. He was still as large as ever, too. ElfSky was glimmering on my neck. As I studied myself, I realized that I was also dressed in a more modern version of my apprentice tabard, so to speak.

It was now a grey shirt with black and silver markings in the middle that showed a sun-in-eclipse on it. I had on a pair of white leggings as well. It was simple and comfortable. Reaching up, I also felt the coronet Elíl had put on my head that morning. It was a simple Mithril band, dotted with tiny starlight gems, diamonds, and a touch of sapphires and opals.

Oh great, now I was a walking gold mine. I snatched it off and tucked it into the backpack that lay beside me, as Drago waited patiently. There was a bottle of water, a wallet with money in it, my coronet, and a single white envelope in it as well. The envelope had the symbol of Nàmo on it, so I decided to find some shelter first before trying to read it. It might get soggy and I was already dripping as it was.

Standing up, I tugged Drago in the direction of of a bus stop I could see in the distance, shaking myself off under the cover of the awning and looking at the map on it.

Whoa, wait, this is New York City!? Geez, that's a little shocking. Oh well. According to the bus map, I was nearby the city limits, leading to a suburb a few minutes away. It would probably take me twenty minutes to walk there. With a shake of my wet head, I attempted to pull open my backpack to read the letter when I saw my reflection in the plastic sides of the awning.

I looked like a twenty-year-old. It was unnerving, being used to seeing myself as a fourteen-year-old and now this sudden change. I sighed. And it just had to be in New York, too, where things could be dangerous for someone like me. I wasn't too worried about myself, really, because after all I am a Maia inspire of being in a human body, so I'm more than capable of defending myself if needs be. Besides, I have Drago. But still.

The envelope crackled as I opened it.

Padawan,

This will find you safely, I hope. All provisions are in your pack. If you should need anything it will appear there. Be safe, and have fun!

Nàmo

"Hahaha." I laughed sarcastically to myself as I read it aloud to Drago. "Have fun alright, when it's raining, I have no idea where to go, and no idea where in Eä I am to find her. Yeesh, fun much." I muttered.

Drago bark-laughed at me. *No worries, we'll be alright.* He snickered.

"Not comforting, Drago, don't laugh." I huffed. Of course, he ignored me.

"Are you lost? My my, what an interesting coincidence, isn't it, boys?" A clearly male voice nearby made me sigh.

*Already? What has this world come to, Drago? Are you ready for a nice little spat? Because their gonna get it if they don't leave me alone.* I asked him, annoyed.

*Oh yes, quite ready* he replied.

I turned around, and to my surprise saw that no one was addressing me. "Um, no, I'm not lost, but thank you anyway." A young lady about twenty replied with a ready smile. They burst into guffaws. It was obviously some kind of small gang, by their black leather coats and chains everywhere.

They weren't too far away, just a few paces to the left. They hadn't seen me because I was hidden behind a signboard that showed the bus route. I frowned as Drago slightly growled.

"You're a pretty one. We could take you wherever you need to go, if you like." One of them leered.

She backed away. "No thank you." She said firmly. Though, they were right, she was pretty, with light brown hair streaked with red, green-streaked hazel eyes, high cheekbones, full lips, and slightly tanned skin. She was altogether a good definition of 'delicate but lithe.' A dancer's frame.

The obvious leader grabbed her arm. "Oh yes, I think so." He retorted, eyes glittering. I stepped out, motioning for Drago to stay out,

"Is there any trouble here?" I asked softly, smiling gently. My clothes were soaked, sticking to my skin and hair plastered everywhere. All heads whipped to me.

"No, not at all. We were just going back home, weren't we, sister?" He addressed the clearly nervous girl.

She opened her mouth, but he squeezed her arm in warning, making her clamp it shut but give me a pleading look. I nodded slightly.

"Doesn't look that way to me." I frowned.

"Doesn't matter what you think." He snarled.

I walked forwards calmly and grabbed his wrist. "Let her go." I said quietly, slowly tightening my grip. My thumb was on a pressure point. The rest of the gang tensed.

"Just get her already." One whined.

He let go and his other hand swung. My hand caught that one too, thumbs on pressure points and grip ever so slowly tightening. "If you leave now, I might consider not breaking your wrists for attempted assault." I hissed dangerously.

"You couldn't break a branch, what are you talking about." He retorted, trying to rip away.

"Ah ah ah, I'm not done with you." My thumbs pressed down and he let out a yelp of shock.

"What did you do!? I can't move my hands!"

"Pressure points, didn't any of you go to school?" The girl scoffed. I grinned.

"Well here's a smart gal just like my type. Well, shall I let you go as you apologize and leave, or shall I break your wrists and send you packing?" I offered off-handedly.

He glared. "Let go of me, wench." He growled. I sighed.

"No manners these days, it's disappointing. Well, bye bye, then, here goes the use of your hands..." He began to yelp as my grip tightened so hard I could feel his bones through my fingers.

"Get her, you idiots!" He yelled at the others, who charged.

Drago leaped out and tackled them with a snarl and a howl, making them scream and either scatter or try to shove him off. I gave one last squeeze. There was a sickening crack, and he screamed in pain. I let him go, and he ran for his life.

"Down, Drago. Let them go, I'm sure they've learned their lesson." I said, brushing off my hands. He climbed off and they scrambled off.

"Geez, seriously, what has this world come to?" I asked, disgusted. Drago barked.

"Thank you for saving me." The young woman spoke up softly. I turned to her with a smile- and did a double take. For a moment I saw her features much more ethereal, and with pointed ears. I glanced at Drago.

*Was that just me?*

*Nope. She's the one. Told you so* He said smugly.

I smiled at her. "It was no problem, I was glad to help." I sighed and picked up my pack again. "Would you mind if I asked you for some help? I need to stay here a couple days, and I have no idea where the nearest hotel would be." I said with a confused frown.

"You can stay at my house, it's the least I can do to thank you. It's not far away at all, and there's a bus stop out front." She offered.

I hesitated. "Are you sure? I mean, I do have Drago and all-"

"No, really, I live alone and I wouldn't mind at all." She smiled.

I grinned. "Thanks. I appreciate the offer, I'll take you up on that."

"We'll have to wait for the bus, but it should be here soon. So what brings you here? If that's not too personal of a question." She added with a frown.

"Oh, no, that's alright, actually I was meant to find someone here, but the problem is I don't even know her name... Speaking of which, I'm so rude. My name is- Celine." I switched back to using my human name.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid I was rude too. My name is Lyric. Nice to meet you, Celine." She smiled.

I grinned. *Oh my Melkor, Drago. Lyric. It's so fitting I can't breathe.* I choked in mental laughter along with him.

"Really? It's a pretty name." Was all I said to her, though.

"Thank you. Wow, it must be hard to try to find someone when you don't know their name." She shook her head with a laugh.

I sighed. "What can I do? That's work." I snorted. "Anyways, so what do you do for a living?" I asked, just as the bus rolled up. We boarded and paid our fares, and then sat down again in seats.

"Oh, well, I actually work in a large bookstore downtown. I love to read. You?" She asked interestedly.

I wriggled my eyebrows at Drago. "Ah, yeah, I love to read too! As for me... I do a lot of things in work, not just one." I hazarded. "What are your favorite books? Mine are JRR Tolkien's works." I grinned widely.

"Oh my Valar, are you serious!? Those are my favorite series ever!" She squealed. "And I love the Star Wars franchise." She added with a giggle.

"Then you and I are alike in mind, sista. Tolkien and Lucas rule!" I laughed, and we chatted away on such things as we entered her house. We spent the rest of the day just talking and learning more about each other.

"I actually live here alone because my parents left me this house. They live in Washington state, and we don't really communicate. We've had a fall out." She sighed, plopping down on the sofa with a drink and handing me one. Drago curled at my feet. The shower had done us both good.

"Thanks. That must be hard for you. I haven't had contact with my parents in a long time too." I sighed wearily, swirling my straw.

"Hmm. How long do you plan to stay here?" She suddenly asked.

"I don't know. Undetermined time, really. I might spend years here, or just a couple days. Not too sure." I replied with a frown.

"Why don't you live here with me? This house is pretty big anyways, and all I'd ask for you to do is chip in with living costs and stuff." She offered.

My eyes lit up. "Really? That would be amazing. Of course I wouldn't mind helping out, I'd be more than glad to pay for anything necessary. My parents may not have that much contact with me, but they provide for me anyways." I said with a smile.

"What do they do? Mine work as businessmen in a publishing company." She added.

"Well mine juggle quite a bit actually. My dad works at both a funeral home and university, whereas my mom works as head of a textile industry and also at times as a school teacher." I was hard-pressed not to choke at 'funeral home' as I mixed both my biological parents and Atto and Ammë's jobs. I discreetly kicked Drago as he snorted.

"Wow. That's a lot alright. Your family does pretty well for themselves." She said.

"Yep. I really miss my brothers too." I murmured.

"You have siblings? That must be amazing." She sighed.

I snickered. "Yep. I have three little brothers, five older brothers, and one sister my age."

"Whoa, that's a big family!" She laughed. "I'm an only child. I wish I had brothers, though. Say, have you seen the newest Hobbit Movies?"

And so the rest of the night passed in such fashion as we talked together and I wondered how exactly to handle this situation. I'd found her, now what do I do!?