water.

I sucked in a breath. This was not how breathing felt. This was very wrong. I peeled my eyes back, shocked. It took a lot to shock me. I didn't have much experience with falling but I'd tried following the path left behind by the other star. But this was not where she'd landed. She'd landed in the woods, with trees and dirt. I was not in the woods.

I pushed up off something, using my arms to propel myself upwards, and finally I sucked in my first breath in an age. I splashed and paddled my way out of the slopping horrible marsh that I'd landed in, trying not to think about the last breaths I'd taken. About him.

I shuddered. So much changed when you had a body, a mind. Things I could forget about when I was in the sky, observing, clung to my mind refusing to let go. Damn, I'd forgotten what it was like to be human. The emotions, the memories, the thoughts, reasoning.

His blonde hair, his blue eyes, his smile, his laughter, his hands…

I couldn't help it suddenly, I couldn't control my body. The tears fell freely down my face as I crawled onto the grassy land about the marshes. I shook back the sobs that consumed me.

How weak these humans are. I had to find her quickly. I can't let her become this. I can't let her go through what I went through. The words I learnt, the memories I made, the friends I stood by, the Love I carried with me.

Love was the worst thing, the pain that came with it, it made girls erratic and idiotic. I'd never love again. Never.

"Um…miss?" A voice close pulled my out of my hysteria. But I took a minute to breathe properly before I opened my eyes, sitting up strait and turned to look at the source of the noise.

There, in front of me were two Halflings and a broken mortal. He seemed sort of blurred with a fog about him, clearly touched with some evil.

The two Hobbits were easy to recognise, two of the nine who had set off from… no. I couldn't think about that place. He dwelt there still. No, no..no…

The creature with them, I did not recognise. Which unnerved me. Then again, we stars often overlook the evil in the world. Where evil is, darkness is.

And stars do not much like darkness, everyone knows that. That's why we shine. To keep darkness at bay.

"Miss..." the closest Hobbit whispered out, both turning away from me. "You're naked."

I looked down at myself. Obviously I was naked. Stars don't wear clothes. Nasty, tight, uncomfortable things, to trip over and make you itch and scratch. Yuck, clothes.

"Yes." I replied simply. They seemed baffled.

"Miss, it is rather cold tonight" The hobbit lied, it was very warm. Stuffy even. "I think perhaps you ought to put this cloak about you, to keep the chill out, if you rightly understand me." He handed a tiny cloak to me, which I wrapped around me, barely covering from my shoulders to my knees.

Once my body was covered the Hobbits turned back to me looking confused, amazed, and unsure.

"Miss, you're awfully wet."

"Yes." I replied again. Funny little things up close these Hobbits.

"Fell in the dirty marshes she did, precious. Plop in the waters precious. Smeagol hears the splash and leads the nice Hobbitses to the wet woman. Good Smeagol does good for master" The creature, Smeagol drew my gaze. It was hard to look at him for some reason. I didn't like it very much.

They all three of them stood staring at me for a while, before carrying on with their journey in the Marshes. I looked about me, trying to get my bearings. Thunder and fire ripped through the air suddenly from behind me, the opposite direction in which the Hobbits were heading.

Things clicked very quickly in my head, and then I knew where I was.

Near Modor, where the Maiar, Sauron dwelt. All I needed to do was find the Maiar and he could get me home. But first I needed to find the star. Middle Earth was after all a very small place, how hard could it be?

But would the Maiar help me willingly? He had fallen from the grace of the valar. He had sinned and joined Morgroth. He was evil.

But then who else, could help us get home?

The Grey Wizard had fallen in Moria, no doubt at the hands of a…a…no. I stopped myself from thinking any further. Those memories were too close to my heart.

The grey Wizard had fallen, The White Wizard had joined with Sauron. He might be easier to convince, but less powerful. Better to have Sauron help and have our return go quickly and smoothly. There were other Maiars of course, The brown Wizard, though he held no interest in magic beyond that of creatures and nature. The two blue Wizards were much too far to seek their aid, practically. They were across water and land and more water.

No Sauron, was by far our best chance of getting home. But I doubt he would help willingly, he would take us and drain us of light and have done with it. We would neeed something to bargain with…something he wanted…above…all…else…

I turned in the direction of the Hobbits. Following them swiftly without hesitation.

First find the star.

Then I need that ring…

Travelling with the Hobbits was easy enough, Sam and Frodo they were called. Frodo was in charge, Frodo was the ring bearer. They were quick to trust me, but the creature Smeagol cowered from my gaze.

He sought the ring also, but only to possess it. Not to use it or abuse it, just keep it.

The Hobbits had, it turns out broken from their fellowship. They had need to enter Mordor undetected and the creature, Smeagol was their guide.

They had made it to the black gate but they sought a secret path, known to Smeagol. They made no mention of the ring and I had more sense than to ask. I noticed they stared at me often.

"I seek my sister, she is lost." I told them after many questions.

"You don't speak very much do you Miss. I speak more than I should if I'm being plain and truthful. I ought to learn when to speak and when not to...Why my old Gaffer use to say…" The hobbit, Sam babbled on for a while, eyes never leaving me.

I was used to being watched. By men especially. I was a star after all. The last time I'd walked Middle Earth, I'd been loved by all. By mortals and elves…

"….We'll help you find the means to find your sister if we can Miss, won't we Mr. Frodo?"

"Tiri." I said out loud, remembering with a painful throbbing in my chest.

"Begging your pardon Miss?" Sam asked perplexed.

"My name is Tiri…" I answered looking off into the distance, to Mordor, thinking.

I wonder where she is. I hope she hasn't gotten herself into any trouble. Of all the stars to fall, it had to be her. The first thing she'd done when she'd arrived had been to use, to waste, her light saving that mortal.

She was young for a star and spent too much time watching the mortals when there were more beautiful things to watch. Like the sun and the moon and the waters and the earth.

The mortals would come and the mortals would go.

I reminded myself sadly, that I'd been like that once. I'd been much younger than she was now when I'd fallen, I'd watched the antics of the living. Many of the stars did unless they'd fallen to land themselves. Those that returned thought it a waste of time. Some never came back.

Before I'd come here, I'd watched in wonder at the world, in horror and the evil and awed by the goodness. But stars don't see everything, I knew better than anyone that. It was a confusing place to be, Middle Earth.

Where they wore clothes and bore children and fought wars. It was all quite pointless to me.

But I worried for her, my sister. The longer she spent with the humans the worse things would get. She might end up like I had. Falling in love.

I ignored the pain and thought of his face, the first time I'd seen it. More beautiful than all the flowers and oceans and stars in the world. And he'd wanted me.

He'd told me, he'd held me. He'd been mine and I'd been his.

Then Varda sent a sister down, she reminded me where we belong. And I'd been convinced, manipulated into leaving him. Into betraying him. Losing him.

Without him, the world around me changed. It was cold and dark and bitter and it felt like that again. It felt worse than it had then…

That's why I had no qualms about taking the ring to Sauron. This was never our world, it belonged to the living and the sooner we left it – she and I, the better.

Phew, uploaded as promised! I think sometimes, I just make stuff up on the spot, this was one of them times…but I think I swung it pretty good! I wonder who she's been loving? Tiri means bright, I'll give her a back story hopefully over a few chapters, but I'm a hater of those stories that jump every chapter, so maybe I'll do a couple more before returning to the other star…which has a name now! Yay.

THANKS CALLA MAE, you're totally loyal and awesome!
AND SONG IN THE WOODS, your comments always make me laugh! Tiri is going to be totally wise and like a bit of a smart ass and a bit arrogant too... AND NEMO, awesome I'm glad I am too! Maybe you should write some stories?! I love recognising names of people, I'll try and write well, to impress you all mwuha :)

Till next time guys!