"Oh, shit." Vesper said not realising she said that out loud.
She heard chuckles but couldn't see where it came from.
"That truly describes your situation." A fair beings become visible all around her. They looked like angels but not really. Gods is more accurate. They were so beautiful and perfect. It felt so unreal.
"Welcome, child, to Valinor." Said another being. "I am Nienna, Lady of Mercy. You have been chosen to be re-embodied as one of the Maiar and to become one of the Istari."
Vesper just stared at them. "Excuse me. Eh, what is Valinor and Maiar and Istari?"
"Ah, yes. Now you are in place your people would call 'another world'." Said a being dressed in black. "We the Valar and what could be called 'gods'. Valinor is where we live. Maiar are our people. They are like us but their power isn't as great."
"You mean like angels?" Vesper asked, trying to understand what Maiar are.
"Yes." The man(?) said .
"Alright, I think I get it. Then, who is an Istari?"
"Istari are wizards. They are Maiar disguised as Men. They were send by us to help destroy the evil that hunts lands of Middle Earth."
Vesper nodded. "Alright, but why me? Why of all witches and wizards did you choose me?"
"Because you, child, have immortal bird in your soul."
Vesper's breath caught in her throat. Since she discovered her animagus form she feared someone would find out and would lock her in department of mysteries.
"If we would take one of our Maiar and made them Istari, they wouldn't know how to use magic. Istari have studied magic and has magic in them, but other Maiar have different powers and aren't suited to be Istari. If we would take a wizard or witch they wouldn't survive for long as a Maia. Their natural magic would fought the immortality Maiar possess. It would destroyed them sooner or later." Explained the man in black.
"But you are unique." Started Nienna. "Your whole being is bound to an immoral bird, a phoenix. When we decided to make you a Maia we had to assimilate you with the phoenix in your soul. You are different from all Maiar and Istari because you are one but not. You are phoenix with a form of Maia. You have abilities of Istari, yet they are different."
Vesper didn't answer. Her brain was still processing what was happening. 'What have they done to her? A phoenix? But she don't felt different. In fact she have never felt more...free. No. It was my time to die. I has done everything I could. I should be resting now, with my friends, with my fiancé. Why, why am I cursed to live forever, never finding rest.' She laughed. A bitter, frantic laugh escaped her lips as tears were falling from her eyes.
"Why?" She asked. "Why did you cursed me with immortal life? Why can't I finally find my rest?"
Nienna kneeled next to her. "There is someone waiting for you in Middle Earth. Your fiancé's soul has been reincarnated here as an Elf. Elves are immortal beings just like Maiar." Vesper looked at her with hope filling her eyes.
"He is here?" It was a mere whisper.
Nienna nodded.
"That boy always had weird luck." She said laughing lightly. This time it was happy laughter.
Her fiancé was younger than her. She met him in World War II. He was a member of RAF and she worked as codebreaker in WAAF. He was 21 when they first met, 23 when he died in Battle of Britain. It was weird to meet a boy who fell in love with women 15 years his senior, but he stole her heart. He often told his plans for future after the war. How he'll marry her and they'll have kids and house in country. How she'll continue with her magic and he'll open a car repair shop. How he'll makes her happy. She love him with her whole heart and never stopped loving him. The prospect of meeting him again was enough to make her do anything the Valar wanted.
Vesper learn everything she could, history, languages, customs etc. She learned to not trust Saruman and to keep a low profile until her time comes. She found out that time on Middle Earth runs differently then time on Earth. That said, her fiancé was over two thousand years old. Well, she just hoped he will still be the man she love.
What the Valar couldn't decide on was which Vala she should serve and what colour she should be known under.
Once she couldn't take their bickering anymore and spoke up.
"Excuse me, but do I need a colour? Can't we just make it Vesper the Witch and be done with it? As you said I am different from the Istari, aren't I?"
The Valar agreed and who will she serve was dealt with in similar fashion. She was servant of Valar, which means she is serving every Vala to some extent. Her magic stayed same as it was in her old world, but she needed new staff. Her old one didn't fell in the veil with her and Harry is now using it as his own.
When they give her new staff they also give her copies of all her old spell books. They also add some books about Middle Earth's fauna and flora and their uses. She could never thank them enough.
With all this she was ready to sail to Middle Earth. Five hundred years before Smaug took over Erebor, Vesper the Witch stepped on Middle Earth.
Ever since prince Legolas became an adult he had strange dreams. These dreams were of different world where only Men lived.
Firstly they showed a childhood of a orphan boy. It was sad and happy at the same time. He grew into a kind man, but to Legolas's shock the boy's face was same as his.
He told his father about this and he advised to seek help of Lord Elrond or Lady Galadriel. Therefore he asked Lord Elrond for help, however the elder elf couldn't explain his dreams. He didn't dared to seek help from Lady Galadriel until his dreams revealed more information.
It showed a war. A world war, far worse that any he ever heard of. Worse than anyone could imagine.
The man joined the army in order to protect his home and its people. He became a pilot, someone, who flew with giant metal bird. His job was to destroy enemy's metal birds before they do any damage. Legolas felt the pressure of flight. He was in awe as the boy fought even when he knew he can die if he flies to high or loose consciousness when he's in sharp turn. Everything can go wrong and he will die, but the man always flew and fought without fear, determined to protect his country.
Then one day Legolas dreamed about the man drinking with his friends in a pub when a woman entered. She was at least a decade older than the man. She was tall with hair black as night and eyes of hazelnut colour, they were serious and full of wisdom, yet, there was a hint of rebellion and playfulness. Her face was aristocratic, elegant and beautiful, not as beautiful as an elven maiden, but still, there was something that made her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was a woman, that will not be controlled. A woman, that would fight untill her last breath if it means to protect what she held dear. The man was staring at her like he was smacked in the face. Legolas felt the same. He felt love. It scared him.
When he woke up he wrote a letter to Lady Galadriel where he asked for her help. Few day later a letter came with an answer. She agreed to help him.
She looked into his mind and discovered that the dreams were his memories from his previous life.
"That woman. She is your one." Galadriel told him.
Legolas couldn't believe it. His one, his other half, a soulmate someone could say.
That he was in shock was an understatement of the century. It took more than a week for him to put up with it. He had a life before this one. He lived in world where there were no Elves, Dwarf or beings of darkness. Where the people fought in war more horrifying than anything he had ever seen, just to maintain their freedom. He fought in that war. He was one of the elite in the army. He found his one and he didn't know where is she now. He has so many questions. How did he died? Did he courted her? Did he marry her and lived a long life with her or did he died in the war? Maybe, if he's here she's here too.
He worked even harder in his training to become the very best. He wanted to live up to his past life and find his one.
In dreams he learned more about her. She worked as codebreaker and had experience in combat. He learnt that part when she singlehandedly broke a fight between two drunken soldiers and threw them out of the pub. He saw how he courted her and won her heart. At first she didn't took him seriously and was just humoring him but soon stopped it when she realised he was being serious. She tried to pushed him away saying she was too old for him but he only pressed more. He knew he had her heart when she give him a pendant with a rune and kissed his cheek. She told him it's a lucky charm to keep him safe.
Legolas knew that rune. It was rune of protection. It left him puzzled. Was there a magic in that world or was it really just a lucky charm?
He got his answer in another dream. He asked her to marry him. She said yes but that he needed to know something about her. She revealed her magic to him. She showed him hidden world of magic were witches and wizards were common as well as various magical creatures. It was amazing, like he was entering a fairytale. She told him, she is from ancient noble family and was disowned by her father. He just hugged her and told her no matter what he'll always love her and will never leave her alone.
He didn't share this with anyone. He didn't know why but felt like it was the right thing to do.
In one dream she told him of her other form. Of a bird made of fire. A bird who dies in flame and is reborn from its ashes. Whose tears heals even the worse of mortal wounds and whose singing can bring hope as well as misery and pain. A phoenix. She then turned into the most beautiful bird he had ever seen. She was as big as swan and her feathers were made of fire yet they did not burned him. He kindly petted her feathers and listen to her song.
When Legolas was around 2180 he saw the final day of his previous life. It was in Battle of Britain. One of his new teammates took his pendant and mocked him and his fiancée. Saying that she's into young boys and that he's with her only because of money. That guy somehow found out she was a noble woman. Legolas's past self and his friends were about to make the idiot see sence, with their fists, but duty called. One of his friends managed to get the pendant back but he didn't have time to return it. They took flight and were in another battle with Luftwaffe. It was crazy. He only remember one of his wings caught fire then it exploded killing him in the process.
Reliving his death was the worst experience ever. He had to deal with the undescribable feeling he got from the experience. Then he was angry at the man who took his pendant from him. Angry at himself that he allowed it to be stolen. If it wasn't stolen he would live a life with his love, now he was alone. Legolas was sure he wouldn't make it through if it wasn't for help of his friends, father and Lady Galadriel. However the dreams stopped after this experience. There was probably nothing more to see after all he died, that was the end.
Since then the prince of Greenwood went on with his life, often thinking of his one. He took a habit of traveling alone around the Greenwood in hope to find her one day.
Only if he knew that she walked the Middle Earth since the day he dreamed of his death.