Emery's dreams are filled with colors and shapes that remind her of Van Gogh or Picasso. She knows she's dreaming, so she's definitely lucid, but she can't influence her surroundings, which confuses her. The colors are so beautiful, though, and enchanting, so she doesn't worry about it. The shapes warp and flow and fluctuate in a pattern that is almost dizzying. Actually, come to think of it, she really is getting dizzy. The colors swirl faster. She doubles over as a wave of nausea hits her. She tries to shut her eyes, but the ever accelerating colors are present even beneath her eyelids. Something starts to squeeze her head painfully, and she gasps and her hands fly up to her temples. The colors keep accelerating. Falling to her knees, she whimpers and silently begs for it to stop. To her surprise, it does.
All of a sudden, it all stops. The pressure on her head is released. The nausea goes away. The colors stop moving and fade until they're like flecks of paint on a blackboard. She opens her eyes and slowly releases her head and looks up. What she sees is a perfect combination of reality and art. The sky would be a pitch black night, if not for the millions of stars, comets, and galaxy clouds filling the void. The floor she stands on is like a glassy surface of the ocean, perfectly reflecting the sky like a mirror. She walks a few steps forward. Every step creates little ripples. Though, unlike the ocean, which seems to go on forever, the ripples stop at what looks like a glass wall. Furrowing her brow, Emery takes another step. Again, the ripples are stopped. She stomps on the water, creating a much bigger ripple, and it stops in the same place. She stomps again, and this time follows the movement with her eyes to where else it goes. After a few more stomps, she guesses that the edge of the water is actually a wall in the shape of a massive circle. Looking up, she notices a curve in the image of the sky, and guesses that the walls curve into the ceiling, creating a dome.
"Quite right," echoes a voice. Emery whips around, squinting her eyes to see into the shadows, and sees a figure leaning against the wall. "This dome is where we observe, where we connect to beings across the universes." The voice is obviously male, and very deep. She squints further until her eyes are almost closed, but even the bright sky can't illuminate him enough to be seen properly.
"My friend, do not torment the girl," says a voice from behind her, "Let her see who you are." Her head turns to look back, but her feet stay put. The second voice is also male, though not as deep as the first. His figure seems taller. She hears a chuckle and turns back to the first. He pushes himself off the wall and begins to make his way towards her. As he walks closer, she sees details that she wasn't able to see before. He's wearing iron-toed boots over baggy pants, topped with a grey tunic held in place with an iron breastplate and gauntlets. Beneath all of that is an obviously very thick, very muscular body. Hanging from his belt is a blacksmith's hammer. His thick dark hair falls to his elbows in wild curls, and his beard isn't much shorter. Both his hair and his beard sport dozens of intricately woven braids and metal beads. His face is young, but his eyes speak of more experience than a single lifetime could provide.
"I hope you'll forgive me for the method in which I brought you here. The people of your home world do not transport easily, and it was the safest way I could think of for you to travel," he tells her. She scrambles her brain for a response. Luckily, she doesn't need one.
"Earth is difficult for me to influence, as its only race that walks with two legs is Man. I created the Dwarves; they are the ones I love best and work with most easily." At Emery's confused expression, he elaborates. "I am Aulë, although my children call me Mahal. I am sure you recognize those names." Her eyes and mouth by this point are round as quarters. Of course she recognizes his names. He's the one who created her favorite people in all of Middle Earth! What a fantastic dream this is! But...if this is a dream and she knows it, then why can she not influence it? The man behind her answers her unspoken question.
"This is no dream, child. We have watched you over the course of your life, and we have heard your heart's desires. As you fell asleep, your last waking thought was a wish. What is happening now is that wish being granted. You know how the story of Durinsfolk ends. That was not supposed to happen. Mandos in a vengeful state allowed Azog the Defiler to survive his wounds at the Battle of Moria. There is nothing to be done about the actions of Mandos, but something can be dome about the result. That, dear child, is where you come in."
Emery's mind is reeling. Mandos, the Vala who looks after the dead, allowed a vile Orc to live as an act of revenge (on who, for what?), thereby dooming the line of Durin. And she has something to do with the correction of the consequences. And another thing...who's the guy who told her this? She can't see him...what's his name?
"His name is Tulkas, the wrestling champion of the Valar," Aulë says, humor in his voice. The other man, Tulkas, is less than amused.
"Do not forget, my friend, that I am the only one besides your wife to support you in this."
"Ah, my lovely Yavanna..." Aulë trails off with a smile and a distant dreamy look in his eyes. Tulkas sighs with a light chuckle and begins to walk towards them.
"Millennium after millennium have come and gone, and still he is as much a fool in love as the day he met his bride," he tells her. She turns to look at him as he approaches. He's about a foot taller than Aulë, and though not quite as stout, is just as muscular. He's wearing a simple green tunic and leather belt with brown leggings and leather boots. His thick dirty-blonde hair falls to his shoulders in waves. Unlike Aulë, with many braids and beads, Tulkas's hair is simply tied half up. His beard is short and neatly trimmed. His face has youthful features, but his eyes, his scars, and his nose (which looks as though it was never properly set when it broke) all suggest a life as long as (if not longer than) Aulë's.
"What is it that you want me to do exactly?" Emery finally speaks, her voice echoing. She has a hunch, but she doesn't want to get her hopes up yet. Aulë smiles at her.
"I want you to do what you have always wanted to do. Save the sons of Durin. Tulkas and I have gifts to help you along." Her heart almost stops. A chance to save them? How could she possibly say no?
"First," Aulë begins, "a bead for your hair. Any Dwarrow who sees it will recognize it and assist you in any way they can." He walks over to her left side and starts weaving a few locks of her hair together in a 4-strand lattice weave. Her curly brown hair is waist-length and thick, so there's plenty to work with. He places the clasp on the braid a foot from her scalp, so that it rests on her shoulder. "This type of weave and its position indicate that you belong to a family. The clasp bears the symbol of the family you belong to. In this case, it would display your status as a member of my family." Emery keeps her face blank. She learned the hard way that being labeled as a family member and actually being one are two very different things. He seems to be able to read her mind, though, and softly squeezes her shoulder. "I may not be able to be that kind of family to you, but I am certain you will find one in Arda." Before she can ask what he means, Tulkas speaks up.
"My gift to you is this bag," he says, holding up what looks like a medieval travel pack. It looks full, but when she takes it from him, it feels empty. Seeing her confused look (and probably reading her confused mind), he explains. "An enchantment lies upon it. You can put anything into it that will fit through the opening, there is no limit for space. You need only place an object inside and when you wish to retrieve it, simply think of it and reach for it. You can also pull things from it which you never put inside. For instance, any supplies you might need, or clothes of any kind." Emery thinks about this for a minute, then gently sets the bag on the ground and opens it. She closes her eyes and thinks. She sticks her hand in as far as it will go, and barely a second passes before she feels it and grasps it. Opening her eyes, she slowly pulls it out of the pack.
Tears threaten to fall as she stares at the framed picture, the one Jayden destroyed a year ago. Her dad awkwardly smiling at the camera, her mom trying not to laugh, her younger sister sticking her tongue out at the camera, and her 10-year-old self giggling and making bunny ears behind her sister's head. All four of them wearing mouse-ear hats. She closes her eyes for a moment, then gently puts the picture back into the bag and pulls the drawstring closed. She thanks Tulkas before shouldering it and rising to her feet.
"When do I start?" she asks. Tulkas chuckles.
"In a moment. We have two more gifts. You are 17 years old, the dwarrows would still be small children at that age. Once you arrive in Arda, your lifespan will be lengthened to that of a dwarf, and you will take on the physical age of a dwarf at 17 years old."
"Wait, you're saying I'll be turned into a little kid?!" Emery interrupts.
"You will come to understand the purpose in time. Our last gift to you is the ability to change your skin. You will be able to transform into any animal you wish." She stares at him with wide eyes. Not trusting herself to speak without squeaking, she simply nods, but she can't hold back a small grin of excitement.
"Are you ready?" Aulë asks her. She turns to face him and eagerly nods her head. He smiles. "Very well. Prepare yourself. This hopefully will not be as uncomfortable as it was before, but better safe than sorry." She smiles and closes her eyes. The shifting colors return and move at a brisk pace, but they aren't as dizzying this time and there's only a slight pressure on her head. She feels her body change and looks down. Her hands are now small and chubby. Her limbs are short, and her clothes hang like curtains. Just as she starts to wonder what kinds of clothes she should pull from the bag, the colors disappear. In their place is a thick forest in every direction.