Not All Who Wander Are Lost (a Star Wars/Lord of the Rings crossover)

Good post! I know what'll come next... I like the idea, even if we didnt talk about it. BTW, if we could get this going by PM again (Rather than email) since I'll be having trouble getting to my email for a little bit, that'd be good.

I'll write the next post, though I don't know when it'll be up. School is really starting to pick up.

--Mr. P

 

I just found this story and...wow. I've always wanted to see a Star Wars/LOTR crossover, since the themes of conflicting good and evil are so prevalent in both. I've even tried my hand at it a couple of times, but this is far better than anything I could write. It reads like a Tolkien novel.

Post more soon or I'll have to do something drastic. Up!

 

There'll be a post today, probably a little later in the afternoon. i started writing it last night; if I can find a copy of The Hobbit in school, I'll get it up.

--Mr. P

 

Well... I finally have this opst done! Things didn't work out the way I had planned the other day, and I couldn't get the post finished. I got it finished, and now, JG can post her part! I'm not sure hwo snowboards will format this, though...

After previewing it, it appears that it won't format my lines like I wanted it to... oh, well...

--Mr. P

**********

Obi-Wan was led into a large hall by yet another elf. A long table stretched down the hall, and no one sat at the ends. Ornate chairs sat there, and along the sides of the table, many sat, ate, spoke and sang. They were mostly Elves, but there was an assortment of other beings as well. Bowls of food were passed down the table and back again, and the torches on the walls gleamed with flickering light. The tapestries hung from the walls like curtains of flowers and ivy, and Obi-Wan wondered at what material they were wrought of.

?Come, sit down,? the Elf who was leading them told them. Along with Obi-Wan was Anakin and Padmé, and they were even more wide-eyed than he was at the surroundings. ?You need food and drink, after your ordeal...? he continued.

Obi-Wan sat down, Obi-Wan was feeling overwhelmed by the fact that the humans were the minority in this place ? he was long used to being in the majority, for at least that extent. He needed to see a large group of humans, or he felt that he might lose his dinner before he even ate it.

* * * * * *

Anakin found himself next to one of the children that had been traveling to Imladris with the other party. The child wore mostly bright clothing, and to Anakin?s surprise, did not wear any shoes. Anakin hadn?t noticed this before. His feet were hairy, and had curly brown hair. Anakin could only guess what his facial features were ? he only saw the back of the child?s head from his point of view.

The child turned from the other short man next to him and the other child next to him, and noticed Anakin staring from across the table. Anakin quickly turned away, but the child put down his cup, reached over and tapped Anakin on the shoulder.

Obi-Wan looked at him, and saw something that caught his eye. The child wasn?t a child at all; their faces were developed, and they looked like they had been exposed to the forces of this world, and had not been sheltered. ?Who are you?? asked the child. ?You were following us, and you seem to have kept away from us Hobbits.?

?What?s a hobbit?? asked Anakin.

Pippin didn?t seem to acknowledge Anakin?s question. ?I?m Peregrin Took.? Almost as an afterthought, he added: ?of the Shire.? He sipped his drink, and continued, ?Most of the time, though, people call me Pippin. Where do you come from? What do people call you?? He sipped his drink, and the other... hobbit, if that was what he had called himself, whispered something in his ear. He broke out in laughter, and banged his hand on the table.

?I am Obi-Wan Kenobi,? said Obi-Wan. He pondered the answer to the first question. What could he answer? He didn?t know any names of places in this world except for Imladris and Mirkwood, and a few odd landmarks that scattered the maps. ?I... I?m from the south,? said Obi-Wan.

?From the _south_?!? asked the other hobbit. ?What brings you to Rivendell??

?I thought we were in Imladris,? said Obi-Wan. //Stupid animals...// He looked out in front of him, and a plate of food had been placed there, along with a set of utensils. He picked at it; he didn?t know what it was, but it was quite good. Perhaps not everything that he didn?t know everything about was bad, primitive and unfit for him to deal with, below him. //Perhaps...//

?We just might be,? said Pippin, chewing his food. ?This place has so many names and is shrouded in so much secrecy, we just might be. You didn?t answer my question.?

?We kind of... just ended up here,? said Padmé. ?It?s a long story. You really don?t want to hear it.? She picked at her food, and looked around.

?Yes, I do,? said Pippin. He reached for a pitcher of the dark drink that was in their cups, and poured himself another glass. He t

 

I'm really liking this. Write more or I'll have to resort to pleading.

My only criticism is that I think you're making Obi-Wan a bit too quick to judge. I know he's hot-headed, but he's just coming across as a little too superior and condescending.

Just a quick thought, though. I love Merry and Pippen. Put them in more, please!

Lisse

 

I'll have something up later, or tomorrow (have to do something for "The Penitent," too).

 

Well, insomnia's not healthy, but at least it's productive...

---------------
Padmé was starting to get frustrated.

Oh, the food was excellent, and the music... oh, the music would have been valued in the finest halls on Naboo. The room was pleasantly warm, and whatever the trees outside were, they made the whole house smell wonderful.

It was the fact that she was being ignored. Elves asked polite questions, but didn't listen to the answers. Obi-Wan -- until he started drinking, after which he'd ceased to notice her at all -- had treated her as a ward. Even Ani was so fascinated with meeting new people that he only came to her periodically (every five minutes or so, but she'd become used to his constant attention, and it rankled her a bit to have to deliberately take action to engage him in a conversation). The only ones who seemed willing to include her fully were two of the hobbits, young Merry, and the old one, Bilbo, who had asked if she'd wished to hear his song, and smiled at her when he finished. He reminded her of old country gentlemen at home.

She wished for the ritual gowns and makeup. They would take notice of Queen Amidala.

_Oh, stop being such a child. You don't need to be at the center of every crowd._

Feeling that she'd properly chastised herself, she decided to go looking for someone to meet, as Ani had. Her eyes drifted to the three hobbits, then to a group of elves drinking at a table, then to Obi-Wan, sleeping on the floor. The dwarf Gloín was stalking moodily around the fire, not far from the hobbits, and didn't look like he wanted to be disturbed. Obi-Wan was still asleep.

There was something odd, but she couldn't quite...

There were no women in the room. No girls, of any species. She was the only one. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been in such a situation.

Ani ran back for his regular circuit to her, and asked if she'd like something to eat. She shook her head, and started to say that she wouldn't mind someone to talk to, but he was already headed back to where the hobbits were. She started to follow -- it seemed as good a place as any -- but was interrupted when she saw Qui-Gon's shadow in the door. He came in quickly and strode to Obi-Wan's side. "What has happened here?"

"Oh, he had a bit too much wine," an elf said. "He'll get past it."

"I see. He must not have realized it was an intoxicant. He is unused to them."

There was general laughter.

Padmé went to him. "Were you able to help?"

"I was of some minor assistance, but we won't speak of it here."

Immediately, the two younger hobbits ran forward. Old Bilbo was hobbling along behind them.

"Were they able to help Frodo?" Merry asked. "The wound has been a grave injury."

"When I left, part of the work had been done, and the rest seems to be in competent hands."

For the first time, Padmé noticed the tension that was lurking below the hobbits' pleasant smiles. All three of them were leaning forward eagerly, faces in various expressions of deep concern. An interesting people. Not at all stoic... but certainly not given to showing their true emotions.

Qui-Gon knelt down beside Obi-Wan. "I think perhaps we could all do with a bit of rest. It's been a long journey."

"Of course," one of the elves said. "We always forget how often mortals need sleep. You and your son can bunk in the hall, and I'll have someone bring the Lady of the house to assist your girl here."

"What?" Padmé shook her head. "No, I prefer to stay with my companions."

"That's not the way it's done here." The elf signalled to one of his kindred, who disappeared into a hallway. "You wouldn't want to stay out here, anyway. I'm sure that the Lady Arwen and her handmaidens will have more to speak of that will be of interest to you."

Padmé was starting to protest, but Qui-Gon put his hand on her elbow and whispered to her, "You are a guest, young handmaiden."

She nodded. She hadn't gotten to this point in her political life by not respecting the rules in other people's home

 

OK... I gotta write the next post, but I don't know if it'll be up toniht - I have to write 2 posts for my other fic, and I'll be away on sunday... Good post!

--Mr. P

 

Thanks Healer_Leona... I look forward to your replies!

 

WHERE have I BEEN?!? This story is awesome!!!

I have always thought a Tolkien/SW crossover would be cool. I'm curious to see how a Nazgul would fair against a light saber...

I think this same scenario applied to the Silmarillion would be cool too, with all those legendary heros, wars, quests, etc. (I have a particular fondness for the First Age!)

I hope to see more soon!

 

Hey! Cool! This story has the most readers than any that I have ever written... anyway, once I type up some stuff for english class (<rant>stupid english project...</rant>), I'll get to work on the next post! I already have it planned out...

--Mr. P

 

IMHO, this is kinda short. Do you think it's too short? I feel like I don't have enough description and filler between the dialogue. On the other hand, there's not much to describe.

--Mr. P

**********

_Ani, if they start talking about anything that you think I ought to know... listen and tell me, okay?_

The words of Padmé ricocheted through Anakin?s mind as the head of the house, Elrond, if he had heard correctly, led them towards their quarters. The house of Rivendell was like a maze ? there were at least a hundred twists and turns through the corridors to get anywhere. Anakin liked it. He kept his mouth shut as he listened to the older men speak of what was to happen. He would have to tell Padmé.

?What is to become of Frodo, now that he is healed?? asked Qui-Gon.

?He is not healed yet,? said Elrond. He was very laid back and relaxed. Anakin had noticed that a lot of people ? most notably the elves ? were that way here. Anakin could get used to it very easily. ?He needs to recover. He has had the wound for almost a month.?

?Once he recovers fully,? said Gandalf, ?we will have the Council. He must be there, to tell his part of the history.?

?They history of what?? asked Legolas, moving forward.

?You will find out,? said Elrond. ?We must be careful; the Enemy has many ears. Perhaps not as many here, but it is always possible. And if the Enemy hears of this, all will be lost.?

?Ah, yes,? said Qui-Gon. ?Legolas was telling us of a Council, which was why he was coming to Imladris. Where I come from, we have a Council as well -- ?

?You are from Gondor, are you not?? asked Aragorn. He furrowed his brow, and looked Qui-Gon over.

?Well, ah... yes, yes. I am from Gondor.?

?No, you aren?t,? said Aragorn, stopping. ?You do not have the accent of Gondor, and there is not council in Minas Tirith. You are not from Gondor, or I am not Aragorn son of Arathorn.?

?I ? ah, I mean, there was a Council that I ran into during my travels. I left Gondor many years ago, with my Master, when I was young. You most probably were not born then. I picked up these fellows,? he said, motioning to Obi-Wan and Anakin, ?on my way.?

?_On my way_,? said Aragorn. ?You were in Mirkwood when Legolas picked you up, if what I hear is true. What were you doing in Mirkwood? One normally does not just wander in there aimlessly. Were you lost, perhaps??

?Not all who wander are lost,? said Qui-Gon. ?but we perhaps were. We didn?t know where we were; I mostly traveled through the South.?

Aragorn nodded, seeming to accept Qui-Gon?s answer.

?Perhaps we should discuss this at the Council,? said Gandalf. ?If Qui-Gon traveled through the South, he may know a great many things about the Enemy?s doings.?

?Yes, perhaps I should go to the Council,? said Qui-Gon. ?Obi-Wan should as well.?

?Do you have something to add to the Council?? asked Elrond. ?For all we know, you could be a servant of the Enemy, sent to meet up with Legolas in Mirkwood, and then go with him here, to give up where Imladris is to the Enemy. To find out our secrets. Many will be revealed for the first time in millennia at the Council.?

?Well...? said Qui-Gon, and he paused. He had to keep the story that they had been traveling in the South up, and this seemed to be the only way into this council. //Perhaps I should just forget the story and explain to them what really is going on.// He continued: ?There is another enemy that I know of. He followed us, out of the South. He is not necessarily allied with _your_ enemy, but he is ours. He might endanger you. He is very powerful. Perhaps he could destroy me, I don?t know. But he is of an order that is an ancient enemy of mine.?

?How do you know that he followed you?? asked Legolas. ?We never encountered anyone.?

?I know,? said Qui-Gon, ?I?ll explain at the Council.?

?It is imperative that we be there,? said Obi-Wan. ?We do not understand much of this conflict that apparently is going on. We wish to know what is really going on.?

?I will consider it,? said Elrond. ?I must speak with Le

 

BTW, I'll be gone tonight, sunday and monday morn - so you won't be getting any posts from *me* pretty much for the rest of the weekend. JG is another matter, though. I'm not sure.

--Mr. P

 

Anakin had thought he'd be staying right near Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but Imladris was pretty full, and all the full-size beds were taken. He ended up in a room with smaller beds, shared by Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. There was a third bed, and, since Merry laid a very heavy-looking pack on it, Anakin guessed that the other one, the one who went off with the sick one, would come in here, too.

"So, how old *are* you?" Pippin asked, sprawling across his bed. "It's a bit hard to tell with Men."

"I'm nine."

"Nine! Good heavens, what are you doing travelling about? I'm twenty-eight, and my folk think I'm too impressionable."

"The difference," Merry said, "is that his folk are quite right."

Both of them smiled, inviting Anakin into the joke, and Anakin was happy to return it. He just had to remember not to tell the story. Or to tell the right story. "I'm pretty young," he agreed. "But we had to leave, so we did. My sister speaks for the queen."

"The queen? What queen?" Pippin leaned forward eagerly.

"Um, her name's, uh, Amidala. Queen Amidala." Anakin hoped that it was okay to say that. It wasn't like anyone here would know it and figure out who they were by it. And it was a *really* pretty name. If he *was* making up a story, it was the kind of name he'd make up for a queen. "So, where do you guys come from?"

"The north a bit, and west." Merry pointed out the window, toward the setting sun. "We live in a region called the Shire. I am from Buckland, and Pippin there is from Tookland. What about you? The South is a big place."

"It's called, well, um... "

But he was saved from having to make something up by the arrival of the last hobbit. This one didn't have the same easygoing look as Pippin and Merry. He looked tired and concerned, and... well, honestly, Anakin *liked* Pippin and Merry, but they didn't look like they did a lot of hard work. This new one did. He looked up. "What've we got here?" he asked.

Pippin jumped up and bowed deeply to the new hobbit, then waved his arm grandly in Anakin's direction. "Samwise Gamgee, may we present to you Anakin Skywalker, of The South, brother and companion to the Speaker for Queen Amidala. What she is queen of, he has yet to tell us, but I'm convinced it must be a grand secret he's keeping. After all, in what corner of the world do people walk in the sky?"

For a minute, Samwise's eyes lit up in hope of a story, then he grew tired again. "Let the lad be, Mr. Pippin. I'd wager these new folk have their secrets, but they're not ours. His friend helped Mr. Frodo, so that's all we need to know of them."

With that, he crawled into bed, kicking the heavy pack to the footboard, and a moment later, he was snoring.

Anakin dropped off not long after, to the sound of Merry and Pippin's endless conversation.

The dream started almost as soon as he fell asleep. He'd dreamed a lot since he came here, but this was the first time he dreamed of home. The first time since he'd even *left* that he'd dreamed of it.

The suns were high in the sky and comfortably hot. His face felt like itself -- its normal, dry self, not the sort of damp, slippery face he'd had while he hiked from Mirkwood to Rivendell. In the streets of Mos Espa, he could see his friends playing. He didn't know where their masters were, and they didn't seem to care. Kitster was in some kind of running race with Amee (she was the only one -- including Ani -- who could even start to keep up with Kitster on foot) and Wald and Seek were tossing a ball around.

"Hey guys!" he called. "Can I play?"

Kitster stopped running and his eyes got wide and scared. Amee ducked into a building. Seek just stared at him and shook his head. "I can't believe you got it to run."

Wald pointed at Anakin's chest and laughed.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Anakin looked down at himself and almost screamed himself awake. He wasn't wearing his tunic. He was wearing some kind of robot suit, and inside his chest, there was a pair of pod engines. An arc of energy

 

Great to see there's people reading this!

I certainly wasn't expecting that dream of Ani's-- it threw me off a little bit! (But then given the setting, it's pretty unlikely I'd think of Vader.) Other than that, I'm still completely enjoying this. It's bringing back fond memories of stuff I haven't read in ages... I probably haven't read the Hobbit in at least four years, I guess I probably should again.

 

The dream was basically an excuse for him to bond with Sam.

 

Yippee! I come back to find two big posts!

I hope Qui-gon will decide to tell the truth soon. He's not looking too good in front of Elrond and the others.

 

Arwen had given her a long grey gown to wear for the day, with a silver belt. Once she'd gotten that "elvish," she hadn't been able to resist the temptation to ask if she might borrow one of the silver and jewelled hair nets to wrap around the back of her hair, and Arwen had been more than happy to led her one. It felt strange, having her hair captured at the nape of her neck (the net was wrapped around a bun much like the one Shmi Skywalker had worn, except centered), as if she'd gotten older somehow. She felt a bit guilty -- she had real concerns; she shouldn't be playing dress-up -- but on the whole, it was a bit of giddy fun to drop both Queen and handmaiden, and be an elf-lady for an hour or two. It had been too long since she'd given over any time to sheer relaxation.

"Well, don't you look as if you belong here?" Bilbo Baggins stood up in his wobbly way before she could tell him there was no need for such a thing. The shadows cast by the fire in the Great Hall made him seem even shakier than he really was. "For a moment, I wondered if Elrond had another daughter he'd hidden from us all."

"Good morning, Mr. Baggins," she said, sitting down quickly so that the old hobbit wouldn't feel obliged to stay on his feet. "And thank you for the compliment."

Bilbo sat down with a pleasant nod, and pointed at Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took, who had also jumped to their feet. "We were just talking about you and your companions, and it seems to have called you here."

Padmé decided that the subject of the conversation was probably better off somewhere else. "Do you happen to know where my brother is?"

"He went off with Sam this morning," Merry said. "Very early, before Pippin and I rose."

"He tells us you speak for the queen." Pippin pulled a stool toward her, and sat down on it, leaning forward eagerly. "He said a name, but I'm a loss when it comes to knowing one queen from another."

Padmé almost asked, _What name did he give you?_, but that would be somewhat suspicious. It could all be tallied to Anakin's growing reputation as a teller of not-entirely-true tales, but Padmé didn't like slandering the poor child so often. He was doing better with their lie than the rest of them. He only seemed to make more mistakes because he spoke more often. "Well, we come from a great distance," she said. "And it is a small world... a small island, a world unto itself, that is... so many people may not have heard of it."

"What is it called?" Merry asked.

_Dear Maker, is there no end to questions?_

Well, if she'd established that it was small and unknown by the larger world (So why do we speak the same language? Did we just learn it from Qui-Gon?), it might as well be what it was. She hoped that none of the others had given different information. "Naboo," she said quickly. "Now tell me, I understand that you have also travelled far. How do you come to be here?"

They looked uncomfortably at one another. "Of our errand," Merry said formally, "we cannot speak. But our home is to the north and west."

Pippin warmed to the tale. "It's quite a story getting here. We've been chased by Black Riders, caught by barrow-wights, and tortured by trees." He grinned widely, waiting for her to ask for the rest of the tale. Glad to change the subject, she did.

Most of the tale that followed, she didn't understand. Part of it was because of the strange geography and unusual properties of the world -- had the trees themselves captured them in a place they called the Old Forest, or as seemed more likely, had they been caught by ruffians and imprisoned or tied to the trees? -- but the main sticking point was a tendency of both Bilbo and Merry to stop Pippin every few minutes, when he got close to whatever their errand was.

She was able to piece together something of a narrative. The group was apparently led by Frodo, the one who was ill. He had led them east from his home, toward Merry's home in Buckland, on the pretense of moving there, though none of them believed this story for an instant (S

 

Mesa back!

I just got back from Rochester maybe five minutes ago... whoa. I had an awesome time. I probably won't be able to get a post up tonight, since I'm getting real close to the date of a number of projects that are due this week. Most notably, a report due tomorrow for orchestra. Oy.

Anyway, I'll *try*. (yeah, i know, "there is no try," but we'll have to let it slide for now. anyway...) But I didn't get a post up in my other fic on saturday, and so I owe 2 there today. Oy.

About the dream, I really, *really* liked it. I loved the imagery, especially of the Dead Marshes and of Mordor. I didn't think it was out of place... I wasn't exactly expecting it, but it wasn't out of place.

I haven't read the other post yet, since I just got back. I'll try to write something on tuesday.

--Mr. P

 

That was great, Gala! You really have a handle on Tolkien. (Of course I already knew that! ) I'm tempted to jump in on this fic, if only to see what you all have planned...

 

This is so COOL! I love LotR - I'm so glad you're doing this. I'm definitely going to be reading it!

 

Okay, montage effect... (Wish I had a better ear for Tolkien actually; I had to stop a Sam/Anakin scene because I absolutely couldn't get Sam -- that most compliant and agreeable of hobbits! -- to behave himself and speak as he ought. Ah, well. I'll catch the rhythm of his dialect again. I hope.)

EDIT: Oops, forgot. Minor JA spoilers from #5 and #6.

----------------
When Obi-Wan awoke from his stupor, it was mid-morning, and he felt shame, but no one questioned him or accused him. Qui-Gon told him he should be more careful about imbibing foreign beverages, but that was the whole of the censure. The elves were apparently accustomed to mortals drinking, and the other mortals... well, they also seemed sympathetic, from the big Aragorn down to the smallest of the hobbits. A younger dwarf -- Glóin's son, Gimli -- offered to teach him to hold his liquor better. He declined. The way his head was pounding, he didn't want to have anything to do with the stuff again.

The first day at Imladris passed quietly, and by nightfall, Obi-Wan's head was clear enough to enjoy the singing and talking that went on in the great hall. He declined the "wine," and asked instead for plain water. To his delight, the water here was a real treat -- clean and cold, tasting of the minerals in the stream outside. He'd had a great deal of fresh water as they came here, but somehow, it tasted even better coming from a beautiful cup in a fine home.

The children seemed to have settled in with the hobbits; apparently, the ability to see eye-to-eye without effort was of more interest to them than either age or species. Padmé spent a great deal of time with the old hobbit, Bilbo, and with Merry and Pippin. Anakin had attached himself to Sam Gamgee, who appeared only for meals (Anakin himself would not leave Padmé for quite so long, and so made periodic appearances throughout the day). Gamgee's accent was different from the others, and the way he put his sentences together implied to Obi-Wan that he'd had a different level of education in his upbringing.

The fact that he referred to them as "Mr." Merry and "Mr." Pippin (though both seemed younger than he was) suggested a class system. Gamgee didn't seem to feel oppressed by it, but it offended Obi-Wan's sensibilities. This was not a padawanship, a temporary inequality during training, but a permanent state. Nevertheless, he was not here to interfere in the cultural development of this world.

"You're learning," Qui-Gon said, when he mentioned his observation. "It isn't always easy, though, is it?" He looked over at Anakin, who had rejoined the group for the moment, and was trying to learn a dwarvish song from Gimli. "There are times I've found it quite impossible."

"Yes, Master. As have I. But I thought I had outgrown such impetuousness."

"I never did." Qui-Gon smiled. "It speaks well of you, that you see the injustice. There have been times since... since our difficult time at Melida/Daan... that I've wondered if you had turned too far the other way. I am glad to see that your heart still aches for those in an unfair situation."

Obi-Wan was taken by surprise. Qui-Gon almost never mentioned Melida/Daan, when Obi-Wan had abandoned his apprenticeship to help his friends. But he was speaking of it now, without pain. He was reminiscing.

_That is because you are now his former padawan,_ he realized dimly. _It may not be officially recognized, but he has chosen his new apprentice, and is, for all intents and purposes, done with you._

But the conversation didn't turn in that direction. Instead, Qui-Gon called the children over, and they compared notes on parts of the story they had told the others. The children had taken it upon themselves to name the "island" and its queen, and there was nothing to be done about it now; Obi-Wan just hoped that no one would arrive who was an expert on the southern islands. Things were becoming a bit thin.

The next day was busy, if not especially memorable. Elrond was planning a feast of some sort, and Obi-Wan -

 

I love how you described all the characters mingling together! And I think your version of Sam was fine. I would expect him to speak to a child in the manner you described. (Plus, he's probably getting grouchy from lack of sleep!)

I can't wait for the Council! Will the truth be told there??? And will Padmé get to make an '*I* am Queen Amidala!' speech???