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

OK... I gotta run since it's late and I have to go to bed or else I'll get into SOOO much trouble... I'm working on the next post right now and it *should* be up tomorrow if my teachers don't be mean tomorrow and give me stuff to do.

--Mr. P

 

What a lovely post.

 

Unfortunately... I have a HUMUNGOUS english project (and no, it doesn't have anything to do with fanfic unfortunately...) due tomorrow, and have to finish it. It's half of my whole english grade! So... I just might not get that post up tonight. Unfortunately, I just happened ot get loaded up on homework... but I might come through and finish it! otherwise I'll have like nothing to do tomorrow and do the post in school.

--Mr. P

 

Finish your project! (Of course, now that my age begins with a 3, I'm being a total hypocrite; I had more than one big project left until the last night while I was in school. )

Meanwhile, our guys can just be having a long, leisurely breakfast in Imladris.

 

Well... I didn't exactly leave it to the last night - I've been working on it almost all night and day (that's one of the reasons I can't post much - after the start of the next semester, my courseload is much less I think) for the past six weeks...

eww... cross-referenceing...

--Mr. P

 

Major sympathies. I just finished two six page semester papers, both about half my grade. I guess I can't pester you about not posting now.

But I'm going to anyway. Finish that paper! I want more story!

Lisse

 

Well... I finished it, actually just handed it in last period... but I couldn't finish the post yesterday. However, I have like no homework today since there's no project, so I'll definitely finish the post today.

--Mr. P

 

The sun did not rise that day. Frodo looked off to the west, and all that shrouded the dark mountains was a dark bubbling cloud. In the east, there was a red glow, and Frodo saw two dark towers rising out of the mountains in the distance. Winged creatures circled the edge of the horizon, and he felt at his chest. The One ? the One was gone.

Across the ashen plain, a breeze blew a cloud of sand across the dunes. A red beam of light pulsed all round from the crest of a tall dark tower crowned with fire. It circled around and around again, and suddenly, fell upon Frodo. He tried to run, to hide, to do anything to avoid the piercing gaze of the Red Eye of the Enemy, but he was frozen in his tracks. Great winged beasts with Black Riders on them issued from the tower, and sped off to the North.

Frodo still could not move. He tried, but he could not budge. Thousands of Orcs swarmed out of the base of the tower in the distance, and others out of the mountains, heading for the Udûn. Their standards flew high in the smoky breeze, and the symbol of the Eye was unfurled. They marched along the long, winding ashen roads, through the rocky landscape of the Gorgoroth, through the feet of the _Ephel Dúath_, the Mountains of Shadow.

Where were Merry and Pippin? Aragorn? Gandalf? Was he alone?

Frodo looked down the cliffs. They were sheer, and one wrong step would result in his death, if nothing worse. Sam was hiding in the rocks far beneath; Frodo couldn't tell if he had fallen. Frodo could not move. He was being watched by the Dark Lord of the Rings, and he could not think of anything else. Suddenly, a blue shaft of light cut through the red, and the gaze of the Eye of the Barad-Dûr shattered into a billion pieces. And Frodo saw a silhouette of a man, terrible but great, joyous but afraid, friendly but hesitant. He held the shaft of light, or whatever it was, aloft in his right hand, and Frodo realized that he was not a man, and neither was he a dwarf. The wind tugged at his hair and strange robes, and there was a strange twinkle in his eyes. On his left hand was a glint of gold, and Frodo recognized it as the One.

Frodo jolted awake, and the silhouette turned into a young boy. The light-shaft disappeared, and he regained his focus. The boy was gone.

Frodo looked around, and found himself in a bed. Perhaps he had overslept; a strange unpleasant dream stood just out of the grasp of his memory. The ceiling was strange, it was flat, and had ornate carved wooden beams protruding from the walls, running across the ceiling. He watched the patches of morning sunlight on the far wall.

Frodo was happy that there was no one to talk to; he did not want to talk to anyone; he wanted to go back to sleep. He felt like he had slept a hundred hours in torment, and after he had woken up, he just wanted to go back to sleep again and sleep off the pain. "Where am I, and what is the time?" he said aloud to the ceiling.

"In the House of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning," said a voice. "it is the morning of October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know."

"Gandalf!" exclaimed Frodo, sitting up. The old wizard was sitting in a chair by the open window, listening to the wind and blowing smoke-rings in the morning sun.

"Yes," he said, "I am here. And you are lucky to be here, too, after all the absurd things you have done since you left home."

Frodo lay down again. He was too peaceful to argue, and he didn't think he could win this one anyway. He was wide-awake now, and he was starting to remember his journey: the 'short-cut' through the Old Forest; the 'accident' at _The Prancing Pony_; and his madness in putting on the Ring in the dell under Weathertop. For everything in the world, he could not bring his memory down to his arrival at Rivendell. There was a long silence, and Frodo could hear Gandalf blowing white smoke-rings out the window.

"Where's Sam?" asked Frodo at length. "And are the others all right?"

"I'm here," said Sam. Frodo looked over to his left, and Sam was sitting next to his bed in a chair. T

 

I like the way you have Frodo and Anakin react to one another. Interested and wary, curious and in dread. Neat.

 

That was great, Mr. P! I can't wait to see how that dream affects the rest of the story.

Both writers are doing wonderfully! Writing good Tolkien-based stories is no easy feat.

 

Elrond's rooms looked east, toward the mountains, and he was looking rather intently in that direction when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan found him. Qui-Gon cleared his throat.

Elrond turned slowly. "Ah, yes," he said. "My visitors from 'Gondor'."

Qui-Gon glanced sideways at Obi-Wan. _I should have talked to him before this meeting._ "Master Elrond, you wished to speak with us?"

"You are not from Gondor."

The new voice came from a dark corner of the room. Elrond's presence was so strong that it had masked Aragorn's entirely.

Obi-Wan tensed. "By what right do you -- "

Qui-Gon put a hand on his padawan's shoulder. "It's all right, Obi-Wan. Questions have been raised, and the Master of this house has every right to ask them." He looked pointedly at Elrond.

Elrond nodded. "I dislike subterfuge, yet I sense in these visitors no evil, Aragorn. I would have their reasons before I pass judgment on them."

"*No* evil? Is there anything that walks on this world that bears no evil at all?" Aragorn stepped into the light. "I have been known by many names, and few know my origins, yet I do not lie about them when asked."

Obi-Wan started to go toward him, but Qui-Gon stopped him again. "An explanation seemed necessary at the time," he said.

"Father!"

"It is well, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan looked at him, long and hard, then sighed. "Master, I think this is unwise."

It was a concession that made Qui-Gon's actions easier, but it didn't please him to know that Obi-Wan was just capitulating. He didn't *agree*. "It may well be unwise, padawan, but the choice is no longer ours. We must trust these men -- or this Man and this Elf, if you prefer their way of distinguishing -- because we cannot afford them as adversaries. It is their world. They can judge what stories it can and cannot tolerate." He sensed Elrond and Aragorn listening to the exchange, but chose not to explain it. Their questions would be hitting closer to the mark now.

"As you wish."

There was a long silence, in which the four simply looked at one another, waiting for the place to begin. At last, Qui-Gon chose to speak. "We are not from Gondor," he said. "Nor are we from the South, nor the East, nor the West, nor the North, at least not as you would know the directions."

He waited for a denunciation, but none came. Aragorn nodded. "At last, we are approaching truth."

Qui-Gon spent the next thirty minutes giving an explanation of the nature of space travel -- not as simplified as he had expected to make it -- and of the civilizations in a far away galaxy. "Our ship was drawn off course," he said. "We do not know where we are in relation to our home, or if we will be able to take off again. I do suspect very strongly that we were followed by the creature who sabotaged us. We picked up a signal -- "

Obi-Wan handed Elrond the commlink. "I should not have activated it, but it picked up a signal that was not from our other companions."

Elrond examined the commlink, his piercing eyes seeming to take it apart. "Extraordinary. We have knowledge of something like this, but it is a powerful and treacherous thing."

Qui-Gon nodded. "I fear that this has become treacherous technology. With only three abroad in the world, it is far too easy for them to find one another. I am glad that Obi-Wan made his attempt on the road -- had he done so here, he might have led our enemy to you."

"Is your enemy also our enemy?"

"We know very little about our enemy," Obi-Wan put in, looking at Aragorn. "He matched Qui-Gon blow for blow in a duel, but we hadn't seen him before then. He seems to have been after the queen."

"This is the queen the children speak of?"

"Yes. She was with our party, but we became separated by the Orc raid."

Qui-Gon felt -- quite abruptly -- that something was untrue about that statement, but he couldn't name it to himself, so he let it go. "In the weeks since that duel, I've given it a great deal of thought. I haven't shared it with my apprentice -- my son, Obi-Wan -- "

"He is you

 

Good post! I like how you had them explain everything... I'll get to work on mine.

--Mr. P

 

Ooooooooooooh. (Enormous sigh of utter bliss.)

What a wonderful writer you are, Jedi Galadriel. You've got such a great handle on both the Star Wars and LotR characters.

I liked Aragorn's comment about the lighsaber.

 

Wonderful, wonderful writing Gala! That seen was very believable. (If one can say that in a fantasy crossover...) I like how you had Elrond describe the danger of the technology to the people of Middle Earth.

 

Thank you. That one wasn't easy at all! I'm re-reading LotR for the voice, (er, yeah, that's why, sure) so hopefully it will come a bit faster.

EDIT:
PS -- Hey, Elf... where does that Twain quote in your .sig come from? Sounds like a classic.

 

I found the Twain quote in a book of quotations (Bartlett's, I think) while writing a paper on the meaning of freedom, and liked it so much that I carefully preserved it.

And up.

 

Random post.

---------
Bilbo was sitting by the fire and thinking, as he usually did in Rivendell. It was a pleasant place for such a pursuit. Much less hurried and urgent than the rest of the world.

Frodo was awakening today, but Gandalf was concerned that seeing Bilbo would be too exciting for him so soon after his illness. Bilbo had taken it with ill grace earlier, but he also found it flattering to think his nephew would be so glad to see him that it would have adverse effects on his health. And he flattered himself enough to believe it true. He'd done well by Frodo, and took great pride in the ultimate result of his upbringing.

He heard quick, determined footsteps on the stone floor of the Great Hall, and turned to find young Padmé standing in the center of the room, her fists balled against her hips and her eyebrows drawn down into a menacing line. Before she had a chance to begin stamping her feet, Bilbo stood and waved his walking stick in her general direction. "Good morning, Padmé!"

Immediately, she painted a new face over her irritation. If he hadn't seen it, he wouldn't have suspected that it had been there. "Good morning, Bilbo. I don't suppose you've seen Ani and the others?"

"Ani has gone off to Frodo's room. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were summoned to speak with Elrond."

She'd been heading over, and she suddenly stopped, every muscle in her face and her body becoming tense. "Qui-Gon is speaking to Elrond?"

"He was summoned."

"When?"

"I believe the invitation was issued at dinner last night. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"At dinner *last night*?"

"I'll have someone bring you bread and fruit. This will be a great day for eating."

Padmé just stood in a bar of sunlight, blinking her eyes and clenching and unclenching her fists. Finally, she sighed, tugged at her hair, and came to the stools around the fire. "I'm sorry, Bilbo. I didn't mean to show my anger to you. You have not earned it in any way. But I believe I need to have a long council with Qui-Gon myself. And with Ani, who was supposed to keep me apprised of these developments."

Bilbo couldn't help smiling. Padmé couched everything in formal terms, but under it, she was amusing to him. She reminded him of the Tooks (whom he knew reasonably well, his mother having been one of them). It was no wonder she and Pippin had gotten on as well as they had. "You are quite accustomed to looking after yourself, aren't you?"

"I... well, I generally have assistance, but I am... " She sighed again, and sank onto a stool. "I just feel very removed from all of this. There's a fight of some sort coming, and I'm not even armed for it."

Bilbo might have laughed at the idea of her preparing for battle, but he was too astounded at the implications of what she had said. "My dear child, you don't mean to tell me that you crossed the Misty Mountains without so much as knife?"

"I wasn't aware I needed one. And I'm not convinced one would have been granted to me. Though Legolas gave Ani quite a pretty knife."

"If he's been given an elvish blade, he is doing well. But a young girl... by Elbereth, child, had you become separated, captured... " Bilbo did not choose to think further on the subject. The idea of this poor girl unarmed among goblins was not something he wished to dwell on. "Come. You will undoubtedly be staying here at Rivendell with a doddering old hobbit for company, but even here, it would be unwise to venture too far outside without some form of protection. I believe most of the ladies carry some form of knife, against the event of capture."

"I don't know much about fighting with knives. I have always used... a sort of projectile weapon. Held in the hand and used at a distance."

"Ah. I see." Bilbo stood up, and started to lead her out. "Well, in that case, I suspect you will do best with a bow and quiver, though they are harder to conceal, and if they aren't what you're accustomed to, they will take some practice."

"I didn't know you were an expert on weaponry," she teased.

 

When Frodo woke again, the sun was not sitting on the windowsill. Frodo looked around, and watched the golden-red light fall over the trees outside the window, flowing down the vibrant green leaves like a rain of gold. The light reflected off the glistening leaves, and Frodo's hand felt cold. He looked to his right, and saw that Sam was holding his hand.

"Good evening, Mr. Frodo," said Sam, getting up. When he let go of Frodo's hand, it became warm again.

Frodo sat up, and said: "Hullo, Sam! Your hands are cold." Sam must have been sitting there all afternoon, holding his hand.

Sam placed his hand on his cheek and said, "It's warm! Meaning your hand, Mr. Frodo. Mine are cold today, for some reason. But glory and trumpets! Your hands felt so cold through the long nights..."

"You were here during the nights?"

"And all day, too. It's fine to see you up and ready again, Mr. Frodo. Gandalf asked me to check up on you and see if you were ready to come down for the dinner. I thought he was joking. You only woke up earlier ? you should have been resting. And that's what you were doing, so I was only half-wrong."

"I am ready," said Frodo. "Come, where's the rest of the party?"

"I know," said Sam. Frodo got up, and found that he was already dressed in a strange green garment. "It's a strange house, this place, very peculiar. Very big. Come along, Mr. Frodo. You shan't want to lose yourself here."

"I'm ready," said Frodo. "Come; lead the way."

They left the door, and Sam started to lead Frodo along a maze of pathways and corridors. Frodo was almost overwhelmed by the number of turns that had to be made to get anywhere. He tuned in to what Sam was saying: "... there's always a tiny bit more to discover. Something new around every corner. Quite delightful, actually. And all the Elves! Elves everywhere! I said that I wanted to see Elves, but... some of them are great like kings, terrible and splendid, others like children."

"I've met some before," said Frodo, remembering the times that he had gone off with Bilbo and met Elves traveling West, to the Grey Havens. He followed alongside Sam, holding his arm. It wasn't as cold as his hand, but Frodo paid it no attention. He rather studied the tapestries and building of the house of Elrond, the Last Homely House east of the Sea. Much different from the building of the Bag End, but that was to be expected ? Bag End in Hobbiton was underground, and here, they were above. To Frodo, Bag End seemed far away, distant and his memories almost transparent. So much had transpired since he had fled the Shire with the Ring, it seemed almost like a dream. Frodo wondered what was going on in the Shire, but he had no way of knowing, so he put the thought aside.

"... I could never quite pick up the Elvish appetite for music and verse and singing, but I enjoy it, whatever I can. Not that I have had the time or heart for much since we have got here, but I am getting to know the ways of the place, and I like it."

"I know what you've been doing," said Frodo. "Now; lead on."

* * * * * *

The air was warm, and Frodo could hear the sound of falling water clearly. Shadows had fallen over the house and the valley below, but inside, the light of torches and lanterns kept the place lively and awake. Frodo entered the great dining hall smelling the flowers from the garden, and Pippin sprung up the moment he saw Frodo and Sam. "Hurray!" he exclaimed. "Here is our noble cousin! Make way for Frodo, Lord of the Ring!"

"Hush!" said Gandalf from the shadows. He was standing at the back of the porch, and said, "Evil things do not come into this valley; but all the same we should not name them. The Lord of the Ring is not Frodo, but the master of the Dark Tower of Mordor, whose power is again stretching out over the world! We are sitting in a fortress. Outside it is getting dark."

"Gandalf has been saying many cheer things of that sort lately," said Pippin. "He think that I need disciplining and keeping in order. Somehow, it seems impossible to be gloomy and sad in this place, th

 

Boy, Amidala's got to be fit to be tied... Qui-Gon has demoted her from speaker for the queen to random surviving orphan in a raid, and even Aragorn said that her story with Ani was okay! And she's already feeling marginalized...

I think he may have one angry-as-a-wet-cat teenage queen on his hands pretty soon.

 

Indeed! I am so ready for Ami to have a queeny hissy fit!

You all have no idea how much fun this story is to read! Keep it coming!

 

Yesss! Great posts, both of them. I believe I've already said that you're doing a marvelous job on all the characters, so ... another post in the long tradition of excellence!

 

Thanks, everyone who replied! None of my other fics ever got this many replies in such a short time... anyway, I'll be able to post soon, since I have only 2 exams over exam week (wednesday -> monday) and so I'll have ample time.

--Mr. p