The Three Girls Chapter 1: A Strange Encounter, a lord of the rings fanfic

[A/N: Brief character descriptions:

Rachel: 6'0", hazel eyes, medium-length thick blond hair with natural brown highlights, very fair skin

Elizabeth: 5'7", brown eyes, shoulder-length brown hair with bangs, slightly tanned skin

Ariel: 5'5", dark brown eyes, waist-length curly black hair, caramel toned skin

It was a bright, sunny day in the middle of Spring Break. Two friends, Ariel and Elizabeth, were spending a few days over at their other friend Rachel's house, and there was no one there besides them. Of the three of them, Rachel had the biggest house, and she was the only one who had a car and a driver's license, so they spent most of their sleep-overs over there.

They were all ballet dancers at the same school: Elizabeth was 16, and the other two were 17, but they were all in the same ballet level, which was the most advanced class of the academy. In academic school, Elizabeth was a sophomore at a performing arts high school, and Rachel was a home-schooled senior who was just waiting for her grades to arrive. Ariel had graduated from school early, when she was 16.

"It's so nice out," Elizabeth commented, glancing out of the clear, glass back door. It was open just a crack, to let a gentle breeze waft into the room. Rachel paused her Special Extended Edition DVD of The Fellowship of the Ring.

"Do you want to take a break? We can go for a walk, and then come back and have snacks while we finish the movie."

"Sounds good to me," Ariel piped up. She was always up for a snack. "Let me just take these cookies out." She hopped over to the oven and put on two mitts, taking out three full cookie sheets with care.

"That's a good idea," Elizabeth agreed. She peered over the counter to take a look at the chocolate chip cookies Ariel was setting out to cool. "Need help?"

"No, I'm good, thanks." Ariel smiled and finished up, and Rachel bounded down from upstairs after retrieving and putting on her shoes.

"Ready to go?"

"Yep!" Elizabeth said. She and Ariel slipped on their shoes and followed Rachel outside, into the fresh, balmy air. The three girls walked around the block for a little while, and then made their way to a little grassy area a few houses down from Rachel's house.

"Strange, that there's no one out. The weather's great," Ariel said.

"Yeah… It's a little weird," Rachel admitted. "Usually, it's a lot busier around here. There ought to be at least one person walking their dog or something."

Elizabeth was being even quieter than usual, so the other two turned to see if she was all right. Their mouths dropped open when they saw what she was pointing at.

A crackling blue oval of energy was expanding in the middle of the park, silently at first, and then with an increasing amount of noise. There wasn't enough time to run from it, so the girls shielded their faces with their hands, and a bright white light flashed at them. When it faded, they looked to see what had happened, and each of them almost fainted.

The Fellowship of the Ring was standing 100 yards across the park from them, looking extremely disoriented, and some of them looked a little green. As soon as they saw the three girls, they lifted their weapons, ready to fight.

"Hold! Who are you?" Aragorn shouted, pointing his sword at them. Elizabeth's knees were shaking, Rachel's mouth was hanging open, and Ariel's eyes were boggling.

"Wha- why, it's just three young girls, unarmed and… rather undressed," Gimli coughed, glancing away from their legs, bared in summer shorts (which were pretty modest, for shorts, but to citizens of Middle Earth, they were what one might describe as 'scantily clad').

"W-w-wait! Don't attack us," Ariel blurted out, finding her voice. "Um… Um, we're friends. Allies, even." On impulse, she put her hand on her heart and extended her palm to them; a gesture she remembered seeing the elves do in Lord of the Rings.

Legolas and Aragorn immediately recognized the greeting. Legolas's grip on his bow relaxed slightly, and he looked at Aragorn for instruction. Beside them, the hobbits were getting a bit distracted by their surroundings; particularly Merry and Pippin. They kept glancing up at the trees and the sky. Boromir still had his sword drawn, and his mouth was in a firm grimace.

"Then…" Aragorn sheathed his sword and held up his hands. "Fair maidens, I am sorry for frightening you." He nodded at his companions, and the hobbits all sheathed their little daggers. Legolas lowered his bow, and Gimli rested his axe upon the grass. Boromir hesitated before putting his sword away. "These are dark times, and it is hard to trust those whom we do not already know. Please, tell me… What are your names, and where in Middle Earth are we?"

"I'm Ariel, and this is Rachel and Elizabeth," she said, pointing at each of them in turn. "And, well… You're not exactly in Middle Earth anymore." Although I have absolutely no freaking clue how that happened, she added silently. "This is Rachel's neighborhood. Er, Las Vegas."

"It is Rachel's domain? You are royalty, then… It is an honor, my lady of Vegas," Aragorn said, bowing his head to Rachel. She turned pink and stuttered.

"I-I, uh…"

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Legolas, of the woodland realm, Gimli, son of Gloin, and Boromir of Gondor." They each nodded respectfully at the girls. "The hobbits are Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin."

Pippin just stared at them until Merry nudged him, and they both bowed. Frodo and Sam followed suit, but Frodo stumbled slightly as he straightened up. He was a bit pale and peaked.

"In the midst of our travels, we were set upon by the evil wizard Saruman," Aragorn explained. "He seems to have taken our friend Gandalf captive, and sent us to this strange realm, wherever it may be. We know not how to return. But, our company is weary… Might we ask you to harbor us for a short time?"

Rachel blanched slightly, and Ariel held up a hand to the Fellowship. "One moment, please… We must, uh, confer." She and Elizabeth drew Rachel aside.

"I don't know if my parents would be all right with it," Rachel whispered nervously.

"Aren't they with your brother at Disneyland for the entire rest of the week?" Elizabeth asked.

"Rachel, they're the Fellowship of the Ring," Ariel reasoned, trying not to squeal. "I mean, he did say for 'a short time'… Maybe we can just help them out for now and then decide what to do later. If they're still here when your parents get back, I'll help you break the news to them… gently."

"I don't know…" Rachel gulped and made a quick decision. "All right. For now." She walked back over to them, flanked by Ariel and Elizabeth. "Please, follow us to my house."

"Thank you, lady. We are in your debt," Aragorn said. He beckoned the rest of the Fellowship, and they all trooped after the girls. Gimli tugged on Aragorn's sleeve, speaking quietly.

"How can you be sure we can trust them?" he asked. "They could be spies of Saruman."

"I agree entirely," Boromir said, his voice full of suspicion. "The great Eye is ever watchful, and the white wizard is cunning. One does not simply trust random citizens of an unusual land."

"Their eyes bore no lies," Aragorn replied softly. "How extraordinary… Their looks tell me they are a tall young elf, a brown-haired girl, and a dark young lady of the Haradrim… But they are humans. They wear such strange garb… and speak an even stranger tongue; a unique dialect of Common. I do trust them, though."

Legolas nodded in agreement. "The one who greeted us first, the girl with dark hair and brown skin… It seems that she, at least, is a friend to elves. No friend to elves could intend us harm. And they all bear themselves with an uncommon grace that no average human would display. I would not be surprised if they are all royalty."

Rachel opened the door and led everyone inside. "Well, this is my house." She was a little more at ease, but still not fully comfortable. "Um, you can have a seat in the living room." They followed her to the couch, where Merry and Pippin plopped down on the shaggy pink carpet, marveling at how soft it was. Gimli gingerly prodded the couch with his axe, and then sat down slowly, sinking comfortably into the brown leather. Aragorn and Legolas chose to stand at the end of the counter. Boromir scoffed and went outside to the backyard, presumably to inspect it.

"Why, that smells delicious," Pippin crowed, raising his head to look for the source of the aroma. Ariel realized he was talking about her cookies, which were just about ready to be eaten.

"Would you like some?" she asked. The two hobbits nodded enthusiastically, and Ariel set about getting plates for them.

"I'm going to fry up some naan bread," Rachel announced, tying on her apron. "It'll just be a few minutes."

Frodo walked into the room last, rather sluggishly, followed by Sam, who was fussing over him.

"Oh, Mr. Frodo… You need to sit down, right away." Sam led him to the kitchen table and made him take a seat on one of the wooden chairs. "Beggin' your pardon, Lady Rachel, but Mr. Frodo here needs something to eat, right now… D'you mind if I start up a fire right outside and cook him up some vittles? I have some things here, in my pack."

Rachel's eyes widened at the thought of him making a fire. "Uh…"

"I can do it," Elizabeth offered shyly. "Not the fire, I mean. I can microwave your food for, um, Frodo."

"Microwave?" Sam raised his eyebrows. Elizabeth glanced worriedly at Frodo- he didn't look too good- before helping Sam get out his food and cooking supplies.

Meanwhile, Ariel had served three plates of cookies to Merry and Pippin already, and they were still asking politely for more.

"These are excellent," Merry said, grinning. "A bit like biscuits, from back home in the Shire, but they're much sweeter."

"Yes! What're they called again?" Pippin asked enthusiastically.

"Cookies," Ariel told him. She was beginning to think that maybe hobbits and sugar weren't a good mix, but, oh well- it was certainly too late to take back the ones they'd eaten. On her way back to re-filling their plates, she approached Legolas and Aragorn, who were conversing in low Elvish.

"Um, sorry to interrupt… Are you two hungry?"

Aragorn considered her offer. "Just some water would be nice, my lady."

"And for me as well," Legolas added.

Ariel nodded. "Of course. Let me just…" She set down one of the empty plates on the counter, but it slid off the edge. Legolas caught it at the same time that she did, and their eyes met for a brief moment. "Thanks," she muttered awkwardly, unable to hold the gaze for much longer. Her cheeks reddened as she gathered up the plates and walked quickly away.

"Did I offend her in some way?" Legolas asked, slightly worried.

Aragorn stifled a chuckle. "No, I don't think so."

Ariel handed them glasses of water without looking at them and then hurried back over to the hobbits with more cookies.

"Are you feeling better?" Elizabeth asked Frodo. A healthier color was returning to his cheeks as he ate the bread and sausages that she had helped Sam prepare. Young Mr. Gamgee was still marveling at the microwave, muttering about how useful it would be if he had one back home.

"Yes, I am. Thank you," Frodo said solemnly. Elizabeth was staring at him, so he blinked. "What is it?"

"Oh!" She looked down at the table, realizing that she had been gazing at him for a long moment. "Your eyes are so blue."

He smiled softly. "Yes, I suppose they are. And yours are very brown."

"Yeah… kind of boring, I know," Elizabeth said bashfully.

"No, I think they're nice," Frodo said honestly, taking a sip of water.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Rachel finished making the bread and dished it out to everyone, along with some leftover sloppy joe meat from dinner the night before, sweet potato fries, and fresh strawberries. "I know it's going to be different from what you're used to. I'm sorry… But I hope you like it."

"My lady, there is no need to apologize for your hospitality," Aragorn insisted, eating a spoonful of meat. His eyes lit up. "And, this is delicious."

Rachel smiled, relieved. "Good. Drinks, anyone?"

"Over here!" Gimli shouted from the couch. "We've traveled far enough to work up plenty of my thirst, as well as my appetite. What have you, miss?"

"Well, there's water, milk, orange juice, and Diet Coke…"

"No ale? Or perhaps a malt beer?" Gimli asked hopefully. Rachel shook her head. "Ah, well. I shall have some milk. Or, what is this Diet Coke you speak of?"

"Soda… Um, it's kind of like sweet, fizzy, non-alcoholic ale."

"Close enough," Gimli said. "One of those, please and thank you."

Rachel brought him a glass of Diet Coke, and milk for Merry and Pippin, who proceeded to dunk their remaining cookies into their glasses.

"Like this?" Pippin asked Ariel, who was seated beside them on the floor.

"Yeah. Tell me if you like it," Ariel said, smiling. Merry and Pippin both bit into their milk-soaked cookies and nodded almost immediately.

"Who'd have ever thought of that?" Merry laughed. "It's brilliant."

Ariel shrugged, noting how quickly they were clearing their plates.

"What's that?" Pippin asked suddenly, pointing up at Rachel's flat-screen TV, which was off at the moment.

"Oh, it's a TV… You, um, record things that people do, and then watch them on there," Ariel explained awkwardly, trying to figure out how to present the concept of television to someone who probably didn't even know what electricity was.

"Oh. What's that?" he asked, pointing at the pool in the backyard.

"Just a pool to swim in. It has a built-in waterfall, too."

"What's that?" Pippin kept asking questions, with Merry jumping in occasionally.

"They seem to like her," Aragorn noticed, sopping up some meat juices on his plate with a piece of naan bread.

"I can see why," Legolas said, a hint of a smile on his face. Then he cleared his throat and selected a strawberry from a bowl on the counter.

"Frodo asked if he could lie down somewhere," Elizabeth said quietly to Rachel. "Do you think, maybe, the air mattress upstairs?"

"Good idea," Rachel said. "Can you show him the way?"

"Yes." Elizabeth went back over to Frodo and told him that there was a bed for him. He got up and followed her upstairs, with Sam trailing behind them concernedly.

"Where are they going?" Merry asked, craning his neck to see Frodo and Sam ascending the stairs.

"I think Frodo needs to rest," Ariel said. "We should probably give him some time alone."

"Oh… Does that mean we need to be quiet?"

"Well, the spare bedroom is actually pretty soundproof… You can't hear anything, even loud noises, in there when the door's shut." Ariel suddenly had an idea. "Rachel, can I take them upstairs to the game room?"

Rachel nodded slowly. "I don't see why not. You know how to set everything up, right?"

"Yep." Ariel motioned for the two hobbits to follow her, and they bounced up the stairs.

"Lady Rachel… Would you tell me more about this world?" Aragorn asked Rachel. "I need to know just how far from our home it is. Perhaps there is some way for us to return without the assistance of wizards."

Upon hearing Aragorn, Gimli stood up from the couch and trotted over, a plate of food still in his hands.

Rachel knew Middle Earth wasn't even the same world, and until today, she didn't even consider it could actually exist, so she definitely had no clue how they were going to get back. "Las Vegas is a city in Nevada… and Nevada is a state in America. Then there are six other continents."

"Continents?" Legolas asked, the word strange on his tongue.

"Er, I guess you could call them realms, or kingdoms, even though they don't all have kings. And there are different cities and countries within each realm."

"Then yours is a large world indeed," Aragorn noted. "Perhaps, if we could look down from a higher point, we could get a better sense of the surrounding areas."

Rachel shrugged. "I might be able to help you with that…"

"Is this right?" Pippin asked loudly over the Guitar Hero music. He was holding the guitar upside down, and playing half the buttons with his toes, but somehow, he was hitting every note… on Expert level.

"I guess that works," Ariel said bemusedly.

Meanwhile, Merry was fiddling furiously with a Rubik's cube. Ariel had tried to start them off easily, with some board games, but the hobbits had gone straight for Hungry Hungry Hippos, and then jumped around between air hockey, Guitar Hero, and generally just bouncing around. Ariel made a mental note not to give them any more cookies, and she looked up as Elizabeth and Sam walked in.

"He's fallen asleep," Elizabeth said, referring to Frodo. "What are you guys up to?"

"Everything," Ariel joked. "Here, will you stay with them for a moment? I'll be back." She left them and went downstairs, to find Legolas, Aragorn, and Rachel preparing to leave. "What's up?"

"I'm going to drive them over to Lone Mountain, so they can get a better view of things," Rachel explained. "I would take everyone, but I don't think they'll all fit."

Ariel nodded, knowing full well that there was only a small double seat they referred to as a 'bookshelf' in the back of Rachel's car, and then the driver's and passenger's seats. "Do you want me to stay here?"

Rachel shook her head. She didn't really want to drive with Aragorn and Legolas by herself, so it would be great if Ariel could come along- but it wouldn't be fair to Elizabeth. "Well, I wouldn't want to leave Elizabeth alone…"

"Not to worry; I'll be sitting right here you're gone, with my trusty axe in reach," Gimli assured them from his perch on the couch. "Not a single danger will get past while this dwarf still breathes. Besides, I've done more than enough hiking for my taste; and those shelves of food you have are looking very inviting, if you don't mind my exploring its depths until you return. Ah, and I believe Boromir is patrolling the outer perimeter," he added, gesturing to the back door. Boromir was surveying the neighbors' backyards over the fence.

"Help yourself to anything you'd like," Rachel offered, convinced. "I'll just be a minute." She went quickly upstairs to tell Elizabeth what was going on, and to get her sunscreen, hat, and good hiking boots. "Ready to go?" she asked as soon as she came back down.

"Lead the way, my lady," Aragorn said. As they walked out, Ariel winced at the sight of the countless muddy footprints and bootprints that decorated the entire hallway.

"Well… this is my car," Rachel said hesitantly, showing the red two-door five-seater to Legolas and Aragorn. "It's our means of transportation. I know it's going to be weird, but it's kind of complicated to explain how it works," she admitted.

"That is all right," Legolas told her.

Aragorn nodded in agreement. "The important thing is that we get to this mountain swiftly. I am sure there are many more wonders of your world that my eyes will just have to grow accustomed to."

They all clambered in, and Rachel backed out of the driveway. "Sorry it's so cramped back there," she apologized once they started driving. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, my lady," Legolas said simply. He seemed completely fine, even though there was hardly any room for his legs; but Ariel was hunched against the window on her side, trying not to accidentally brush against him.

"This mountain you speak of… It is the highest point around here?" Aragorn asked, to be sure.

"Yes. Red Rock and Mt. Charleston are bigger, but they're a lot farther away, and it costs money to hike there, and, um… Well, I don't want to leave Elizabeth alone for longer than we have to. I don't mean that I don't trust the hobbits, Boromir, and Gimli, but…"

"I know what you mean," Aragorn assured her. The hobbits could be kind of hard to handle, especially Merry and Pippin, and Gimli wasn't really very helpful with keeping them under control. Boromir, meanwhile, was a wild card. Since he was a man of honor, he wouldn't do anything bad, but he may not do anything that was particularly helpful, either.

Rachel hit a sharp turn at a yellow light, and Ariel went flying across the back, bumping roughly against Legolas.

"Sorry!" Rachel called back, glancing in the rear-view mirror.

In a slight daze, Ariel looked up to realize she was inches away from Legolas's face.

"Are you hurt?" Legolas asked, concern apparent in his blue eyes.

"Ubuh… Yu…" Ariel cleared her throat and did her best to straighten up, scooting back to the other side. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. "No..."

They reached Lone Mountain in good time, and Rachel parked on the west side of it. Everyone got out of the car, and she shouldered her backpack, which contained a few water bottles, sunscreen, a small first aid kit, and a little bit of trail mix.

"We'll just be a moment," she apologized as she and Ariel lathered on some sunscreen. Curious, Legolas picked up one of the bottles they weren't using and studied it.

"We should be able to make good time," Aragorn mused. "This seems like it will be an undemanding climb."

The girls finished with their UV protection, and Rachel put on a hat while Ariel slipped on some sunglasses.

"This way," Rachel said, leading them towards the nearest trail. Ariel glanced up at the side of the mountain, glad that they were actually using a trail. It must have been hard for the Fellowship to climb the many trail-less mountains in Middle Earth, since they had been loaded down with weapons, cloaks, and various other supplies.

It usually took the girls about an hour and a half to reach the top, but they secretly didn't want to seem slow in front of the two men, so they picked up the pace. Ariel and Rachel traded off as leader- Rachel went steadily up the clearest path, hardly ever slipping, while Ariel just hopped around and clambered over whatever rocks were in her way, occasionally getting poked by brambles and sharp boulders. Legolas and Aragorn would probably already be at the top, if they knew which way to go, since they were such accomplished hikers.

Finally, they reached the highest peak. Ariel sat down, exhausted, while Legolas hopped easily up to the highest rock that was closest to the edge. Aragorn shaded his eyes with his hand and surveyed the surrounding area. Rachel sat beside Ariel, and they shared some trail mix while the men discussed the lay of the land.

"What a unique structure," Aragorn mused, referring to the city's layout, which was visible from the top of Lone Mountain. Las Vegas's valley shape made it easy to see most of the crisscrossing and curving streets, the various housing complexes, and many other establishments; including restaurants, playgrounds, hospitals, theatres, fire departments, and more. Of course, to the two members of the Fellowship, they were merely buildings- they had no way of knowing what was what.

Legolas peered out farther than Aragorn's eyes, though keen for a human, could possibly see. "This valley is surrounded by mountains on all sides," he noted. "Beyond that, there is a great desert, and then another city, edged by the sea. On the other three sides of… Nevada, there is also desert, and more cities beyond that."

"And that is only the surrounding region," Aragorn said, more to himself than to Legolas. "This land is, perhaps even greater in size than Middle Earth itself; or at least, greater in populace and number of civilizations. Maybe… Maybe the sea connects somehow to Middle Earth."

"Unless we are in a completely separate realm," Legolas said quietly.

"How are they going to get home?" Ariel whispered to Rachel through a mouthful of trail mix. "Unless there are some wizards somewhere we don't know about… Hey, maybe Hogwarts is real too."

"Then we could get a Portkey to send them to Middle Earth," Rachel joked hopefully.

"Yeah… if only," Ariel sighed. They watched as the elf and the ranger pointed things out to each other. Maybe they were mapping out some kind of route.

"There- what's that?" Legolas exclaimed, gesturing somewhere far below. The girls stood up to join him and Aragorn.

"What's what?" Rachel asked, squinting. "Oh- I think I see it…" She pointed Ariel in the right direction, to look at something in the area near Rachel's house.

"Is that a… light?" Ariel asked. "It looks just like the one we saw when you guys appeared."

"Whatever it was, we must find out," Aragorn said, heading back towards the trail. "It may be our only chance of returning." The others followed him, climbing down as fast as they could without tumbling down the mountain.

Ariel paused at the top of a particularly steep rock, trying to figure out the best way down. Ahead, Rachel and Aragorn were already almost out of sight, deep in conversation. Legolas turned back, noticed that she wasn't following, and he leapt easily back to where she was.

"Lady Ariel? What is it?"

Ariel gulped, embarrassed. "Well, let's just say… I'm better at climbing mountains than descending them."

"Oh." Legolas considered that for a moment. "Do you need assistance?"

"No!" Ariel blushed and shook her head. "Nah, I'll be fine." She took a step… and slid on a loose rock, pitching forward. Legolas caught her by the waist and steadied her before she fell.

"Are you sure?"

"Maybe a little help would be nice…" Ariel smiled awkwardly up at him. Legolas held out his arm for her like a gentleman, and she laid her arm atop his, gripping his hand whenever she needed to. With his assistance, getting down the mountain was much easier, and faster, too. It was also rather nice, since she technically got to hold his hand.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Gimli looked up at what sounded like wood banging upon wood. "Aha… A foe! Let them come, I say." He hoisted one of his axes over his shoulder and exited the pantry, striding purposefully over to the front door. "Who is it, and what do you want? Let it be known that I am fully armed and dangerous!"

"That is most reassuring indeed, Master Dwarf," said a very familiar voice. Gimli narrowed his eyes and opened the door a crack. A tall figure stood there, clothed in dark cloaks and bearing a long wooden staff.

"How can I be sure that you're not the villainous Saruman, disguised, or one of his spies?" Gimli asked suspiciously.

"What does your heart tell you?" the stranger asked. On impulse, Gimli opened the door all the way. The man took down his hood, and revealed his face.

On the way back to her house, Rachel glanced in the rearview mirror. Ariel seemed a little bit more comfortable than she had been before- instead of being squished against the window, she was sitting a little closer to Legolas, and they were talking quietly.

"I cannot thank you enough for bringing us to the mountain," Aragorn said. "We may now be able to return to our land."

"It was my pleasure," Rachel told him. "That explosion of light we saw seemed to be very close to my house. The others might have even already noticed it."

"I can only hope we arrive there in time," Aragorn noted.

"We're almost there." Rachel turned the corner and pulled into her housing complex. The four of them peered around, looking for any sign of unnatural activity, but all seemed normal. Once they reached Rachel's house, they got out of the car and went inside.

"It can't be…" Legolas muttered, looking up. He was alert all of a sudden. Wordless, he and Aragorn hurried ahead of the girls to the living room, but then they relaxed. Seated at the table with a cup of tea was a tall wizard with a long grey beard and a twinkle in his eye. His staff was leaning against the back door, where Boromir was standing with his arms folded.

"Gandalf!" Ariel squealed, quickly turning it into a cough and hoping that no one had heard her. It would probably confuse them to no end if they found out that she and the girls already knew who Gandalf was.

"Ah, it is good to see you, my friends." Gandalf tipped his hat to them and stood.

"Gandalf… How came you here?" Aragorn asked, clapping him on the shoulder.

"It took me many days and nights… But I escaped from Saruman's clutches and studied the ancient, forgotten arts that brought you all here. Finally, I was able to construct an identical… portal, I believe it is called. And now, I am here."

"How can that be?" Legolas wondered aloud. "Not a full day has passed since we were sent to this place."

"Time is a mysterious magic," Gandalf said mystically. "It does not always occur in the same way in every place that exists. There are many worlds beyond our own."

Elizabeth, the four hobbits, and Gimli came in from the backyard, where she had been showing them the pool. "Oh, hi guys."

"You said that you were able to construct some kind of portal," Boromir recalled. "Is that what resulted in the flash of light?"

"Yes," Gandalf answered. "In fact, I can now create one at any time. So, we may return home just as soon as you are ready to leave."

There was a moment of silence while the news settled into everyone's minds.

"Excellent! I'd like to cleave me some orc-heads," Gimli said at last, breaking the quiet. "This has been a well-needed rest; but we must return and continue on our journey."

"Are you sure we can't stay for another night or so?" Sam asked, glancing wistfully at the microwave.

"As much as I would like to, we cannot," Aragorn said, his gaze lingering on Rachel. "Who knows what havoc Saruman and Sauron have been able to wreak while we were away."

"Gandalf, where will this portal of yours bring us? I'd hate to have to start walking from the beginning," Merry said. "We were pretty far along."

"If my calculations are correct, it should put us just out of range of where we were set upon by the White Wizard," Gandalf replied, stroking his beard. "I should conjure it outside, so that we do not risk damaging this lovely home."

"Will you come and see us off?" Frodo asked Elizabeth.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. Rachel and Ariel nodded in agreement. The three of them helped the Fellowship pack up their things, and provided them with a few foodstuffs for the road. At long last, everyone trooped outside and walked to the little park area where the travelers had first appeared.

"It's awfully quiet," Pippin remarked. Gandalf looked up uneasily at the sky- something wasn't right. Even the leaves on the trees weren't rustling.

"The clouds are still," Legolas noted, a tense look on his face. "And the birds are silent."

"What's that noise?" Sam said suddenly, looking up at the sky. Everyone paused to listen. It was the only sound that anyone could hear- a deep, quiet rumbling sound.

Rachel almost crashed into something, and her eyes widened when she realized what it was. There was a bird suspended in the air, mid-flight, as if it was frozen in time. "What…"

"It is the work of Saruman," Gandalf muttered under his breath. "Everyone, gather around me. Quickly. You too, girls." They crowded around Gandalf so that they could hear what he had to say. "It is as I feared. Saruman's witchcraft has followed us into this realm. All of time here has come to a stop, and my magic is not strong enough to fix it while we remain in this reality."

"What do you mean?" Ariel asked; panic bubbling up in her chest. "Is the entire planet at a stand-still? What are we supposed to do?"

"The only thing I can do is bring us back to Middle Earth. From there, I will have a better chance of finding a solution," Gandalf replied gently. "Though, I cannot promise you that I can find it right away. There is a much greater evil in our land that we must first take care of."

"Then everything here is frozen except us?" Elizabeth looked worriedly from Gandalf to Frodo, and then at the bird in the air. "Our families, all of our friends… What will happen to them?"

"I believe that they will remain in this suspended state until I counteract Saruman's sorcery," Gandalf told her. "They will not age, nor will any harm come to them. The spell may even extend to your whole universe; not just this one planet. But I believe also that I can return us to this exact point in time, upon our return."

"Our return?" Rachel asked. "You mean, we're coming with you?"

"Many dangers plague our realm, my lady," Aragorn told her quietly, resting a hand on her shoulder. "But there are also places of safety and comfort. And we cannot simply leave you here, in this frozen world."

Ariel's hands were shaking. Legolas's gaze softened and he took both of her hands in his own, whispering some words of comfort in her ear.

"Don't worry- we'll protect you!" Pippin said gaily, as he and Merry each grabbed one of Elizabeth's hands. "We wouldn't have been chosen for this mission- quest- thing- if we weren't qualified adventurers, anyway."

"What say you, fair Rachel?" Aragorn asked; his hand still on Rachel's shoulder. She glanced around, her gaze meeting with first Elizabeth's, and then Ariel's. They could either remain as the only three un-suspended living things in existence for who knows how long, or they could travel to Middle Earth, fight evil, and find a way to save their planet. She knew what her decision was… and she saw that the same choice was clear in Ariel and Elizabeth's eyes.

They all knew what they had to do, and they all knew that they wouldn't regret it.

[A/N: Brief character descriptions:

Rachel: 6'0", hazel eyes, medium-length thick blond hair with natural brown highlights, very fair skin

Elizabeth: 5'7", brown eyes, shoulder-length brown hair with bangs, slightly tanned white skin

Ariel: 5'5", dark brown eyes, almost waist-length curly black hair, caramel toned skin

Photo (left-right): Ariel, Elizabeth, Rachel]