The Fellowship of the Ring–Novel-ified!

Hey everybody. Hope everybody’s doing alright!

So, in my last blog post, I told you I promised you some fanfiction. It was based off a prompt from a NaNoWriMo livestream, where they asked you to dump your MC into your favorite movie/book/TV show. So, I decided to take my MC and her best friend into my favorite movie trilogy…

Lord of the Rings! Yay!

This will hopefully be a way for you to experience my characters, get to know them so that if you ever read my book, you know a little about them. This also serves to help me develop them and just something fun to do.

So, I have made a drawing to be some kind of cover for this fanfiction, but it needs touching up in Photoshop and I have been too lazy to do that 🙂 This first post I will totally be flying by the seat of my pants, but my next one will have been written out and scenes tweaked and…yeah. Just read and I hope you enjoy. I will be posting this every other week, along with normal posts. Please comment and tell me if you liked it, or if you think I should change something.

Trigger warnings: LotR is rated PG-13, and although not too graphic, my writing will definitely feature violence. Also, spoilers.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Featuring Stella and Candace possibly seriously affecting everything

The world is changed: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air…much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.

It began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the elves, immortal, wisest, fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine…nine were gifted to the race of men who, above all else, desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race. But all of them were deceived…for another ring was made.

In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged a Master Ring in secret to control all the others. Into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life. One Ring to rule them all…one by one the free lands of Middle-earth fell to the power of the Ring.

But there were some who resisted.

A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor. On the slopes of Mount Doom they fought for the freedom of Middle-earth. Victory was near, but the power of the Ring could not be undone. The king of men, Elendil, fell to Sauron’s hand. It was in this moment, however, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father’s sword. He cut the Ring from Sauron, and Sauron was defeated.

The Ring passed to Isildur, who had one chance to destroy evil forever. But the hearts of men are easily corrupted, and the Ring had a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur to his death, and some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend…legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years the Ring passed out of all knowledge. 

Until, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer.

“Knock knock!” I called cheerfully. Candace threw open her front door. 

“You’re finally here! What took you so long?”

“Sorry.” I shrugged. “Life happens. I can’t always just hop on my bike and ride over here.”

“Tell me about it.” We walked inside, and Candace’s beagle puppy Luke ran toward us, yapping as he jumped up, pawing my leg.

“Hey, buddy!” I knelt down to pet him as I continued to talk to Candace. “You said we’re gonna watch a movie tonight?”

“Yeah. I’ve already got the popcorn in the microwave. What do you think of…this?” She pulled something from behind her back with a flourish. I took one look at it and groaned.

“The Lord of the Rings, Complete DVD Set? You can’t be serious!”

“What? Neither of us have seen them before, and it’s a classic. My brother says they’re really good.”

“You know I don’t like movies like that,” I said with a frown.

“You’re going to hate on good movies just because–“

“Yes.” I looked at Candace’s disappointed expression and felt a twinge of guilt. “But if you really want to watch it that badly…”

“Yay!” She dashed into the living room, Luke ambling after her. I grabbed the bags of popcorn out of the microwave and ripped them open, dumping their contents into bowls and bringing them into the living room. Candace was staring at the TV with a confused look on her face. Instead of the options screen, the TV was wavy. Undulating lines of color flowed across the screen, and a faint crackling noise was filling the room. The fine hair on my arm stood straight up, and I shivered. The TV then went blank. “That’s odd.” Candace took the DVD out of the player, then put it back in.

There was a loud pop, then the image of a golden ring filled the TV screen. A loud, scary mumbling could be heard all through the house, and a sudden wind whipped up. “Candace? Candace!” She was fading, paralyzed. I felt stiffness creeping up my limbs as well, and tried to turn, but it was impossible.

The world faded to white, but not before a huge, fiery eye engulfed my vision.

***

“Oww!” I sat up, looking around. Candace was already awake, stretching. Luke whined, racing around in circles. “You alright?”

“I think so. What just…you know, what happened?”

“No clue.” I smirked. “I think the bigger question is, what are you wearing?” She looked down at herself. Instead of her jeans and T-shirt, she was now wearing a dandelion-colored dress that looked like something a medieval girl might’ve worn. “Eek!” She jumped up, looking with dismay at the skirt that fell to her ankle. “How am I supposed to do anything with this.”

I snorted. “No clue.”

She glared at me. “It’s no better than your get-up.” I was wearing a dress made in a similar style, but it was a shade of mossy green. I wrinkled my nose. “What in the–CANDACE! GET OUT OF THE ROAD!” I ran at her, pushing her aside into a clump of bushes as a horse-drawn wagon came straight towards us. A wet black nose nudged me as I fell into the bushes. “Luke? What?”

I heard the hoofbeats come to a stop. Looking around frantically, I reached for a stick. None were big enough to serve as a weapon. Above me, I heard somebody clear their throat. I looked up guiltily.

An old man stood above us. He had long gray hair, and a thick gray beard. He wore a pointed gray hat, a long gray robe, and carried a staff. He was the perfect picture of a fantasy wizard. “Are you two alright?”

“Um, yes sir.” Candace sat up, rubbing the back of her head. 

“Let me talk,” she whispered. “Hi, sir. If you could just tell us where we are, we’ll be on our way.”

“Oh, you’re in Hobbiton Woods in the Shire.”

There was a long silence.

“Um, is there a neighborhood called the Shire near ours?” I whispered in Candace’s ear. She shook her head. 

“What are your names?” Asked the man. Stranger danger! my brain screamed. Candace and I shared looks. She spoke up. “I’m Candace, and this is Stella.”

“I am Gandalf the Gray. Do you need a ride?” My brain instantly ran over every single rule about strangers I’d ever been taught, but did that apply if you were in some strange woods in some strange place?

“Sure,” I said. I extended a hand to Candace, who clasped it and stood. Luke pushed out of the bushes and ran over to Gandalf, wagging his tail. The man smiled and reached down, petting him. He led us over to his wagon, and we clambered into the back. As we rode on, Gandalf began to sing to himself, a pleasant song tha reminded me of early spring. 

The world around was beautiful. Trees dipped over the road, and plains were dotted with tiny houses. The road stretched on, snaking away to who knows where. Luke was sniffing the air, an expression of complete bliss on his little snout. I laid against the wagon and closed my eyes. Our suburbs were never like this. They were busy. Citified. This place was the country. Beautiful and simple. The sun warmed my eyelids, and I felt as if I was drifing into a dream.

“You’re late.” The two words startled me out of my reverie, and I looked to see a boy standing on a small ridge next to the road. He looked to be only four feet tall, if that. I looked at Candace, and she shrugged. The boy’s arms were folded, and he had a smile on his face. Gandalf looked at him sternly from under his hat as he pulled his horse to a stop.

“A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.” They regarded each other with serious expressions, and after a few moments burst out laughing.

“It’s so wonderful that you’re here!” Frodo (what a weird name) leapt into Gandalf’s arms, and then looked up at us. “Who are they? They’re not hobbits.”

“This is Stella, Candace, and Luke. They’re good friends of mine.” Gandalf winked at us, and I grinned, giving Frodo a little wave. “We’re all here for your uncle’s birthday party.” As the horses began to move again, Gandalf asked “how is Bilbo?”

“Oh, you know Uncle Bilbo. The whole Shire is in an uproar. Everyone plans to turn up at his party.”

I gasped as we rode into a small, quaint, beautiful town. There were hobbits (I guessed that was what Frodo was) everywhere, and houses buried in the hills with doors painted cheerful colors. “But to tell the truth,” continued Frodo, “he’s been acting odd lately. I mean, you know, odder than usual.” Gandalf glanced at Frodo as he talked. I couldn’t see Gandalf’s eyes very well, but what I could see looked troubled. “He’s been locking himself in his study and poring over his old maps when he thinks I’m not looking. I think…I think he’s up to something.” 

There was a tense silence, then Frodo grinned at Gandalf. “Alright then. Keep your secrets.”

“Hm?”

“You must have something to do with it. You always do. Before you came along, we Bagginses were respectable. Never had any adventures.” I made a face behind their backs. 

“If you’re referring to the dragon incident, I didn’t do anything. I only gave your uncle a nudge out the door.”

Dragon? Candace’s eyes were wide. “Stella,” she whispered in my ear. “We’re not in Georgia anymore. We’re in Middle-earth.”

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