This was kind of exciting.

Getting a copy of the first Lord of the Rings movie was not hard; the Mansion did have a bunch of DVDs lying around, it was just a matter of finding the right one and then bribing the kids who had it into lending it to the young knight. Fortunately, Mirror was not above using his status and an X-man for getting what he wanted.

(Somewhere in the Mansion a pair of confused kids were still trying to figure out that Lord of the Rings had to do with an X-men mission)

Going back to his room, Gawain started the computer (yes, he had one. 21st century. geez.)

"Better here than in the living room" he grinned as the machine buzzed to life "In my experience, someone messes with the remote or turns the movie off, fun's over. Plus, no need to shock anyone by messing up their movie."

That would be just... unfortunate.

Once the movie was on the screen, Gawain skipped the boring parts (geez, that movie was long) to get to the scene Ami wanted.

"So, Panda. Ready to save Middle Earth?" he smiled, holding out a hand to her.

Amelia agreed, about the movie messing. Enough people had done that with his power, he really didn't need any more on his conscience. Plus, if she started making out with Gimli that'd ruin someone's Legolas Gimli ship and she'd be a life-wrecker. She was kidding, of course. About the Gimli snogging. Nobody used the word snogging these days. It was so Harry Potter.

Through the forests, past the Brandywine, through the inn and related inn hijinks they went. On and on and on and on to... Elrond's house. To Many Meetings. Finally, they reached it.

Was she ready? She took that hand. "Damn straight." Was her reply.

Taking her hand, Gawain placed his other hand on the screen, and pulled; the next thing they knew, they were standing in the middle of a painfully perfect scenery, and a whole bunch of falling leaves. Gawain grinned as he looked around; no one had noticed them yet.

"Gosh, it smells exactly as it looks." he chuckled, inhaling the crisp air carrying the scent of autumn and water nearby "All right Panda you're the boss. Lead the way."

Because, when you are in a movie with a girl who loves that movie, you let her lead. Common courtesy. Everyone knows that.

The leaves in the Lord of the Rings movies were SO PRETTY. As was the entire Elven city, and the elfs. And, as Gawain pointed out, it smelled good too. Yup. She was a fan.

>>"All right Panda you're the boss. Lead the way."

Amelia smirked and kept hold of his hand, pulling him along.

Nobody noticed as they swept through the city, under the trees, through courtyards, admiring the amazing architecture as they went.

What time was it in the movie? Frodo had already woken up. It was nearly time for a-- scene change. All leading had been for nothing, because the whole world shifted around them and suddenly they were on-set for the discussion of the fate of the ring. Amelia listened, and waited, grinning at Gawain as they stood near Legolas. She didn't even glance Elf-Boy's way. It was obvious she had the better archer. Finally, it came time for volunteers.

Aragorn came forward to kneel in front Frodo. "You have my sword." He said.

Gandalf glanced back and forth shiftily. Gave Elrond 'the look.'

"And you have my bow." Legolas offered his services gladly.

Not one to be overshadowed, Gimli stepped boldly forward with a smirk. "And my axe," he growled.

He stepped beside Legolas and each appraised the other. This was their chance. This was the moment to enter the scene. Amelia squeezed Gawain's hand, then pulled him into the limelight with her.

"And his bow," she noted. A smile. "And my magical ghostly float-hands. That can levitate boots."

Gandalf nearly had an accident in his surprise as everyone on-scene spun on them drawing their blades.

"Who are you?" Aragorn muttered.

Legolas looked down the shaft of his arrow at them inquiringly. "How did you get here?"

Gimli glowered. "What vile magic is this?"

Amelia didn't stammer or fade back. "We wish to aid your group in its cause. As proof of our good will, we can bring intelligence on the enemy forces and a statement that if we had evaded your detection this easily only to come forward now to offer our services, we could have done much worse and sooner at any given point in time. We did not. We come in peace. This is a great cause, and we feel you will need all the help you can get."

She winked at Gimli. His grip on his axe tightened, as did Legolas's hold on his attack. Another squeeze on Mirror's hand. Now would be a perfect time for him to add something witty to her introductory funtimes. Or maybe he'd just stand there going 'derp.'

>>"You have my sword." "And you have my bow." "And my axe,"

So. Many. Memes...

>>"And his bow. And my magical ghostly float-hands. That can levitate boots."

"Whu..." Gawain was suddenly dragged into the spotlight and he could almost hear the nice flowy Enya-music screech and die in the background. He was suddenly glad he did still have the archery gear she was speaking of.

>>"Who are you?" "How did you get here?" "What vile magic is this?"

Ami was faster. She was always faster. Gawain was too occupied trying to decide if he could take on all of the Nine at once. Plus Elrond. Never underestimate the guy in the prom dress.

>>"We wish to aid your group in its cause. As proof of our good will, we can bring intelligence on the enemy forces and a statement that if we had evaded your detection this easily only to come forward now to offer our services, we could have done much worse and sooner at any given point in time. We did not. We come in peace. This is a great cause, and we feel you will need all the help you can get."

Wow. FBI indeed. Ami needed to be in the White House.
He caught the glance she gave him, and looked around at the faces that ranged from confused to angry.

"What she said" he noted finally "Since all races are represented in this council - hobbits, elves, dwarves, and the men of Gondor - we thought it fit that we should represent our distant homeland, umm, across the sea, that is equally threatened by Mordor's shadows, and take our place in the mission that is sworn to put an end to the madness."

"You are from Númenor?" Elrond gasped in disbelief.

"... close enough." Gawain shrugged, tossing his bow into the pile, not missing the flash in Legolas' eyes.

Heh. Gawain had 'umm'd. He hadn't been prepared. She kept smiling as he spoke for himself. Númenor, indeed.

Amelia looked to Gandalf for approval before showing her hand... and her power, which was a hand, which she placed atop the pile. Team huddle, break!

Gimli and Legolas reluctantly agreed to their presence. For now. Gruffly, Gimli muttered. "This better be good information..."

Now, what good information did they need to share...?

Well. For starters.

"We know already that Saruman the grey has joined Sauron's cause. You, Gandalf, should already be aware of this. He is amassing an army of Orcs at his tower. That army should be assaulted soon. We should also plan to give aid to the men of Gondor, as well as the riders of Rohan." She looked to Gawain for confirmation, and anything else he felt was worthy of adding.

>>"We know already that Saruman the Grey has joined Sauron's cause. You, Gandalf, should already be aware of this. He is amassing an army of Orcs at his tower. That army should be assaulted soon. We should also plan to give aid to the men of Gondor, as well as the riders of Rohan."

Gawain sighed and picked his bow up again. He did not like the looks the elves were giving him.

"What she means is, Gondor will soon be under siege by an army from Mordor, and they are in dire need of a real king" he shrugged, glancing at Aragorn who visibly vinced at that sentence.

"Rohan will soon be under attack by Saruman's forces unless someone stops him. King Theoden is weak and his advisor Grima is a slave of Mordor. The sooner someone gets there the better."

Everyone was staring by now. Gawain glanced at Ami.

"Well, that's... some things we know. And we thing we should get moving. As of, rrrright now."

Yes, Gawain could be a dork when he wanted to.

There were more things they knew! But...

Elrond eyed them suspiciously. "Can you prove any of this?" He asked.

Could they prove it? Not easily.

Amelia glanced Gandalf's way. "Can you confirm the Saruman thing?" She requested hopefully. The elf looked Gandalf's way, as did a good many.

Gandalf nodded grimly. "It is unfortunately so."

"As to the rest. There are a good many prophecies yet to be fulfilled. The reforging of blades, the return of the king."

Again, Aragorn winced.

"Sauron wishes to defeat the armies of Man by dividing them. It is an age-old strategy. We will need a united front in order to handle his forces. Even if what we've said isn't true, you would be well-advised if you sent someone to speak with Theoden about offering aid. Of utmost importance, however, is the path of the ring. It must be destroyed. These suggestions we make with the understanding that our forces our already stretched thin... the fellowship may need to break at some point, so that a few can seek out ways to help on the many fronts."

She recalled her ghost hand, clenched it in a fist before her, then let it vanish.

"Time is short. We must act. Do these suggestions seem logical?"

Elrond and Gandalf looked to one another. "Might we get a moment to talk alone?" Elrond asked. Gandalf nodded adamantly in agreement. Legolas's eyes met Gimli's and he looked away in annoyance and impatience. Talk was cheap for a dwarf of his stature. He required action. Orc blood. Ale. Greater things on his axe than rust caused by time. A derisive snort escaped him. Legolas and Aragorn paid it no heed.

>>"Sauron wishes to defeat the armies of Man by dividing them. It is an age-old strategy. We will need a united front in order to handle his forces. Even if what we've said isn't true, you would be well-advised if you sent someone to speak with Theoden about offering aid. Of utmost importance, however, is the path of the ring. It must be destroyed. These suggestions we make with the understanding that our forces our already stretched thin... the fellowship may need to break at some point, so that a few can seek out ways to help on the many fronts."

Gawain arched an eyebrow but let Ami talk. His eyes settled on Boromir who was sitting apart from the rest of the group. The breaking of the Fellowship...

>>"Might we get a moment to talk alone?"

The wise people left the rest of them to stare awkwardly at each other. Boromir caught Gawain's stare.

"You never said who you are." the man noted, tilting his head at the two of them. Gawain cleared his throat.

"I am Sir Gawain of Orkney, and this is the Lady Amelia Mellitus." he answered "And you are Boromir, son of Denethor, from Gondor. You worry about your city and your people. We know that. If they" he nodded towards where Gandalf and Elrond disappeared "believe us, we may yet get there in time to save the day."

Without taking the Ring, or getting killed. Because that would just be unfortunate.

She curtsied for Boromir when Gawain introduced her. She'd always liked his character, even if the shelf life had been short. Maybe they could get him to live long enough to help his brother and his father make peace with one another?

Her focus shifted to the hobbits, who hadn't said much as of yet. Merry and Pippin were silent, their enthusiasm to help their friend suddenly quieted by the massive amount of spoilers about war and breaking fellowships that had just swooped in from out of nowhere upon them. Frodo's face was a mask of adorable seriousness. Sam, paler than the grave.

"I hope to defend my home," Boromir broke in, interrupting her thoughts. "My thoughts are of my people. My family. But this, too, worries me." He wished they could simply use the ring. Wield it, and be done with it. Use the power of it against its master. But as the others had already said...

"Stay strong," Aragorn commented. He placed a hand on Boromir's shoulder. "We may get through this yet. Don't let doubts plague your vision of the path ahead."

Amelia chimed in. "Well-said."

Boromir's eyes fell to the hand of the heir of Gondor. It was not needed. He was not needed. He did his best not to lose his temper and cast it away. One did not simply walk into Mordor. This whole fellowship was a risk. He had help, but. This whole thing had him conflicted. There had to be a better way.

Boromir nodded glumly and said, albeit without passion, "Yes, of course." An elf. A dwarf. Some small men, a wizard, and a ranger who would be king. What would happen if they failed? They could not fail.

Amelia could see the divisions and conflicting thoughts swirling behind his veiled eyes as he stepped away from them.

The elves, dwarves, and other watchers on the sidelines of the council kept silent as all the main characters spoke. She could sense hesitation and fear in them, too. Great powers the ring had, even when not in use. Much shouting and arguing already had been done. And might again, in the future. If they let this council get out of hand. Thank God for the bravery of the smallest among them.

She realized they'd just interrupted before he had offered to join them. And before Merry and Pippin and Sam had, too. And there they all stood now. At the secret council. They must have stepped out of the shadows when her and Gawain had stolen the show, and nobody had been any the wiser.

"If it's the will of the council, you should consider joining us, Boromir." Or maybe not, she thought. "Who better to see that we do not fail than you, who seems to have such a vested interest in our preventing it?"

This idea caused Boromir a moment's thought. "Yes," he agreed. "That would be wise..."

"And you three." Her eyes snapped to Merry, Pippin, and Sam. She smirked. "This is supposed to be a secret council, isn't it? Nobody noticed when you popped in to stand by your friend. You should stand by him some more. On this mission. Quest. Thing. We'll need people of intelligence, after all." And Pippin, she added mentally.

Pippin grinned and crossed his arms. "Aye. That we will."

"Don't go volunteering yourself for the job, then." Merry elbowed him. "When ye aren't quite qualified!"

"I do just fine," Pippin defended himself with a laugh.

Sam crossed his arms and looked at his master. "I will not leave Mr. Frodo's side." He said decisively.

"Wherever we're going," Pippin added.

Ah, hobbits, lightening the mood. Boromir even lightened up a bit himself.

Gimli rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, the scenery around them shifted unexpectedly.

"My old sword, Sting."

"Wha--" Amelia jawdropped.

Bilbo uncovered his blade.

She covered her mouth. They hadn't noticed them yet.

Oh great. Another scene to skip. She hoped the fellowship had finished getting set up while they were hijacked with Frodo and Bilbo!

Gifts, gifts, gifts. Frodo held his sword and mithril. Bilbo got creepy. Etc. Etc.

She looked to Gawain, the thought 'skip this' obvious in her eyes.

A minute or two later, the scene wrapped and cut to the bridge on the way out of the city. She pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head. Oh good.

"Looks like Elrond and Gandalf decided we're in..." She smiled.

The Fellowship of 9 (+2) had been formed. This, of course, just left a hell of a lot of walking over the fields and mountains of New Zealand and a whole lot of beautiful views...

There was. A whole. Lot. Of walking.

Gawain looked at the gorgeous scenery as they walked in a fashionable single file along mountains and more mountains. Hobbits scurried along, Legolas kept an elven eye out for trouble (although Ami already knew what and when was going to come), and Gawain wondered how bad it is going to be when they are actually in it. Because now they were in it, and they were going to stick around, one way or another.

Fortunately enough, the walking was shorter than it would have been in the story - thank Hollywood for limited screen time.

"Watch for birds" he noted to legolas, who still would not grace him with anything more than a passing glance "They spy on travelers for Saruman."

As if on cue, a raven cawed on a nearby tree, and took flight - it must have felt like he was found out. There was a whir of sounds, and the bird tubled to the ground, with two arrows sticking out of it side by side.
Gawain and Legolas stood without looking at each other, everyone else blinking at them in surprise.

"Well." Gawain broke the silence finally, glancing at the dark cloud on the horizon "I think we should hide."

And suddenly, they'd entirely skipped the sparring with Boromir scene. She snapped. Oh well. They could always fiddle with that later. If his power was this flexible, maybe they could influence the movie a bit more than that. Amelia still wondered if Boromir was capable of being saved.

"To the rocks!" Aragorn directed them. Gimli waddled forward and ducked down behind a boulder too small to have hidden all but him and the hobbits. The hobbits found similar rocks. Legolas all-but-blended into the rocks nearby. The effect was somewhat ruined by her hiding place at his feet, but hey. A girl had to hide somewhere. And this was as good a place as any when she already knew Saruman would detect them. Everyone else hid just as well as the hobbits and the dwarf. Finally, the birds had passed.

"So..." Amelia trailed thoughtfully. After a moment, she looked to Boromir. "Didn't you want to show the hobbits how to spar? Is it time to set up camp?"

Gandalf arched an eyebrow, but Merry and Pippin seemed keen on the idea. A little too keen for Gandalf's tastes. Gimli rolled his eyes.

They hid. Gawain made sure Ami was hidden as well, although he was not sure the birds would know what to tell Saruman if they saw here. There is a girl in weird clothes and she is completely off the books? That almost made the young knight smile.

>>"So... Didn't you want to show the hobbits how to spar? Is it time to set up camp?"

The smile turned into a grin. Ami was such a nerd sometimes, knowing the movie scene by scene like that. From the look on Gandalf's face, she knew the story better than the characters.
Boromir was not against teaching the hobbits a trick or two, and the rest of the fellowship was left to set up camp. Legolas wadnered off in his own to keep a magical eye out for trouble.

You are looking in the wrong direction, buddy.

Ami was stalking around Boromir and the sparring group. Gawain smirked as he watched.

"You've got one hell of a woman there boy." Gimli noted, slapping Gawain over the kidneys so hard he almost took a knee.

"Ugh... thanks?"

The way to tell a good sword fight from a bad one was rhythm. The sound of blade on blade. This one...? Not so good. The hobbits had much to learn.

"Hold on, hold on." Amelia stopped them, corrected them. Even though she knew naught about swordfighting. She'd seen the scene enough to whisper a few ideas into the hobbits ears. Also, a few suggestions. She corrected their forms and set them loose. Boromir watched with curious eyes, but drew his focus back in as the hobbits rushed and dogpiled him to his defeat.

Amelia slipped back away from the group a step. Right into Gandalf. The wizard sat on a rock, puffing his pipe. "You seem to know much," he noted. "Curious. For one so young..."

She thought she caught a question in his eyes and his tone, but he did not press.

"Yeah, well." She rubbed her neck, unsure of what to say. He cut her off, giving her a topic.

"I have yet to see your power in combat. What was it you did again...?"

She could feel him eyeing her as she described it. The basics. What she knew. "Ghost... hands?" He was sincere in his head-tilting, his crawling caterpillar brows. Smoke drifted from the mouth of the pipe, but stayed low. The man had always had amazing smoke puff control. Not one to endanger the group with his filthy habits, was he.

"Yeah." Amelia replied. "They're not really all that visible... they just... work on clothing. And whoosh." She sent one flying forward in a blur of motion that could have been a jet of hot air. Somewhere ahead of them, the hobbits and Boromir clashed yet again. More teeth. Laughter. Even Aragorn smiled. They didn't have much time left.

"Have you considered trying your powers in new ways?" He inquired. His hand moved, to make the suggestion. "You could do far greater things than you know."

"Like, um. What?" Talking with Gandalf was weird. Did Movie Gandalf know things Movie Gandalf should not? Or was he stock Gandalf, as opposed to the fallen God... or Angel... or whatever his secret backstory had said?

"Shapes. Colors. You say it only works on clothing? There's a lot more you could do with that than simple shoving and pummeling. Staves and light shows can push foes back. Maybe even inspire fear. Magic isn't always about beating your opponent, I hope you know."

"Magic. Yeah." He eyed her curiously. "I'll have to try some things later," she finished weakly. Darn you, Gandalf. Being too awesome for words.

"You really must tell me how you do such things... perhaps, we could exchange spells?"

Her jaw went slack.

A disturbance behind them caught the group's attention, and brought her an excuse to cut the topic short. Legolas uttered his famed line, and Amelia beat Gandalf to the punch. "Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?" She grinned at Gawain surreptitiously while the group turned their focus to a repeat of a scene past.

"I think we should hide again," someone suggested, to hurried nods of assent.

Ami was having a conversation with Gandalf. What do you know. He had her pegged as more of an Aragorn kinda girl. Maybe he should work on a beard? The young knight chuckled and turned back to fletching his arrows. He'd need them soon.

He must have been pretty preoccupied with his own thoughts, because the scene shifted around him before he could utter a swearword. And more than one was needed with the sudden cold of the snow that came up to his shoulders.

"We're not getting through here!" he yelled over the roaring wind, grabbing on to Ami and holding her close "We need to go the other way! Saruman's gonna bring the freaking mountain down on us if we don't turn back!"

Snow was over. Thank God and Peter Jackson. Gawain frowned. The gates of Moria. He knew this part almost as well as Ami did. While the little group made its way to the gates, he lagged behind and glanced at his girlfriend.

"So... do ya wanna tell them or should I?..."