Frodo found Merry a few minutes later. He walked up to hin and shouted, "Hey!"

Merry screamed and jumped. He whipped around and faced Frodo wide eyed.

"It wasn't my fault! They made me do it! I'm innocent! I did it! I'm sorry! Forgive me! It wasn't my fault!"

"What on Middle Earth are you talking about?"

Merry looked at Frodo in confusion.

"Um... How's it goin' Frodo?"

"Good...."

"That's good."

"Right..."

They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes before Frodo remembered why he was there.

"Gandalf and the others will be coming soon. I was wondering if you and Pippin wouldn't mind heading out to meet Aragorn?"

Merry nodded his head really fast.

"Of course! We'd be happy to! I'll go get him right now!"

"Merry, are you alright? You seem jumpy."

"Nope! I'm not Jumpy. Who's Jumpy? I'm Merry! I don't know anyone named Jumpy!"

Frodo just stared at him like he had just sprouted wings and flew off into the sky.

Merry shook his hand rapidly.

"Don't worry Toto! We'll go meet Aragorn for ya! Bye! Adios!"

Merry raced off leaving Frodo wondering, Toto?

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Merry found Pippin and Esmerelda sitting in a tree and eating some mushrooms.

"Pippin! Come on! We have to go meet Aragorn."

"We've already met Aragorn."

"You know that's not what I mean."

Pippin laughed quietly to himself as he jumped out of the tree. Taking the bag of mushrooms with him, which caused Esmerelda to jump on top of him and wrestle the bag away.

"Esmerelda! You're going to get yourself all dirty for the party!"

"Chill it Merry! These aren't my party clothes."

"Are you actually going to wear a dress instead of trousers and a shirt?" Pippin asked as he fought to take back the mushrooms.

"Maybe. It depends on who's gonna be there."

"Why?" Merry asked scratching his head in confusion.

"Is there a certain gentleman you're trying to impress?"
Pippin asked smugly.

Esmerelda responded by hitting him with the mushrooms.

"My first and only love is food."

Esmerelda stood up and quickly shoved the rest of the mushrooms into her mouth.

"So are you two going or what?"

"What about you?" Merry asked.

"Eh.. I'll find something to do."

"Alright then. See ya!"

Merry dragged Pippin to his feet and they walked off. While Esmerelda set off to find Frodo.

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She found him walking towards the path that led to the woods near the Shire.

"Hey! Yolo Swaggins!"

Frodo looked at her in confusion.
First Toto and now Yolo Swaggins? What was going on?

"How are you Esmerelda?"

"Fine. But I heard that you sent Merry Poppins and Pippin Longstocking to go meet Eragon while I'm left alone and without an amigo. You know what I'm saying Fro Yo?"

"Actually, no. I don't."

"I is lonely and is needing companionship."

"Oh. Well, I'm off to meet Gandalf, so unless you want to come with me- Oh wait! Could you do me a huge favor?"

"Anything is possible."

"Could you go meet Legolas and Gimli? They took the long way here and I need someone to go meet them."

"I've never met them before but if it's what you want Fro Yo I'd be happy to oblige."

"Thanks Essy! I really- What?"

Esmerelda was giving him a look that could melt the flesh of of bones.

"Do not. Call me. Essy."

Frodo backed away and almost tripped over his feet in the process.

"Ok! Ok! I won't! I'm sorry."

Esmerelda smiled.

"Apology accepted. Alright, I'm out."

As she walked by she punched him lightly in the shoulder. Frodo watched her leave and shook his head.

Legolas and Gimli had better watch out...

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Losider walked next to Aragorn as they made their way to the Shire. It was Aragorn's friend Frodo's birthday and Aragorn had invited Losider to come along. He had told him that Legolas would be coming as well.

Losider was eager to meet the rest of Aragorn and Legolas's friends. He also couldn't wait to see Legolas again. He hadn't seen his friend in awhile. He'd been traveling for what seeemed like ages.

Aragorn smiled as he heard two familiar voices.

"I told you he wasn't coming this way. We need to go further east."

"They'll be here Merry! Frodo said they would."

"What does Frodo know? All he knows how to do is carry rings."

"Hey, that was a very important task!"

"Oh please, all he had to do was walk. We were fighting in battles! I killed the Witch-King!"

"I thought Eowyn-"

"She helped but it was mostly me."

"Right... You keep believing that Merry."

"And how are my dear hobbit friends doing this fine afternoon?"

Merry and Pippin jumped ad Aragorn finally approached them.

"Aragorn! I told you he'd be here Merry!"

"Yeah yeah. Lucky guess."

Losider watched the two hobbits in amusement.

Aragorn motioned for him to cone forward.

"Merry, Pippin, this is a friend of mine, Losider."

Losider smiled.

"Hello."

The hobbits looked at Losider curiously. He wasn't like any elf they'd ever seen before. He had silver hair and green eyes and looked shorter than other elves they had seen.

"Well, any friend of Aragorn's is a friend of ours."

Merry extended his hand for Losider to shake. The elf smiled as he shook it.

"Is anyone else with you?"

Pippin asked.

Aragorn shook his head.

"It's just us."

"In that case, let's head back to the Shire. Frodo will be excited to see you. And meet you Lowrider."

"Losider." Merry corrected his younger cousin.

"Right."

Losider smiled.

"Lead the way master hobbits."

"Did you hear that Merry? He called us masters."

"We are quite masterable."

Aragorn shook his head.

Hobbits

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"Tell me why we had to take the long way again?" Vili asked from her spot behind Melui.

"Because I had bad feeling about taking the other way."

Legolad responded. He was riding a white horse with Gimli behind him.

"Legolas you have a bad feeling about everything." Melui commented from her horse that she shared with Vili.

Legolas shrugged.

"I'm usually right with my bad feelings."

"I can agree with that."

Gimli said from behind Legolas.

Vili sighed. She couldn't stand riding on a horse. Especially with an elf. It was uncortable and she had no idea how Gimli could stand it.

She had been invited to go this party by Gimli. She had wanted to decline but her brothers, Fili and Kili, had wanted her to go so she could greet Bilbo for them. They hadn't been able to go themselves.

Vili would have been fine with it if they hadn't had to travel with elves. Especially the prince and princess of Mirkwood.

Legolas and Melui were alright for elves though. They weren't obnoxious like she thought most elves were. Of course, she still didn't understand why Gimli was friends with an elf in the first place.

Melui was thinking similar thoughts about her brother. Legolas had always been, well, odd.

He always seemed more interested in what was going on with other people than his own. She also wondered if it was wise for him to have befriended so many mortals. She had meant to ask their father about it but he had been acting strange lately.

He had been going on and on about being "fabulous" and all kinds of strange nonsense.

Melui figured it was just a phase and that he would get over it.

Hopefully...

As the neared the border of the Shire they were suddebly aware of a small voice singing up in one of the trees.

OOOOOHHHHHH MIIIIIIISSSSSTTTTYYY EYYYYYYYYEEEEEE OOOOOOFFFFFF THE MOOOOUUUNNNTTTAAAAIIIIN BEEEEELLLLOOOOOWWWW

"What on Middle Earth is that?" Vili asked trying to look past the elf in front of her.

Legolas looked up at the tree where the voice wad coming from.

"It looks like a hobbit."

KEEEEEEPPPPP CAREFUL WATCH OVER MY BROOOOOTTTTHHHERRRSS SOOOOOUUUULLLSSS

"Hello up there!" Legolas called.

ANNNDDDD SHOULD THE SKYYYYYYYY BE FILLED WITH FIRE AND SMOOOOOOOOKKKKKEEE

"Exscuse me!"

KEEEEEPPPP WATCHING OVER DURIN'S SOOOOOOOONNNNSSS

"HEY I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

The other three glanced at each other as Legolas glared up at the tree. A small face looked down at them.

"Hola! Como estas?"

"Bien Gracias. Y usted?"

Everyone looked at Gimli who shrugged.

"What? I know a little Spanish."

"Ok..." Vili turned away from Gimli and back at the hobbit who was making her way down the tree.

"Are you Legolas and Gimli?" she asked.

"Yes we are."

Legolas dismounted and was followed by Gimli. Melui dismounted as well and was about to help Vili who stopped her.

"I don't need any help."

Melui rolled her eyes.

Dwarves...

The hobbit smiled up at Legolas.

"I'm Esmerelda. I'm Frodo's cousin. He asked me to come meet you guys. Although I was only expecting one elf and one dwarf."

"This is my sister, Melui. I invited her to come along. I wanted her to meet Frodo. And this is Vili. She's Fili and Kili's sister. They're friends of Bilbo's, they couldn't make it to the party."

"Well, less people means more food for me. You don't eat a lot do you?"

Legolad glanced uncertainly at Melui who shrugged.

"Never mind. I'll stop keeping you guys waiting. Come on, let's head back."

Legolas and Melui let their horses loose. They didn't need them from there. They would come back when needed.

"Follow me people. Food and fun await!"

They followed Esmerelda and inwardly groaned as she continued her song.

NOW I SEE FIRE INSIIIIIDE THE MOOOUUUUNTAAAIIINN AND I SEE FIRE BURNING THE TREEEESSSS AND I SEE FIIIIIIRRRRREEEE HOLLOWING SOOOUUULLLS AND I SEE FIIIIRRRREEEE BLOOD IN THE BREEZE AND I HOPE THAT YOOOUUUU REMEMBER MEEEE

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Next chapter is the party! What will happen? I have no idea. Stay tuned.