This is a work in progress (not yet complete). It is the best combination of anime and Lord of the Rings that I've seen yet, which is why I asked John for permission to post it here. Enjoy. Tim Seltzer
John's Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Lord of the Rings. RK is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Lord of the Rings is the property of Professor J. R. R. Tolkien. By the way, this fanfiction is taken pretty much from the movie directed by Peter Jackson. I, like many of you, can't wait when Return of the King comes out. This is not for profit, only for entertainment.
In the wilderness of 19th century Japan, there lived a wanderer with red hair and a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. This is a remembrance of his experience during the revolution. Now it is the 2nd year of the new Meiji Government. This wanderer has made a vow that he will never kill again.
As darkness fell into the woods, the wanderer started to make a fire to cook his dinner. Suddenly…
A small gust of wind took him by surprise. Amidst the wind, he hears the enchanting voice of a woman speaking in a strange bewitching, but soft language…
"I amar prestar aen… " The voice whispered out a short phrase, and then spoke it in the wanderer's native tongue: "The world is changed…"
The voice whispered again in the strange language, "Han mathon ne nen… ", and spoke the translation in the language the wanderer understood: "I feel it in the water…"
Then again: "Han mathon ne chae… I feel it in the earth…"
And again: "A han noston ned gwilith… I smell it in the air…"
Afterwards, the wanderer hears the voice of an old man, "much that once was, is lost. For none now live, who remember it."
The old man appeared from the darkness of the woods, cloaked in brown rags and carried a staff and greeted the wanderer, "good evening to you, young man. Would you care to share your dinner with an old man? I would ever be so grateful to talk to a fellow wanderer such as yourself."
"Certainly sir, that I will", said the wanderer.
The wanderer cooked two fish. He gave one of the fish to the old man.
"Mmm, this is good fish, young man, thank you," said the old man, enjoying his fish.
"You're welcome, and I'm glad you are enjoying your food. Speaking of which, before you came out of nowhere, I heard a strange language that I never heard of before. The way you were speaking, it seemed that you understood what the voice was saying, that you were."
"Hmm, indeed I do, young man… indeed I do. And judging by your scars, external and internal, that you have been in a great battle, am I right?"
The wanderer was surprised at how he figured out his own past. "Before you ask," added the old man, "I have my senses young man, so naturally, I know of you very well."
The wanderer decided to humor the old man, "yes sir, I have. And now, in this time of peace, I have made a vow that I will never kill again. The sword you see before you is a reverse-blade sword that can't be used to kill, which is why I carry it with me."
"I see, then if you know so well about battle wanderer… I shall tell you a tale of a greater battle than that of your revolution. It spans throughout time in a faraway land. For this battle takes place in its past, present… and also the future."
"Very well… tell me this great tale you speak of," implored the wanderer.
The old man began:
In the realm of Middle-Earth… at the end of the second age… great rings were forged.
Three rings were given to the race of Elves, immortal, wisest, and fairest of all beings…
Seven rings were given to the Dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls…
And nine, nine rings were gifted to Men, who above all else, desire power…
…For within these rings lie the strength and will to govern each race. But they were all of them… deceived, for another ring was made…
…In the land of Mordor… in the fires of Mount Doom… the dark lord Sauron forged in secret, a master ring, to control all others. And into this ring, he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life…
One ring, to rule them all…
One ring, to find them…
One ring, to bring them all…
And in the darkness, bind them…
…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, and on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth…
The battle was fierce…
Hordes of Orcs charged against the last alliance, but they were shot down, one by one, by arrows and cut down by the spears and swords of the men and elves.
Victory was near…
…But the power of the ring could not be undone. Sauron launched his own assault upon the last alliance. Legions of soldiers were wiped out by just one swipe of Sauron's scepter. The king of men charged against the dark lord. But even the king himself, was defeated by Sauron.
…It was in this moment… when all hope had faded, that the son of the king, Isildur, took up his father's sword, after Sauron had broken it with his foot. Isildur used the broken sword to slash the fingers of his hand, which had the ring, off him…
The dark lord glowed and glowed as bright as day, until…
…He exploded in a burst of red-orange light, which scattered throughout the land of Mordor, taking the Orcs with him. And so…
…Sauron, the enemy of the free peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated. The ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy the evil ring, forever…
The wanderer spoke in the middle of the tale, "and has he destroyed the ring?"
"Unfortunately… no young man, for the ring can only be destroyed in the fires of where it was forged, Mount Doom", the old man continued the tale:
…The hearts of men, like Isildur… are easily corrupted. And so the ring of power… has a will of its own.
While Isildur kept the ring for himself and bringing it to his homeland of Gondor, he and his company were ambushed by orcs… all were killed in the attack. Isildur puts on the Ring to make himself invisible, and tried to swim away in the Anduin River, but alas…
…The ring slipped off and it sinks to the bottom of the river. So thus…
…Isildur was killed by the orcs as well.
The ring 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…
The ring came to a pathetic creature called Gollum, who took the ring deep into the tunnels of the misty mountains, and there… it consumed him, calling the ring his precious…
He coveted the ring, yearned for it…
…The ring brought to Gollum unnatural long life. For 500 years, it poisoned his mind. And in the gloom of Gollum's cave, it waited…
…Darkness crept back into the forests of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the east, whispers of a nameless fear, and the ring of power perceived. Its time had now come…
…The ring abandoned Gollum…
But something happened then, the ring did not intend…
…It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable, a hobbit, whom in your eyes would be no more than a child's height. His name was Bilbo Baggins of the shire. When Gollum was calling out for the ring, Bilbo kept the ring for himself…
…For the time soon come…
…When hobbits…
…Will shape the fortunes of all…
The old man stopped there and said to the wanderer, "…well young man, it was nice talking to you, I must take my leave of you."
"Wait sir," said the wanderer, "what happens next, as far as I know, you haven't finished telling the tale. You just left off with Bilbo taking the ring for himself. Do you know the end of this story?"
"Don't worry young man… you will find out when you yourself will experience this story."
This remark surprised the wanderer. "Sir… how will I experience this tale?"
"You will know when fate allows it so. Farewell, Kenshin Himura, or should I call you… Battousai." Kenshin was taken aback to the fact that the old man knew who he was.
The old man began walking towards the woods.
"Sir, how did you know who I am? …Who are you?" inquired Kenshin.
"I told you, young man… I have my senses. Like you yourself, I go by many names. Call me Radagast."
Kenshin started to go after Radagast but lost sight of him. Another small gust of wind overtook him and heard the old man's voice amidst the wind:
Remember this story of the Lord of the Rings, Himura…
For the friends that you shall make in the future will also experience the epic alongside you…
This battle you will experience will require the friendship of all of your future friends to win it…
It is not a battle one can win by placing it upon their own shoulders…
After a few moments… the wind stopped. And so…
Kenshin Himura, the wanderer, shall always remember his encounter
with
Radagast in his heart, as he will prepare himself for this future
battle,
the War of the Ring of Power. How he will experience it will be a
mystery,
but it is a question that only the future can answer…
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