The Prologue
A thick mist covered an eerie lake centered in a small unknown as well as abandoned town is the beginning of our story.
In the center of our mist lived a lone Duck.
There was nothing special about this said duck, she had no family, no companion to call her own, she had no large nest, she could not speak in our tone of languages as well as she did not have any magical power whatsoever.
But the only thing that this duck was able to do was read as well as understand the many languages of the humanoids.
She would wander aimlessly around the old abandoned town where there were fruitful of insects as well as other animals. There were plentiful berry bushes scattered around to where she would not worry of surviving throughout the seasons.
Everyday this yellow duck with its orange bill as well as webbed feet would travel to the old rundown library and read the contents of its hold.
She loved reading the books on the bookcases and with days passing her eventually learned how to strategically use her bill to pull a book off of the bookshelf.
At first she would open up and stare at the pretty pictures of books in the children section, then soon look at even more books that had words in it and even figured out how to pronounce said words within in her head by silently reading children books. As months passed she practically read throughout the entire children's section and managed to go unto more advance books. She began reading books of more literature and descriptions, of genres to which her particular favorite was Fantasy.
She really enjoyed the days she would just open a book let her small duck mind wonder as the words spilled into her head like a canvas and began painting the themes and colors that the book had to offer.
Every day from the moment she had opened her first book and glanced at the first picture and even learned her first word, after eating enough berries that would soothe her aching hunger in the morning, the duck would return to the library and continue to read even more.
But for one day, which is different than the other days; something amazing will be happening to this little duck.
Down The Rabbit Hole
The Duck had woken up from her usual slumber while pulling her beak from the feathers of which she was cuddled in.
She observed the calm lake of where plentiful fish swam underneath her.
The entire lake was extremely clear on sunny days that you could see the very bottom, as if it was all so crystal clear.
The duck yawned while heading to shore, her appetite calling for her to nourish it.
She went around plucking berries from the bushes and eating them quickly, she was eagerly in a rush to go and pick a new book to read today.
But something about today felt a bit different than the usual days.
For instance, it was a rather misty day today for which the only times mist laid in the town was during Winter Time and it was in the middle of spring!
Not only that but most of the neighbors that resided along with the duck, which was actually extremely a lot of animals as well as friends, she spotted none today and it was already past breakfast time.
But the little duck continued to eat without interruptions of her thoughts, she wanted to hurry and pick out from the Fantasy genres once again for she was craving for another adventure to read.
Not long after her breakfast she traveled along the familiar tiled road to the library.
The building looked extremely old and almost ready to collapse inward from the no longer maintained check up on it.
The wood was all grimy and moldy and filled with so many termites that it seemed to be irreparable, the wooding roof above already began having enormous holes to where rain and even snow had begun piling in during the colder months and seasons and even some books had mildew on most of its pages while some oddly enough were very dried and seemed as if just by touching it they would just fall apart yet most of said books still were in durable condition.
Yet the duck still ventured in the broken window and landed on the rugged old carpet.
She ventured to what was the library desk to where the librarian would give books.
She then turned to her left where she was within the genre of Fantasy.
It took her about an hour to skim through the book titles to see which would fit her today and which titles she had already did.
Yet today... was a different day.
She chose to read a tale that she had never thought of before; a tale of adventure.
She read through "The Hobbit"
For hours she would calmly sit down and read the pages of this delightful as well as new story and felt adventurous along with the little hobbit.
She was entirely enamored of such a tale that she had skipped on her midday as well as evening meal to only fall asleep in the library finishing said story.
The next day she had woken up with an aching hunger like no other and she quenched her hunger by foraging for the two meals that she had skipped.
After though she had returned and found out that she had already finished the tale and went along to go and read even more.
The duck continued to read and even repeated of what happened the day before and continued to do this routine until the tale of this magical journey had ended.
As end of the week neared, the duck had just laid down on the carpet looking down at the three books she had read early on in the days before, she loved it all.
Evening had come as she had once again went out to forage the berries beyond the town line and made her way back to the lake.
She paddled herself to the usual center as she ruffled her feathers and looked down at her reflection in the water as she let her mind wonder once again.
So much thoughts were surging within her little duck mind, of important thoughts of why she was alone with no family as well.
Pushing those depressing thoughts to the side her imagination took over.
She had always tried to imagine herself as human, such as the tales that she had read before.
She always imagined herself going on journeys and able to speak openly to everyone around her and even helped in peril situations.
For when she opened the first book of the adventure she was thrown into a world of magic and wonder, it haunted her when she ate, in her imaginings as well as when she had slept.
Tonight was no different as she felt the exhaustion taking over her.
She put her face in between the crook of her feathers and began go into a deep slumber.
Her eyes opened up as if something was calling her.
She looked around and noticed the mist had disappeared and the pale full moon illuminated the landscape.
Long grass as well as the humming of the cool air brushed against the leaves of the nearby trees.
The trickling of the nearby waterfall constant as she felt something was eerily watching her.
She looked around and hardly noticed that nothing was there.
The duck just sighed (quack) to herself while observing herself once again against the crystal clear of the water.
She had a small dream of somehow being within the story that she had read early on the past few days.
She couldn't help but feel ridiculous of such a dream.
Of all things, her being within a story as well as being human. Shaking her head she already felt very ashamed of such an idea.
Sighing she just looked down at her reflection and accepted herself as just being a bird.
Though she wishes that she could become a human for just a bit, she knew that it was far from happening and if she was able to become human somehow she would want to live within the fairy tale that she had read.
She sighed once again.
It was alright within her mind, she was happy even if she was just a duck. But it would be an incredible adventure if somehow, just somehow she was able to become human.
As if sensing a pair of eyes locking unto her she looked around once again to find nothing but a splashing noise came from right under her that made her stare at her reflection.
Nothing out of the ordinary of her reflection except two hazel eyes instead of her blue ones.
A smile somehow came across her duck face as her eyes widened.
Suddenly her feet were grabbed and she was pulled under the water.
Unknown weight from her feet continued to drag her down even lower as she saw the pale light of the moon Vanished and the air bubbles escaping from her mouth.
Darkness surrounded her and she felt as if the life from her had just been taken away.
Her eyes flew open to see that of a pale white being standing in front of her.
What happened? Where Am I?
This duck thought while looking around to see nothing but the empty darkness and the radiant light coming from this figure.
The figure seemed to be transparent as well as glowed one moment while dimming the other.
Her eyes widened as she felt sparks around her as if a sudden move of her would be the end.
"Hello there little duck" the feminine voice echoed to what sounded within her mind as well as out loud.
The duck let out a "quack" as if greeting the being back and only soft chuckle echoed as a return.
The fear within her somehow vanished in an instant as she felt her chest warm up as if being eased by this being.
"I am known as Varda" she bent down and stroke the ducks head as if comforting her.
The duck in response bowed her head and let the being pet her, it felt really warm and she wanted this sensation to last a lifetime but she felt another presence arrived.
The duck rose its head to see another being similar to Varda but her light was a gentle light blue aura surrounding her being but not as powerful and bright as the white purifying light.
"Do not mind my company little one, I am Este" her voice calm and gentle.
The duck felt safe and secure at the moment and fears from the new being evaporated out of her.
It was as if she was being protected by higher beings.
"We have a very difficult task for you, young one but do not worry." Varda explained.
In an instant a warm white gem had appeared and began to float in between the three of the people.
"This is a gem that will guarantee your safety as well as the protection we are giving to you"
The gem that was in front of her vanished and somehow a golden string as well as the gem was around her duck neck.
"Please save them young one, you are the only one who can" Este feminine voice spoke out while her blue being pointed downward.
As if by instinct the duck looked down to see a hole where it revealed a brighter light than even Varda had engulfed her.
"This is your chance Little Duck...Farewell for now!" Varda giggled while seeing the duck falling into the ever growing bright gaping hole.
A Different Point of View
"Good Morning!" The pleasant voice of Bilbo Baggins as he greeted the tall old man who wore a pointy grey hat as well as a long grey cloak.
"Do you wish me a good morning or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"
The hobbit just blinked.
"I guess all of them at once" he said while inhaling the tobacco in his pipe and blew out a rather average smoke ring.
"AHHH!" a loud voice boomed followed by an enormous loud splash from the nearby river caught both of the two off guard and turned to see the commotion.
"A young woman has fallen into the river!" a voice called out.
After the voice spoke another feminine voice screamed.
Both being curious as well as intrigued by how a person could have fallen into a river hasted towards the nearby river to see hobbits as well as their wives and some children pulling out a woman with long orange hair the color of the setting sun as well as in a yellow dress.
Bilbo looked at the girl, her eyes closed yet she was breathing.
"How does one fall into a river?" he asked the tall man with the pointed hat.
Somehow a child had overheard his question and turned to the two and answered.
"She fell from the sky!" he exclaimed while pointing upwards towards the clear blue sky.
Both of the men had shocked expressions.
This child had to be making up a tale for no person could fall from the sky?
"Is this a tale you are sprouting?" Bilbo questioned the blonde headed child.
"Of course not Master Baggins! For what I say is true!" he once again exclaimed while pointing to a nearby flower garden.
"Both my brother and I were playing in the flower field when we witnessed her fall! We had just arrived on the road and saw no one on it and as we played we heard a loud screaming noise and a sudden splash!"
Bilbo who had an already lit pipe sucked on it and exhaled, this made absolutely no sense.
"She had stood up then looked at her hands and screamed once again before fainting into the water!"
She looked at her hands? What was wrong with her hands?
Bilbo was much stumped at this.
A woman screaming at her hands and falling from the sky!
Hobbits as well as people just do not fall from the sky!
The commotion of the nearby people interrupted his chain of thought while he noticed the figure with the pointed hat already standing next to the girl.
He tilted his head while putting his hand on her shoulder while closing his eyes.
After a few moments of silent commotions between others the figure opened his eyes and looked to the crowd.
"We need a bed for this youngling" he announced while scanning throughout the crowd.
The crowd broke out. Many of "I don't want a stranger within my house" or "she fell from the sky! She might be a witch!" could be heard out loud.
As if something nudging against him, he felt his chest tighten and he was frightened but something was telling him he must do this.
"I have an extra guest bedroom" he announced to the crowd.
They all looked to him especially his cousin the Sackville-Baggins were in awe of him.
Now they whispered of things as "he would probably let one who practices witchcraft into his own home?" as well as "we may find him dead in the morning".
Bilbo as well as his family name were a respectable mannered people and this ordeal could also stain his family name.
But he had really cared of what others thought because the feeling within his gut was telling him, that everything was going to be okay.
The elder man scooped the girl with ease as she weighed no more than a child as Bilbo led the way towards his house.
As they made their way to the hill towards Bag-End the two males talked.
"I had originally come to ask a certain hobbit to share an adventure but here we are carrying a maiden who had fallen from the sky"
As they entered the home they traversed throughout it towards the guest room.
As they entered the small guest room they had found out that the girl was a human and not either a hobbit or a dwarf or any woodland creature but what looked to be a teenage girl.
"This girl, how did she fall from the sky?" Bilbo said while toweling the girl's hair dry and also dabbing another towel on the girl to get her dry.
He was planning on taking her clothes off and hanging them outside for them to dry but he also figured that if she had woken up she would be very frightened to where her clothes had vanished too, so instead he wrapped a warm blanket around her and hoped that her body heat would help with drying it all.
"That I do not know young hobbit" the old man replied while observing all of this.
They decided to leave the girl alone and exited the room and closed the door.
The elder man as well as Bilbo then went into the parlor and out to the front door.
"Now before I leave your house, would you care to have an adventure with me young Bilbo Baggins?"
Bilbo turned towards the other and shook his head.
"No! I do not care for an adventure sir but what is your name-
"I am Gandalf and Gandalf means... me."
Bilbo gaped while looking at the newly introduced person in front of him.
"The wandering wizard who made such wonderful fireworks!"
The elder man smiled.
"Yes correct... even if that's the only thing you remembered of me."
The wizard adjusted himself while holding unto his staff as if waiting for an answer that Bilbo had not answered too.
As if on cue, Bilbo gave a reply.
"But to answer your question, we do not want such an adventure since taking in a stranger who screams when seeing her hands and even falling from the sky! We know nothing of her and she is residing in my house; so, Good Morning" he finished while reaching into his mailbox and pulling out the mail and quickly scampering himself above the steps.
"It is decided that it is very good for you and very amusing to me that you are coming along" the wizard insisted.
"Good Morning!" The hobbit shouted while running into his house and closing his door.
The wizard outside sighed while magically opening up the wooden gates and climbing up the stairs with ease.
Lifting up his staff unto the door he magically carved out a symbol on the hobbits doorway.
Yet this symbol was not big but a small trifling thing.
A whirling noise had interrupted Bilbo, a small whistling of the wind as well as the small whimper inside of a cave had caught him off guard on the inside as he was only a few inches from the door.
He looked outside of his window to see what seemed like the wizards face, as if knowing he would have looked.
Panicked he stepped back and hid in the hallway of his home and went to the next room's window to see the wizard traveling down the path.
He sighed while sitting down in the living room chair and sighing once again.
He would not go on any adventure! He would not!
The hobbit kind was not the kind of creatures who would like to go on adventures and experienced things like danger, they much liked to stay in a peaceful and friendly environment.
And Bilbo Baggins was sure that he did not like to go on any adventure.