Title: A Foundation of Broken Dreams (3?)
Author: easterlily41482
Pairing: no slash
Rating: PG-PG13.
Summary: When Frodo wakes in Rivendell, the elves are ready to throw Frodo a feast. But what happens when Frodo doesn't show up for the council? (A Neverending Story cross-over; knowledge of book or movie is not necessary).
Disclaimer: I don't own it. I make no money from this.

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The next morning Sam knocked on Frodo's bedroom door. "Mr. Frodo?"

He opened the door and peeked his head into the room. When Frodo was no where to been seen, Sam grew concerned. He had hardly had the time yesterday to properly show his master around before the feast. He had been hoping he could have walked with Frodo to the Council this morning so he knew Frodo had gotten there alright. He sighed. Perhaps Mr. Bilbo had already done so.

Sam turned and was about to leave when he noticed the book that Merry had given them, lying open on the bed.

"Mr. Frodo must have forgotten to take this with him this morning. I'll go to Council myself and give it to him."

He reached over for the book when he noticed something very strange about the book. The pages were…blank. Scared, he flipped through the entire book for the lettering Pippin had described that was supposed to be at the beginning of each chapter.

"There's nothing, but empty pages!" cried Sam.

"Samwise, what are you talking about? Where's Frodo? I was hoping to accompany him to Council."

Sam jumped and turned to find Frodo's Uncle. Where could Mr. Frodo be?

"Begging your pardon, Mr. Bilbo, but I thought Council had already started," explained Sam. "I've only been in here for a couple minutes and Mr. Frodo wasn't here you see so I thought he had gone off to Council already with you." He picked up the book. "And Mr. Frodo forgot to take this book was him. He was going to give it back to Elrond today at Council."

Just then they heard the sound of a single clear bell, which indicated the Council was about to begin.

"Good gracious," stammered Bilbo. "Council is about to begin and there's no time to wait or look now for Frodo. I just hope that he'll be at the Council when we get there."

"We?" questioned Sam. "Begging your pardon, but I wasn't invited."

"No, but I know of a good hiding spot," Bilbo winked.

---

Sam and Bilbo hurried towards the porch where Frodo and Sam had met Merry and Pippin the day before. They hurried themselves along the windy path where they found Gandalf looking troubled.

"Ah, Bilbo, you've made it just in time. I was beginning to get worried," said Gandalf, taking note of Sam at Bilbo's side and the absentness of Frodo. "Where is Frodo? Council is about to start and there is much to hear and decide today."

"Frodo is not here?" stated Bilbo.

Gandalf shook his head.

At the same time, Sam swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. He felt like all eyes were on him. Where could Frodo be?

"Excuse me, Gandalf, sir," said Sam. "Mr. Frodo wasn't in his room when I came in to wake him this morning. But I found this book that belongs to Elrond."

Gandalf gasped and turned his attention towards the book that Sam now had in his hands. "Where did you get that, Samwise?"

"Mr. Frodo and I were walking around the grounds yesterday when we found Merry and Pippin at the porch. Merry told Mr. Frodo that Pippin had taken this book out of Elrond's private library."

"Fool of a Took!" shouted Gandalf. "There was reason why Elrond kept that book inside his private library. That book is not safe."

"Not safe!" cried Sam.

Gandalf sighed. "When you found the book this morning in Frodo's room was it opened or closed?"

"Open, I think," stammered Sam. "Yes…yes, it was open! Only the pages were all blank and…"

"It is what I feared," interrupted Gandalf. "I believe I know where Frodo is. Come on, Samwise."

Gandalf turned and lead them to the porch where Elrond was seated amongst several others in a semi-circle. They were all silent and when Elrond saw Gandalf, Bilbo and Sam, he stood up.

"Master Elrond," stated Gandalf. "A terrible thing has happened."

Gandalf gestured to Sam and pointed to a stone pedestal that was in the middle of the semi-circle.

Nervously, Sam walked up to the stone pedestal and placed the book on it. He slowly backed away and watched Elrond gaze down at the book. A few minutes later Elrond sat down on his chair and everyone's confused eyes were on him.

"The Ring is no longer in Middle Earth."

Boromir stared at the stone pedestal and put his hand up to his face. "What is this nonsense?"

Elrond ignored him and addressed everyone. "Strangers from distant lands and friends of old, you were summed here to answer the threat of Mordor. However for the time being the Ring is safe for neither the Ring nor its current bearer are now in Middle Earth."

Elrond looked around the council, pausing to let what he had just said sink in.

"The pages of this book once told the story of a land called Fantasia. It was a land filled with magnificent places and creatures. However it has become nothing more than a foundation of broken dreams. By reading the story within those pages Frodo has been called upon to rebuild that broken land."

"But where is Mr. Frodo exactly?" questioned Sam.

Elrond raised an eyebrow and gestured toward the book that was lying on the stone pedestal. Sam approached the pedestal and looked questionably at the book. The book opened as if by magic to the first page and Sam read…

When Frodo next became aware of his surroundings, he found himself in total darkness.

"Hello?" he called into the darkness. The only answer he got was his own voice echoing back to him. "Sam?"

"Mr. Frodo?"

Sam slammed the book and quickly backed away from the pedestal in fear. He gazed up at Elrond with pleading eyes.

"The story of Fantasia, Samwise Gamgee, is now being re-told."

TBC