Thanks to Slightly Tookish for the beta :)

A Wizard’s Legacy

Two days of rummaging in the Great Place of the Tooks and other forgotten rooms deep in the Smials had produced a worthy haul. Pippin had kept up an air of knowing all along that his hunch would pay off, but he was really as surprised as Merry when his cousin called out to him shakily and showed him two dusty old crates he had just uncovered, each labelled with a large red G and an Elvish rune carved in the wood. With a thrill of anticipation, they opened them up and sat there for a long time in the darkness of those old rooms, young lads again, exclaiming over ancient treasure with hushed voices and shining eyes.

After a little trial and error ("I think you’re supposed to stick it in the ground, Pip"), setting them up and lighting them proved to be simpler than they had expected. Sam volunteered to do the honours on the night, but Merry and Pippin both insisted that he should join them on the hill to watch. It only seemed right that he should be there with them, so Ferdibrand stepped in and said he would do it, admittedly a tad nervously, with memories of thunderbolts and dragons still only too vivid in his mind despite all the years that had passed.

The party was proving to be a great success. Pippin’s speech, short and to the point, went down well, as did the abundant food and drink, and the air of excitement increased throughout the night as the rumour went round that there was going to be a firework display, the likes of which had not been seen since the days of the Old Took. That Gandalf was mysteriously absent did nothing to persuade them otherwise – the young Thain’s son seemed capable of anything he put his mind to, perhaps, some speculated, even magic.

Between dances, Pippin and Merry left the throng of hobbits and went to sit on the hill nearby, joined by Sam a few moments later, and they lit their pipes without a word and blew lazy smoke rings into the air as they waited for it to begin.

"Do you remember the spears?" Pippin reminisced. "And the eagles?"

"And the raining flowers," Sam added, a little wistfully.

Merry grinned at both of them. "Ah, and I’d always suspected that one of you was too busy stuffing food in his mouth to pay attention. And the other was already so starry-eyed--."

Pippin snorted. "Which one did you like best then? You had your head in a barrel of ale all night, Meriadoc, so you’re hardly one to talk."

Sam chuckled as the two younger hobbits scuffled playfully for a moment and then they all froze as a great flash heralded the beginning of the show. A boom echoed around the hills again as another one went up, this time breaking into blue and green starbursts over their heads.

The awed hush that had descended on the field was broken by cheers and clapping and murmurs of ooh and aah, and Pippin, Sam and Merry turned to each other and grinned. Lights of every possible colour lit up the sky and illuminated the field over and over again, and they lapsed into a thoughtful silence then, watching the work of the departed wizard with mingled delight and sadness. The years rolled back to that night in the Party Field when they had been lads witnessing Gandalf’s magic for the first time, unaware that the events to follow would end up changing their lives forever. It seemed like yesterday and a hundred years ago all at once. Pippin felt for Merry’s hand and clutched it tightly, thinking of all that was different and lost, and was glad then to feel his cousin squeeze back his hand without a word or a glance.

After a little while, Pippin’s gaze strayed to a group of North-Tooks who were watching more intently than the rest. Not all of them had been present at Bilbo’s party, and he smiled to himself as he saw the expression of frightened wonder on the upturned face of one pretty lass caught in the intermittent glow.

He started violently out of his reverie though as the last firework (reserved for last on account of its impressive size) went up suddenly with a shrill, piercing scream. Merry snickered despite being a little startled himself, and Pippin blushed, thankful for the sudden dark, whilst, as one, every hobbit present craned their necks to watch the plume of smoke shoot higher and higher into the sky.

Another BOOM, the loudest yet, bringing exclamations of delighted terror from the ground, and the firework erupted into a silver tree that seemed to fill the sky with its branches.

"Oh." Pippin could hardly see for the tears that sprang to his eyes and he was overcome as silver blossoms rained down upon them. He leaned into Merry, and felt his cousin’s arm go around his shoulders and Sam’s gentle pat on his back, watching as the blossoms vanished one by one into the dark, unable to keep back a small sob.

"Happy coming of age, Pippin-lad," Sam said quietly as he wiped his own eyes with a handkerchief.

"It’s like he knew," Merry said wonderingly, in the sudden quiet, tracing the silver embroidery on Pippin’s chest. "Those fireworks have lain in the Smials for more than a hundred years, and it’s as though he knew we’d find them."

"I don’t know, Merry," Pippin sniffed after a moment as he sat up, looking down at his black and silver surcoat. "Do you think he could have known a thing like that? Maybe it’s just that we know."

The two older hobbits looked at him in surprise but had no chance to comment as Ferdibrand made his way over, a little blackened, but otherwise unharmed.

He looked at them expectantly and gestured at the hobbits around them who had already begun to disperse as the band struck up again. "I think Gandalf must have got better with age," he declared. "Don’t you? That last one was good, but the rest had nothing on the ones at Bilbo’s party. Not that anyone else here will say so," he added, looking to reassure his cousin when he noticed his tear-streaked face with alarm. "These fireworks were meant for the Tooks, and as far as they’re all concerned, this here is the best party we’ve had in the Shire since the Old Took was alive. Only seems right, they say, that the Thain’s son, and a hero, should have a party of such special magnificence."

Merry coughed, and Sam patted his back sympathetically. Pippin grinned, and thanked Ferdi, and then turned back to his friends with a wink. They looked back at him with raised eyebrows, and he rolled his eyes, relenting . "All right. But you can’t blame me. It’s not my fault I’m a Took. And Gandalf was very fond of us Tooks, you know, so perhaps he did mean for this to happen – although I can’t see how he’d want me to get an even bigger head than I already have."

"Quite right," Merry muttered, a smile lighting his eyes. "Now, you daft Took, I can’t believe you haven’t already gone looking for an excuse to talk to that lovely lass you were mooning over when you were meant to be watching the show. You’re as bad as Sam." He thrust a box into his cousin’s hands then, and said, "Here’s one."

Pippin took the box and kissed Merry on the nose before jumping up and making his way through the crowd.

With growing amusement, the two older hobbits watched as he located the lass beside the stage and swept her his most courtly bow before placing something in her hands. Moments later a sparkler’s glow lit up both their faces and she glanced up at him with a delighted smile over the crackle and fizz of the stars in her hand. Pippin motioned to her how to make trails of light in the air and her smile widened as she spelt her name with it: Diamond.

"Now," Merry murmured. "Those sparklers were meant for everyone, but I’ll wager he’ll give her every single one just to see her eyes light up like that all evening."

Sam shook with silent laughter. "I’ll wager he won’t need them."

They shook hands with a grin, and then stood up together and joined the rest of the party. There was more food and ale to be had, and many more dances. Later on, they found a moment together to make a silent toast, nothing more than a smile and a nod over mugs of ale. Gandalf had made this milestone one to remember, and those who remained in the Shire to remember their distant friends did so gladly tonight, with laughter and love.

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