A Short AU Challenge

Challenge Details

It seems that most AU stories are novel-length. The author starts with some change and writes the rest of the trilogy from that point on. These are nice, of course, but it would be lovely to see what people can do with shorter pieces. Can you still create an AU universe in a short number of words?

So here's the challenge: change canon in some significant way, and write an AU piece centering on that change -- but tell it in 5,000 words or less.

Thanks to Marta for this great idea.

Entries with Stories

The following authors have entered a story in the Challenge.

AmandaK - To Hope's End, To Heart's Breaking: General Audience; Last Updated: 15 Mar 04; There is a murder at the court. A king's final verdict is read. And the Lady of Rohan makes a desperate promise.

AU, based on movie verse, except for a few details. My attempt to defang a HASA Nuzgul: what would have happened had Grima succeeded in his plans before the arrival of Aragorn et al in Rohan?
Dwimordene - Edge of the Knife, The: General Audience; Last Updated: 15 Dec 05; "Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all." What was said to the Fellowship holds equally for the man to whom the Quest owed its existence. Eight drabbles about Isildur and what might have been...
EdorasLass - A/U Drabbles: Adult Audience; Last Updated: 06 Apr 08; These drabbles will not necessarily connect in any way, except for the fact that they'll all be A/U.
Though all of them won't be "adult" I'm going to rate this that way, so I can write adult as I please. But I'll mark it in the title space, and update warnings as needed.
Character death, probably disturbing situations.
EdorasLass - Come When You Are Ready: General Audience; Last Updated: 22 May 05; Denethor walks the halls of the Citadel, wondering where everyone else has gone. A/U; warning - possibly disturbing images. Let me know if it's too disturbing, and I'll change it to Adult. In response to a Nuzgul Soubrettina chucked, and graciously let me adopt.
EdorasLass - Love Me and Despair: General Audience; Last Updated: 03 Feb 05; A/U - What if Galadriel had taken the Ring? Dark, more horror/angst than drama.
Gandalfs apprentice - Gandalf’s No Good, Rotten, Really Bad Day: General Audience; Last Updated: 13 Oct 07; A few things go wrong at the Prancing Pony, and Manwe wants Gandalf to explain how it all happened. Humor/AU. 2006 MEFAwards WINNER--FIRST PLACE--BEST PARODY

WINNER--SECOND PLACE--BEST UNDYING LANDS "MY PRECIOUS" AWARDS 2007
Jay of Lasgalen - Dark Elf: General Audience; Last Updated: 08 Jun 05; A dark, AU drabble. Setting: The banks of the Anduin, during the chapter 'The Great River'.
Katzilla - The End of All Things: General Audience; Last Updated: 29 Dec 06; So, this was the end. This was how it felt. For all these dark years that had passed, Éomer had been wondering how he would know when it was finally over and all resistance futile, and how that knowledge would feel...

2006 Mithril Awards Finalist: Drama and AU
Linaewen - Choices: General Audience; Last Updated: 17 May 10; A captain of Gondor ponders the choices before him after meeting two wandering Halflings in Ithilien. An AU ficlet that explores an intriguing and surprising "what if...?"
Meril - Stolen: Adult Audience; Last Updated: 16 Feb 08; A dark AU about Galadriel. Warning: dark imagery and character death.
Werecat - Dolor Meus: General Audience; Last Updated: 04 Mar 06; O all you, who pass by the way - attend and see, if there is a sorrow like My sorrow. In another land and another time, the man who loves birds meets the one with a strong voice. Fourth Age, AU.
MEFAs 2005: Winner - Post-Ring War
Mithrils 2005 - Semi Finalist, Fourth Age and Beyond
Werecat - When All Lights Pass: General Audience; Last Updated: 04 Mar 06; Set at Pelargir after the Battle of Fornost, this story deals with a young man suffering from the Black Shadow, a desperate mother and two strange travellers, one clad in grey and one in earthen brown.

They say that the hands of the king can heal... and there were other kings in Arda before Aragorn’s time.

Probably AU, this story also draws inspiration from H.P.Lovecraft's "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath".
MEFAs 2005 - First Place, AUs, pre-LotR
Mithrils 2005 - Quarter Finalist, AU/Crossover
Werecat - Ailurophobia: General Audience; Last Updated: 27 Dec 05; Ailurophobia: "fear of felines". This story discusses the fate of one of Tolkien's abandoned characters from the Lost Tales - this of Tevildo, Prince of Cats. From a feline nazgul Vulgarweed tossed at me and could well be listed as "black humor".
Mithril Awards 2004 - COMMENDED /Finalist - Best Humor
2004 Galvorn Awards: Winner - Best Cat MEFAs 2005: Second Place, Humor/Animals
Werecat - Tides of Time: General Audience; Last Updated: 16 Oct 05; A sword sheathed in stone and a land in turmoil. A tale that explores the fate of Anduril. Probably AU, this story is an attempt to connect Tolkien's writings to Arthurian legends.
MEFAs 2005 - Second Place, AUs, Post LotR
Werecat - And all in evil ended be: General Audience; Last Updated: 22 May 05; Not all of Morgoth's minions perished - some survived even the Ring War. A drabble, probably a bit AU.

Placeholders

The following authors have entered a placeholder in the Challenge.

marastar: Entry Date: 12 Jun 05
Ranger1: Entry Date: 12 Jun 05
Werecat: Entry Date: 24 Aug 05

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