A/N: Just a basic one shot about Legolas' thoughts of leaving Middle earth. Hope it is to your liking ;)
Many Years Passed- by Mad Furry Cheshire Cat
The Sea was growing more and more vicious, rocking the beautiful ship from one side to the other. Overhead, the clouds were turning to grey and flying closer, threatening a fierce downpour.
Legolas glanced out over the rail of the ship, letting his thoughts and memories take him away. The bright sun was only just visible as it became hidden by the angry clouds and began to dip lower below the horizon. He'd been on the Sea now for three days, having given the order in Ithilien to board the finely crafted ship immediately and set off for the Undying Lands.
He'd watched for many months, looking on in awe at the Elves and Men who carved the ship and furnished it so beautifully. Ithilien had been his home for a short while before he left yet again. All he had seemed to do was rush from place to place these last hundred years or so.
Sometimes he'd be woken from his sleep, remembering the many great battles he'd fought in, and all those brave souls he'd seen die. Their ashes scattered to the wind. He and Gimli were now the only last known surviving members of the Fellowship, who had, all nine, travelled and fought together, binding themselves together as life long friends.
A young Elf child laughed suddenly as they were tickled playfully by their father. Their innocent and light hearted chuckles echoed through the air. Legolas turned and smiled to himself, clasping his cold hands together tightly. His golden hair blew outwards, being taken on the winds as they grew stronger.
"Good day," the Elf said politely, holding his child's hand tightly in his own.
Legolas merely smiled and bowed his head in response, then glanced back out to Sea, holding his arms over the rail and watching the sun set so peacefully. For a reason unknown to him, he suddenly saw the image of his mother flash through his memory, which brought another smile to his fair, handsome face. How he missed her. A small part of him was beginning to regret leaving Middle earth now. But when he thought…what else was there for him? It had always been destined for the Elves to leave on day, sail over the Sea to the Undying Lands. Only his mother and father kept him at home. Surely they'd come along one day, meet him again. Legolas highly doubted that. His father, King Thranduil was highly devoted to his people and had only just re built parts of what were once Mirkwood, now named Eryn Lesgalen.
It was the death of Aragorn that had been the deciding factor in Legolas' departure from Middle earth. Even though he knew that one day he'd leave, the death of Aragorn broke apart all the ties that Legolas had with the world. As many years passed for mortals, they were merely the passing of what seemed like the blink of an eye for Elven folk.
Small droplets of rain tapped on the shoulders of Legolas' tunic, signalling that a storm was close, and approaching quickly. The deck had now grown quiet; the Elf child's high pitched laughs having faded to silence. He took one more look around the deck, inspecting his ship before stepping inside.
The warmth closed in around him, paired with the comfort and faint smell of cooking food. Cheering could be heard from one of the rooms, making Legolas smile as he walked down the dimly lit hallways. As he walked along gracefully, he could feel the faint movement of the ship from side to side. Maybe that storm wasn't as near as he first thought.
In his small cabin, Legolas slid out of his knee length boots and pushed them beneath the bed. In the corner was Gimli, snoring loudly as he rocked gently in the seat, a half smoked pipe hanging from his mouth. The smoke was still billowing out the end, thick and fast.
Legolas rose to his feet and chuckled lightly, approaching the Dwarf and taking the pipe from his friend's mouth. "Sleep well, mellon nin," he uttered softly and placed the pipe on the small table beside the seat. If there was one person who Legolas was so proud to have as his friend, it was Gimli. Even though their races had never exactly seen eye to eye, these two friends had over come their differences and demonstrated a wonderful bond that was both strong and never ending.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Legolas sighed and closed his eyes a moment, hearing the faint calls of a gull outside. It tossed his mind back the very first time he heard a gull cry on the shores. How much he had always wanted to sail the Sea, and now that he was here, even though his breath was taken away each and every time his eyes caught sight of the wide open ocean, he still felt slight regret in his heart for leaving his mother and father behind.
The thought of them reaching their destination and seeing the smiles on all the Elfings' faces was enough for him. This was something he truly needed to do; his whole race were destined to make the journey, and maybe one day, he would indeed find his family there, even after many years passed.