Hi!
I've actually already wrote this story once before, with the same name and story, but after publishing it on this site in May 2012 I came across it and read it again. I then felt very strongly that I could hone it in lots of ways. Spelling mistakes, grammar, the choices of words and the sentence structure. So, yeah. This oneshot takes place at the final battle in The Return Of The King. It's written from Aragorns point of view, and a little bit from Èomers. No slash, just a strong friendship.
Disclaimer; I own no characters, they belong to J.R.R Tolkien.
He was stuck in a trance, face to face with the blackest of them all, even though he shone with a light of red and orange. The big black hole in the middle of the fire pierced the man and stared right through his soul.
"Elessar" He didn't know if he was going to take it as a threat or as a calling. And then he woke, he was out of the trance and he turned around. He looked at his friends, his brothers and the uncomprehending, poor humans behind him who despite their fears were willing to fight. He let a smile slowly grow on his face.
"For Frodo" he said. With that, he increased his sword and started running. Not long after there were two hobbit cries and Pippin and Merry rushed over the ground as fast as their little hobbit legs could bear them. They were quickly overtaken by the rest of the soldiers and with battle cries and roars the battle broke out. The swords were soon painted with black orc blood and red human blood. Only screams were heard. Battle cries. Death screams. Everything was an awful, big mess. There was no hope about their lives being spared, they all knew that for they were outnumbered. But they didn't fight in vain. They were fighting for the halflings on the mountains and gave at least them a chance to free Middle Earth from the darkness, the evil. They were fighting for Middle Earth. For Sam. For Frodo. With a flick, Aragorn drew Andúril out of an orc, spun around and chopped a head of another one and then pierced another one.
When the sword was stuck in the armour, Aragorn put his foot on the creatures belly and pulled it out with all his might. He dodged another hit by ducking and realised he'd avoided getting his head smashed by a mallet.
Just as Aragorn was starting to feel some hope returning there was a roar behind him. He turned around, only to see an enormous troll coming, screaming and running towards him with a mace increased. He put up his sword and avoided a lethal hit against his body by letting his sword sing as it fought against the troll's. But in the end there was a strike to powerful for him to stand against and the sword slipped out of his hand as his body kissed the ground. He turned around and got up on his feet as fast as he could but got prevented by a gigantic foot which pushed him to the ground again. Far away, he could hear someone shouting his name but time was running out and he couldn't look for the master of the voice. As a reflex he pulled out his dagger from his belt and stuck it into the foot on the beast which screamed as the dagger cut through the flesh.
Now, when he had time to look for his sword he met a pair of eyes belonging to a friend. There was nothing but despair in those eyes as the owner tried to reach Aragorn. Aragorn couldn't almost hear anything any more, the only thing that was heard was his heartbeat which got harder and harder and quicker and quicker. It was as if someone had put a big, thick piece of cloth over the sound and only let some of it slip through.
He couldn't hear his name being shouted any more, but he saw it. He could see his friend form it with his lips and he saw his friend kill, run and push to come for his aid.
And then, the cloth was gone and he twitched when he came back to reality. The one who'd pulled the cloth away was neither friend nor orc nor troll. It was the eye, it was evil itself, the darkness itself and was known by the name Sauron. The eye was crushing, from inside out. It widened, screamed louder and louder until the ground started to shake violently and the tower fell. The troll screamed, the orcs screamed. Enemies fled. The good ones held their ground. Stunned at first, then overjoyed.
"FRODO!" The king turned his head, saw the small hobbits who thank Valar had made it, jumping up and down in joy. When it had reached everyone of what had happened, there were cheers and screams of joy. The ground around them fell to the abyss and they all stood upon a platform, saved by the light. But as quickly as the happiness had risen it fell collapsed again. The tower wasn't the only thing that had fallen, Mount Doom was seeing its end as well. And it went fast. The mountain spat out lava, rock slides were created and tremors similar to a heavy earthquake shook the mountain down to its end. The hobbits fell down on their knees and didn't even make an attempt to hold back their tears which streamed down their cheeks.
Aragorn lowered his head with tears in his eyes. They had send them to their dead. His promise he'd broken was now also a gigantic mistake. It echoed in his ears of crying and cries, disappointment and rage.
"Don't" He felt a hand on his shoulder and he didn't have to turn arou7nd to see who was behind him.
"We failed them" he said, lifted his head to the sky with closed eyes and let more tears make stripes in his face.
"Aragorn, Elessar" Aragorn turned around and looked at Gandalf.
"Yes, Gandalf?" he asked and frowned as he saw the wizard smiling.
He tilted his head a bit as if asking why he was smiling and his answer was a gaze, pointing up to the sky. He turned his head and saw the eagles coming back, flying in a pattern, after the hunt of the nazgûls. He then shared Gandalf's smile and looked back at his friend.
"I'll go get them" Gandalf said and patted Aragorn on his shoulder. The relief swept over him and he smiled, and looked down at the dwarf who stood nearby him. "You heard" he said and put a hand over Gimli's shoulders. "Go and tell the little once, make them be happy, take the pain out of them. They've had enough of it. I'll fix the rest" Gimli patted his friend on his arm with a smile and went away to take care of Pippin and Merry. Aragorn sighed, they had succeeded. They had succeeded with the impossible and he let a little laugh come through his lips. He bent down, plucked up his sword and wiped away some blood with his cloak as much as he could before he put it back into its folder again. He then announced the news to some of the men about what had happened and let them spread it to the rest. He turned his head, saw his friends – happy. He smiled and started to walk towards them when he felt his foot bumping into something. Normally, he wouldn't have reacted for there was loads of things laying on the ground simply everywhere, but what made him react, stop and pick up the object was the sound. The sound had made it clear to him that this object was made of elvish material and when he held it in his hand, he noted that this was a dagger. A twin dagger. A twin dagger without its mate. He didn't know anyone in the world who would have a pair of these except for his probably closest friends of all time. With a worried glance he looked up. The last time he'd seen him was seen he lay on the ground and was going to be stabbed to death by a troll and after that … he had seen him no more. Where was he? With a growing panic he started to call his name and looking around.
Èomer bent down, took a hold of the man who was trying to stand up and helped him.
"Thank you my lord" he said.
"Pleasure" Èomer answered with a smile and continued to look for others who might've needed his help. Hi plucked up a sword and gave it to a man who was looking desperately for it, but his stare was facing down again. Almost at the same spot as the sword had been lay a bow as well, and not any bow. This bow was unique and he knew exactly who possessed it. But the owner would never, ever leave it as recklessly as he'd done now. He crouched and picked it up.
"That belongs to me" he heard a voice say and he turned around. On the ground he lay, with blood in the corner of his mouth and a dead torso from an orc over him.
"Legolas" Éomer said and moved to his side. He tore of the foul beast from the elf's body and then he looked at him. "What made the prince of the Woodland Realm fall?" he asked.
Legolas answered by smiling a calm little smile and looking down. Éomer followed his stare and looked away in torment with his lower lip in his teeth when he saw the knife deeply inserted on his left side. He then looked back at his friend who still had his eyes fixed on the wound.
"Aragorn" Éomer said for himself. "He can help you"
He gave Legolas a pitying look and put his hand on his arm as to assure him of that he was really there. He looked up and searched with his eyes for Aragorn.
"Aragorn!" he shouted loudly and saw a man far away turn around to look for who'd shouted his name. "ARAGORN!" he shouted much louder and then he saw him, and started to jog to the place. When he arrived he was just about to open his mouth and ask what had happened when he saw his friend laying on the ground and he closed his mouth again.
"No" he said quite for himself and sank down at his side. "Thank you Éomer" he said, and meant it, really, and Éomer nodded. He looked at Legolas once again and patted him on his arm.
"You'll be fine, I'll see you in Gondor" he said, sounding very convincing.
"Thank you, Éomer son of Éomund" Legolas said with a smile. "Anytime" Éomer looked at Aragorn, nodded thankfully and went away to see if he could do anything else for anyone.
"It hurts" Legolas suddenly said, surprisingly calm.
"We have to get it out" Aragorn said and Legolas looked at him.
"No we don't"
"And why are you saying that?"
Legolas just shook his head.
"It has to get out" Aragorn said with a sad expression.
"The knife was dirty, it was covered with poison and has already done enough damage. I can feel it" Legolas said and closed his eyes with a sigh.
"But if it's not out we can't heal you" Aragorn said and closed his hand around the knife.
"No Aragorn" Legolas said and opened his eyes again. "I don't want it to get out, the damage is already done"
Aragorn looked at his friend, then at the knife, and then at his friend again until he quickly drew it out. Unprepared for the intense pain, Legolas let a cry of pain slip through his lips and grimaced. Aragorn quickly took of his cloak, folded it and pressed it against the bleeding wound.
"I shall be honest, I didn't expect anything else from you" the elf gasped and out his fist onto his mouth to prevent another cry of pain coming out with closed eyes, frowning.
"Well you know me" Aragorn said and looked at his friend.
"Why Aragorn?"
"What do you mean why?"
"Yes, why? Why are you trying to save me?"
Aragorn raised his eyebrows.
"That's a stupid thing to ask, of course I am trying to save you. I would never leave you"
"Aah, I never said that" Legolas said. "Let me put it this was, why are trying to save someone who is already dead?"
Aragorn was voiceless, he just looked at him. Of course, normally you don't survive a stab like that, but Legolas was Legolas, and Aragorn couldn't loose Legolas. He had always been the one who was always around, and who would always be. That's not a wish that's a matter of fact.
"So you're telling me…" he said.
"I'm telling you Aragorn, that I am dying. I can feel it. The edge around my sight has already started to fade. I can feel my heart beat slower and slower and how it stings and cools around my fingers"
With one hand putting pressure on the wound, Aragorn used his free hand to pick up one of Legolas hands. It was indeed cool.
"You strong, why did you fall?" he asked and tried to keep the temperature going in the hand by pressing it several times at different spots.
"I had my eyes only on the king who was laying under the troll's grip, I couldn't see the utter world."
"You always see the utter world, you're always beware of your environment."
"But you couldn't die"
Aragorn closed his eyes and let a tear fall down his cheek.
"Why?" he whispered to himself.
"Elf, why are you on the ground?" The wheezy, deep voice made Aragorn's heart skip a beat and he looked at Gimli who already knew the answer.
"I only made it to seventeen" Legolas said and gasped as the wound burned and spread a pain all over the waist.
"Looks like I won" Gimli chuckled and kneeled beside Legolas head. "Twenty four" he said an Legolas smiled.
"Congratulations. You deserve it well" he said.
Gimli took a hold on his forearm and Legolas grabbed his with both of his hands. The dwarf closed his eyes and let his head fall in grief.
"Don't cry Gimli son of Glóin" Legolas said. "I don't wont to fade away with the memory of you being devastated"
"I can't help it laddie" Gimli said with a broken voice and tears in his eyes.
Legolas smiled, a tear was falling from one of the eyes in the same speed as a drop of blood fell down from the corner of his mouth.
"But for Valars sake, speak a language we all can understand" Gimli said in despair when Legolas said something in elvish. The elf let a little laugh come out which got choked quickly because of the blood he was coughing up.
"I said that you shall take care if yourself" he said.
"So you're saying goodbye then?"
"Aye" he said and squeezed the dwarfs arm with his hands. "I won't forget you mellon nin. My friend"
Gimli let the tears fall now, and he bent down and took a hold of the elf before he reluctantly let go and stood up. Aragorn nodded, it lasted well.
"Bye laddie" Gimli said before he turned around and walked away with heavy feet to take care of the little ones again, make the announcement. Legolas was still on the ground, let his hands rest on the ground.
"It doesn't have to be like this" Aragorn said and Legolas looked at him. "There are incredibly great healers in Gondor and they will look after you to the utmost – I'll make sure of that, and when we'll get Elrond there you'll be in even better hands"
"Aragorn, no"
"But why? Why are you giving up like that?" the man asked desperately.
"I don't, but, it is to late now"
"I'll get you there fast. The horse is both fast and stable"
"When you arrive at Gondor, you will be holding a lifeless body without either soul or lustre" Legolas whispered. Aragorn looked at him, mental pain spreading through his body.
"I'm sorry" he said after a while. He let go of the pressure on the cloth on the wound which didn't do any good any more since the blood had gone through it all. He took up his friend's fists between his and rested his forehead against the mix of hands and sobbed.
"Ada" Legolas said after a while and Aragorn looked at him with bloodshot eyes. "Tell Ada that he... that I..."
"I'll tell him" Aragorn nodded and Legolas smiled thankfully. "I'll miss you. So despicable much, I'll grieve for you for years"
"Don't"
"And why not?" the man asked, with the elf's hands still clasped in his. "Why can't I grieve that my best friend died in my arms? That my best friend who was supposed to always be there, strong and staunch forever, leaves me?"
To that, Legolas had nothing to say. As an answer, he slowly shook his head.
"Alright, grieve. Just don't let it turn your heart to stone."
Aragorn looked at him for a long while.
"Don't go"
"I'm not in charge of it"
"Just, don't" Legolas smiled again.
"Why did you say sorry? You said sorry before"
"Yes, sorry. I'm sorry for not coming to you aid in time" the man whispered.
"Don't say sorry. You didn't know, you couldn't do anything"
"I still can't" Aragorn said with a broken voice and soul. "Do you know how this feels? To kneel beside you, knowing that you are unable to do anything and litteraly waiting for you to die. There is not even a point in trying to save you. I'm just sitting here. I could have done so much but nothing was made. Do you know how that feels? It hurts Legolas, it hurts. It hurts so bad that I think I'm going to die. My throat is aching, it stings and it burns, my heart hardens and my body wouldn't be holding me up if I stood. I'm so helpless and I can only watch as you fade away. I don't understand how I am still being able to form words with my mouth, I don't understand anything. I'm shrinking, I'm little, I am a child. I know … nothing. Not anymore. Not now."
"Aragorn…" Legolas started but was cut off.
"No" he said and shook his head. "I know what you are going to say. That of course I am going to make it, and I know that I am. I'm going to stand up and follow the line of my kin. I will stand. But do you understand? I will stand up and I will walk away from you. I will have you dead behind my back and walk to my people. Your body will be resting in my arms but your soul will be behind me. Behind me. I'm not going to… I, can't. It… hurts so bad Legolas. So. Bad. Legolas looked at him, relaxed in his face but his inside hurt more than it had ever done.
"I'm sorry to leave you like this. I'll miss you" Legolas said. "Mellon nin. You'll be the greatest king that has ever wandered among elves, men, dwarves. You'll be the greatest"
Aragorn met his eyes.
"I promise" the elf whispered. "And I'll stay with you, forever"
"Forever, is an awfully long time"
"I would have lived forever"
"That's an awfully long time"
"It is indeed an awfully long time" Legolas coughed, blood was spilled on his clothing and Aragorn could do nothing but look upon it. "Send my greeting to Frodo for me. And Samwise. And tell them that I'm proud of them." he said. "And don't forget Ada"
"I won't, I promise" Aragorn said. "I'll tell them. I promise"
They were silent for a while, and Aragorn was sitting at Legolas side with his hands in his, hopeless. Waiting.
"Aragorn" Legolas said, with a voice which was parted in two, shaking and damaged of crying which had welled up in his throat. Aragorn looked at him. With his lower lip shaking and blood running down from his mouth the elf looked upon his friend one last time. Aragorn clasped his hands around Legolas head, tears were streaming down his face. Legolas put his hands on top of Aragorns and pushed them harder against his head. "You'll be unbelievable" he said and his tears were falling violently down from his eyes. "Mellon nin." he said. "Goodbye"
And then … the tears suddenly stopped falling and the gaze… disappeared. Aragorn sat there for a while, trying to find the gaze again and tried to understand what had happened. Then the scream came. The scream that drove all the pain he'd amassed. It tore his throat apart and fragmented his vocal cords. He felt the newly appointed king of Rohan catching him as he was about to fall backwards on the ground and let out another, unforgettable scream. There was no pride in him left as his back lent towards Èomer and didn't care as he was held up by him and taken care of. He was screaming. It was a scream of agony, a scream of pain. It was a scream of grief and a scream in vain. For nothing could bring him back.