The Chronicled Darkness - Part 3: The Essence of Fragile Power

by Spam5192

A Lord Of The Rings Fanfiction where the ultimate choice must be made!

The Essence of Fragile Power

Time, what is its meaning? Is there an answer to this question but for one creature, time has no meaning. Down through the centuries, he has remained motionless, ageless, immortal in his own incredibly unique way, and still as the world around him, changed beyond all recognition. Races grew and died, cities came and went, the remaining people grew in both strength and knowledge. The old races and species, that once roamed Middle-Earth had gone, as the new took over. The landscape changed, fields grew, forests felled, crops sewn, as a new life grew from the old traditional ways. The patterns of weather became different, as the modern world came to take over, itself forever changing in this now fast paced world.

But not all change is for the better, the world had been ravaged by war, a civil war so devastating, as many people fought and many more lost their lives. Other races apart from Men, were caught in the fighting, and perished as a result. The boundaries between the races of Men, in both Rohan and Gondor no longer existed, and Men were divided on many issues as there was no longer a monarch on the throne of Men and many minor conflicts still broke out. The race of Men was now broken in many different tribes, skilled in caring for horses, and working the land. Disputes over the land still raged, and Men had found more effective ways of killing their own kind, in ways never seen before. But even through the civil war, the conflicts, the human spirit remained unchanged, but it's darker side had shown through over the past couple of hundred years, a side of which one single creature had fought, for so many years, to prevent from emerging. But even through these problems, no true evil had reined over the people, not since the true destruction of Sauron.

For peace, real peace from evil, had reined over this land for almost eight hundred years, and no written knowledge was left of the times of evil, as men had taken over, and now they were unprepared, of any form of evil that dared to surface. All other races, hobbits, elves and dwarves had long since gone and have not been by men, for almost an age, if any did survive, for men had become ruthless. Ruthless in twisting the planet to his desire, polluting and destroying her precious surface, until nothing remained. Men spreading like a virus across the planet, gathering in dense cities, the pace of life quickening, machines replacing the work and chaos of men, doing their own fair share of destruction, the planet unable to cope. All other species that manage to survive along side men, suffer at their hand, as though man, himself had become the evil in the world, maybe through sheer carelessness. Ecological disasters were now commonplace all in the process in making money. The rich becoming richer, the poor, poorer, until nothing remained except for man's own lust for greed and power, destined to destroy themselves, maybe taking the fate of the planet with them. Gone forever.

At the foot of the Misty Mountains, or now renamed Highland Mountains, a creature has slept, silently but uncomfortably, in extreme pain. The suffering and the guilt could be seen in the way he slept, constantly moving, breaking out in fevers, then cold sweats, unable to remain calm. His long blonde hair, once slick and fair, had now become dull through the passing of time, his green glad outfit of a woodland elf had become matted, blood stained and tired with the changing times, skin extremely pale. This was where he was moved to when he was found in Mordor by a wondering traveller, and for more then three hundreds he had been cared for by the small family who lived at the foot of the mountains.

During this time, the human population had no idea of the existence of this creature, who was stirring through a dark, cold, windy night, tossing and turning in this bed, finally waking with a jump, with cold wet and shaking. The elf opened his eyes, unable to see anything through them, as they were changing colour, from blue to brown through to the vampire blood red. He blinked his eyes, several times, trying to make out the outline of the log cabin, of which he was held. The weather was misty outside, with rain beating down on the windows of the cabin. He could hear movement outside the door and tried to lean up straight but failing due to an extreme lack of strength. The elf lay back of the bed and for a while, heard no sound except for the rain outside, until the handle click and the door opened, and a girl walked through. The elf stared, as the girl came towards him, he saw that she was of a tanned skin native Indian background, similar to the native Americans, the renamed people of Rohan. She had dark hair that was as black as the night, her eyes was also as dark, and looking like some who the elf already knew. She entered the room and instantly saw that the elf's eyes were open and staring at her. She left the room extremely fast, calling for someone outside in a language that the elf didn't know.

After a few minutes of complete confusion on the elf's part, and elderly gentleman, a human, a chief, wearing the traditional clothing, of furs, dark brown cloth and decorated with the feathers of an eagle. He came towards the elf, who was now beginning to struggle with the thirst for blood, which was now swelling up inside him, for it had been eight hundred since he last fed. He tried to get up as the chief came towards him, and sat down on his bed and placed his head on the elf's forehead. It was incredible soothing. The elf fell back on the bed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, his thirst for blood calming.

"Rest, my child", he spoke in a language the elf did not know. But the chief's voice was soft, quiet and tranquil.

After a few minutes, the elf opened his eyes, amazingly calm.

"How?" he spoke in English, barely making a sound. The chief looking to the elf's eyes.

"Rest, to what name should we call you by?"

"Legolas Greenleaf !" He again barely spoke, hardly making a sound, struggling with what was now tiredness, breathing heavily and skin, very pale. There was a long pause, before the elf spoke again, "Who are you?"

"I am Chief Hooapinto, of the last descendants of the ancient Highland tribe who have watched over this land for centuries, away from Western life. This is my granddaughter Nakita." The girl who had Legolas had seen earlier had from behind the chief. He greeted her and turned back to the elf, Legolas.

"You are not from these parts, where are you from, wandering traveler?"

The chief was paying close attention to Legolas's pointed ears, characteristic of a purebred elf, and highly unusual at the time.

"I am an elf..." Legolas was going to say more but was cut across by the chief.

"Pure of heart, for you have the spirit of the eagle, but a restless soul!"

Legolas grinned, revealing his fangs, for the first time, to the chief and his granddaughter. Nakita screamed and backed away but the chief remained calm. Shock come over Legolas at Nakita's reaction, for he had forgotten about his vampire blood red eyes, and turned his back on the chief and then spoke in Sindalin Elvish, his own native language.

"I only wish that was true, but I am not of this world!"

"Which world are you from?" The chief replied. To Legolas's amazement, as he turned back round to face him. He didn't speck in Elvish, but his own native language, but Legolas somehow understood him. He stared at the human, in complete confusion.

"Be calm, my friend. You speak in a language that is more ancient then my own, nor are you human either, the only one of your kind."

Legolas continued to stare, "You call me a friend?! But I am evil, more evil then you can imagine!"

"Evil is only in the eyes of the beholder, if the people around you, do not see your as evil, then you are not!" The chief remained incredible calm at this.

Legolas stared at the elderly man, with both respect and joy.

"I have never met a human, with such elf qualities, such as yourself. Where did your people find this knowledge?"

The chief looked disheartened at this.

"We are the last of the Emaskca Tribes, still living the old ways, off the land, traveling on horseback, and soon we will be driven from this land, by the expanding cities and towns. We can not legally stay here anymore."

Legolas not fully understanding what the chief had said, asked why this was so.

"Because we are no longer welcome. Rest and Nakita will show you how the world had changed and I will send for a change of clothes for you."

Legolas looked as though this wasn't necessary, and didn't like the idea. The chief noticed as he got to his feet. He smiled

"You wish to fit in? The world has changed since you were last awake!" There as long silence as the elf and the chief looked at each other, before the elderly human left, leaving Legolas lying on the bed, feeling very much alone, confused and for the first time, afraid, of what the human world had created. He had no idea what to expect, and by the reaction of Nakita, to his fangs, it meant that attitudes towards non human hadn't changed, and knew that the modern world would not be welcoming. He lay there, still too weak to move and wondered what to do, when tired finally come over him, and he fell into a cold, dreamless sleep.

Legolas woke, a day and a half later, the afternoon light streaming in through the windows, feeling very strange, the thirst for blood building. Confused, he got to his feet, and instantly knew what was wrong. As he looked down, he instantly realised that someone had changed his clothes, while he was sleeping, and he was now wearing black for head to foot. It was extremely uncomfortable, as the black leather boots were heavy, and pinched the ends of his toes, he wore black jeans and a long sleeved cotton polo neck black jumper. He felt a mild pain at the back of his head, and also realised that his long blonde hair had been cleaned and tied back into a low ponytail, in a band so tight that Legolas couldn't remove it, and his pointed ears, were hidden under a black woolen hat.

Legolas looked around and managed to locate his bow, arrows and quiver, lying by the side of the bed, but his Mirkwood elven clothing had gone. Then all of a sudden, an deep rumble in a pit of his stomach and a surge of hunger, brought the elf to his knees, the extreme pain unbearable. He almost screamed in pain, before the door opened, someone running in, pausing, before putting a cup of liquid to his lips. The contents was warm, soothing, as the blood temporarily relieved the pain, as Legolas drained the cup. He was breathing heaving, still on his hands and knees, he looked up.

"Thank you!" He managed to breathe, as the person above.

"You OK? Grand-papa told the tribe what you needed!" It was Nakita, also wearing black, looking both worried and fearful. Legolas could feel this, she feared him, more then anything, and didn't want to push her away, she was his guide.

"I can manage for now!" He spoke, getting to his feet. This wasn't true, he desperately needed more blood, and was struggling to keep control. He was still extremely pale. Nakita looked at him, disbelieving.

"Are you sure your OK?" She asked, a modern tone in her voice.

Legolas nodded, knowing full well that he wasn't OK, but was eager to get moving. He followed Nakita out of the log cabin and stopped dead, outside the door staring along the sun lit horizon. Legolas didn't recognise it. Tall grass, one metre in height, grew for miles around, blowing sideways in the wind. The land was extremely flat and was once highly cultivated for farming, which had now died away, leaving the land to overgrow. Legolas partially knew this land, as Rohan, but as he looked to the mountains behind him, it felt extremely different. He also noticed that Fangorn forest had disappeared. Legolas sharp eyes, turning from blood red to blue in the morning sunlight, noticed a dark gray patch on the landscape, in the distance, and made him curious, as Nakita arrive next him, holding the reins of two horses. She looked at him, frowning, and then followed his eyes.

"What is that?" Legolas asked, his voice unusually calm with the curiosity, indicating the dark patch. Nakita smiled.

"That's Waterdale, that's where were heading. Grand-papa need stock for the horses. You can ride, can't you?"

Legolas nodded, not entirely sure what to expect, the sense of fear of the unknown human world returning. Nakita got onto the horse and Legolas mimicked her. He was dependent on her, and thought best to continue to mimic her, if he was to pass himself as vaguely human. They saddled the horses and Nakita lead the way across the town of Waterdale. Legolas followed, holding the horse back slightly, not to overtake Nakita, because of his lightweight elven build, as they galloping across the land. Then the horses hit the tarmac road leading towards the town, the tip taping sound could be heard as the horse's metal shoes hit the road. Legolas noticed this, confused, but it was something that passed them in the road, which made Legolas's eyes widen with fear, which almost made the horse itself panic.

Legolas had no idea what the contraption was, but it could move faster then any horse. It has four wheels, on which Legolas could make out was a shell, of which human could sit. It was incredible noisy to the ears of an elf and as it passed, Legolas was left coughing, because of the pollution fumes that came out the back of the vehicle. The town was thick with these fumes, but Nakita didn't seem to notice and they slowed the horses to a walk, as it became to get more crowded. Legolas watched the vehicle go passed and asked Nakita what it was. She looked at him, as though he had three head.

"You don't know! That's a automobile or a car, for short, they help get people from one place to another."

"Faster then horses!" Legolas asked amazed, as his stomach rumbled with the hunger for blood. Nakita nodded.

"Where have you been?" She asked, frowning, looking back at him. Legolas signed.

"I have been away for some time!" He spoke so quietly, that Nakita barely heard him as they continued through the town. The town was full of both horses and car, as the town of Waterdale was part of the ranching community, the main trade in the area. Legolas decided to keep his questions to himself and lit his eyes try and answer them, as he looked round. The town itself, reminded Legolas of Minas Tirth, but on one level, the building somehow had a similar style. The trade itself was in some items, Legolas had never seen before, but his sharp elven eyes, that he was also noticed that he was getting a lot of attention. He asked Nakita, if this was right. She waved away the subject, as though she was swatting a fly.

"Don't worry about it, you only the new person in town!" She turned her left down a second street and Legolas followed. He smiled slightly with nerves at what the Nakita had just said. There was nothing new about Legolas, as he was older then the combined age of the town put together. Also the nerves weren't helping his hunger either, and was greatful where they stopped outside a shop selling accessories for the up keep of horses. Nakita got of the horse, tied to the wooden post and went it. The elf followed her. He entered the shop and was amazed, every single piece of equipment needed to keep horse was found here, and Nakita noticing his fascination, told him to look around. He didn't argue and went to he back of the shop away from assistant and watched them, from between two shelved of stock. But the shop assistant had noticed him, on the way in. She spoke to Nakita.

"Hi, Nakita, is it the usual? Who you friend?" Nakita smiled, looking back at Legolas's direction.

"Him? He's new here. He's been working for grand-papa, for the past couple of days!"

"Oh, one of those wondering travelers?" The woman tried to look at Legolas. She seemed rather snobbish to the elf, a human trait he didn't like. He kept his back to her, still listening with the his sharp elf ears.

"Yes. He is!" Nakita lied, "He's also a bit shy, not that talkative, but gets stuff done on the ranch." This made Legolas turn round, mildly impressed at the girl could successfully cover up his true identity. She said no more as the shop assistant got the horse feed and saddle polish, that Nakita needed, and then paid for. She headed out of the shop with bags and got back on the horse. Legolas followed her, still trying to keep his mind off his stomach.

But as they were loading the bags on the horses, they were spoken to from behind.

"Nakita, how's your grandfather?" Legolas looked behind him, to see a official looking gentleman on the back of a horse. Nakita looked up disgusted.

"No matter what you say, you can't drive us from our land!" The man smiled, with an evil grin, getting off the horse, to look down at Nakita.

"We shall see about that, miss!" He was twice her size, very tall and very fat, wearing a black suit and white shirt, short brown hair and a mustache. Legolas almost had the urge to defend her. The man spotted him, and an expression of extreme curiosity came across his face. He held out a hand for the elf.

"Hi, I'm Sergeant Mitchell, town sheriff, and you are?" His eyes bore into Legolas, that made him feel uneasy, but he was now beginning to understand how the human world worked. He needed up update his attitude, and fast, maybe letting through the arrogance of his vampire souland with his extreme thirst for blood at the moment, that wasn't going to be difficult. He didn't like that idea and but that was the way all the humans were acting. The elf raised an eyebrow. Legolas looked back at the sergeant, returning an even fiercer stay, but didn't take his hand. Legolas straighten and folded his armed, his voice as cold as ice. His lip curled.

"Legolas Greenleaf, and what has Nakita's family done to be thrown off land that is rightfully theirs?" Looking back, Legolas had to admit it was a little harsh, but he really like didn't the human. But he received the desired reaction from the sheriff. Even Nakita was shocked. The colour drained from the sheriff, his blood was boiling. He grabbed Legolas's black polo neck jumper. Their faces inches apart.

"That's non of your business, boy, and keep it that way!" He growled. Legolas casually looked down, and grinning, placed his hands on the sheriff's arms and with perfect ease, throw him off, with strength disproportional to is height and build, if he were human. The sheriff was shocked at this, as Legolas continued to stare at him. But Nakita tugged his jumper from behind.

"Come on!" She whispered and got on the horse, and rode off. Legolas followed, jumping on the horse with extreme swiftness, galloped after her, leaving the sheriff behind. Nakita stopped Legolas just round the corner.

"What's wrong with you?" She spoke absolutely stunned, her voice hushed. Legolas still had a grin on his face, and didn't at first, understand what the problem was. He spotted the look on the girl's faced and became stern.

"You will never understand, the pain, the suffering, the thirst for blood. I'm not human, and I never have been..." Then a large rumble in his stomach, made Legolas keel over on the horse, eyes tight closed. He felt a hand on his shoulder, he grabbed it. Nakita jumped, trying hard not to scream.

"Your as cold as ice!" She was thunderstruck as it was a very day warm. Legolas looked at Nakita, breathing heavily, growling, eyes flaring blood red, fangs bared, in extreme pain.

"Go home, you will be safe there!" Throwing her off him. Nakita refused to go.

"Safe from what?" She asked confused.

"Me!" Legolas wheezed as another surge of pain, come over him. He kicked the horse, and galloped towards the town boundary, dodging the cars, and out into the wilderness.

The sun was setting on the horizon, and Legolas's fight with his vampire soul was failing. Another surge of pain, and hunger, made Legolas fall off the horse, the horse sensing the evil in the elf and bolted. He lay on the ground, curled into a ball, eyes tight closed in the darkness, shaking with the pain. Thick gray fog was clouding his mind and the elf lost the battle.

Legolas opened his now permanently glowing blood red eyes, and let his vampire soul taste the air. He laughed, he never had this much freedom, since Aragorn was on the throne of Gondor, only this time he wasn't behind bars. He got to his feet with extreme speed. He hadn't changed much since his vampire soul had this much control, but he was extremely hungry. He licked his lips as he looked round. He saw pale lights in the distance, of the town of Waterdale, and Legolas saw his chance.

He made his ways towards the town, light and swift on his feet. His thirst for blood driving him forwards. His body sliced the metre tall grass like a knife and he moved out of sight as he heard voices near the edge of the town. Legolas backed up against the wall of a building, and looked over to the two men, talking in the now almost deserted town. Legolas's blood red eyes pieced the darkness, perfectly designed for the night. He looked around the town, there was nobody else about. Legolas tightened muscles in the body, ready to pounce, blood red eyes fixed on the two men, and when they wondered into sticking distance. Legolas realised that the black clothes, made him invisible to humans, in the darkness, and saw the advantage in them. He charged.

He attacked the two men, to kill and drank them, by digging his fangs deep into their necks, drinking the refreshing blood, his first solid meal in eight hundred years. He killed one man and instantly injured the other, silencing him, before he could rouse attention. He looked at Legolas in fear, and the elf came down on him, digging his fangs into human neck. He was a youth, not much older then twenty-one years, and Legolas relished the young blood, sweet, warm, drank until the heart stopped. Legolas let go taking a deep breath, blood dripping from his fangs, and turned when again voiced could be heard, this time from behind him.

Legolas mildly panicked, but grinned as he grabbed the arms of the two dead humans and with superior strength, gained from the fresh blood, dragged them out of the town and to a nearby river, and dumped them in it. The bodies sang to the bottom, but the voices very becoming louder and Legolas decided that this was his time to depart.

He ran back across the wilderness, the long grass blowing in the wind. The blood had let his elven soul come back in control, but he decided not to suppress his vampire soul, which before now, he would have automatically done. But in this modern world, his vampire soul and attitude, would be an asset rather then a burden. He slowed to a walk, taking in the incredible flat landscape and high mountains, and after a couple of hours, noticed a singular light in the distance. He recognised the surrounding area as the ranch belonging to Nakita's family. He moved at pace, towards the log cabins and looked the window.

Nakita and the chief were in there, and Legolas noticed that the girl's grandfather, was the only family she had left. Legolas felt extremely guilty, for throwing her off him, when she was only trying to help. He also understood why they were been evicted off the land, with only one young girl to manage the land, and the other too old to work, the ranch making little money, the land was more valuable belonging to someone else. That family, watched over him for three hundred years, and even though that Legolas couldn't die, he was greatful for the care received.

He looked around, wanting to help, and saw through the darkness, that chaos were needed to be done on the ranch. Looking around the ranch Legolas managed to locate his old elven clothing, with were extremely tattered, in a heap on the ground. He gathered them up and burned them, except for the thick protective leather guard for his forearms, for archery, which he fastened around his arms. The death of the two men, may cause problems if they were found, and Legolas wasn't taking any chances. He was going to protect these two kind people, who had watch over him, he was now going to return the favour. He finished the chaos on the ranch and went to one of the empty stables, to spend the rest of the night, to sleep in the comfortable shadows of the wooden building.

Legolas woke the following morning, to be confronted by points of a pitch fork, being branded at him, by Nakita, looked both fearful of the elf and tearful. He tried to comfort her.

"Stay away!" She almost screamed, moving quickly backwards. Legolas signed, there was nothing he could do now, except feel extremely guilty. He tried to argue his case.

"Please, Nakita, I never meant any harm to you or your grandfather, your family protected me all those years, I am now going to return the favour. By the blood of my body, the sheriff will never take these lands from you."

Nakita lowered her weapon, this time looking shocked.

"Can you really do that? Can you really stop the sheriff?" Legolas nodded. He felt his eyes flash blood red.

"I will try!" Legolas promised, and he for the first time in his life, both vampire and elf, he meant it. Nakita helped him up and they both walked out of the barn, and Nakita noticed that some of the chaos on the ranch had been completed. But the large herd of ranch cows needed to be gathered, and marked, ready for the breeding season. Nakita grabbed a horse for Legolas and he noticed that the chief was also involved. Legolas nodded in respect to the elderly gentlemen, and he felt a sense of peace flow over him as he saddled the horse.

Nakita had ran back to the house and had brought Legolas a cowboy hat. Legolas raised an eyebrow at it. He had just got used to the black woolen hat, and noticed that the both she and her grandfather were wearing one. Not wanting to feel left out, he swapped the hats and followed the chief on horse back. Legolas noticed that the chief was an excellent rider, they galloped towards the herd, followed closely by Nakita. The chief looked towards Legolas and indicated that he should follow Nakita and to copy what she does. Legolas did that, and found that he had to use every riding skill he had, to round up the herd of cows, but it was quite difficult as the keep the herd together, as it kept spitting up and Legolas was left to gallop on his horse after the stragglers. It was very hard work, the calves difficult to pinpoint in the long grass. It was almost nightfall before all the herd was gather into the fenced area in front of the house. But as they were finished as the sun went down, Legolas heard with his extremely sharp elf ears, that one small calf had been left behind on the other side of the ranch.

Legolas got on back on his horse and galloped across the ranch, and very located the calf, began to move it towards the horse. But Legolas heard rushing in the long grass, which was blowing hard in the wind. He stopped the horse and looked around, Legolas felt himself growling, his vampire soul bubbling, his blood red eyes flaring as he felt as though the he was being watched. Legolas felt the horse begin to panic beneath him, due to his vampire evil, and he decided to move on, to say nothing of the incident. But was he was closing in on the house, he heard a noise so loud, that it almost blow out his ear drums. There was a pain in the centre of his back, as though he had been shot but twenty arrows in the same place at the same time, and before he knew it, Legolas was flat on his back, on the ground. The pain was unbearable, as Legolas felt himself passing out, but not before a man stood over and knocked him out with one singular pinch. All was black.

Legolas woke to find himself back behind bars, being stared at but non other then Sergeant Mitchell, the sheriff himself. He was grinning.

"Man, your good. What are you?"

Legolas sat up and felt a enormous surge of hunger of blood, and Legolas entire attitude changed, letting his vampire soul. He felt it was what the new human world deserved. Legolas looked up at the sheriff and grinned, it blood red eyes flaring. He felt a pickle of fear from the human, and Legolas curled his lip. He spoke, his voice ice cold, and barely more then a whisper.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Legolas grinned, baring his fangs, breathing heavily. Legolas continued to stare at the human. After a long silence, the sheriff finally spoke.

"Two bodies were found in the river last night, recovered by local fisherman. Do you know anything?" His voice was cold as the air around them. Legolas raised an eyebrow, but stayed calm.

"No!" He said, lying so stern that he gave away no doubt in his voice. The sheriff stood up and looked through the bars. He did not believe Legolas.

"Your not human, when you had your medical, to treat of the gun shot wound, the doctors had no idea what your were, and they refused to treat you. But you seemed to heal by yourself. You killed those men, I know you did and don't lie to me." Legolas raised an eyebrow, with both shock and surprise, Sergeant Mitchell sounded like a desperate man. The elf didn't answer.

"One of the two men you killed, was my son, and I swear..." He paused dramatically and coldly, a distinct hiss in his voice, "You will not get away with this!" Legolas feeling extremely guilty. It was a times like this when Legolas really hated being a vampire, and as he looked into the eyes of the human, he knew he could no longer win this fight. He signed.

"Why should I tell you..." Legolas said, signing almost forgetting about the hunger for blood, "you wouldn't believe me anyway!" He voice was still as cold as ice. The sheriff grinned, inanely, making Legolas feel a little uncomfortable. Was the elf loosing his edge?

"Try me!" The human hissed at Legolas. Legolas signed and gave up.

"I'm an elf, born over four and a half thousands years ago in Mirkwood, a woodland in the north that now no longer exists. Then over eleven hundred years ago, I was turned into a vampire by a powerful elf, whom I killed in return."

The human stood in silence and Legolas laughed, cold and dark, hissing himself. "I told you, you wouldn't believe me!" Sergeant Mitchell, stood and left, leaving Legolas in the dark of the prison cell, despite the fact that the sun shone outside. Legolas sat there, the hunger for blood reawakening again, and he knew that he couldn't hang around waiting for the sheriff to return and began to look around the prison cell. That was when he spotted a human girl of which he recognised in a opposite cell of the prison.

"Nakita, Chief?" Legolas spoke quietly. The girl turned round, and almost screamed.

"Legolas? Your alive! How the possible?" Nakita looking through the bars at the elf. The Chief answered the question for the elf.

"Because, my child, it takes more to kill our friend then what the sheriff can muster." Legolas smiled, the chief always seemed to have the correct answers for every situation. Nakita looked at Legolas, with a human expression on her face that Legolas had gotten recently used to, desperation.

"Can you get us out of here?" Nakita asked. Legolas looked around and put both his hands on the bars of the door of the cell and pulled. The incredible mixture of his elven and vampire strengths was enough to move the hinges, holding the door near the wall. Legolas nodded. He lowered his voice.

"But where should we go?"

The chief answered the question.

"You and Nakita must leave this place and leave me behind. The sheriff will retake the land and I can not stop him!"

Now it was Legolas's turn to have the look of desperation on his face, and he wasn't the only one. Nakita almost screamed, she didn't want the he grandfather behind, neither did the elf. He hadn't known the chief long but he had to admit he was the most wise, intelligent, and most down to earth human he had ever met and he knew that he they left him behind, he feared what would happen. He stood there his head, resting the bars, no longer wearing a hat, his pointed elven ears, pricked up for the slightest sound. He was still clad in black from head to toe and the sun setting on the horizon outside. Legolas heard talking outside as the town was shutting down for the night, and the chief saw their chance to escape.

"You must go before you loose your chance." The chief whispered, he looked into the eyes of the elf, but Legolas returned the look with blood red eyes, when another surge of hungry almost brought him to his knees. Legolas felt fear in the chief, who was obviously wondered if trusting this creature with the life of his granddaughter, was the wise idea. But Legolas had to prove himself, which a large amount inner strength, gained the control of his hungry. But as to how long he could keep that control was unknown.

The chief nodded in approval at Legolas and said again that they must leave. This time Legolas agreed and with a bust of full vampire and elven strength, removed the door from the cell and did the same with extreme speed and swiftness for his new friends. He knelt down in front of the chief and took elderly human by the hand. Nakita stared but said nothing. Legolas looked at him, and understood what he had to do. He had the protect the ranch and he had to protect Nakita for and long as he could. But couldn't hang around for as Legolas heard voiced outside the jail, obviously investigating the noise that Legolas had made in breaking out. He took Nakita be the hand and with one last look at the chief, left the jail through the back door at the run and out into the night. They both left confusion in their wake. Nakita struggled to keep up with Legolas's elven speed, but they were both brought to a abrupt halt, Legolas going white, if that was possible, as he was struggling with the hunger and was already off colour and Nakita screamed but which was quickly muffled by the elf. Legolas pulled to the ground, and they both lay there shaking, this time Legolas more then Nakita. They had heard a loud, clear, gun shot go off from the town jail where they had just come from and they both knew who was on the receiving end of that bullet.

He knew. The chief knew that the sheriff would be ruthless if they escaped, and Legolas now felt tears in his eyes. Nakita had completely broken down, crying for her grandfather. Legolas had a strange feeling himself, he hadn't cried since the death of Aragorn over a thousand years ago, and he had vowed to himself to never feel this again. But there was no time to mourn the chief as Legolas heard again voices behind them. It was pitch black around them as they were in the long grass fields surrounding the town. He pulled Nakita to her feet and felt her grab on to him, almost for dear life. Legolas had completely forgotten that human eyesight was not that acute at night and she was dependent on Legolas perfect vampire night-vision. But before the they could move again from the oncoming jail guards, Legolas lost his struggle with his hunger and his vampire soul, took over like never before, so bloodthirsty that he had sung his teeth, his inch long fangs, deep into Nakita's neck, before he could stop himself, blood red eyes flaring, and drank. The blood was warm, refreshing and delicious, but the more blood he drank, the worse he hunger for it got. Nakita was screaming and within minutes, they were surrounded by the prison guards.

Legolas eyes narrowed as he saw them. He was in his element, in his prime and let go of Nakita, without killing her. He had only taken about two pints of blood, not enough to seriously injure her and he had licked the wound, he had created on her neck, sealing it to stop the bleeding. Legolas gently placed her on the ground and stood over her, ready to defend her. Legolas wasn't really thinking about what he was doing, he was on automatic, running on his elven instincts, which were telling him to protect the human female at all costs. He didn't understand why, what was this feeling he was having? Was he becoming weak? Why protect someone he had just bitten? He was in complete confusion. But all that he knew was that he was hungry for blood and the prison guards would make a very satisfying meal. They were all staring at Legolas, they could see him now, not only by Legolas's blood red eyes glaring and the lamps the guards were carrying were illuminating the situation. Legolas looked down and saw the dark brown eyes of Nakita who was white and shaking but she was alive, to frightened to move. When he looked up again, Legolas found himself face to face with Sergeant Mitchell. Legolas growled, baring his fangs. But the human laughed, his lip curled.

"Your are beautiful!" He said slowly, placing one long finger, under Legolas's chin, lifting his head to admire his white skin, teeth and fangs.

Legolas was perfection, his long blonde hair still sleek, and straight, still tied back at the base of his head but slightly matted from sleeping in the prison cell. His eyes were large, bright and glaring blood red and ear were pointed and sharp. The elegant muscles of his arms and torso could be seen though his black polo neck jumper, and the gorgeous curves of his whist and hips almost put Nakita to shame. He was fast, swift and magnificent in his posture and yet deadly and dangerous, at the same time. He was the perfect mixture of being both lethal and handsome, a worth opponent at any human. Legolas fangs were still covered in Nakita's blood, which was dripping out of the left corner of his mouth, down his chin, clashing with the extremely whiteness of his skin. Legolas was breathing heavily, growling with every breath, his rip cage rattling.

Legolas lashed out at the Sergeant Mitchell, who moved backwards at speed, faster then the elf and Legolas would have chased after him, except that his elven instincts wouldn't let his move, not while Nakita was curled up on the floor, white with fear, beneath him. The sheriff noticed this. He laughed, and addressed the other prison guards.

"Kill the girl, but I want him, the elf, alive!" At this, he turned tail and left. Legolas felt a brief bolt of fear go straight through him as the men closed in around him, but then the extreme anger set in. The fight that followed was fast, lethal and bloody, bullets flying everywhere. Legolas receiving many of them in the centre of his back. He had been shot before and was sort of knew what to expect but it still didn't stop the extreme pain. Legolas had never really realised that he had the power to destroy so effectively with just his bare hands and teeth and within minutes, all the guards were dead, Legolas's thirst and hunger for blood finally quenched. Legolas's mind was buzzing, and also his mind was forward planning his next moves. He grabbed Nakita who was still alive on the floor, around the middle, picked her up. She screamed, trying to fight him off, but Legolas's strength greatly outmatched her, and he tried to calm her down while running at full blast back towards Nakita's home ranch to collect supplies.

Nakita was crying on his shoulder, her jet black matted down her back, and Legolas felt that strange feeling, as though he cared for her, though it was a little bit more then just cared. Legolas didn't really understand, he cared for Aragorn when he was alive but this was different, this was more. It was sunrise before he finally arrived at the ranched, but he could detect that he was still being followed. This meant that they couldn't stay at the ranch for long. He went to the log cabins of the ranch, found the door locked which he broke down with ease. Legolas placed Nakita on one of the chairs at the table, she was still shaking and looking very pale. Legolas realised that she hadn't eaten and found some food for her in the kitchen.

"Here!" Legolas knelt down in front of her, "Eat this! Stay here while the I get some supplies together." Nakita didn't answer and moved away from the him. Legolas placed a hand on her cheek, she shivered and moved away even further, still shaking. Legolas continued to look at her.

"I never meant to hurt you, I just lost control, I am sorry, I have failed you!" Legolas's heart fell, but Nakita looked at him, almost shocked. She had managed to pull herself together while she had been sat there. She began to eat the food the elf had gave her. She realised that she was alive and that those men had tried to kill her.

"You saved my life, and I thank you, but your as cold as ice" Nakita managed to gasp, but they were still staring at each other. Legolas turned away, he had forgotten about the lack of heat in his skin.

"It comes with being a vampire, I guess!" Legolas whispered so coldly and so quietly it could barely be heard. But Nakita heard him, and she put her fingered under Legolas's chin and turned his head towards her. Legolas let her, and despite the fact he was dangerous, and deadly, she smiled at him. Legolas eyes were wide and were no longer blood red but were now beautiful elven blue. He was falling for her, and Legolas saw she was feeling the same for him. Was this a sign of weakness, true love? Especially for, in Legolas's opinion, a weak, and fragile human. But his vampire soul and vampire instincts did not like it, and when they kissed and embraced, with the joy and the pleasure of each others company, Legolas found himself sinking his fangs into Nakita's neck for the second time. Drinking the warm and refreshing blood, without even realising and when Nakita screamed, he threw himself off her, in complete shock, and flew to the other end of the cabin. Nakita was in shock and followed him, to place a hand on his shoulder, to comfort him. Legolas was torn, his essence, his soul, the beautiful knit of vampire and elf, had been physically ripped apart, and was now in severe pain. His vampire soul had been getting recently stronger and stronger, powerful in its might, and his elven soul had become weak with the love for Nakita, now extremely fragile. He was now losing the war of his mind.

"Legolas?" Nakita asked timidly, a cloth to her neck to stop the bleeding. Legolas turned round, breathing heavily.

"I love you, but I can't do this, I will kill you and destroy myself in doing so." Legolas admitted. He stared at her. Nakita said nothing but hugged him, and Legolas sealed the wound on the her neck, but licking it again. Her skin was warm and soothing but there was no time to enjoy the experience, when Legolas heard voiced outside. They had been found.

"We have to go, get the supplies and I'll met you out the back, he has found us!" Nakita knew who he meant by 'he' in Sergeant Mitchell. She didn't argue and kissed him quickly before leaving. Legolas smiled, he could just cope with that, but there was no time reminisce either, and Legolas ran through the cabin, grabbing his bow, quiver, and arrows, as well as his two foot long while elven knifes, his most trusted weapons. After a quick look around, he ran out the back of the cabin, Nakita was already there. She hugged and kissed him, being extremely careful on to hang on for too long. Legolas was greatful, and was also impressed that she had managed to find a horse, because Nakita was still weak, and Legolas didn't think she would be able to run much further. Nakita saddled the horse, with the elf help, and then Legolas sat behind her. She looked back at him.

"Where should we go?" She had.

"I have no idea." Legolas wondered "I don't the area anymore!"

"I know where we can go!" Nakita smiled.

"Fine, You ride, and kept the enemy off us!" Legolas said, sternly. Nakita smiled, raising an eyebrow with sarcasm. But then all hell broke loose.

Bullets came flying in there direction, and Nakita kicked the horse and galloped across the open long grass plains, in the morning sunlight. They were being followed, by men in car, the incredible fast vehicles, but 'not arrow proof" Legolas thought, and he armed his bow, with a prime. They were being fired at by a machine gun, from behind them, and Legolas noticed, that Sergeant Mitchell was in one of the cars.

Legolas smiled evilly. He twisted his upper body around one hundred and eighty degrees and pulled back the bow, and let an arrow rip though the air, it hitting and killing instantly, the gunman in one of the nearest car, who had been shooting at them. The arrow hit him right between the eyes. Nakita spotted this, the gunman must have been about half a mile away. She looked back at Legolas.

"Wow!" She said to herself, but she concentrated on the riding the horse and dodging the bullets. Legolas let arrows rip through the air, having an hundred percent accuracy in taking out the all gunmen, until the cars fell behind as Nakita weaved through the back streets of the town, the idea was to loose them in there and run through and out the other side and out into the open. Legolas realised that he only had one arrow left, and knew he would have to resort to drastic action if they attacked again. They continued riding the what seemed like hours, most of the day, in fact, until they finally stopped in front of a what look like a cave, but Legolas didn't recognise it in the area, until Nakita told him it used to be an old gold and iron ore mine.

"We can stay here for the night!" Nakita said, jumping off the horse. But Nakita was now staring at him, with the look of wonder on her face. He smiled.

"What is it?" Legolas asked, in a quiet voice.

"I have never seen archery skills like that before. You would have beaten my grandfather for sure..." She went quiet, a tear in her eye. The death of her grandfather was still getting to her, and she mourned him. Legolas jumped off the horse and comforted her, in the best way he could without loosing what little control he had of his vampire soul. Legolas sighed, he didn't like to see Nakita cry.

"The chief was a good archer?" He asked. She nodded, proud of her grandfather. Legolas took her by the hand and they entered the mine, they spend the rest of the day, talking, with mainly Legolas telling Nakita, of his experiences of four thousands years of life on, was it Earth or Middle-earth? Legolas didn't know anymore. He told Nakita everything. Told her about the War of the Ring, what it was like to turn into a vampire, about his maker, Samius, how he had killed, the extreme thirst and hunger for blood, and the battle between his elven and vampire souls.

"So your an assassin with serious issue problems?" Nakita asked smiled. Legolas thought at this question, he had never thought of himself as an assassin, but Nakita was right, and he smiled, and he agreed with her that he did have issues, and he didn't know how much longer he cope with them. They kissed, and embraced again, careful not to go to far, for Legolas to lose control and attack Nakita again. and after a while, she fell asleep, and he decided to stay awake while Nakita slept.

But tiredness was taking over Legolas himself, and tried to stay awake, and struggled. But before long, Legolas was swirling in darkness, himself fast asleep, next to Nakita, his love.

Legolas woke the next morning, by the intense now familiar scream of the person he had grown to love. Legolas got instantly to his feet, grabbing his bow, and ran towards the entrance to the mine.

"Nakita?!" Legolas called, panicking. He looked around, unable to see much with the bright sunlight. He noticed the horse was gone from where they had tied it, the night before.

"Nakita!" He called. He heard her scream again, and pinpointed with his sharp ears that she was heading back the town, against her will.

"Legolas!" Nakita screamed, with all her might. He cursed to himself, he should have protected her, and he managed to fail there, he had had this feeling before and I vowed to himself to never fail anyone again. He knew that Sergeant Mitchell was behind this, and for the first time Legolas was beginning to understand why the sheriff was after him and why he wanted Legolas alive. Legolas was an amazing creature and someone would relish the opportunity to control him, to force him to do their bidding, especially for revenge, for the death of his son by Legolas's hand. He laughed, if the sheriff thought that he could control Legolas, then he knew nothing about vampire or elven biology, but Nakita's life was at sake and the Sergeant Mitchell would do anything to achieve his goal. Legolas ran at full speed, ripping through the grass. The weather was beginning to worsen as he ran across what was, or what looks like the old Rohan plains of Middle-earth. Thick black clouds rolled across, and darkened the area, beginning to rain. The rain beat down on Legolas, so hard that it was painful, as he followed Nakita towards the town

and it was nightfall before he reached the main square of the town, drenched with water. Legolas tried to shake the water of himself, he had never know it to rain like this before during his time on earth and it had a strange smell to it, and it was almost acidic causing pain on his pale sensitive skin. Legolas may has been physically fit, he had never ran with such reverence for Nakita fearing her life, and but he finally reached her, he was severely out of breathe.

Legolas came to a abrupt stop on the main street, to see to his horror, that the sheriff had a semiautomatic gun to her throat. She screamed at the sight if Legolas, and Sergeant Mitchell tightened her grin on her. Legolas noticed that they were alone in the town as the darkness of the night had descended. The sheriff laughed.

"One move, elf, and she dies. Give yourself up!" He spoke with so quietly, Legolas barely heard him with the loud thunder. Legolas armed his bow with his last arrow, his one and only long distance weapon. His aim had to be true. He then noticed that the more jail guards and policemen, working for the sheriff, began to surround them. He was not going to give up, but he knew that if we did, they would kill her anyway. The sheriff continued to laugh, as he noticed the eye contact between Legolas and Nakita.

"How touching, I thought you would come. You love her, and you would do anything to save her."

Legolas felt anger flow through him like boiling lava, his eyes narrowed, flashing blood red, he felt the hunger for blood on the tip of his tongue, and he pointed his one arrow at the sheriff. He hissed at the human.

"If you touch her..." Legolas began to say, before he was cut across.

"Or you'll what? Fire that arrow at me, I kill her it even me!" Sergeant Mitchell eyes narrowed and Nakita had now stopped screaming, now realising that Legolas was going to shoot the sheriff, and if she moved, he could hit her instead. She looked into the eyes of the elf, and Legolas looked back. He was trying to get a message through to her. He wanted her to survive but he could sense that humans were coming to ambush him from behind. The two of them stared at each other, for what seemed like an age, Legolas still in the aiming stance ready to shot the arrow. He had to concentrate to keep his right arm holding the bow steady.

"Take your best shot, elf!" The sheriff challenged Legolas, he expected him to shot. Nakita was watching Legolas intently, waiting for the elf to fire. Time was against him, the ambush for Legolas, coming behind him, was almost ready and his incredible sensitive eyes, noticed through the black rain, the sheriff give a nod, to them, the order to attack. Legolas looked around him, to his left and right and then returned his eyed to the sheriff and without warning, let the arrow through the air, perfected aimed at the sheriff. Nakita screamed, and dived towards the ground at the same moment as the bullets rang from the gun held by the sheriff. One bullet landed in Nakita's shoulder, and she screamed, another landed in Legolas chest, and he was grounded but not before his arrow landed between the eyes of the sheriff, Sergeant Mitchell was dead, instantly on the ground. Legolas's aim was true, after all, but not before was bounced upon, as men grabbed him and Nakita and brought them together. The deputy sheriff as fuming.

"Your a dead man!" He growled, putting a gun to the elf's stomach. Legolas tried to fight off his restraints. But he realised that there was more at stake then his life. Nakita was more important.

"Fine!" He growled. "Take me, do what you like to me, but give Nakita back her land, she has done nothing wrong." It was obvious that the message was getting through to some of the men.

"You want to kill me, I can see in your eyes!" Legolas said, "But let Nakita go, and I'll tell you how!" Legolas knew how to kill and elven vampire, but the way he killed his maker, Samius, and he knew that now was the time to make the ultimate choice, stay an immortal, selfishly suffering for all time, now in a world no longer knew, to watch Nakita die before his eyes, for die as a mortal and reveal the method of killing a vampire.

"Legolas! No!" Nakita screamed, "I'm not worth it. The land belonged to my grandfather, what am I going to do with it. Life's not worth living without you!" Legolas was taken aback by her love from him, found himself torn apart, his souls ripping apart even more and a tear began in his blood red eyes. But lightning was beginning to strike all around and it began to get dangerous, and a singular bolt land very close to them, starling the men, to the point of which Legolas could free himself from his restraints and grab Nakita, free her and taking her by the hand, and began to ran through the town. They could leave this place, make a new life elsewhere, Legolas could watch Nakita grow old and maybe being immortal could be less unbearable with her. She made life tolerable for him.

Bullets were flying all around them, but Nakita didn't her family's land, Legolas was more important to her. But was well as the bullets flying at them from the men, in chase after them, the was also lightning and they had to find shelter. But as they ran towards the river and found that their path blocked, when the bridge across the river was broken. There was a six foot gap in the bridge, which they had to jump. If they jumped the bridge, would be free, they could run into the long grass of the plains and vanish, living off the land and each other. They had no time and Legolas let Nakita go first, saying she would watch her. She ran for the bridge and jumped. She barely just managed it, grabbing the opposite side of the bridge by her fingertips, and with extreme pain, putting herself up and successfully making it to the other side. Legolas looked behind them, the jail guards and policemen was gaining on them.

"Come on, Legolas!" Nakita screamed. It was his turn to jump, and it knew it would be easy, he had jumped further distances during previous battles before, he was perfectly built for it, and ran for the bridge, he ran for freedom.

It should have been easy. He took off from one side of the bridge with perfect ease and then everything stopped. Legolas felt a pain the centre of his back, like nothing had ever felt in his life, and he screamed. The pain was unbearable and Legolas felt himself ripped apart, not just in his souls, but in his mind and body. His vampire and elven souls were physically ripped apart, his body ripped into two pieces, onto two separate bodies, one elven, one vampire. He had been stuck by lightning, and he had been blinded by the intense white, and the deafening sound of was like a explosion and Legolas landed on top of Nakita on the opposite side of the bridge. Nakita screamed, and Legolas was in pain beyond belief but he also felt strangely empty.

Legolas frowned and felt his teeth with his tongue, His fangs were gone. Nakita put his head in her lap as he lay on the ground, severely weakened, and she gasped as she noticed the warmth in his skin, and his colour was coming back. Legolas closed his eyes, and felt his soul and found the vampire part of him, was gone, he was alone, he was an elf, this return to a true elf. But then Nakita screamed and Legolas opened his eyes and screamed himself.

Legolas was looking at himself, a though looking into a mirror, standing there on the other side of the bridge, where he originally jumped. His opposite self was white skinned and blood red eyed, breathing heavily, baring his fangs, running on his instincts, running in his hunger for blood. Legolas grabbed Nakita in pure fear, to see his evil self and almost panicked. But through the heavy rain, the sun was raising on the horizon, and Legolas saw his vampire self panic and run back the opposite direction, back into the oncoming humans. He panicked even more and started attacking the men. Bullets again were flying all over the place. But the sunlight was the biggest killer and now being a pure vampire, rather then his vampire elf, Legolas saw that his opposite self was no longer immune to the light of day.

Legolas watched in horror, as he watched the vampire self, explode in a cloud of fine dust, when the sunlight hit him, screaming the entire way. The men bolted, running in all directions in fear, of what they had just seen, leaving Legolas and Nakita alone on the ground.

Nakita got to her feet and tried to help Legolas to do the same. But his strength had gone, it had failed him and he couldn't move. Then he realised the impossible, he realised that he had lost everything, he realised that he no longer had the choice of whether he could live or die. He may have taken his vampire self's immunity of the sunlight, but the vampire had taken from him, the very thing that made him who he was, the one thing that made him an elf, proving that he had lost the war against the vampire, proofing that he was the strongest. The vampire had taken his immortality.

He was dying. He no longer had the choice.

In Nakita arms, and he knew it, and one look at Nakita told her the truth. She hugged him and cried over his shoulder. and Legolas could feel his own heart slowing, the temperature of his skin dropping, he was going cold. He tried to hug her back with what little strength he had left. Fear come over Legolas, but he comforted himself, with the thought that he could no longer fail anyone else, he could no longer harm anyone and now was his time, maybe he could find peace. But Legolas had never believed in a life after death, and therefore expected to find nothing. Legolas closed his eyes and Nakita roughed him awake. Legolas opened one elven blue eye and spoke, with a soft, pale voice.

"You must go, there is nothing you can do for me, before the men return, and capture you. Please you must go, you must leave this place, it is no longer safe here, not for you!" Legolas was pleading with her. Nakita screamed, saying she would never leaving. She continued to watch over him, until Legolas heard the voiced of the returning men, and he pleaded with her again to leave, and when bullets came flying in her direction, as well as screaming, she had to agree, kissing Legolas on the lips and fleeing across the long grass plains for her life. Leaving him alone. Legolas had spend most of his life alone, and now he was going die alone. He was lying on the ground, his long blonde hair matted in the morning sunlight, his black clothes were torn and blooded and the once magnificent creature had now lost his glory.

He could feeling heart slow even further, weakening him even further, and saw the deputy sheriff, standing over him, having made his way across the broken bridge. He laughed as the saw elf lying there, and said, unable to believe his own eyes.

"Well, you killed my sheriff, a good, and I'm sure he'd like me to return the favour!"

He pointed the gun at Legolas's forehead, and his elven blue eyes widen, as he looked down the barrel of the gun. He was to weak to move, and saw, with extreme horror and fear, the deputy sheriff, with a undisputed smiled on his face of pleasure of catching a killer, pull the trigger of the gun.

BANG...!

Deep in the heart of the desert, there is a manuscript, written by an unknown author at an unknown time, telling over a four thousand year long extraordinary life of a man, of which no one knew was fact or fiction, myth or legend, and had been of much discussion of the locals for years. Questions were constantly brought up, who was he? Was his real? Was he even human?

No one truly knows and one this that is known is that the manuscript tells of a hero, tells of a person who gave his life for everything he knew, to protect the world from evil, suffered the ultimate price for his deeds, and many say that the ending is the true tribute to an amazing person, both real and graceful. For it is written:

'He died saving my life, he died saving the human race, he died knowing he had done all he could, and he died for love. He died a hero, he died magnificent, and died a very special person, for that what he was.

He may have suffered, more then any human could ever suffered, both physically and mentally, but in death, he had found gracefulness, in death he has found rest, in death he had earned his right to live forever in heaven, if that is where his extraordinary race, rest in the afterlife. In death he can no longer suffer, and he can found peace among his elders, seeking their guidance, living in the beauty of eternity, now among friends.'

Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction S. M. Williams