Far above, in the endless depth of the black sky, a million pricks of pure beauty shone, the only light needed this last night. Beneath them, a mirror as smooth as glass reflected each brilliant star perfectly, accompanied by the occasional ripple of the sea. Elrond stood alone on the bow of the ship; his last journey on its final leg - a strange anticipation held him to see what this glorious morning would bring.
However, for now, all he could do was bask in the utter, breathtaking beauty of the heavens. He had never seen so many stars on any night of his long life; and that was saying a lot for the Elven Lord of Rivendell. High above, he located one star in particular: the light he always looked for: the light of Eärendil; the light of his Father. A large smile grew on his face as he found it, and the thought seemed to sink in at last. He would see his father again. He would see his mother again. He would see his brother again. It was like a dream, far, far too good to be true. Thinking back over his weary life, he realized how much he missed them all. He had not seen his parents for too long an age, not since he was but a child. In addition, his brother had passed away many millennia past. Gil-Galad's death was more recent, but still an old ache, even to him of immortal blood. But most of all, he missed her.
He missed her shining hair, her gorgeous smile, and her beautiful, starlit eyes. He swore that all of heaven was reflected in those eyes. It had been far, far too long since he had looked into them, and now it was one of the things he wished for most.
As he allowed his thoughts to drift, he recalled fondly the days he had spent with her. His beautiful wife, Celebrian. They had met long ago, when Elrond was but a child, and Elros as well. Way back when they lived with Gil-Galad, before the War of Wrath. Back then was a time of strained and wary peace, but the elves made merry to compensate, and Elrond, as if enchanted by her beauty, fell quickly into an odd sensation, emotion, and incentive he quickly came to know as love. He remembered the first day he had come to see her; how Lord Celeborn came to speak with him; how she smiled at him that night.
Looking back,
He sees it all.
It was her first date the night he came to call.
Her dad said 'Son,
Have her home on time.
And promise me you'll never leave her side.'
He had made a promise that night, and never, ever let it down. He never could have; he would never, ever leave her side. He thought back to that night; it was one of the many nights of festival: One of the most important festivals to the elves, as it occurred in the wintertime, and brought joy to the land. It was the celebration of the Stars, much like an Elven new year, it celebrated the day of the Elves awakening by Eru, and the stars that graced them on that first day. He remembered that night; the stars shone more beautiful in her eyes than they ever had before.
He took her to a show in town,
And he was ten feet off the ground,
As he was walking her home,
And holding her hand,
Oh, the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him.
Down that old road,
With the stars up above,
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love.
He was walking her home.
"Thank you," Her soft voice echoed in his head. "Tonight was fun. I hope to see you again soon... Maybe... you could come by again?"
Elrond had smiled happily, nodding quickly; his eyes showed that the idea alone was enough to put him past cloud nine. She smiled at him fondly as they arrived back at her house. Lord Celeborn stood near the doorway, simply watching - smiling at them. At last, they had to say goodbye. They knew they would see each other again, but for both of them, it seemed a sad moment. However, it did not last long. They saw each other much that year; through the winter, spring, summer, and fall, they watched the trees change colors and the flowers bloom; climbing to the treetops to watch the first of the stars, or running through the fields, often with other elflings, and even more often with Elros. Those were good days. As he grew older, his love for her did not fade; he cared for her even more, and grew in favor with her father, as he became a great soldier under Gil-Galad.
Then the war came. That long, weary, blood-soaked war that descended on them. They had been separated then, at times not even sure that the other was alive. His thoughts drifted to her ever now and again, but war and time wore on him, attempting to harden him; he resisted. Then at last, when everything was settling down, the people of Gil-Galad's banner moved to what was now Rivendell, and the elves came together again at last.
That was when he saw her again. Her beauty had grown tenfold, if that were possible. His war-weary eyes found her even more of an angel than before; a light of beauty shining into his devastated world, reminding him once more that not all of the world was dark, dangerous, and painful. Not all of the world was stained in blood. In time, they came together again. They were both adults now, and had seen their share of the world, but it had not changed them as much as either of them had thought.
In time, they came together, and this time, it was for real. This time, it was forever. He smiled as he thought back to that day: The day he had been joined with the love of his life - forever. The day that she became his, he became hers, and they became one. It was the most joyous day of his life. Or at least he had thought so at the time. Nevertheless, he was later disproved, when his heart was touched by an even greater joy than of being a husband: The joy of being a father.
"Calm down."
"I can't!"
"Yes you can. It'll be fine."
Elrond paced back and forth madly in the hall, and Gil-Galad, his Lord and friend, tried quickly to settle him. However, Elrond was right: There would be no calming down. All of Elrond's training as a healer was jumbled in the strange anxiety and shaken nerves that the moment brought him.
Ten more years and a waiting room,
At half past one,
Was when the doctor said 'Come in and meet your son.'
And his knees went weak,
When he saw his wife,
She was smiling and she said 'He's got your eyes.'
And as she slept he held her tight,
His mind went back to that first night,
As he was walking her home,
And holding her hand,
Oh, the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him.
Down that old road,
With the stars up above,
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love.
He was walking her home.
He walked her through the best days of her life,
Sixty years together and he never left her side.
Twins. Two, small, perfect images of innocence graced the world for the first time that day. Elrond smiled proudly down at them as he held them both in his arms. Still in a sense of awe, he thought back to where this had all begun. That night, neither of them would ever have dreamed of this day. Even when they had been wed, he could never imagine this moment. Nevertheless, it was here, and it was now. It truly was Eru's will, he knew, that had struck him with her beauty that night. And now they were blessed with two sons; Elrond did not know how much more he could possibly be blessed.
Long years passed; they had yet another child, after the war, a precious little girl: A perfect mix of her parents, bearing all of her mother's beauty and her father's raven hair. The stars shone in her eyes as they did in her mother's. Elrond could not imagine that any man was blessed more than he was.
Then tragedy struck. He could still remember that horrible day - how could he ever forget? They had come, invading without warning in the night. They could not have been ready; there was nothing they could have done. The orcs came, and took several captives, including his dear wife.
Elrond had been distraught, wishing more than anything that he himself had been taken in her stead. As the elves worked hard to repair what had been broken and tend the sick, Elrond was forced to stay behind as his twin sons when out after those who were lost.
A nursing home,
At eighty-five,
And the doctor said 'It could be her last night.'
And the nurse said 'Oh,
Should we tell him now?
Or should we wait until the morning to find out?'
He remembered that night, when they had returned at last; he remembered watching his eldest son carry in the broken, beaten, bloody body of the most beautiful woman in the world. He remembered her slow, unstable recovery - having little will left to live; it was only Elrond's will and strength that kept her holding on at all. Her spirit had been broken and she could not carry on. It was one of the most horrific days of Elrond's life; the day that she left.
But when they checked her room that night,
He was laying by her side,
Oh he was walking her home,
And holding her hand,
Oh the way she smiled when he said 'This is not the end.'
And just for a while, they were eighteen,
And she was still more beautiful to him than anything.
He was walking her home.
Elrond gripped Celebrian's hand tightly as he walked her home one last time. Down the long road to the sea. It would be the last time he would visit the Grey Havens until the day he, himself, made the journey. He remembered that day as if it were yesterday. Unashamed tears wet his eyes as he held her close one last time. One last time, they watched the stars; one last time, he could hold her and tell her that he loved her. His one, last thing he could do for her.
He was walking her Home.
In his mind, he knew she was going to a better place: She was going Home. In his heart, he knew it was better for her this way. He knew she would be without pain, without tears, and that she would be waiting for him.
She made him promise not to follow for her sake; he had things he needed still to do in Middle-Earth. It was the hardest thing he had ever done.
He remembered now that last day at the havens. She had kissed him one last farewell, and then told him something he would never forget.
"No matter how far apart life takes us, I will always love you; I will always be here, waiting. But you must not cry now. You must carry on. Take strength in hope, take hope from love, and take love from the light of life. Eru is with you, and He is with me. That alone joins us forever, and will give you the strength to carry on. Farewell," She had said.
As Elrond looked now to the horizon, dawn shone glorious before him, as Valinor itself rose like the sun over the waves. His breath was captured and taken away by the glorious sight, as silver stars and golden light mixed magically before him, and he saw at last the shores of home.
Tears of joy stroked his face as he at last fulfilled the last words that Celebrian had told him that day long ago. She had turned to him with one last smile, and said four simple words.
"I'll see you soon."