Thank you to fantasychica37 for beta.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations in this story, nor anything associated with them.
The Lord Aragorn Elessar looked out on Annúminas with pride. His people had finally finished rebuilding their capital in Arnor. It was not so large nor so grand as Minas Tirith, though it was still beautiful, and had been built remarkably quickly.
As he looked at it, Aragorn could not help but think of how much smaller and more homely Rivendell had been, and how quiet and peaceful when compared to the cities of Men. There were no children anymore in Rivendell, and hardly any Elves remained at all.
Was it worth it for Men to be greater than they had been since the start of the Third Age, if at the cost that the other races must decline?
Celeborn looked out from the deck of the last great ship of the Elves. The last few to follow would make their own ways across the Sea in smaller groups in smaller boats. The time for Elves to thrive in Middle-earth had ended long ago, and only a few still denied the Sea-longing and remained.
But though Elves were finished in Middle-earth itself, they would live outside of it for thousands of years yet. As the ship finally approached Aman, Celeborn could see Avallonë more and more clearly. The Tower had already been visible for several days.
If only Lothlórien could still be like this, he thought. But back in Middle-Earth, nothing of Elves could ever be so great anymore.
The ship came to the dock and Elves waited on the shore with ropes to hold the ship in place. Celeborn eagerly looked out and easily found his wife on the shore, waiting with their daughter and son-in-law. At last…
Elrohir and Elladan quietly approached Aragorn and Arwen as they looked out over Annúminas. "It is beautiful, is it not?"
"Yes; I only regret that the strongholds of the Elves must fail so that this Age of Men may come to pass."
"So it always is: someone must fall so that others may flourish."
"But in the past, Elves and Men flourished equally!"
"You know that is not true. The Edain never thrived on their own, but depended largely on the Elves for their power."
"Still, I regret that such power that was here in past ages can never be in Middle-earth again."
The city was busy with tiny people rushing through the tiny streets, and little boats floated on the lake beyond. Sounds of life rushed up from below as life continued on, for all that the Elder Days were past.
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
-Closing Time, Semisonic