Title: How Legolas Got His Braids

Rating: PG-13 for now

Summary: Nenime is a young elf growing up in Greenwood early in the Third Age of Middle Earth. It is a happy time before the shadow falls on Greenwood, or Mirkwood as men called it after the shadow fell. Legolas is a young elf prince growing up away from the castle in Greenwood with his two older brothers. As Nenime and Legolas grow up together their friendship grows, and as they grow older they realize what they feel for each other is more than just friendship.

Disclaimer: I own a few characters in this story. The few major ones are Nenimë and Nenimë's best friend Carabrethil

I unfortunately don't own Legolas (Only in my dreams) or Thranduil or … well you know whom Tolkien owns! The main thing is don't sue… I haven't a dime!

I don't care if I am accurate or not, as I have decided to stray a bit from Tolkien's writing. I am currently reading the Silmarillion for the first time and since I haven't finished it yet some things will be wrong… I know that. There will be quite a bit of elvish in this story… I will translate in parenthesis except for basic phrases which if you don't know them ask in reviews or find a common to Quenyan dictionary. Also, There will be a poem or a song (or a verse from either) before or after almost every chapter. The verses will always have something to do with the chapter. I think it will add to the storyline since this is basically a Mary-Sue... but it is a good Mary-Sue and I think that you shouldn't judge it because it IS one. I think you'll like it.

How Legolas got his Braids

Chapter One

The World Outside the Window

Wavy, silver-blonde fell over small shoulders and cascaded down a curved spine and over a small chest. Grey-blue eyes glowed with happiness and awe at the world outside the window. Pink lips curled into smile and freckles stretched over rosy cheeks.

The grey eyes catch a glint of gold and the smile broadens. Gold hair, azure eyes with an endless depth, broad shoulders and lithe body. He reaches up to brush a stray piece of hair behind his pointed ear and moves on… A sigh is heard as the golden haired beauty disappears into the town's crowd.

"Sweet Prince, you know not what your beauty does to me."

The childlike figure slips off the seat and stands. A pale-blue silk dress smoothes and falls to the knees, revealing the forest torn edge. Small feet pad silently down stone steps and run out to meet the morning. A child's cry of fright is heard and quickly turns into innocent laughter.

"Nenimë, stop struggling." A woman's voice says softly. The girl goes still and moans.

"Atara! Let me down. I am late meeting Cara already."

"Yes but you have forgotten what day it is."

"Nay… I know what day it is. I just-want-to get-out!" the child said, struggling to get out of her mother's grasp between words. Meneluin drops her daughter and she falls onto her face with a loud "oomph".

"Ahh, I see you need to work on those reflex skills today."

"Atara!" The child folds her arms over her chest, pouting.

"Well on your birthday you should be with your family. Let me see… am I your family? Well then lets go have fun." She reaches towards her child but the child recoils and backs away from her mother's touch.

"No, birthdays are for swimming with your best friend in the clearing outside the city."

"Well you are twenty-two now. I think you are getting a bit old for playing around."

"Says who?"

"Well…Mortal children stop playing when they are around ten. You are more than twice that age."

"Well I'm not a mortal for one thing and when I was ten I could barely talk and especially not swim!"

Meneluin smiles mischievously, her green eyes flashing. "Aye, of course. How could I forget? You act like a mortal six year old."

"Atara… You read too much."

"There's no such thing as reading too much. Oh and by the way… I suppose immortal children don't like presents?"

The child's grey eyes light up and a smile crosses the freckled face. All attempts at dignity have failed as she jumps up and down eagerly.

"Ahh. So you aren't in too much of a hurry to skip presents." The older elf says, bringing a present out from a shelf next to her. A long carved, wooden box with and inscription written in elvish script on the top.

Nenimë reaches for it shamelessly. Her mother hands the wooden box carefully to her although she snatches it. She looks at the top of the box with confusion in her eyes and looks up at her mother, asking the question with her eyes.

"It says, 'Maa a' i'ilmen' (Look to the night sky)"

"What does it mean?"

"Open the box."

Nenimë finds the concealed slit and opens the long box, revealing a silver necklace. It is in the shape of a heart with intricate miniscule designs. In the center was a beautiful stone, looking to be of moving mist.

Meneluin watches happily as her daughters eyes switch from an excited child to the brink of tears in a matter of moments.

"It's beautiful!… Is it Ada's old necklace?" She asks, taking the shining piece of jewelry out with one hand and hanging it to see its beauty shine.

Meneluin nods and takes the necklace. While placing it around her daughter's neck she explains it. "It is called Isilmë for it is said to hold the moon's light. When you look to the sky at night, you release it's light."

She turns Nenimë towards her and admires the effect that the necklace has on her bare chest. It seems to complete the silky pale blue strapless dress that she wears and brings out the silver in her hair.

"Perfect." She says with a smile and leans down to kiss her daughter on each cheek. "Now run along and play but please-" She adds as Nenimë turned and ran. "Don't further damage your dress and be careful with that necklace!"

"Don't worry, Atara!" She calls reassuringly, already out the door.

******

"Carabrethil! Cara!"

A young elf with curly dark red hair who was sitting in the clearing turned sharply at the voice. A smile graced her crimson lips as she opened her arms, embracing her friend.

"You're late! I waited for forever!"

Nenimë ignored her complaints. "Quel amrun, Carabrethil."(Good Morning)

"Uma, ten lle." Carabrethil sighed. (Aye, and you) "Happy birthday! What are you? 23?"

"Twenty-two, Cara. I'm disa- disapoi… di-sa-pointed in you." She said with her hands on her hips, ruining the sarcasm by stumbling over the large word and Cara only laughed.

"I have a gift for you."

"Where?"

"Well you can't keep it really. I mean… You can't wrap it up and put it in a box. But let's just say you'll fall in love with it."

"Cara, you're talking in riddles… I'm not good with riddles." Nenimë said with a blank, confused tone of voice to match the expression on her face.

"It's a surprise though! Just… just be at the fountain when the sun begins to sink."

"Our secret fountain?"

"Yes, our secret fountain."

"Alright, I'll be there."

"Oh and Nennie! You should wear the leather corselet over that dress."

"Which leather corselet? I have ten leather corselets, Red." She said, using Carabrethil's nickname.

"The one with the loopy silver thread design. It will bring out the shine in your eyes."

"If you insist. I hope atara lets me wear it."

"She will."

"Okay." Nenimë sighed. She had a feeling this wouldn't be the greatest present. "Now can we go swimming?"

"Aye… Want to play the game where the invisible river monster chases us?"

"No! Last time we played that I swore something bit me."

"Oh, that was only me."

"Oh… Ok lets go."

As they walked away Nenimë kept the meeting and her birthday in the back of her mind while trying to keep away from the imaginary monster that was chasing her.

Of course she died three painful deaths that day and was miraculously brought back to life by her best friend with the magic pixie dust (sand) that Cara always had in a small pouch.

Nenimë was content with her life as it was. She wasn't aware that what Cara had planned for her would bring a lifetime of tears, longing, confusion, and happiness.

*******

What do you think? Review please! The first… three chapters are pretty slow and it'll get better after that. I needed to introduce the character and her friends before I could move it along.

Note: Carabrethil means "Red Birch" in Quenyan. She had red hair you know. I took the 'D' off of Carad to make the name sound better.

Meneluin means 'Blue Sky' and Nenimë means February.