By: Blue September Rain
Song by: Josh Groban
I don't own Lord of the Rings or the song Remember When it Rained. They belong to their respective owners.
-- -- -- --
The day in Rivendell was bleak. The dark gray clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sunlight. They cast a gloomy shadow on not only the ground, but on the elves themselves. The entire population of Rivendell seemed to move slower due to the horrid weather. Even the infamous pranksters, Elladan and Elorhir, were moving slower that day.
However, no matter how bleak the weather got, it was nothing compared to what lay ahead...
Elrond was sitting in his study, occasionally glancing at the falling rain, then turning his attention to the papers before him. He was growing bored with all these papers and books. He longed to spend time with his family, as he rarely got to do.
He was even surprised that his sons had not come up with some prank to pull on him while he was working. He had easily gone through his study door without being drenched many times that day. He wondered what was wrong.
What worried him more was the lack of visits that usually came from his wife, Celebrían. A heavy sigh escaped Elrond's lips as he flipped a page in a book. He turned it a little to hard; a long tear appeared on the page. Cursing silently in elvish, he smoothed out the paper, and turned the page again, hoping that no one would ever see that page.
"This is dull." He commented out loud, to no one, since no one was in the room. The elf lord ran his hands through his dark hair, then dropped his hand back down to the desk. He decided to call it quits for the day. He closed his books and put all his papers in order on his desk, and left his study, hoping his wife or children, or both, could lighten up his day.
-- --
Elrond wandered around, not finding his family anywhere. During his search, he encountered Glorfindel. "Have you seen my family?" Elrond asked the balrog-slayer. Glorfindel shook his golden head.
"Sorry, mellon-nín. I have not seen them." He said. Elrond nodded, thanked him, and hurried on his way.
Elrond decided to look in his chambers. He walked down a series of hallways, and finally came to the door. It was opened slightly. He looked up to make sure there was no bucket of water. Sure enough, there wasn't one? Elrond raised an eyebrow curiously. This was getting more than strange.
Entering his chambers, he finally smiled. His wife was sitting on the bed, however, she was doing something Elrond didn't think he'd see her do. She was crying. "Dear, what's wrong?" Elrond asked, moved swiftly and gracefully through the room and sitting down beside his wife on the bed. Celebrain looked sadly at Elrond.
"I'm glad you're here, Elrond." She said quietly.
-- --
Celebrían raised a hand to his cheek, and looked into his eyes. Elrond swallowed hard. He didn't like the tone of her voice. It wasn't the relived sound he usually gets when he arrives after she falls victim to one of the twins' pranks. "What is it?" Elrond asked, moving closer to his wife and pulling her in his arms.
"Elrond, there's... something I must tell you." She said quietly. Elrond stared at her.
"Y-yes?" He asked. She looked up at him, tears brimming in her beautiful eyes.
"I-I have decided to ..." She trailed off. Elrond hoped what was coming wasn't what he thought. But she continued. "I have decided to sail to the Havens." She said at last, and the tears began to hall. Elrond was in shock.
"W-what?" He asked again.
"I'm so sorry, my love, but ever since I was attacked one year ago, I have not fully healed from the wound. You did your best, meleth-nín, but this wound went deeper than skin. My only wish is to go to the Undying Lands." Celebrain said quietly.
Elrond's heart was thumping against his chest. How had he not seen it before? He had not noticed that his own wife suffered? "I'm sorry, Celebrían! What can I do? I'm sorry I did not know you were hurting.. I-" She cut him off by putting a finger to his lips.
"It's nothing you did or didn't do, meleth-nín. It is of my own choice. Do not fear, for I will be waiting for you, and Arwen and the twins. My wound will heal, dear Elrond." She said, kissing him softly on the forehead.
Elrond was desperate. Wasn't there anything he could do to change his wife's mind? A crack of thunder invaded his thoughts. "You will always have Arwen here to remind you of me." Celebrain said, interrupting Elrond's thoughts.
"She may not be here forever..." Elrond said. A sweet smile crossed Celebrían's face.
"And you may not either, for someday, you too will join me in the Undying Lands. But you are needed here. If I did not know this, I would ask you to join me, but I cannot. Your destiny is here, at least for a few more years. After that, the choice is yours to whether or not you come. My Naneth informed me of this after I told her my decision." She said. Elrond sighed and looked into her eyes. There was no changing her mind. Her heart was set on leaving Rivendell and Middle Earth, and joiníng the other elves in the Gray Havens.
"Your heart is set, is it not?" Elrond asked, his voice grave. Celebrían nodded.
This tore Elrond's heart. The tears formed in his eyes, and they spilled over, falling down his cheeks, only to land on his robes. Celebrían reached up and wiped away his tears, placing both her hands on either side of his face. "Not all is lost. Do not grieve for me." She said. She leaned over and kissed her beloved husband, and stood. "I must tell the children, and then I will be leaving. All was arranged before today." Celebrían said sadly.
She gracefully left the room, and left Elrond sitting on the bed, the tears still falling down his cheeks. He was losing his wife.
-- --
About an hour later, Elrond, the twins, Arwen, Erestor, and Glorfindel were standing outside the House of Elrond, the heavy rain soaking through their clothes and chilling their bones. Celebrían stood before them, a small smile on her face. She went to her sons, and kissed them both on the forehead. She wrapped them in a hug. "My dears, you are destined for great things. My passing should not affect you. Do not change. As much trouble as you get in for your pranks, they are much enjoyed, for you can bring light to the darkest day. I love you." She said, wiping away a tear on both of their cheeks.
She then moved to Arwen. She pulled her daughter into her arms and kissed the top of her head. "You, my beautiful Arwen, are also destined for great things. Let nothing break your heart or hurt your soul, and always remember that love is everlasting, even more so than the immortality of the elves. You will find what you are looking for. I love you." She said. Arwen chocked on her sobs, trying to hold them back, but in time, they fell.
"I love you too, Naneth!" She cried, flinging her arms around her mother. Celebrían smiled and stroked her daughter's hair. She felt two more pairs of arms around her, and found that Elladan and Elrohir had joined their hug.
"I will always love my children." She said. They reluctantly let go of her, and she glided to Elrond.
Elrond's eyes were puffy from tears, and there were still more tears to come. Celebrían kissed Elrond, and he pulled her against him, breathing in her scent for one last time. "I love you, meleth-nín." Celebrían whispered to him.
"I love you too." Elrond said, his heart falling again. She smiled again.
"Remember that hardships in life will always lead one to be stronger." She said. Elrond nodded, determined to remember this. Celebrain reached up and stroked his face, then let her hand drop. Glorfindel and Erestor were last. The two hugged their long-time friend tightly, each kissing her cheek. She smiled at them.
"You will never forget me, I promise. I love you both. Thank you for everything you've ever done." She said. They smiled, knowing that the passing of the elves could not be helped. Celebrían turned to leave, and she was about to her horse when she turned, and saw Elrond flying down the stairs. She held out her arms and embraced him one last time.
"Farewell." She said. She mounted her horse, and waved to her family. They waved back, each wiping the tears from their eyes. The children of Celebrían would always be strong for their Naneth. Celebrían looked down at Elrond, and wiped his tears again, one last time.
-- --
She felt herself slipping. No, this was planned. She must. The tears welled in her eyes and flowed freely, but her family was unable to detect it, for the tears were mixed in with the falling rain. She smiled, and turned her horse. Her three companions also turned their horses, and the four left Rivendell forever.
But Celebrían's soul would always live on in the hearts of her children, and of her husband, and of the stories that would be told about her in the many years to come...
-- --
Wash away the thoughts insideThat keep my mind away from you
No more love and no more pride
And thoughts are all I have to do
Remember when it rained...
I felt the ground and looked up high and called
your name
Remember when it rained
In the darkness I remain...
Tears of hope run down my skin
Tears for you that will not dry
They magnify the one within
And let the outside slowly die
Remember when it rained...
I felt the ground and looked up high and called
Your name
Remember when it rained...
In the water I remain...
Running down...
Running down...
Running down...
Running down...
Running down...
Running down...
Running down...
-- --
Fin.
Meleth-nín – my beloved
Review please.
"The ones we love are never truly lost from us, for they will always live on in us."
Later all-
Blue September Rain