Title: Star-Foam and Star-Dome

Author: Elendriel (El)

Rate: G

Summary: Why did Earendil name his sons, Elros and Elrond?

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, they are J.R.R. Tolkien's.

Author's note: No beta. All grammatical errors are mine. I also have no idea who name Elros and Elrond. Some said, Gil-galad. But in this story I decide the honor should give to their parents.

Star-Foam and Star-Dome

The moon disappeared from the sky awhile ago. The darkness that covered Middle Earth was slowly replaced by the new sunlight. The dew that adorned the tips of grass and leaves were glittered like the nature was decorated with silver pearls. The coldness of night increased quite a lot with the coming morning. But at this moment no cold or water could extinguish the fire inside his heart.

Earendil, sun of Tuor and Idril, the heir of the long lost Gondolin walked back and forth with anxious and excited in front of a door. His eyes never left the heavy wood as if by his will he could look through it or moved it out from his path. Every once in a while, he would stop his feet and pressed his ears to the door to listen any sound from inside. After hearing not what he desired, he would return to his walking. Then no more than a few minutes he would stop his pace and listened and walked more, went on and on, like an endless circle.

Gil-galad and Cirdan who were nearby had stopped their effort to make Earendil stayed calm quite awhile. The young king, Earendil's closest relative in Middle-Earth looked outside the window, watched the waves threw to the shore again and again like endlessly rhythm. Meanwhile Cirdan turned off his attention to anything on Middle Earth. He was occupied with the book he brought with since he knew it would be the very long waiting night. Let Earendil walked through the floor if he wanted it.

And suddenly, the walking, the sound of flipping page, the sign from the windows were stopped as the painful scream of a female rang through the building, accompanied a second later by the crying of an infant. The three elf lords flied to the door, each stared at the oak door with hope that someone will open it and report the news inside the room. A few minutes passed, yet no one came out. Earendil started fidgeting, wanted nothing more than entered the room to see how fare Elwing was doing. His heart also cried for the new born heir. He knew his patient was running thin every passing minute. He reached to the door, intended to open it and saw the events with his own eyes. But Cirdan catch his hand and shook his head as if to say it was not appropriate to do so.

Then another sound of baby's crying was emitted out of the room again. But this time was different at the first sound as it was a bit sweeter and softer. The three elf lords looked at each other with gladness. Usually, elves were hardly got pregnant. This resulted in the low birth rate and very lower in the twin birth rate. But it seemed Elwing's line was gifted with the twins as she also had twin brothers who were lost in the wood of Doriath.

"You are so lucky to have twins, Earendil. I'm very happy with you," Gil-galad said and patted rather hard on the new father's shoulder.

"Two babies….Twins…." Earendil murmured like he was in sweet dream. "Twins….I have twin babies!" He shouted out loud and turned back to hug Gil-galad before pulled Cirdan to dance around.

The show stopped immediately as the door was opened and two elf-maidens walked out. In their arms were beautiful sleeping babies. One baby's cheek was red, showed his good healthy while another were paler and smaller than its twin. Earendil took the nearest infant as Gil-galad took another in his arms carefully. The nurses helped adjusting their arms as both lords carried the children awkwardly for they never held one before.

"My lord, you are granted with the beautiful twin sons. We are very happy with you and milady," one maiden said. But Earendil did not pay attention to her much. His eyes looked at the little elflings that from now on will have he as their protector. The tiny face in his arms frowned a bit as if he did not like something. The small fists waved in the air like he was ready to fight anyone who dared to angry him. Earendil watched his acting with fondness. An emotion rushed inside his heart. Such amazing that this little elfling could get his love completely by just only a look. Earendil wondered when his father, Tuor hold him the first time, did he also feel the same?

Earendil hold the infant a bit more before gave him to Cirdan to hold another son from the King Gil-galad who was greeting his new kin. The minute he got his eyes on him, Earendil was amazed by their likeliness. They bared the same look. The different he could discern was this baby was not as vigorous as his brother, really quiet indeed. He looked tired that caused by the long travel from the warmness womb of his mother to the unknown world.

Earendil watched the emerging sun with a small smile.

From now, his small family will be complete and perfect with his new born sons who he swore he will protect them as best as he could.

Elwing opened her eyes slowly as she felt the soft lips kissed her forehead gently and lovingly. Earendil smiled and helped his wife to sit up and reclined on the soft pillows. He was so careful to not jostle her too much.

"Did you see our sons, my lord?" Elwing asked hoarsely which was the result of many hours screaming.

"Yes, they are sleeping beside you now." Earendil answered as he glanced lovingly at the babies who slept quietly on the cradle neared him. His hand wiped the sweat-soaked hair out of her forehead before took the glass from bedside table to her mouth. Elwing drank the whole glass thankfully.

"Do you think of any names for them?" Earendil asked.

"Not really. How about you?"

"Elrond and Elros."

"Star-dome and Star-foam?" Elwing looked at her husband curiously at the choice of names.

"Yes. I have to sail often. Everytime I'm on the sea. The stars and the sea tide always guide me and never make me lost. Like our babies that will bind us together. No matter what happened, no matter how far I am from you, they will lead me back to you."

Elwing smiled at his explanation. She turned back to see one of her child. The tiny legs started kicking the air as if he did not like something. Elwing catch the small hands for a while. The relationship between mother and her child told her which one she should name which. She caressed the cheeks of the slight bigger twin, tried to make him calmed down.

"This child will be Elros as he always so cheerful like the sea foam that never stops. He will jump bravely toward any dangerous without fear," she said before glanced to her quieter baby.

"This child will be Elrond. Wisdom and careful he will grow up to be. His life may not smooth but he will stand proudly and shine like the star on the heaven that gives peaceful to the others."

"So be it," Earendil said, tried to remember which one was Elrond and while one was Elros. For him, both looked alike that he could not separate them out. Moreover, they did not have any birthmark to tell the different. As to differ, the red and green silk cords were tied on their wrists.

"Elwing, I know not yet which one is the elder."

Elwing hesitated a bit when heard the question.

"Actually, Elros was born first, then Elrond came after by 7 minutes."

"Elros must be the elder then."

"But I heard from someone that the one that born last must be the elder because he was on top and let the younger out first."

"Never mind who is the elder or younger. They are both our babies anyway. I will let you decide."

"For me, I would like to have Elrond as the elder and Elros as the younger. I can feel that Elros will grow up to be hardhead and he will not listen to anyone easily. If he were the older, I'm afraid he would drag Elrond along with him. And I'm afraid I will have to deal with two troublemakers instead of one. In contrast, as the older, Elrond would have a bit more power to control Elros when he gets too stubborn, that could help a bit," Elwing said after considers her own blood thoroughly.

"That's fine with me," Earendil said. He helped his wife inclined on the bed, placed the twins on the middle of the bed before lied down at the other side of the bed. Both reached their hands towards each other, their joined hands were on the twins with such a careful and loving.

The waves threw to the shore tirelessly again and again. The rim of Elwing's white dress was gradually wet more and more. Earendil had been sailed for many years now. The worry built up every passing month. She could only wait for his returning to his family, return to Elros and Elrond who running around the beach, looking for seashells to show their mother.

"Nana! Nana!" Elros cried as he was running back to her. His expression was full of exciting.

"Yes, Elros,"

"I see a ship, big ship on the sea. It must be Gil-galad and Cirdan coming to visit us," Elros pointed to the sea where a ship was floating far away that she could see only a small white dot.

"But it isn't Gil-galad and Cirdan's ship," Elrond said after he focused his eyes on the ship. "The prow of the ship is not like the one of Cirdan's"

"Then it must be Cirdan's new ship," Elros argued, his expression was full of triumph when Elrond silent as he also thought Elros may be right.

Elwing did not pay attention at her children's argument. They disagreed with each other frequently. If she had to be referee everytime they argued, she would not have a bit of peace at all. As this one was so little, she better let it go.

There on the sea was the ship Elros commented, it was the white ship that she knew quite well for she had been dreaming of this day many nights. Vingilot, the foam-flower of Earendil. The golden paddles reflected the sunlight, made the ship looked more beautiful. Elwing pressed her hands above to beating so-fast heart; her eyes were brimming with tears.

Earendil finally returned.

He came back like he said once that wherever he was the stars on the sky and the tide of the sea will take him back to her.

"Ada's back," Elwing told her sons.

"Ada's back!" Elrond cried.

"Yay! Ada's back. Ada's back." Elros cheered too. His small body jumped up and down as he clapped his hands together before pulled Elrond to dance together happily.

Elwing smiled at their exciting. The sadness that always adorned her face was replaced by happiness.

"Let's go to welcome ada at the dock," Elwing said. She held Elrond's and Elros' wrists and they ran together to the arms of the elf they missed so much.

At the head of Vingilot, a lone figure stood there. His eyes focused on the city of Sirion where he absented for many years. He wondered did Elwing, Elrond, and Elrond know yet he was coming home. At this moment Earendil wanted to see his family the most. The last few years, he tried to sail to Valinor but never succeed. A few times he was lost; fortunately he always had star and the tide to guide.

His breathe caught a little when he saw the small three dots at the coast. He tried to focus his eyes on them. It was Elwing; beside her were the small children, their black hair blown in the wind. Elros and Elrond were much bigger than he remember them were. The last time he saw them, both were still babies and could say only a few words.

The orders were shouted between the elves on the ship and the elves on the dock but Earendil cared not all of these. He jumped from the both to the dock gracefully before parted the people who were awaiting their beloveds to his Elwing.

Husband and wife embraced tightly like they had been yearned for. Elwing forgot everything in this world until she felt a small pull on her dress. The twins looked at their father curiously but hesitated to go to him. The distant between them were so great with many years of Earendil's absent, that the boys did not know how to interact with their sire. Earendil kneeled in front of his son to see them clearly. Meanwhile Elwing stepped behind Elrond and Elros, placed her hands on their shoulder to give them courage.

"My lord, this is Elros," Elwing said and pushed the elf on her left hand towards Earendil.

"Hello, ada," Elros greeted; his eyes trained towards his father openly.

"And this is Elrond," Elwing pushed her other son out.

"Hello, ada," Elrond said. Even though he was not shy, Earendil could see the nervousness in his eyes.

"Hello Elrond, Elros," Earendil greeted his heirs and pulled both into his arms as he always wanted to do. He carried them up even though the twins' clothes were wet and dirty with sea and sand. In his eyes, they were like the sky and waves that will always lead him to Elwing, his beloved wife.

The reunited family walked back home slowly as the sun slowly sank in the sea.

End

Note: About 'the one that born last must be the elder because he was on top and let the younger out first' comes from my grandma.