Song of Heavenly Flowers
Quest for the Light
By Leilani Aria
aka Laterose's Song aka Rebecca
Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings belongs to
J.R.R. Tolkien. All the characters that aren¹t recognized are mine. The first
song in this fanfic is mine and the second one is Reflection by
Christina Aguilera.
Author¹s Notes: This takes place after The Ring has been destroyed and
Sauron has been defeated. This is an AU story and contains several different
pairings. Sorry for any overlooked mistakes. All of the rude remarks Aracelis
says are the courtesy of my best friend. I understand that there might be a
little problem understanding the ages. Here is the order of the main characters
from oldest to youngest:
Kekoa, (-2 months) Aracelis, (-10 months) Legolas, (-2 months) Leilani Aria
And it all begins....
Two figures followed the companions from the trees, never
making a single sound. Silent and graceful, they leaped from limb to limb in
Fangorn. Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf were oblivious to the strangers
that followed in their midst.
Aracelis¹ short hair fluttered in the gentle breeze and her blue eyes gazed
through the tree branches, always alert. The other elf maiden, Leilani Aria,
stood behind her sister, her soft violet orbs dancing about; long blonde hair flowed
passed her shoulders, bouncing to and fro when she moved.
Legolas trod carefully on the forest floor with Gimli following
close behind. Gimli opened his mouth to say something but the elf held up his
hand, motioning for him to stay quiet. "Shhh. Can't you hear it?" Gimli cocked
an eyebrow.
"Can I hear it? Hear what?"
"Someone's close by…I can hear them. They¹re in the trees!"
Gimli shot Legolas a side glance before averting his gaze to the
tree tops. Everything was still...and quiet. But the dwarf knew that Legolas'
senses were far greater and keener than his own so he wielded the axe that he
always carried. In only a few quick movements, Legolas had an arrow notched to
the bowstring and pulled it back until it was taut. Taking careful aim, he
released the arrow and it zipped up to the trees. No noise followed.
The arrow did not reach its target. Instead, Aracelis caught it
before it caused any damage. She twirled it through her fingers then attached
it to her own bow, letting it fly when the time was right. The arrow buried
itself an inch in front of Legolas' feet. The duo could barely hear the
laughter of the maidens that rang from the tree limbs.
Legolas frowned and yanked the arrow from the ground, inspecting it
to see if it was damaged. He put it back in the quiver afterward, thankful that
it wasn't broken or harmed in any way. Gimli, though, was on the verge of
losing his temper, not happy that they were stopped from their journey and
being made fun of, muttering under his breath. He shook the axe at the treetops
where the laughter could be heard from.
Leilani Aria was shaking with helpless mirth. Unexpectedly, though,
she began to loose her balance! All laughter and happiness was drained from her
and replaced with fear. She waved her arms around, trying to recover her
balance but failed. The elf maiden did the only thing she could do: jump.
Before Aracelis could grab her, she fell through the tree branches, towards the
ground. Branches and small limbs snapped as she fell, scraping her, only mildly
though.
Legolas, ever on guard, saw this and quickly took position to catch
the falling girl. Leilani Aria landed safely in his arms. Aracelis breathed a
sigh of relief before leaping down to the ground, taking her place in front of
Legolas, pointing accusingly at him with a look of anger. "Unhand my
sister, you pervert!" Aracelis took a fighting stance, ready to attack if
Legolas didn't do as she said.
Leilani Aria hurried out of his grip, immediately placing herself
between the two, hoping that her sister wouldn't really do anything dangerous,
which she was known for doing so in certain events. But, Aracelis straightened
back up, a light expression written on her face. "Nah, I'm not gonna hurt you
this time. Besides, you saved Lei Aria." Leilani Aria crossed her arms, not
really surprised at Aracelis' new behaviour.
Gimli struck the ground with his axe. "So there isn't going to be a
fight, huh?" Aracelis shook her head and replied, mockingly.
"No, not really. I don't wanna kill blondy yet," Aracelis snickered
but smiled innocently at the same time. Her remark caused Leilani Aria to
giggle.
Legolas eyed the two elves, taking in every detail. Both girls were
dressed in similar clothing: brown and green leather cloth. Aracelis stood a
few inches over Leilani Aria, giving an older sister appearance, although not
much. Their light blonde hair was decorated with two long braids that tied at
the back of their heads with a single flower: a blue pansy for Aracelis and a
lilac for Leilani Aria. The younger elf¹s hair had pink and purple ribbons
weaved in and out of it, trailing to her feet. Aracelis, however, preferred
blue and green feathers for hair decoration. They were both bare-footed and
radiated an outcast aura.
"What are you two doing out in
these parts of the woods?" Legolas asked cautiously. Before Aracelis could
answer, Leilani Aria piped up with a rather rude remark.
"We enjoy stalking stupid blonde male elves and short, fat
dwarves!"
Aracelis pulled her back and whispered in her ear, "That short, fat
dwarf has a big, sharp axe. Do you want that big, sharp axe to meet your neck?"
The elf shook her head, letting her hair fly.
"Just so you know, I'm Legolas of Mirkwood and this short, fat
dwarf is Gimli." Legolas' eyes seemed to have a piercing gaze and the frown he
carried deepened. Aracelis noticed his expression and adopted a worried face.
"What's the matter?" she asked, teasingly. Legolas just shook his
head slowly and continued walking onward. Gimli soon followed behind him, axe
still at hand. Aracelis watched them for a moment in silence, which was
interrupted shortly after. "By the way, I'm Aracelis and this is my sister,
Leilani Aria. Uh, where are we going, anyway?"
The elf turned around, glaring, stopping in his tracks. "You aren't
going anywhere with us." And with that, he stormed away with
Gimli close behind. The two elf sisters stood there for only a moment before
slowly following.
Aracelis pulled Leilani Aria closer and said, "He can't stand us,
now, can he."
Several hours passed and Legolas and Gimli found themselves in a small
clearing, preparing camp. They had settled down and snacked on food they had
found earlier and were now dozing by a small fire, the sky darkening by the
minute.
Aracelis guided Leilani Aria to the camp and they sat down,
resting. She winked at Leilani Aria and began to tootle loudly on her reed
flute, still keeping a tune and the younger elf maiden sang out in the elf
tongue.
"Face to face
Smile after smile
Since you've been gone
None of my dreams are worthwhile
Dream to dream
Heart to heart
It seems my world is loosing
Ever since our part
I can't live my destiny
I can't live without you
I just want you to be with me
So why can't we be
Just to be with you
Is a dream come true
Tender like a flower
We can have a special power."
Gimli awakened, drowsy, not in the best of moods. "Keep that
confounded noise to a minimum, will you!" He kicked Legolas slightly, rousing
the elf. "Your friends are making a lot of ruckus. Shuttem up."
Legolas got to his feet, fed up with the so-called "entertainment".
Before he could leave, though, Aracelis grabbed his arm, tugging it. "I need to
talk to you. It's important." Legolas saw the serious expression on her face
and let her lead him away from the clearing.
Aracelis took a breath before beginning. "Legolas..." She paused,
as if she were unsure of what to say, then continued. "I'm sorry I was being a
jerk to you but I just haven't seen you in such a long time. I had to joke
around, besides, I was seeing my old best friend, what would you expect…"
Aracelis trailed off when she noted Legolas' silent confusion. "You don't even
remember me, do you!" she exclaimed. "Doesn't the name Aracelis ring a bell?"
"I only have the faintest memory of that name. I can hardly recall
it." Legolas' solemn face was now troubled and that made Aracelis uneasy.
"Do you remember when we were young? In our childhood days, we were
the best of friends, always playing together and acting goofy. Then...we sort
of drifted apart. Don't you remember?" The shake of a head was the only answer
she received. Tears welled in her eyes and she lowered her head to hide her
disappointment. Legolas put a comforting hand on her shoulder, sensing her
feelings.
Aracelis rubbed her hand across her eyes, drying the tears. She
turned around, lifting up the cloth that covered her back. There was a scare,
shaped like a rough sketch of a heart. After a few minutes, she turned back
around.
Legolas was just standing there, baffled. His eyes seemed like they
were searching for something unknown. He concentrated hard, leaving the world
to enter the realms of dreams and memories. He thought long, swaying back and
forth until exclaiming, "You fell! When we were climbing that tree, you lost
your footing and fell." Aracelis' eyes lit up and she threw herself at him,
embracing him in a hug, crying and laughing at the same time.
"You're right! I can't believe you remember!" She was smiling ear
to ear, radiating happiness and joy. Aracelis moved away, though, taking his
hands and walking back to the clearing. Now she felt a lot better! She looked
up and suddenly asked, "You remember me but do you remember Lei Aria?" He shook
his head and she sighed. "Figures, she didn't want to play with us even from
the beginning."
Flashback
Aracelis grabbed Leilani Aria's hands, pulling her towards the towering trees.
"Come on, let's go play with Legolas!" However, Leilani Aria pulled away,
withdrawing immediately. Aracelis tilted her head and sighed, running off to
play. Leilani Aria watched silently as she left, a distant look in her eyes.
She wandered away, walking sluggishly until she came to a garden.
She sat down, surrounded by flowers, small trees, plants, and other greens. In
her hands, she held a parchment and a stick of charcoal. She began to draw,
only looking up when she was in need of inspiration.
She sighed longingly, realizing how different she was from everyone
else. She had a secret that no one knew…and she wasn't going to tell anyone
yet. She was an outcast, always separated from the others. Maybe it was because
she liked being alone. But no matter what she told herself, she knew she would
always be one thing: a prisoner of depression. She was depressed, even
psychotic. But no one knew. She hid it from everyone.
As she drew, she began to sing to herself in her native language.
Her voice, as others had said, was like an angel's kiss: soft, tender, gentle,
and loving. She didn't fully believe it, though. She couldn't. She couldn't
believe in anything about herself. Leilani Aria felt like her whole life,
purpose, and destiny was only a lie. But she sang.
"Look at me
You may think you see
Who I really am
But you¹ll never know me
Every day
It¹s as if I play a part
Now I see
If I were a mask
I can fool the world
But I can't fool my heart
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside
I am now
In a world where I
Have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow
I will show the world
What's inside my heart
And be loved for who I am
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know
Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else
For all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside
There's a heart that must be free to fly
That burns with the need to know the reason why
Why must we all conceal
What we think
How we feel
Must there be a secret me
I¹m forced to hide
I won't pretend that I¹m
Someone else
For all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside."
Leilani
Aria looked down at her picture and smiled slightly, impressed with the
results. She saw a young girl standing by the shore, waves lapping at her feet,
as she throw the flowers she held in her hands into the water. It was her...it
was her reflection of who she was inside.
End of Flashback
Leilani Aria sat Indian
style by the fire, poking it at random times with the point of an arrow. Her
chin was resting in one hand as the reflection of the crackling fire danced in her
violet-hued eyes with a glum expression on her face. Her head popped up when
she heard her sister and the elf return. She had to admit, she was a little
jealous when they had left but she kept it bottled up, as usual.
Gimli had somehow fallen back asleep. It didn't really surprise
her, though, and she couldn't blame him. He did have a long walk
earlier so she didn't question it at all. Besides, she could live with a quick
nap any day!
Deciding to cause discomfort, she called out to the two elves, slyly,
"So...where did you two go? Or should I say, what were you two doing?" Aracelis
snorted and plopped down by her, bringing Legolas down with her.
"We went down memory lane," she
said sarcastically.
Night drew in shortly after and everyone bid the others goodnight and soon,
everyone was asleep. Leilani Aria couldn't sleep, though. She continuously
gazed over at Aracelis and Legolas, hints of jealousy and envy flickering in
her eyes. She rolled over onto her stomach, fingering the hem of the sheet she
was laying on. Her eyes absentmindedly wandered to the trees surrounding the
clearing. She couldn't help but feel scared. Even psychotic. She shuddered
visibly. What was out there? What was watching them? Or...who was
watching them? She adjusted her position so she could curl up, wanting to hide
from the unknown that lurked in the darkness. She shut her eyes closed tight,
trying to block the voices and the images of the unknown things that weren't
really there. "Join ussss…" the voices hissed. "Come to our world of
darknessss and doooom..."
And urge inside her mind told her to seek out comfort. Maybe she
should wake Aracelis up...but she was a deep sleeper. Gimli was
completely worn out, why would she bother him? What about....Legolas? Would he
offer her the comfort she longed for and dreadfully needed? Surely
not...definitely not, right? She cuddled up closer in the small blankets they
used for warmth. Her eyes remained as slits and she drifted off into the land
of dreams, still uneasy and scared.
She awoke in the middle of the night. For the past hours, she had
been merely dozing or sleeping lightly, just to wake up to the odd sounds of
the woods. It made her anxious, to say the least, maybe even paranoid.
Gathering all the possible courage she could find inside her, she scooted over,
taking her place beside Legolas, almost immediately feeling comfort. The maiden
rested her head on his chest, welcoming sleep gratefully now.
Aracelis was the first to awaken the next morning. She had to stifle her laughter
at the sight of her sister and Legolas. Carefully, she tiptoed over to the
sleeping Gimli and shook him awake. They remained silent, watching the two
sleeping elves. Gesturing for Gimli to follow, Aracelis moved away and snuck
off through the surrounding trees. The elf and dwarf watched from a distance,
waiting for them to awaken with utter amusement.
The wait didn't last for long. Legolas stirred and had to hide his
shock when he noticed the maiden that was slightly draped over him. His
movements, though, woke Leilani Aria up. She blinked several times before
processing through her mind what was going on. Feeling rather embarrassed, she
quickly shifted herself and backed away. Blood rushed to her pale cheeks and
she decided to busy herself. The only thing to do was…was...there was nothing
for her to do. She lowered her head. "Sorry..." she muttered, barely
audible. Legolas only shrugged, taking the situation lightly.
He shouldered the quiver of arrows and placed his bow in his hands.
Standing up, he set off towards the woods. "I'm going to find some food. Stay
put and don't wander off," he ordered, calling back over his shoulder. Leilani
Aria nodded and stayed still. She yawned slightly.
"How boring…" she said to herself. Using her finger tips, she
doodled on the ground, drawing nonsense figures and funny looking people. She
continued doing just that for at least ten minutes. The sun had rose and its
rays parted through the tree limbs, showering on the lone elf.
Monsters...winged monsters...hundreds of them! A cross between a
bird, lizard, and human, you could say. They had the figure of male humans, but
instead of skin, they had greenish grey scales and long, think, leathery tails.
Sprouting from their backs, two magnificent wings spread out wide, casting long
and dark shadows. They were clad in black tunics. It seemed as if they had
appeared out of nowhere!
Leilani Aria had no time to scream or shout for help. She bound
together immediately by a tough rope and gagged by a strip of cloth. Aracelis
just had enough time to jump up, only to find herself yelling at air. The
creatures were gone...with Leilani Aria, too!! Hot blood raced through her
veins as she stormed back to the clearing like a torpedo, with Gimli in her
wake. Her blue eyes were wide with anger and rage. She screamed in disbelief,
letting her temper run wild. "They took her!! They took Lei Aria!!!" Anger soon
turned to sorrow and she wept, unashamed.
Gimli had already made up his mind. "I'll go and search the woods
for any clues of who took your sister." The dwarf left afterwards, not wanting
to bother or upset Aracelis. With any luck, he would return with some news.
Legolas had heard the shouting and swiftly ran back to the
clearing, puzzled at the sudden anguished atmosphere. Aracelis was crying
bitterly, muttering curses under her breath. Legolas didn't need to ask what
went amiss. He examined the footprints on the ground, which the monsters had
left behind. Even he didn't know what kind of creature would leave such tracks.
He sighed, defeated at the moment.
It took awhile for Aracelis to regain her senses. Legolas made her
repeat everything she saw over and over again. He couldn't help but state his
thoughts out loud. "What bothers me is why did they take her for no reason? If we
had trespassed on their territory, they would have attacked earlier. I'm afraid
they might have something planned..." He trailed off when Aracelis gave him an
icy glare. She didn't want to know what they might have planned
for Leilani Aria.
"For all I know, they might be conducting some sick experiment and
decided to use my sister as the guinea pig," she said harshly. Aracelis did not like
the idea of some unknown monsters using Leilani Aria as an object in an
experiment one bit. Fury burned in her eyes and she sought out revenge
in her heart. She forced down her anger, though, for a moment to review the
facts. "Well, Gimli left to see if anyone in these parts knows of these hybrid
monsters. I suppose that's a good thing."
Legolas had completed his search of the clearing and was
unsuccessful. No hints or clues whatsoever. The two elves gathered the
remainder of they supplies and decided to press onward and look as well. Maybe,
with luck, they would find something that would lead them in the right direction.
Leilani Aria was scared to the limit. She was hanging by her hands on a metal
stake, constantly being pestered by her captors. The language of the creatures
were mixtures of hisses and caws but they often lapsed into the human tongue.
The elf had learned that the bird-lizard-human creatures were called Tokaringen
(pronounced Toh-kay-ren-jeen) and she had the most fun time trying to figure
out just how to say it. The leader, or master, of the Tokaringen tribe was
called Shigoush and he took a great interest in the young maiden with long
blonde hair. He enjoyed touching the poor soul, especially her silky hair,
which he admired. She grimaced at the touch, feeling dirty and wasted. But she
somehow put up with it.
The elf took stock of her surroundings. The area was up high,
actually floating in thin air. The Tokaringen loved heights so they built their
home in the sky. But the sight was revolting. The entire land was a waste dump,
covered in litter, trash, junk, and grit. It looked like nothing was alive,
except the Tokaringen, of course. The only thing that stood above all else was
a grand palace. It was neat and clean, surprisingly. She figured that it was
where Powerful and Mighty, aka Shigoush, spent most of his time in. Her place
was to the left of the gigantic doors of the palace, where she hung, dangling
by her hands, which were now tired and sore.
Her appearance was not something she would have been proud of at
that time. Before, they had made sport of her, beating her and ripping her
garments, exposing her to the others. But the thing that constantly bothered
her was what they were going to do with her?
She looked up and groaned as dark clouds drew in. A single raindrop
fell on her nose before several others splattered around her. A few turned to
hundreds and then to millions. Lightning struck across the sky like a hot knife
through butter and thunder rolled with tremendous sound. And there she stayed
while being pelted by water.
The shuffling of feet snapped her out of her imagination and she
turned her head in the direction of the sounds. "Oh, great..." she muttered,
not happy at the cause of the noise. Two Tokaringen guards had been sent
outside and were now standing at either side of her. What surprised her,
though, was when they took the sharp blades they carried and began to hack at
the ropes that bound her hands together. She called to them in a hoarse scream.
"What are you doing?!?"
One looked at her with dark brown eyes and replied simply,
"Master's orders. You are to be treated as a guest here." Leilani Aria's face
shone with puzzlement and she let out a small yelp as she fell, released from
the bonds. The two guards caught her easily, keeping her from hitting the
ground. No matter how much she struggled, they managed to carry her through the
doors and into the palace. Then, she was taken to a room where she could bathe
and change into clean clothing.
A young female hobbit, maybe only eleven years old, entered the
room shortly after the guards left. The hobbit was short and rough looking. She
held out a bundle of garments to Leilani Aria. "Master said that you are to
look decent for the feast that will be held at noon. Be there early." She
nodded politely and left, afterward, leaving Leilani Aria in the room alone.
She took her time as she bathed, letting the soup and shampoo soak
in before rinsing. She wrapped herself in a soft towel, drying and brushing her
hair. After being completely clean and dry, the elf maiden unfolded the bundle
carefully, revealing a long, flowing dress. Her eyes went wide with awe and
amazement. The dress was made out of pink silk and was bordered with lace that
was lilac hued. She dropped the towel and put the dress on. It went up to her
collar bone and had no sleeves, showing her shoulders. She spun around several
times, watching the folds of the dress spread out and fly around her. Maybe she
would have a different opinion about her captors after all.
Aracelis was running in a fast sprint until Legolas told her to slow down. "We
can't overlook anything. At your pace, you will have missed many hints," he
stated. Aracelis was stubborn at first but finally agreed. Legolas held up a
feather and waved it in front of her face. "I found this awhile back. It fitted
the description of the creatures' wing feathers perfectly," Legolas said,
calmly. "I believe we are going in the right direction." A small smile spread
on his lips and he gestured to the right. "We should go that way instead. These
monsters aren't flying straight, they are changing their position frequently.
But their feathers aren't in the best condition so they fell out easily. There
are more tracks over in that direction." Aracelis couldn't argue, Legolas was
right.
They changed their direction and started off fresh, walking briskly
and finding feathers scattered about, all leading in the same ways as the sun
rose higher and higher. A new light of hope burned brightly and they were more
confident than before, especially Aracelis. Hours passed and they continued
searching.
Leilani Aria checked the position of the sun one last time before heading
towards the dining area. Earlier, the same hobbit came to talk and gave her the
directions to the room. Leilani Aria didn't know where to go at first and was
thankful the hobbit maid told her everything she needed to know. She soon
arrived at a pair of decorated door and opened them wide. She entered quickly,
a sudden hush falling upon the ones that were already seated. During the
uncomfortable silence, she paused and looked around, confused. She was rescued
by the hobbit, though, who led her to the seat to the right of Shigoush. The
silence broke then and everything seemed normal. Although the food had not been
served yet, different kinds of entertainment was enjoyed: dancing, singing,
performing, and other arts. However, the only entertainment and audience were
males. The only female Leilani Aria noticed, besides herself, was the hobbit,
who did not join the table but stayed to the side, ready to serve when she was
needed. She sank in her seat, feeling out of place.
All activity stopped, though, when Shigoush stood up and
communicated in the Tokaringen language. The young hobbit gave Leilani Aria an
uneasy glance, seeming to understand what was being said. The elf sank lower in
her seat, wanting to disappear. What was going on?