Title: The Lies of Hunger
Chapter One: Friend or Foe
By: Kakura-Sensei
Summary: After meeting a mysterious woman, Legolas begins to change, and not for the better. Will Aragorn be able to help him after so many years of being trapped in a lie?
Warnings: This is not a Mary-Sue, nor will there be romance in this. Sorry to Slash readers and to romance lovers, the purpose of this story isn't for romance, it is pure friendship based. There will be mental and emotional abuse in this, and later on, physical abuse with some blood.
Rating: R – for the mature audience. You have been warned.
Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR, I will leave that honor to J.R.R. Tolkien.
A/N: I am revising this. I read it over and I died laughing at the hideousness of the text and flow of the story. My plan is to go through each of the stories I have posted and revise all of them, and finish those that I didn't finish. I am sorry to all of those who read these stories and never got an ending or a proper tale out of them. Hope you can forgive me, but please, enjoy this and have a great night.
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The air was crisp in the morning sun, giving the grass and tree a hinted glow on their dew. It was all breathtaking, setting about a fine day for all those around. Mirkwood was always beautiful, even with the approaching darkness, it seemed to keep a mysterious feel about it and grace it's Elven folk with such love, it broke one's heart to ever leave the sight of the dark woods.
Though it was truly early in the morn, several inhabitants of the forest were already up, making their way to starting chores and tasks they set out for themselves. One such inhabitant was Legolas Thranduilion, he had managed to convinced his father to relive him of his royal duties for the day to sharpen his skills.
Aiming true, Legolas sighted in the target, aiming for the middle of the arrow he already placed there and let go, splitting the first one in two. In rapid procession, he fired two more before lowing his arms. He looked at his arrows and smirked, "That will show those twins whose best in the three realms."
Walking over and pulling his last arrow out, he frowned at the other three arrows ruined at his feet. Though the practice was good, the outcome because costly at the rapidly diminishing arrows in his quiver. He figured he would have to go to the weaponsmith soon to ask for more arrows.
At the snap of a twig, he spun, arrow notched and ready as he looked for the cause. Though it was hard to sneak up on an Elf, one in his or her natural enviroment was more at ease giving someone who lacks the grace of the elders to approach them easier.
From the shadows of the forest came a fiery woman who face in itself almost seemed to rival the night sky in beauty. Crimson locks flowed around her face and down her back like a cloud, bringing out her rapturous glowing green eyes.
"Who are you?" Legolas demanded, aiming his arrow at the woman's heart. In answer, the woman just smiled, chuckling softly.
"My, you are a rude one. As a prince of this land, I would think your manners would be of better quality than this. Your poor father must be so ashamed of you," she cooed. Crossing her arms, she shot a tremendous force of power toward the startled Elf and held him in place. "Now, straighten your attitude boy and tell me your name."
"I am Legolas Thranduilion," he found himself saying against his will, "youngest son of Thranduil, High Ruler of Greenwood the Great--"
"You mean King of Mirkwood, young prince. The name Greenwood died after the darkness came and brought evil beings with it." She laughed, strolling around his body, looking him up and down. Sighing, she shook her head and stood before the prince. "How can you even consider yourself a prince or an elf?"
Too shocked to fully take in the woman's words, he stared up into her eyes, confused. "Wha--?"
"You are a disgrace to your race, and to those who serve under you. You look like a spoilt little piglet who has been allowed to do whatever he wishes on a whim. Look at yourself: no scars of labor, no marks of fighting…and this fat." Between her sharpened fingertips, she grasped his chin and forced his face closer to hers. "You must be the fattest Elf alive."
She pushed herself away from him and walked a few paces away, arms crossed and her hair riding the wind. "You shouldn't have to fear for your own life to end in the same way your mother did, no orc would ever wish to capture you nor force his way into you. I wouldn't be surprised if they would think you as one of them. Oh how your poor mother must have suffered from those who looked like her son--"
"Stop it!" Legolas cried, trying to fight against the invisible bonds holding him. "Stop talking about my mother like that. Stop insulting her sacrifice--"
"To save you."
Legolas gasped, taking in what he heard. He could remember clearly when he was several hundred years younger, just a child, a toddler. His mother and he had been taking a walk in the woods together, when everything seemed peaceful and wonderful. Then they were attacked and he had watched the orcs make his mother suffer over and over again before skewing her with a sword. She had lived only minutes after, but he had been able to see that her spirit was already gone from the world, and her body was about to follow.
"You remember how much your mother suffered, don't you," she leered. "Oh, how she had screamed your name for help, and you never did anything to save her. What terrible son would do that? Who would be so heartless to not even help their own mother in her greatest time of need?"
"Your wrong!" he sobbed. Though his body couldn't move, tears fell freely from his eyes, and for the slightest moments, he was able to shake his head. "I tried to help her, but I could do naught to save her! I was hardly even a child at that point, more of a mere toddler. How would I have been able to help to her when she was stronger than even myself?"
"Ah, but did your family think the same way?" She smiled, glancing in his way. "Do they all still talk to you like they once did? Do they show you the love that your heart wants so badly to see and feel? You must wonder yourself. Do they love you, or are they just trying to ignore the harsh feelings they feel towards you. It is, by the way, your fault for murdering your own mother."
Legolas stopped his struggles. His focus was only on her words now, everything else just vanished. Tears fell to the ground along with his bow, his knees wobbled, but the strange prison that held him kept him from falling. Was everything true? Was he the cause for his mother's death? Did his family really blame him for her death?
He could remember her screams and how much she had fought against the orcs. Sometimes when she was able to free herself, she would run back to him and try to get both of them out, but they, the orcs, would always catch her. It was almost like a game to them, he realized. Not once had he been able to get out of the hold the orcs had on him, but they never touched him besides beating him. What his mother had to face was much worse than he had to…he had just watched it happen to her, and he had done nothing.
A soft touch against his face brought him back from his memories. Looking up, he stared into the woman's mysterious glowing eyes, hypnotized by the beauty they held, but alarmed by the power she controlled. Only dimly did he realize that she had released him from her hold, but he didn't move even with that knowledge.
"You poor child," she whimpered, "how you have suffered in your life but no one bares in mind what you have been through. They all hide the truth from you, they all look at you with such hate, but never let you see it." She sighed, pulling the shaking prince into her arms. "I am ashamed that I am the only one who is willing to give you the truth. The only one who is willing to let you understand why everyone acts so differently around you. I wish I could say that I was lying, but regrettably, I cannot."
Pulling back, she wiped the tears from his face and kissed both of his cheeks softly, pulling him back into an embrace afterwards. "Come to see me every once week at night. You will see my eyes an hour before to remind you if you should wish to hear more of the truth. Will you come and meet me? Will you allow yourself the truth so you can finally start to heal from your wounds?"
Silence covered them like a blanket, soothing and warm in the embrace they shared. One figure stood shaking while the other stood like a statue. The wind stopped and finally, through the shaking came a nod.
"Good," she smiled, though the prince couldn't see it. "I only want you to do one more thing for me. This will help you, and, alas, only I am brave enough to tell you the truth."
"What is it?" Legolas choked.
"Your weight as an Elf is embarrassingly too heavy. You have been made to believe that when someone looks at you with wide eyes they are admiring your beauty that your mother gave you. I will admit you have such beauty, but in the last centuries, your grief has made you unbearable to see. Those who look at you with wide eyes cannot hide their disgust at the sight. You have too much fat for a royal Elf. You must be strong and force yourself not to endure so much food. Let the sacrifice of a meal or two be the victims of your pain, and not your figure. If you do not, then all that I am telling you is for naught."
Pulling away from the prince, she stepped back into the forest, barely seen, but her eyes stayed clear. "I wish for you to be free, young Legolas. Heed my words and soon you will be." Then she disappeared completely, eyes and all.
A week later at night fall, a pair of glowing green eyes appeared close in the window of the Prince's room, and later that night, the room was empty with only a window open.
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A/N: Chapter one - Friend or Foe - Complete. I am revising all of my stories, do not worry, but this story is first in the long line. After I have rewritten them all, I will write new stories, and not all in LOTR. I have some planned out, but if I start them now, I won't get these done. I will try for the second chapter to be up within two weeks, but with finals coming up, don't keep your fingers crossed. Summer vacation will bring about much more time, so don't worry.
Also, I changed my pen name, for what I see as obvious reasons. When I first started this account, I was naïve and didn't know what the first rule of writing really was. Now I wish to start over and take the step off the bridge and begin again as Kakura-Sensei.
Ja ne