Author's Note: I know many of you thought I had given up on this story. The truth is that I had written the final chapters many months ago, but there was something missing. Everyone who has followed this story for the past four and a half years knows that I never post anything, until I am absolutely satisfied with it. So I kept going back to that certain chapter, whenever real life allowed. After some serious nudging (thank you Stefanie!), I worked on it more carefully and, finally, the last three chapters of Alice's story are ready to be posted.

I'm also making some revisions on the previous chapters and the story will be updated and completed by the end of the week. I have decided (after MUCH hesitation) to take part in the MEFAs and I'd like to do so with a completed story before the deadline. So, I hope you enjoy the story and keep an eye out for lots of updates the next few days. :-)

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

italics: thoughts

/translations/

Chapter 25 – A kind of magic

They had been walking in the woods for what seemed like hours to her. She was drifting in and out of consciousness, dragging her feet with the help of her two Guardians or being carried by her cousin when she blacked out. The poison had taken full effect in her body and she felt nauseated, exhausted and dizzy. Alice had woken up drenched in sweat, feeling weaker than she'd ever felt in her entire life. After Andrea had dragged her in the shower to cool her burning skin off, Johan had forced her to drink some water before she completely dehydrated. Even now, she could feel the tension in his arms as he carried her, his worry leaving only a few encouraging words to offer.

"Hang in there Freckles, we're almost there," he told her in a whisper and she nodded against his chest, too weak to talk.

"Will she be able to walk into the castle in this state?" Andrea's voice was heard from behind. The last time the German sounded so frightened was when she had witnessed Alice passing out because of a vision for the first time.

"This is what the Guardians are here for. You will have to help her get to Legolas. She has kept all her strength for this very moment –you'll be surprised what people are able to do for love." Gandalf told the blond woman with a wink.

The wizard had been walking beside them, keeping up to their long strides despite his age. He had only gentle smiles for Alice's eyes, but when he turned away she could see the shadows on his face. Perhaps he wasn't so sure she would make it either; perhaps she really was going to die. The truth was she could feel her life slipping away from her, as if she was slowly losing her grasp on the edge of a long cliff.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Johan suddenly asked and she stirred from the blackness approaching her cunningly.

"I cannot. This is why I made the rings for the Guardians."

Alice could feel Johan's heart skip a beat beneath her cheek.

"Are you serious?" the blond man protested and came to a full stop. "What if something goes wrong? What are we supposed to do?"

"Nothing will go wrong. You need to have faith, child. I will be standing right outside the castle," the wizard replied with a soothing voice and Johan sighed above her.

"If anything happens to my cousin, I am going to kill you, wizard or not."

Gandalf smiled sadly.

"If anything happens to your cousin, I am good as dead already."

Alice pondered on the wizard's words for a few seconds but decided that thinking about anything at this state was too tiresome. So she closed her eyes and listened to the footsteps of the three people, trying to settle a rhythm for herself to count in. Darkness was creeping up to her and she had to stay alert.

Suddenly, something jolted her out of her drowsiness. Her senses became strangely sharp, a surge of energy spreading through her. It was the air around her; it had changed. It made her skin tingle and she opened her eyes curiously.

Alice let out a gasp.

Everything around her was sparkling in a multicoloured glittering rain. The woods had come alive, from the ground to the trees and the very air and she smiled at the beautiful sight in front of her. It was just like that night, when she and Johan were kids, sneaking away in the darkness to see a magical castle. How many things had changed since then… How far had they come! Yet the memories came rushing back to her -the smells, the chill, the wonder- as if it were just yesterday. Alice reached out her hand to touch a small flickering light swinging in front of her with a smile and teary eyes, when the voice of her cousin drew her out of her daze with a start.

"Freckles? Are you ok?"

The redhead didn't have time to reply, because the wizard had stopped before them and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. She gaped at him in awe, shining like the sun itself in his white robes, his blue eyes sparkling. This was Gandalf's true form; this was the White Wizard.

"She sees it."

"The castle?" Andrea asked confused.

"No," the wizard replied, his face breaking into a gentle smile for the Alice, "the magic." He produced the two Guardian rings from the long folds of his sleeves and gave them to Johan and Andrea. "Put these on. The moon is already out; the castle should be behind those trees in the clearing."

Alice felt Johan shift her in his arms as he put on his ring; then freezing, as he probably took in the blossomed trees, the flickering lights and soft petals flying around them. Andrea took a few steps drinking in the woods around her with eyes wide open, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Mein Gott, das ist schön…" she said under her breath and turned to Johan with a smile. /My God, this is beautiful…/

"We do not have much time," Gandalf reminded them and they started walking again, through the enchanted trees in the forest, until the tree line started to clear and the green grass in front of them stretched to envelop a set of mighty stones, standing high above them to create a great wall –just the way it was engraved in her memories after all these years.

The castle.

Alice let out the breath she never realize she was holding in a shaky sigh, not quite believing the beautiful building was really before her eyes. So much searching, so many months, so much grief, all dissolved and disappeared at the sight of the lit castle, pulling her inside like a magnet. She pushed gently at Johan's chest and he seemed to snap out of his trance, as he took the hint and put her down. Her legs were oddly strong and she managed to keep herself upright, her heart fluttering in anticipation of meeting the elf in flesh. He is in there, she kept repeating in her mind, he is really in there.

"Go," Gandalf told her giving her shoulder an encouraging squeeze, "he is waiting for you."

The young woman nodded and smiled, but, still, her legs wouldn't move. She could feel the lump in her throat, her heart thundering in her chest, yet the tears wouldn't come and her limbs wouldn't cooperate. Alice stood there, frozen, looking at the looming castle, thoughts, memories, touches, whispers and lifetimes passing in front of her eyes, as she realized that this was it: this was the end of her story, her resolution, her atonement… her defining moment.

She took a deep breath and moved her feet hesitantly towards the castle. Her two Guardians were swiftly at her side, each taking hold of an arm and keeping her steady. She smiled at them and noticed the watery eyes of both. This was not just her atonement; this was the atonement of love and humanity in a world that the true meaning of both had been forgotten.

"At the top of the big staircase, follow the second corridor on your right!" the wizard called behind them. "'Tis the large room looking to the north!"

The memory Gandalf had shared with her suddenly popped in her mind.

"I know where it is," she told her two faithful protectors with a smile. "I know… and I can feel it."

It was like instinct. Like a gentle pull. Like the warmth of a fire radiating in the distance and leading you to it. Like a faint light drawing you to its source. They crossed the open gate surprised at the burning torches around them. They could see light from the massive windows as well. Who had lit up the castle? The elf was lying asleep. Was it part of the mysterious magic? She shook her head amused with herself: here she was walking in a castle visible only to their eyes looking for her elf husband and, still, she was analyzing everything through logic.

Screw logic, she thought with determination. This is the real thing. This is what makes sense. This is the truth.

Johan put a protective arm out to stop her, as she moved to enter the castle through the great ebony doors, and walked in first. He looked around for a few moments, taking a torch off the walls and motioned them inside. Alice stopped in her tracks the moment she took in her surroundings –so did Andrea beside her. It was not the inside of a Medieval castle as she had expected, but a beautiful palace decorated with elegant white statues and exquisite paintings, the hint of a glorious marble floor underneath the mass of dried leaves, and rich furniture the likes of which she had only seen in her visions.

"I've never seen anything like it," Johan remarked and she nodded.

"This is elvish. Definitely elvish. I've seen some of their cities in my dreams," she explained and started ascending the grand staircase Gandalf had pointed out to them. "It's this way."

Alice was out of breath, but the sudden surge of energy didn't leave her. She wasn't sure whether it was because of the magic in this place or because of the elf lying flesh and bones in a room somewhere near. The longing inside her had come undone and it fueled her weakened body like the strongest medicine. Johan was quick to catch her when she felt a little faint and she finally gave into his pleas to at least lean on him, if she didn't want him to carry her to the elf's room. They were here to help her after all.

The redhead's labored breathing and their racing heartbeats were the only sounds accompanying the crackling of the burning torches on the wall, as they reached the top of the staircase. Alice had to stop in order to catch her breath for a few moments, then having Johan and Andrea on each side, they started walking with slow steps along the corridor.

She could feel the tension coming from her two Guardians, their eyes searching in shadows and corners, but the only sound was the steady 'crunch… crunch… crunch…' coming from their feet as they stepped on the dried leaves which littered the floor. A soft breeze appeared out of nowhere and played with her hair, causing the flames on the torches to flicker and for a moment they held their breath in anticipation. When nothing happened, they resumed their walking, Johan and Andrea's grip on her suddenly stronger.

They hadn't taken more than a few steps, when she felt it. Her eyes fell out of their own on the half-open door at the end of the corridor, where the breeze had probably come from.

"It's there."

The words came out in a sighed whisper, but the other two caught it nonetheless. They looked at her with pale faces, the myth of the beautiful angel who drove people mad still lingering from their childhood, but she smiled encouragingly.

"He's my husband. I know him, there's nothing to fear."

Johan was the first who took a step forward. Alice followed with Andrea, who was caressing the redhead's back in a silent gesture of comfort, but the German's trembling hand betrayed that she was the one who needed it most. The crossing of the small distance to the door seemed to her like ages, but they finally reached it and her cousin signaled them to wait, because he wanted to check the room first.

Alice couldn't keep still as Johan carefully pushed the door, which opened fully with a loud creak. Her blood was pounding in her temples, her whole being kept together by a delicate thread as Johan looked inside and whispered in a trembling voice:

"Oh my God."