Well this is the last chapter hope you enjoy it!
Legolas and Alanna spend many years visiting various places in Middle Earth. Alanna who had decided she would right a complete history of Middle Earth often spend most of her times in the vast libraries or out interviewing people listening to firsthand accounts of the many wars and such, the elves where very helpful in these interviews because of them where actually around to experience all of these things.
Now at the age of 86 Alanna had decided it was time for her to not travel as much and rather to spend her time at home actually writing her book. She was in very good shape for her age and she looked much younger that many humans who were of the same age as her. Her once auburn hair was now flecked with sliver white strands and many of her old battle wounds were sore in the morning when she got out of bed. She would often complain that now she looked more like she was Legolas's mother than his wife. Legolas however loved her no less than he had when she was younger, for to him her spirit was still just as young as when they had first met and her body had aged gracefully so that despite her wrinkles and silver hair she was still a great beauty.
Today he found her in one of her favorite places, her desk by the window scribbling away with a quill writing down her thoughts for her book. He came up behind her and kissed her forehead to get her attention, she flinched for a moment for he had surprised her because she had not heard him approach.
"I did not mean to startle you." He said with a smile.
"Not all of us get your wonderful elvin hearing." She said also with a smile.
"I came to remind you that Anariel and Eldarion are visiting with the grandchildren today."
"I'd imagine they will be here any minute now." Said Alanna with excitement, she always loved to be around lots of people. She got up from her chair and heading into the kitchen to check on the bread she was baking, over the years her cooking had improved greatly. There was a knock on the door not a moment later and Legolas went to answer it.
He was greeted by a young boys voice shouting Grandpa with excitement and then running into the house, followed by Anariel holding an infant and her husband Eldarion, who he was surprised to see was Arwen and she looked rather sad about something and Legolas had an idea of what that was.
"I do not mean to spoil a pleasant afternoon but when Eldarion said he was coming here, I thought it would be a good time to talk to you. I know you of all people would understand, Legolas." She said with a small smile. Alanna had come out of the kitchen to greet the party as well and was currently informing Anariel that she looked exhausted and should get more rest, while also fawning over the baby girl that was her granddaughter. She noticed however that despite all the joy that was in the house a dark shadow loomed in the distance, she could see by the look of Eldarion and Arwen that they sensed it as well.
Alanna had ushered everyone into the sitting room so that they could talk about how the children had been doing and of what news she heard about Melda, Thalion, and Neurion. Legolas and Arwen however remained in the hall and Legolas asked the question he had been meaning to ask to for quite some time.
"How is Aragorn doing?"
"He has had better years. His hardships are catching up with him; he has been on this earth a long time I do not know how much longer he intends to stay." She said quietly.
"I would imagine not much longer, when I saw him last I knew the day would come sooner rather than later." Said Legolas grimly.
"He as already given his crown over to Eldarion, and has gotten most of his affairs in order, I think is just waiting for a visit from his old friends."
"And to say goodbye to his loving wife I would imagine." Said Legolas sensing her grief and knowing it was every greater than his own. He knew days such as these would come one day, he just was not sure he was ready to come to terms with the fact where he had reached a point in his life where one was on longer given great gift but rather had them taken away. They however did not want to the day to be focused to heavily on the aging King and instead focused on spending time with the grandchildren for they were the future of this world and still had so much life ahead of them.
888888888
The day however did come when Legolas and Alanna made their way to Gondor to visit their old friend. He lay in his bed surrounded by friends and family paying him their respects. Alanna noticed that although his body was old and frail, sore from surviving one too many battles that his eyes still held a strength to them. He had lived a good life and had been gifted with a long one but now it was time to return the favor that was granted to him. His son was now King of Gondor, he grandchildren loved his dearly and his friends where beside him throughout his whole life.
Legolas had been given a moment alone with his old friend and he looked upon him with great sadness.
"Now, Legolas, I wish to remember you happy, do not grieve for me until I am actually gone." Said Aragorn with a weak smile.
"It should not have to be this way." Said Legolas with a sigh.
"I can't help it my body has decided it has grown tired of this life." Said Aragorn with a sigh. "But I hear your wife is writing a rather detailed history of Middle Earth and I will live on forever there."
"Yes, as a great ruler, father and friend." Said Legolas with a smile. "It is a shame someone so great does not possess immortality."
"No offense to your people Legolas, but I do not feel immortality is want anyone should want. I remember I once many years ago spoke to your wife about this, I told her that without death life is meaningless. It is a story that can never be told. A song that can never be sung. For how would one finish it?"
"It is a good question and one I will never be able to answer, for you forget that I too despite my immortality will die to someday."
"Yes, old friend you will be the last of the Fellowship to pass on, but we shall all wait for you on the other side." He said with a sigh, looking rather tired. Legolas went to fetch Arwen so that she may be beside her husband one last time.
That evening would be the end of one of Gondor's greatest Kings ever to rule middle earth. His son however would prove to be an equally great ruler so all his hard work before his death would not be in vain. A month later would be the passing of his wife Arwen and the world seemed much darker now that the evening star was no longer shining. The passing of Aragorn and Arwen was especially hard of Legolas and Alanna for each saw what would soon become of them. Alanna was not getting any younger and it pained her to watch Arwen suffer for such grief over her husband a month before her passing.
For Alanna however death would not come for her until she was 125 years old and she would die in a peaceful manner after completing her book and saying goodbye to all her children and grandchildren who were all present for her passing. The university which she had asked Aragorn to build during his rein was completed a few days before her death and the library was named after her, and the university had been named after the old friend James. Melda asked her before her death what was one thing she would have wanted to change about her life, at first Alanna had answered James's death but then she took it back saying everything happened for a reason and she was perfectly content with the way her life had turned out and it would be selfish of her to try and ask for a better one when a better life than the one she had could not have existed.
The grief of losing Alanna was great for Legolas, and he felt very much in the dark now that his little flame had gone out. His world however was not in total darkness for though the light he called his own had died out, light still existed in the future of his children, it pained him to leave them but not as greatly as it pained him to live a life without Alanna.
88888888
Death was not as he imagined it would be, not did experiencing it make it any less mysterious that it had been in life. Currently he was in a vast grassy plain that looked very much like some of the ones in Middle Earth but it was too perfect to be real, almost like the way one views a place in a memory or a dream. In the distance stood a man and as he came closer into view Legolas recognized him as Alanna's friend James, there was also an unearthly glow about him.
"So this is it?" Said Legolas when James was now in front of him.
"Sort of. It's well, yeah it's rather complicated I'll explain later." Said James with a shrug before ushering Legolas off in a different direction. It was strange because in a instant the scenery changed as they walked a soon they were in a place that looked like Rivendell and there stood all the members of the Fellowship where they had first met, well everyone but the one person Legolas wanted to see most. They were all young again and in their prime and they greeted him happily. So inquired about how their children were doing, others about their homelands or friends they once knew.
James however could tell Legolas really just wanted to see Alanna so he began to lead him in a different direction as the world around them began to change again.
"How does it do that?"
"Like I said it's complicated, but it's my job to look after you lot so for now just let me lead you places and once you get the hang out it I will let you travel on your own. I know who you really want to see and I would have had her with the others but I thought it would be better if we surprised her so I didn't tell her when you were coming." Said James as the area around them became one Legolas had not seen in a long time. I light rain was falling but they were not being hit by it because they were standing beneath a great tree. There was someone standing out in the rain looking up at the sky however and with her auburn hair Legolas knew in an instant who they were. He did not hesitant to go out into the rain and join them. Alanna had her back to him so she did not see or hear him approach but when she felt someone put a hand on her shoulder she quickly turned said with excitement. "Legolas!" Before embracing him. He returned the embracing holding her tightly for he never wanted to let you her go.
"Le melon Legolas." She said with a smile looking him straight in the eye. She did not know how much time had passed since they had last saw one another but she knew she never wanted to be away from him again.
"Le melon, Alanna, nin na lhach." He said also with a smile before kissing her with great passion. They were together again and that was all that mattered. Alanna knew this better than anyone for the journey she had taken brought her greater happiness than she ever could have imagined for herself. She had lived a long and happy life and now she would spend an eternity with the one person who had truly made it worthwile.
Chapter 30 will be an author's note.
