Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. I do not own any of the character, places, names, or anything associated with the works of J.R.R Tolkien or the Lord of the Rings (books or movie, whatever). My characters are Anita, Leila, and Arlandria and that is all.

Author's Note: Whaaaaaat? Two updates in one month? Yes my delightfully loyal fanbase, two in one month! I don't normally do requests but you all have been so patient with me that I honored a request from PurpleXorchid and wrote a chapter from Legolas' perspective. I hope that it is all you desired. With any luck on my part you shall also be rewarded with a chapter for Christmas as well.

Reunion- Fractured Light Music

Chapter 71: Reunion

The days were agonizing, the nights were even worse. Legolas had both the stamina and the willpower to ride straight through the cycles of the moon and the sun to make it back to Minas Tirith in the shortest amount of time possible. However, Aragorn had asked him to remain with the group as they slowly- painfully slowly- moved back to the city, helping their injured comrades make the long journey back. Had his friend not asked him very specifically for his help in this matter, the elf would have turned tail and taken off back to city as soon as Mordor had crumbled to ash. Legolas realized this was an incredibly selfish sentiment , this insight helped him to quell the desire to simply leave the band of brothers he had marched to the Black Gate with.

Aragorn, as the leader of this group, and soon to be crowned King of Gondor, had insisted that everyone remain together, meaning the group only traveled as fast as its slowest member and paused as necessary for breaks. The prince assumed this was meant as a way for the new King to demonstrate his level of commitment to his men, but it was testing his patience and his calm in a way he had never known before.

Legolas' hands tightened on the reigns of his horse the closer they got to the city. It was all he had been thinking about since the battle at the Black Gate had ended, getting back to the city... Getting back to Anita. He didn't have any way to know that she had survived, and if he were perfectly honest with himself the odds were not good. His stomach twisted to think back to the state she was in when he had first laid eyes on her after the battle. Her right arm had been folded at the most unnatural angle, her breathing had been so shallow, and the bruises... there wasn't a fraction of exposed skin that hadn't born the deep purples of fresh bruises. The blood had been the most concerning though, there had been so much of it. In her hair, in her clothes, pooled in the street. The prince had seen great warriors perish from less.

But his Anita wasn't like any one else, that had been what initially drew the prince to her, like a moth to the flame. Even Legolas had been surprised by his own willingness to get burned by her. He needed her to live, and he had a white knuckle grip on that last shred of hope that she could survive things no one else could because she was unlike any other creature in the world. Legolas would not even dare to imagine life without her. He was not too proud to admit that he had selfishly wanted for two things when he joined the Fellowship those many months ago; for his father to look at him with a sense of pride upon his return home, and that he would return home with Anita on his arm. He had lived these many years without his father's approval or affection, and he was prepared to go on in his life like that if he could only choose to have one thing, he would choose Anita. The Valar had very little care for what he wanted in life though, they had proven that in the most cruel fashions time and time again, they would give or take from him as they saw fit.

The walls of Minas Tirith, or what was left of it, began to rise up in the distance and Legolas let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. As the air left his lungs a sense of anxiety began to fill up his chest , one way or the other he was about to find out definitively that happened to his love. There was nothing left of the Great Gate but for a large hole in the wall where it used to stand, and as the remnants of the men entered the courtyard Legolas could see that this was true for the first level as well, which was little more than a smoldering pile of rubble.

The people didn't care though.

Their cheers filled up the courtyard and grew louder as more people gathered together to welcome the men home. Tears of joys, songs of praise, shouts of gratitude could be heard no matter where one turned, the people were so excited for their return it was easy to forget they were surrounded by the evidence of all they had lost. The crowd continued to grow, Legolas turned to catch Aragorn's eye and ask for permission to finally be excused, but the soon-to-be King was busy with his people.

A solid clasp on his shoulder turned the elf's attention to the dwarf sitting behind him, " Go find her lad, if he needs you we'll know where to find you." Legolas gave his friend a grateful smile and slid from the horse- there were so many people pouring into the courtyard that the animal would have an impossible time trying to navigate through them- and began to push against the flow of the people to make his way up the road. Much of the rubble that had filled the lower levels had been cleared, making movement between the levels easier, but the roads of Minas Tirith were still narrow so his progress was by no means fast. Almost there. It became his internal mantra as he worked against the waves of citizens moving down levels, either to be reunited with loved ones or to greet their restored King. The groups of people thinned the higher up in the city he went, by the time he hit the Fifth Level he was in a steady run. Almost there.

His vision became more and more tunneled as he got closer to the House of Healing. Almost there.

"Legolas." The sound of his name halted his progress just before he entered the building, his fingers flexed in annoyance at yet another interference. Turning to the sound of his name, Legolas saw Elrohir standing by the corner of the stone structure, his body stance indicating he had stepped through the archway that led to the gardens behind the House of Healing. He had the same calm stoic expression on his face that one associated with the Elves, giving away no hint of why he had stopped Legolas' progress. Once he had the prince's attention, Elrohir simply shook his and motioned for him to follow.

Legolas' heart dropped to his feet so hard and so fast he was certain it had cracked the stone tile he stood on. The last hope he had that Anita was alive blew away with the breeze. If she wasn't in the House of Healing, then Legolas was certain that Elrohir was going to take him to see her remains. The world around him fell away until he swallowed by utter and complete silence. His chest constricted so tightly that taking air into his lungs became a a terrible chore around the compression. His feet dragged themselves forward by sheer grace of habit to where Elrohir awaited him and then fell into step behind the older elf as they made their under the arch and followed the path past the rows and rows of healing herbs that grew there.

As they rounded a final corner and came to the top of a set of stone steps leading down to a lower garden, Elrohir stopped. "She asked not to be disturbed, but I think perhaps for you she will make an exception." Confusion washed over Legolas which must have been clear because Elrohir gave his forearm a comforting squeeze and motioned with his head to the garden below before turning and exiting with no more explanation. The prince turned his eyes to scan the garden below. It was little more than an area of quiet reflection and healing. One whole side of the courtyard was an open balcony looking out across the plains below and allowing for a fresh gentle wind to fill the space. There was a fountain in the midst of the small open yard and two stone benches, one on either side of the water feature.

Sitting on the stone bench with her back to the stairs was Anita's figure. Her long raven locks fell across her shoulders and moved with them as she heaved a heavy sigh and turned to look at him. Legolas didn't know who Ani expected to see at the top of the stairs, but he was certain from her expression that is wasn't him. The look of indifference on her face was swept aside by the same confusion that mirrored his own, which was just as quickly replaced with recognition when they locked eyes.

"Legolas?" It was barely more than a whisper that graced her tongue, but it was enough to make his heart fill to the point of bursting. She let out a choked gasp and began to struggle to her feet. Legolas wasn't sure how he made it down the stairs, for all he cared he could have flown, carried by nothing more than the flood of relief at seeing her alive. The prince was across the garden before Ani could stand, his body crashing into hers as he dropped to his knees in the dirt before her. His lips were crushed against hers in a desperate kiss. There was no romance between their lips, but rather a reassurance for each other that this was real , they could touch, they could taste, and the other person would not ghost into smoke. One hand was one her back, firmly holding her smaller form against his, his other was woven tightly into her dark hair. He needed to feel her. To hold her. His desperation was equally mirrored through Anita if the tight grasp and the bite of her nails on the back of his neck were any indication.

He pulled away only when the need for air demanded it. When the kiss broke he rested his forehead against hers, their gasping breathes mixing and filling each other's lungs. "You're alive," Anita stated with the same disbelief that the prince had felt, " I didn't actually think..."

"Shhh," He quieted her before pressing his mouth to hers again, catching her in a passionate kiss that spoke of all the feelings they would have run out of words for. I was afraid for you. I need you. I love you. She was exactly as he remembered her, hot against his skin but in a pleasant way, like the first rays of daylight in summer, and she tasted like sunshine. He would forgo water and food and happily die young if it meant he never needed to part from this kiss.

But part from the kiss he did when Anita pulled away from him, despite his groaned protest. Her hand slipped from the back of his neck to cup his cheek as she pulled away to look him over. Legolas kissed the palm of her hand, craving the continued sensation of her touch on his pleading skin, as her eyes scrutinized him carefully before declaring "You're okay."

"I am even better now." He stated honestly, and watched a smile light up Anita's face for the first time in what felt like an eternity, knowing that she was experiencing the same overwhelming outpouring of emotions now that they were finally together again. "You are looking better yourself," the prince stated as he moved from kneeling to sitting next to Ani on the bench. The bruising that had been so stark against her fair skin before had all but disappeared, however it had revealed burn marks on her neck in the shape of a hand that had previously been covered. Legolas reached forward and brushed his fingers across the pink marks, when Anita didn't flinch away he knew they were healing just fine. Her arm was still in a sling, and if her difficulty standing before were any indication, her leg was still too damaged for her to walk. But she was alive, and that was what mattered to him. " I want to hear everything that has happened since you left Rohan."

Anita was hesitant, that much was clear for him to see, but slowly agreed. She told him about how Denethor had treated her upon her initial arrival, about how she had witnessed the Steward's slip into madness, the ordeal with trying to retake Osgiliath, and the days leading up to the siege. It wasn't in her nature to lie, but he could tell when she was keeping things intentionally vague. Ani downplayed the siege itself so much that it wasn't hard for Legolas to figure out she wasn't ready to talk about it. He tried to pry a little, hoping with some coaxing that the elleth would open up about what happened, but all he got in return was a pained look and a nondescript promise to tell him about it 'soon'. He didn't blame her. The prince had seen the after math of the city, he didn't dare try to image how living the event actually felt. The elf in turn told her about his time with Aragorn and the company of Rohan, the men of Dunharrow, meeting up with the Gray Company, and the taking of the Corsair ships. Anita listened so intently during his account of the Army of the Dead he didn't even think she blinked.

"So much had happened in such a short amount of time," Ani mumbled heavily, looking off across the plains below, which from this height didn't show any scars from the battle. Legolas would have given anything to read her mind that moment. Once again he was filled with a terrible regret that he hadn't done more to shield her from this war. He thought back to when he had first met Anita, how she had loathed this world, and how he had worked to show her the beauty that the world could be filled with, beauty that even he had taken for granted before she came along. Legolas had never wanted her to see the darker side of this reality for fear that it would dim the light that had shown so brightly in her. Perhaps it had been too much to hope that they survive the war completely unscathed after all.

"I agree," Legolas nodded firmly, "And I cannot wait to put it all behind us."

His goal had been to draw her attention to their future and away from the current state of the world, but from the way her head whipped back around and her brows furrowed he could sense he had done just the opposite. "Behind us? Legolas look around you."

"Homes can be rebuilt, " He stated steadily," Crops can be resown. I have lived long enough to watch it happen before."

"How many people did you pass in the street? Legolas not one of them will live to see Gondor restored, it may not even happen in their children or grandchildren's lifetime. That is nothing compared to lives that were lost, there are many families who will never be restored to what they were before the battle."

The prince realized suddenly that he had entered very delicate territory and was going to need to step lightly. Tenderly he took her left hand in both of his, " I think you will see when we leave Gondor that all is not so grim. There is time still to fix all that happened in the wake of Sauron's war. We have time."

He said the wrong thing, Ani confirmed this when she cringed and pulled her hand away from his. " We have the illusion of time. It is our greatest blessing and our biggest curse. We think we have time and so we put off for tomorrow what we should be doing today." Legolas had heard this sentiment before , years ago when he and Anita had been barely friends, she had accused the elves of leading "boring, beige lives". At the time, as he recalled, she had been complaining about elves not experiencing enough of life.. right before she had convinced him to just off a cliff. He had to quash the urge to smile at the memory from the carefree summer nearly eight years ago since he was certain the current conversational path would not be so carefree.

"Glo thought he had time, " Anita's voice brought him back to the present moment, " Those men piled together by the Gate awaiting burial? They thought they had time too. I nearly ran out of time myself." Legolas watch as absently the elleth began to massage her right thigh, he could see the flash of pain and fear in her eyes as she thought back to whatever had caused the wound. " I don't want to live a life where I take time for granted. I'm not going to live a life anymore like my choices don't have a ripple effect on those around me and then pretending that I have time to go back and fix mistakes at my leisure." A heavy moment of silence passed between them as Legolas processed what she was saying and Ani was looking down at her hands, studying them very intently. They joy at their reunion had felt short lived, now there was distance between them the prince couldn't account for.

Determined that their time together not sour, Legolas reached across the gap and retook her hand in his. "Do not carry other people's burdens for them, that is not a responsibility you should have. Come with me to Mirkwood, we can be together while you focus on healing instead of worrying yourself over Gondor."

Anita turned her deep brown eyes on him with a steely determination, oh Valar he had seen that look in her eyes too many times to count. That girl could try her best to keep face neutral, but nothing would curb the emotion in her eyes. " I don't intend to leave Minas Tirith until I have done everything I can for the people here."

"You are decided on this?" Ani nodded in response to his question. It was Legolas' turn to sigh deeply. When Sauron had fallen the prince had been determined to return to Gondor, sweep Anita away to Mirkwood to build a future together, and never have to look back on this mess ever again. There were things, emotions , that had occurred during the course of this war that he had wanted to lock away in a tiny box in the back of his mind never to have to face again. Coming to terms with death, both of those around him and the possibility of his own, was a trauma he would have been just fine never experiencing in his lifetime. Yet again the Valar had provided him a cruel choice, he could either return to the safety and seclusion of Mirkwood alone, or he could be with Anita, but he could not have both since the elleth next to him had already resolved herself to her own path.

"I think then I should write to my father to let him know that I yet live, and that I will be remaining in Gondor for the time being."

That clearly hadn't been the response she was expecting. "Really? You'll stay? You aren't going to try to talk me out of it?" Legolas smirked, leave it to Ani to be blunt.

"I have spent the last few days in agony convinced that I would return to this city to find you a corpse, I do not intend to spend our time together trying to talk you out of anything ever again. What I want is to be with you, and I can do that here as well as anywhere else."

Anita tried to hide her smile as she leaned in to plant a kiss on him, "You may live to regret that," She whispered before covering his mouth with her own. Legolas relished in the touch of her lips against his and greedily returned the kiss until they were both breathless.

"I look forward to it," He replied before planting another small kiss a the corner of her mouth. He went to stand and Anita's grip on his hand tightened sharply.

"Where are you going?"

"I am going to dispatch a letter to my father straightaway." Legolas was confused by the look of panic that had flashed across her face when he stood up and it took a moment before understanding settled on him. " I will come back." He reassured her with a calm voice. Ani released his hand and shook her head sharply as if to dispel a troublesome thought.

With one last kiss on her forehead, Legolas speedily left the garden, taking the stairs two at the time so he could complete his one task as fast as possible and return to Anita's side. As he walked he thought about how he could condense all the information of the past few months he needed to send to his father into a single letter. He was so focused on his task that the prince nearly plowed into a blacksmith's boy who was leaving the House of Healing , his arms heavy laden with damaged armor from the healing soldiers. He couldn't have been more than twelve winters but already had a hard set to his jaw like he had seen too much of the world's evil.

" Begging your pardon m'lord," the boy tried to bow as he side stepped out of the prince's way but was limited due to the armful of heavy metal he carried. Legolas meant to wave him off but the boy glanced past him into the garden and with a voice full of hope asked, " Do you know the Mistress Anita Nethúlaira?"

Legolas was so taken aback at the strangeness of the name that he stuttered a moment before he could respond, " You mean the lady Anita, yes I am acquainted with her, are you?" His voice was a little more defensive that he wanted it to sound.

"Oh no sir," The boy shook his head furiously, " Only heard the stories, you know? About how in Gondor's darkest hour she stepped forward to lead the armies against Sauron, heard she killed two wraith's and their evil beasts during the fight, that's why they call her "wraithslayer'. No ones really seen her since the battle, they say she came near death when she stood against Sauron's army alone, I was hoping to get a glimpse."

The prince wasn't sure which parts that the boy said were hyperbole and where the grains of truth were, all at once Legolas was no longer surprised that Ani had kept her description of the battle ill-defined and ambiguous. He turned to look back the way he came, stuck at a crossroads of wanting to get a message to his father and yet being nearly overcome with curiosity about Anita's role during the siege.

"If you do not mind me asking, m'lord," The boy asked as Legolas weighed his options," How do you know the lady?"

Legolas was able to suppress the laugh but not his smile as he shook his head in dis belief at the information the boy had just unknowingly passed to him about his lover being a war hero.

"I am going to marry her."