Chapter 3: The Calling from Beyond
The moon shone high in the sky and the stars burned with their everlasting flame which stretched through the ages. The ancient light brought hope and peace to all who gazed upon it.
One Elf could not gaze upon it, one Elf lay in the dark with only a flame of the mortal world to illuminate him. This Elf was suffering, dying and knew that little could save him now.
Aragorn noticed this slow dimming in Legolas, but refused to make a large issue about it yet, for there was no need to add more panic to their already intolerable situation.
Legolas finally came to speak with the human when the others were resting from their day's labor.
"Aragorn, my friend."
Aragorn sat with his friend on the other side of the cave, they spoke with hushed voices.
"This dark is slowly causing me to fade into shadow."
Panic began to well up in the man, for he knew something was wrong, but he didn't think it was something so serious.
"What can I do, what can we do?"
"There is nothing you can do for me, my friend. Elves require light and life to exist. Moria harmed me, but this on top of that stress is turning out to be too much for me to endure. I have tried every means to counter it, but one cannot fight their own nature."
Aragorn knew Elves needed nature to live, and when he looked upon his friend, the glow, which was inherit to his magical nature, was definitely less.
"I refuse to just sit here and do nothing."
Legolas stood and walked a little farther away from the others. When he did so, Aragorn saw how desperate the Elf's situation was. He had lost a great deal of weight from not having eaten the entire time they were trapped. Aragorn kicked himself, he knew the Elf was exaggerating his endurance about not eating.
"Perhaps if you ate something. You are way too thin, Legolas."
"Eating will not help me now and it will only cause more problems for you and especially the little ones, for their tolerance of starvation is non-existent."
'Damn Elf logic! Why does he always have to see everything so clear and objective' the man thought to himself.
"There might be a way to rescue you. If I am strong enough."
Aragorn's memory was suddenly jogged, "No, you cannot be thinking of that!"
"Quiet, you will wake the others. It will free you, the quest may continue. I will not simple allow myself to depart from this world if there is a way I could save you."
"Elves do not survive it, you would die, your immortality and power spent."
"My immortality and power is already waning, if I am to try this it must be soon for I will be too weak to attempt it soon."
The man stood and began to walk away, he was not about to listen to the insane ideas of the Elf. He would rather see him attempt to hold on than to give himself to the darkness. Legolas walked to Aragorn and gently turned him around to face him.
"My kind are already fading, Aragorn. We hear the call of the sea and soon my kind will be nothing other than legends of this world. I was hoping to journey over the sea one day, but I will have to visit them in other fashion."
He hugged Aragorn closed, a loving sign of the close bond they shared. They had known each other for many, many years and had always been the closest of friends.
"Do not fear, my friend. Death to an Elf is not the same as death to the mortal kind. I will always be with you, I will be with you when the ring of power is cast into Mount Doom. I do not fear my fate and neither should you."
They stayed together in silence the rest of that night. The fire slowly burned, dwindling to a soft glow that bounced off the walls.
The company lay asleep, Legolas stood alone by the fallen rocks. He had hoped his end would not come so quickly. He had lived almost three thousand years, yet there was so much he had still hoped to do. After much coaxing, Aragorn had finally fallen asleep, stress and exhaustion playing their parts. Legolas' gentle singing didn't help keep the ranger awake either. If Aragorn had been more awake to listen to the songs, he would have heard laments for those fading with no hope left. Lyrics which spoke of a great passing, and of what waits for Elves who leave Middle Earth. Somber tones, but not without all hope, for they also spoke of a promise of rebirth, sparking the flame of immortality back to life.
Perhaps he would see some long departed friends again. He hoped so, he hoped there was something awaiting him on this journey.
Legolas felt his power ebbing and knew he had better attempt to free them now, for soon he would not be able to attempt this.
This ancient of all Elvish spells. Something only used by those who knew there was no future in store for them. Calling upon all their power, all their magic, they asked of it all one thing. Everything mystical in the Elf's nature would then leave the body and grant the request of the being. However, the power could not return, for the body of the Elf would wither and fade too quickly for the power to be able to return. Every part of the Elf's spirit would then scatter to the winds and find peace somewhere in the great beyond.
Legolas was afraid, for what if this didn't work. He was already so weak, it may not be able to grant his simple wish, then his friends would still be trapped and their end might quickly follow his. He could not bear the thought that their quest might not be completed. So much had already been sacrificed, including dear Gandalf. It must succeed! He would not allow it to fail! Not as long as he had strength left!
He took a deep breath, and began to silently speak the Elvish chants. As he did so he felt himself spreading and rising, becoming less heavy. A bright light began to radiate from within himself, waking the company. The last thing Legolas remembered hearing was Aragorn's cry to him.
"No! Please!"
The glow spread out into every part of the rock, illuminating the outside world through the cracks in the stone.
'One simple hope, please, allow them to leave, clear the rocks, give them safe passage, with all that I am, please.'
He thought of Mirkwood, his beloved forest home and knew that a part of him would always reside there. He thought of the trees and his family and friends, casting to them a silent farewell.
The light became too bright for the mortals to look upon. They did not see the rocks fade into nothingness, giving them clear passage with no enemies waiting for them on the other side. The night was visible, with the sunrise creeping slowly on the eastern horizon.
With a flash, the light dissipated out into the world, gone. Leaving behind the blackness of the cave, and the companions who were overcome with awe by the event that had just occurred. Aragorn rushed to Legolas who lay motionless on the cave floor.
"Legolas?" But there was no response. The Elf lay limply in Aragorn's arms, completely drained of all the shimmer and sparkle he carried. His eyes were closed. Gimli could not believe this sight, his friend laying there. With a numb sense of reality he pressed his fingers to his friend's throat. There was nothing there, so sign of life.
"Oh, Legolas. Why?" Gimli could not believe they had lost another of their Fellowship, he looked up and saw the red and purple light of the rising sun. Then he realized why, they would not have lasted long enough to free themselves, he could see the amount of rock which once stood there was still much more than the amount they had moved in their time there.
Slowly they exited into the sweet morning air. Remaining while Aragorn carried Legolas out of the cave and into the wood. He walked alone until he found a path of sweet grass surrounding by close trees. There he lay his friend to rest, for he could not leave him in the cave. He stood and walked away, almost in a daze. When they gathered themselves together to leave Aragorn gazed up into the morning sky. He stopped and stared at what he saw.
He then remembered Legolas' words in the cave. The Elf was no longer fading, but brighter than ever and keeping a close guard on their company. He no longer grieved, for Legolas was not dead, an Elf can never truly die.
In the morning sky was something new that caught everyone's eye. Something that could never be overlooked or ignored for it was the most beautiful thing ever to grace the heavens, overshadowing all others around it.
A star.
Fin
Author's Note: Ok, ok, I know, this does not follow the plot of the movie, but come on, what here does? I've definitely left myself wide open for a sequel here and if I get enough requests, I'll probably write one. I didn't mean to write a death-fic, but when I listen to the right music while writing they kinda write themselves. Either way, please, please, PLEASE review. I REALLY want to see reactions to this.
Blessed Be!
Elvensong