::smiles evilly:: Yes, you guessed it. NyankoYokai has given me the
permission of writing a sequel. This is just part two of the trilogy
though. If I'm lucky, I'll end up writing the last part of it also. Well,
on to the fic! This part of the trilogy is mainly centered on the war,
rather than the triangle. This though, is just the prologue.
' ' - Elvish
~ ~ - Dark Elvish/ Royal Language
* * thoughts
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Crystal concentrated on the road ahead, trying to think only about it, and not all of the things that she left behind. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be coming back from this war alive for some reason. *Don't think such grim thoughts, silly! Of course you'll come back. And then Legolas will be there waiting for you, and you can make u for all the years you've been seperated...* She shook her head, hiding a sad smile. *We'll never be able to be as we once were. I've changed too much for that. Things aren't as simple as they once were.*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Diamond dropped her horse back, so she could be with Crystal alone. *~What ails you, Crystal? You seem distant...forlorn. Almost as if you are riding to your doom.~*
Crystal looked at her, her eyes filled with worry. *~Mayhap it would have been better if several days I'd listened to Legolas.~*
*~Why?~*
*~He said he had some type of vision. I was too upset with him to listen, and now I regret it.~*
Yura waited for them. *~Why are you two lagging behind like this? It's quite odd.~*
Crystal shook her head, signaling for Diamond to not say anything to worry Yura. Diamond shrugged. *~We head towards war, so you do the math. What do you THINK we are discussing?~* *Well, it's not EXACTLY a lie...*
Yura stuck her tongue at Diamond. She was about to give a retort, but then Naon rode up, with an odd look on her face. ~We have a problem, Crystal-san.~ She led Crystal to the front and pointed.
Crystal gave a gasp. ~Kami-sama...What could have done this?~
A wasteland laid before them.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aragorn knocked gently on Legolas' door. Silence was his answer. Frodo walked up to him. "How long has he been that way?"
Aragorn sighed. "Ever since Crystal left a week ago. I fear that he will die from either starvation or grief, if he does not come out soon." Frodo sighed. Then Gimli walked over to them, a worried look on his face.
"Has the crazy Elf come out yet?"
Aragorn shook his head. "He will not even answer us. The Elves here pay him no mind. Then again, the few that are left ignore all of us. I am beginning to think that our presence was not as welcome as we thought it was, nor what they made it seem earlier." (Duh!) Then he gave a mischievious smile. "I thought you did not like Elves, Gimli."
Gimile scowled. "I don't LIKE the Elf!" Then he mumbled, "I am just CONCERNED for him." The others laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Several hours later, everyone's patience had worn out. Mourning a love was one thing, but killing youself over it when they have a chance of coming back was ridiculous! All of the Fellowship waited as Aragorn knocked on the door. Unsurprisingly, there was no answer. He tried the knob, and found it locked, so he took Andril and picked the lock. He slowly pushed the door open. As he looked around, something quickly registered in his brain: Legolas was no where. A slight film of dust covered most of the furniture. That meant that Legolas had been gone the whole time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Crystal stared around, her eyes wide. The land she had always known to be a beautiful forest was now a black plain. Nothing grew there, and nothing lived there. There weren't even stumps left to show it was once a forest. Crystal's heart ached at the sight. It looked as if Orcs had lived there for hundreds of years. Thoughts on what could have done this raced through her mind. It couldn't be Orcs, for they did not come near these places. There was no possible chance of it being Elves or Dwarfs. She doubted even the destructive Man could not do such a thing. Then it slapped her. Of course! Galanna would do anything to have a reason to fight her, even if she had to burn down a whole forest. This scene just caused the flames of Crystal's hate to roar ten times as high for Galanna.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Crystal's army quickly crossed the plain, not wanting to see to sad sight any longer then possible. The sun was setting by the time that they had crossed it, so they set up camp. As the others milled around, talking and joking, Crystal slipped off to a nearby stream. She took her time in taking off her clothes and getting into the water, so she could just relax. Things had been really hectic lately, so there WAS no time to take things slow. She swam around a bit, letting all of her defenses down. The reasonable side of her head had conbusted as soon as she entered the water, so it left her carefree. It also left her unaware of the eyes that were watching her... *~*~*~*~*~
Legolas let out a sigh of content. He had been tracking them for a week, and had finally caught up with them. It was pure luck that he had stumbled upon the river, with an angel bathing in it. He crept around the bushes, so as to see Crystal better. She had a look on her face that was rarely seen, even before being pinned. Relief. The relief of being released. Like a Shinma who had been roaming eternally, only being able to wish for death, and who finally recieved their wish it. After about 10 minutes, he couldn't stand it anymore. He pulled his shirt off, and waded into the water, taking care to remain behind her. As soon as he was able, he reached out, and held her in a crushing embrace. Crystal wheeled around, trying to see her attacker. As she saw Legolas, she melted into his embrace, just as she had almost always done. He tilted her face up to meet his eyes. ~Legolas...~ She held on to him as if her life depended on it. He gave her a long, sweet kiss. ~Ashiteru...~ Suddenly, Crystal vanished from his embrace, leaving him to grip air.
*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas shot up, realizing it was only a dream. True, he had been hunting her ever since she left. But he had not seen her, nor her troops. Only occasional footprints. He was glad he had brought such a large supply of lembas. (You've GOT to love those things!) He had enough to last several months. Not that it was heavy. It was just that the food only required one or two bites to fill one up and lasted longer, for Elves were not required to eat often or much. He took a bite, strength flowing to his to his limbs once again. He got up from the floor, and once again continued his journey. As he walked on, he saw an overhanging of vines. He could almost have sworn that it was covering something...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Crystal concentrated on the road ahead, trying to think only about it, and not all of the things that she left behind. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be coming back from this war alive for some reason. *Don't think such grim thoughts, silly! Of course you'll come back. And then Legolas will be there waiting for you, and you can make u for all the years you've been seperated...* She shook her head, hiding a sad smile. *We'll never be able to be as we once were. I've changed too much for that. Things aren't as simple as they once were.*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Diamond dropped her horse back, so she could be with Crystal alone. *~What ails you, Crystal? You seem distant...forlorn. Almost as if you are riding to your doom.~*
Crystal looked at her, her eyes filled with worry. *~Mayhap it would have been better if several days I'd listened to Legolas.~*
*~Why?~*
*~He said he had some type of vision. I was too upset with him to listen, and now I regret it.~*
Yura waited for them. *~Why are you two lagging behind like this? It's quite odd.~*
Crystal shook her head, signaling for Diamond to not say anything to worry Yura. Diamond shrugged. *~We head towards war, so you do the math. What do you THINK we are discussing?~* *Well, it's not EXACTLY a lie...*
Yura stuck her tongue at Diamond. She was about to give a retort, but then Naon rode up, with an odd look on her face. ~We have a problem, Crystal-san.~ She led Crystal to the front and pointed.
Crystal gave a gasp. ~Kami-sama...What could have done this?~
A wasteland laid before them.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aragorn knocked gently on Legolas' door. Silence was his answer. Frodo walked up to him. "How long has he been that way?"
Aragorn sighed. "Ever since Crystal left a week ago. I fear that he will die from either starvation or grief, if he does not come out soon." Frodo sighed. Then Gimli walked over to them, a worried look on his face.
"Has the crazy Elf come out yet?"
Aragorn shook his head. "He will not even answer us. The Elves here pay him no mind. Then again, the few that are left ignore all of us. I am beginning to think that our presence was not as welcome as we thought it was, nor what they made it seem earlier." (Duh!) Then he gave a mischievious smile. "I thought you did not like Elves, Gimli."
Gimile scowled. "I don't LIKE the Elf!" Then he mumbled, "I am just CONCERNED for him." The others laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Several hours later, everyone's patience had worn out. Mourning a love was one thing, but killing youself over it when they have a chance of coming back was ridiculous! All of the Fellowship waited as Aragorn knocked on the door. Unsurprisingly, there was no answer. He tried the knob, and found it locked, so he took Andril and picked the lock. He slowly pushed the door open. As he looked around, something quickly registered in his brain: Legolas was no where. A slight film of dust covered most of the furniture. That meant that Legolas had been gone the whole time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Crystal stared around, her eyes wide. The land she had always known to be a beautiful forest was now a black plain. Nothing grew there, and nothing lived there. There weren't even stumps left to show it was once a forest. Crystal's heart ached at the sight. It looked as if Orcs had lived there for hundreds of years. Thoughts on what could have done this raced through her mind. It couldn't be Orcs, for they did not come near these places. There was no possible chance of it being Elves or Dwarfs. She doubted even the destructive Man could not do such a thing. Then it slapped her. Of course! Galanna would do anything to have a reason to fight her, even if she had to burn down a whole forest. This scene just caused the flames of Crystal's hate to roar ten times as high for Galanna.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Crystal's army quickly crossed the plain, not wanting to see to sad sight any longer then possible. The sun was setting by the time that they had crossed it, so they set up camp. As the others milled around, talking and joking, Crystal slipped off to a nearby stream. She took her time in taking off her clothes and getting into the water, so she could just relax. Things had been really hectic lately, so there WAS no time to take things slow. She swam around a bit, letting all of her defenses down. The reasonable side of her head had conbusted as soon as she entered the water, so it left her carefree. It also left her unaware of the eyes that were watching her... *~*~*~*~*~
Legolas let out a sigh of content. He had been tracking them for a week, and had finally caught up with them. It was pure luck that he had stumbled upon the river, with an angel bathing in it. He crept around the bushes, so as to see Crystal better. She had a look on her face that was rarely seen, even before being pinned. Relief. The relief of being released. Like a Shinma who had been roaming eternally, only being able to wish for death, and who finally recieved their wish it. After about 10 minutes, he couldn't stand it anymore. He pulled his shirt off, and waded into the water, taking care to remain behind her. As soon as he was able, he reached out, and held her in a crushing embrace. Crystal wheeled around, trying to see her attacker. As she saw Legolas, she melted into his embrace, just as she had almost always done. He tilted her face up to meet his eyes. ~Legolas...~ She held on to him as if her life depended on it. He gave her a long, sweet kiss. ~Ashiteru...~ Suddenly, Crystal vanished from his embrace, leaving him to grip air.
*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas shot up, realizing it was only a dream. True, he had been hunting her ever since she left. But he had not seen her, nor her troops. Only occasional footprints. He was glad he had brought such a large supply of lembas. (You've GOT to love those things!) He had enough to last several months. Not that it was heavy. It was just that the food only required one or two bites to fill one up and lasted longer, for Elves were not required to eat often or much. He took a bite, strength flowing to his to his limbs once again. He got up from the floor, and once again continued his journey. As he walked on, he saw an overhanging of vines. He could almost have sworn that it was covering something...