Disclaimer: I don't own the Lord of the Rings, any characters, places, nothing. I also don't own the song "Existence" someone else does, the credit will be mentioned.
Existence
Arwen stared at the trees of Lorien. She could feel her now-mortal body starting to shut down. Laying down in the lush grass, she closed her eyes, and remembered...
/You come into the threshold/
/Of another starless night of fear/
"Arwen!"
Celebrian ran toward her daughter, who was staring into the trees. Just a couple seconds ago, she had seen two green eyes peeking out at her, before they vanished into the woods.
"Arwen, my love, we cannot stay here, there are foul things in the trees," whispered Celebrian.
"I know mother, I saw them. They are watching us now."
/You're running from the demons/
/That would, drag you down again/
Suddenly, 3 orcs leapt from the trees, right at the elf princess. Arwen and her mother fought them off before 10 more burst through the leaves.
Arwen and Celebrian ran along the path. The two unarmed elven women were helpless, and still many leagues from the heart of Lorien. At the sound of orcs, their horses dragged the pickets and ran into the dark. With no choice, mother and daughter just ran.
/Illusions of the world/
/Are spinning out of time, and frame, and synchronicity/
The orcs were catching up quickly. One gave a mighty leap, and dove onto Celebrian, knocking her to the ground. Another took a gigantic spear, and drove it into her shoulder.
"MOOOOOOTTTTTTHHHHEEEERRR" Arwen screamed, running towards her. She tripped on a stone, and fell, hitting her head on the ground hard.
I'm sorry mother she thought, starting to black out. Her last memory was of a green blur, driving the orcs away.
/You're so sad/
/You're such a sad-eyed girl/
/You're so sad/
/In your subplot/
Light.
There was light all around.
Orcs hate light.
Arwen blinked madly, and a pair of blue eyes swam into view.
"Good. I was thinking you would never wake. Your eyes were very still. Quieter eyes I have never seen" a voice said.
/What is this? /
/What is this? /
/This mess of my existence is/
Arwen blinked some more, and she saw a young elven man stooping over her in the depths of the forest. His hair was the colour of fresh-cut straw, and he was wearing clothes of a deep forest green.
"Mmmmmmother. How is my mother? What happened? Who are you? Where am I?" she gasped.
The elf gave a grim smile.
"Lots of questions. Where are you? You are in the outskirts of Lothlorien. Who am I? I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood. What happened? I was arriving late at the council you were going to attend, and heard you screaming. Naturally, I came to help, with my.."
"You came alone! Did you kill all the orcs?" Arwen interrupted.
"Yes, I came alone, and yes, I killed all the orcs. I came with my bow and quiver. Now to address your last question, your mother is not well. The spear was poisoned, and her blood is now coursing with the stuff. Your father has been alerted. A convoy of elves from Lothlorien took her to Galadriel. I stayed here, waiting for you to wake."
Legolas repositioned the bandage on Arwen's head. She was about to stand up, but he pushed her back down.
"Sit. You fell pretty hard."
"I need to see my mother. She may be dying."
"You are too wounded to walk. I will carry you."
She was about to protest, but he scooped her up in one fluid motion, and began walking before she had a chance to say a thing.
/All these, politics/
/Of life, and death, and relevance/
/It's my existence/
In no time at all, she was at her mother's side. Celebrian was a deathly grey colour, and her eyes were beginning to glaze over.
"Arwen?"
"I am here Mother," Arwen choked out.
"How did you get here? They told me you were hurt."
"Legolas carried me here." Arwen gave a grateful look to him. He was hovering protectively over her in the chair, like she was some sort of jewel he was guarding.
The door burst open, and Elrond ran into the room. He knelt at Celebrian's bedside.
"Love, you're here at last!" she breathed.
He kissed her gently.
"What have you gotten yourself into now, Celebrian?" he said with a smile.
Galadriel and Celeborn glided in as well.
"Mother, Father, you are here as well. Good. I already feel my spirit slowly departing for the undying lands."
"Your boat is ready, my daughter," Galadriel said "So your body can leave as well."
Arwen's eyes were round. She jumped out of her chair before Legolas could stop her.
"What do you mean her boat is ready?!? She is not departed yet! She is still alive!"
"Arwen, dear, there is nothing we can do. The poison has reached her heart," Galadriel murmered.
"I don't care! We can't just stand here and do nothing!"
She ran quickly out the door. Legolas turned to go after her.
"Legolas. Wait."
He stopped and turned to see Celebrian looking at him.
"Yes, Lady?"
"Thank you for saving her. She would have died without you."
"You're welcome," he said and turned back.
"And Legolas," she added.
"Yes?" he replied.
"Take care of her."
Celebrian closed her eyes, and laid her head on her pillow. Galadriel stepped foreward, and placed her hand on her daughter's heart.
"Find peace, my daughter."
With that, Celebrian sighed her final breath.
/Another morning it comes/
/Running up your bedpost with the wind/
"Arwen."
"Go away Legolas. I want to be alone."
"Arwen, I need to tell you something."
She turned towards him, fresh tears streaming down her face.
"She's dead, isn't she."
He bowed his head
"Great. I didn't get to say..." she trailed off.
Legolas chose not to pry at that comment. He tenderly wiped the tears from her cheek.
"Legolas, I wasn't there! I WASN'T THERE WHEN MY OWN MOTHER DIED!" she screamed in his face. "I had no excuse! Elladan and Elrohir are hunting, but I have NO excuse! I just ran away like a little baby when I heard she was dying! I'm a coward! A no-good excuse for a daughter!"
She stood up and stomped off. He sat there for a minute, until he heard footsteps down the hall.
It was Arwen.
"Legolas...." she managed to make out, then she stumbled, and fell into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
He stroked her hair, and shed a few tears of his own. He felt his tunic getting wet, but he didn't care.
"I wasn't there when my mother died either Arwen," he whispered into her ear.
/You face yourself just like you always do/
/Time and time again/
Arwen placed the bouquet of flowers into her mother's arms. Then Elrond, Legolas, Elladan, Elrohir, and Celeborn pushed the boat into the sea. The swan-shaped barge floated over the glassy surface of the water, and down the Great River.
"Bye mother," Arwen sighed, and bit her lip.
/The mortal coil of image, inner peace and/
/Satisfaction/
She took Legolas's hand that was sitting by his side. He gave her a comforting look and squeezed her hand. "She's going to a better place," he said.
Arwen smiled. "I know."
/And so you keep it on the down-low/
/Hiding all the secrets that are down below/
A year or so later, Arwen was brushing her hair in Rivendell, when a knock sounded at her door.
"Come in," she said.
"Aren't you going to welcome me in?" a familiar voice said jokingly.
"LEGOLAS!" she exclaimed, dropping her brush, and running towards him. He smiled, and extended his arms in a hug. She embraced him, then planted a huge kiss on his lips. Legolas chose again to ignore that affectionate reaction.
"I haven't seen you in a long time!" she cried, hugging him again, totally embarassed.
"I was going through the neigborhood, and decided to pop in. I have to go in five minutes, though." he said with a sigh.
"Oh."
"Is there anything you'd like to tell me while I'm here?" he hinted.
/And so you keep it on the down-low/
/Tell me baby, was it worth it all? /
"Nothing but I missed you. Maybe I'll stop by Mirkwood some time!"
Legolas looked a bit confused. "Maybe."
/Oh, just take it all/
/Make it work, and make some sense/
He turned towards the doorway.
"Wait!"
He walked back towards her.
"Yes Arwen?"
"Bye," she mumbled, and gave him a small kiss. He smiled, and kissed her back.
"Bye," he said as well, and walked out the door.
/Just take it all/
/You're my existence/
Arwen felt the grass under her body. Her heart was slowing to a nominal pace. She closed her eyes.
"Bye."
/You're my existence/
"Existence"
Written by
Kevin Max Smith and Mark Townsend
© Blind Thief Publishing/ Vesper Records
A/N: Did you forget is was Arwen remembering? I did when I wrote this, until I edited it.(Boy I'm stupid)
