Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they all belong to J.R.R.
Tolkien, except for Aralyn of course. I'm sorry to all the people who are
disappointed about Aralyn's death, but hey, I didn't want to totally change
around Return of the King to add another character in it. Plus, it's a
happy ending. Just read this Epilogue (
I had won the contest of killing the most orcs, with forty-two dead. Not too bad, if I say so myself. I swear, I never let Legolas hear the end of it.
I still can't believe what all has happened since Helm's Deep.
The biggest battle Middle-Earth had ever seen had been fought and good triumphed over evil. Middle-Earth is free of all scum and tyranny, because all the free races fought together and joined together in one big alliance against Mordor. Believe it or not, Eowyn and Merry worked together to kill the Witch-King of the Ringwraiths. And that little hobbit thought he would amount to nothing.
Sauron the deceiver was destroyed, all thanks to Gollum. Nope, Frodo wasn't the valiant one who saved Middle-Earth from it's ring troubles, it was Gollum, the poor creature. Gollum fell into Mount Doom when he tried to take the ring from a possessed Frodo. Frodo didn't snap out of the power of the ring until it was destroyed. Elrond told me once that the quest would claim Frodo's life. Well, once again elves were wrong.
And why is that so suprising?
Saruman's attempts to take over the Shire were foiled, due to the commanding abilities of Meridoc and Peregrin. Who'd ever thought those two would turn out to be such successful commanders? I guess I have seen everything.
Samwise settled down with his lovely wife Rosie, and became mayor of the Shire. He fathered thirteen little rascals, which I cannot keep their names straight for the life of me. But I do remember that his first male child was named Frodo, after his best friend that he missed sorely. So touching.
I've heard that Merry has written some books. Very hard to believe, considering that little rascal couldn't sit down for two seconds and had no attention span whatsoever. Pippin settled down with some hobbit called Diamond of Long Cleeve. I remember her name because it sounds dwarven. They had a child named Faramir.
Obviously, these hobbits have no imagination whatsoever. Couldn't they have named at least one of their children Gimli? The injustices I have to go through.
Aragorn had taken his place as King of Gondor, and Arwen married him, becoming his queen. Yup, she stayed, even after arguing those long hours with her father and finally deciding to leave. Elrond must be hopping mad. Wouldn't want to run into him.
Eowyn's heart was broken when Arwen came back and married Aragorn, but Faramir was there to pick up the pieces. Now they live quite happily together, married.
Frodo admitted he couldn't go back to the Shire. He and Gandalf sailed away to the Undying Lands of the elves, which made all the hobbits sad to see him go.
Legolas and I have traveled all over Middle-Earth, exploring everything it has to offer. We explored Fangorn forest, and to my dismay, I began to like the trees. I could tell Legolas wasn't always thinking about the present. A lot of times I can see his eyes drift back to the days where Aralyn was still alive.
He'd then snap out of it and return to the conversation and the exploring. We went back to Helm's Deep and explored the caves, which I loved but Legolas admitted he felt claustrophobic. Helm's Deep was a painful place for him to visit, and I could see it on his face.
He then proposed we did something worthwhile with our time.
We traveled back to Mirkwood, Legolas's home, and gathered some of his friends together and we led a band of them to heal the wounds of the war ravaged Ithilien. They weren't too thrilled with working with a dwarf, but they soon got used to the idea and began to like me.
I admit it that they were growing on me too.
Then one day, Legolas suggested that we do something outrageous. He wanted to sail to the Undying Lands, and with me. He didn't want to leave me behind in Middle-Earth. I wasn't too excited about the idea living on an island full of elves, but hey, if I was immortal, that would mean I'd have all the time in the world to befriend a lot of those elves. Plus, Legolas and I had grown really close. He leaves and he takes a part of me with him.
Maybe that's the way he feels about Aralyn.
We would talk about her sometimes, but only the good times. He confessed how he kissed her and how he had professed his love to her. He also confessed how he had locked her up in the mountain with the women and children. Even that couldn't stop her. His eyes would get that far off look and I'd sit and wait patiently for him to come back to Middle-Earth. Hey, I've been in love before, I know what it's like.
What, just because I'm a dwarf you think it's silly that I've been in love? Silly stereotypes. Oh, for the record, women dwarves do not have beards. Well, most of them don't.
So we sailed across the sea, and I can't really say I remember much. It was really foggy and Legolas was so nervous I had to calm him down.
"What's the matter?" I asked him.
"She will be there. Slain elves go to the Halls of Mandos for a time, but are always released to Valinor." Legolas explained.
"Will she be there? I thought she was a half elf. Where do half-elves go?" I asked.
Obviously it didn't cheer up Legolas. He grew silent and his eyes were fixed on something in the distance.
I couldn't see anything, because dwarven eyesight is not as far as elvish eyesight. I sat back and smoked on my pipe until I could see land. I stood up and joined Legolas at the front of the boat and watched the land get closer and closer.
I saw three forms standing out by the edge of the water. They were foggy but as I got near they became clearer and clearer.
"Aralyn." Legolas said, underneath his breath. I squinted really hard, then I saw her. She was in the middle. The two other figures taller then her. She was smiling radiantly, and looked truly like an elf. She had a soft shine to her, like the moon. She was wearing a beautiful white long dress and her blond hair was pinned up exquisitely. Wow. Was the only word that came to my mind. Legolas leaped off the boat before it got into dock and waded the rest of the way to Aralyn.
"Legolas." She grinned as he pulled himself out of the water. They ran to each other and kissed.
Of course I followed, muttering and growling underneath my breath. "Water.why did we have to wade through water.Oh, why don't you two get a room?" I muttered, humorously.
"Gimli!" She cried, turning her attention to me. "It's wonderful to see you again." She said, and kissed the top of my head. I blushed, remembering Galandriel doing the same thing. I wondered if she were here.
"I have brought something back for you." Legolas said, pulling out her long knife with the inscription on it.
"My knife!" The male elf exclaimed, who was standing next to Aralyn. Legolas turned his attention to the male elf, and nearly dropped the knife. "Haldir?"
"Yes, Legolas, that is my knife." He grinned and took it from him. "One of the knives I gave to my beautiful wife." he said, turning to the woman who stood beside Aralyn.
"Legolas, this is my mother." Aralyn introduced, motioning to the mother. She politely bowed her head and held her hand to her heart.
"And this is my father." She grinned, motioning to Haldir.
"I know you!" I laughed. "I was the reason you blindfolded the entire Fellowship when you took us into Lothlorien."
"Yes, Gimli I remember you." He laughed and bowed to me.
"My trust for dwarves is fully restored, after meeting you Master Gimli." Haldir said, bowing his head to the dwarf.
Legolas and Aralyn shared a loving look as they turned and took each other's hands as they walked into paradise to start an eternal lifetime together.
Doesn't it just warm the heart?
I had won the contest of killing the most orcs, with forty-two dead. Not too bad, if I say so myself. I swear, I never let Legolas hear the end of it.
I still can't believe what all has happened since Helm's Deep.
The biggest battle Middle-Earth had ever seen had been fought and good triumphed over evil. Middle-Earth is free of all scum and tyranny, because all the free races fought together and joined together in one big alliance against Mordor. Believe it or not, Eowyn and Merry worked together to kill the Witch-King of the Ringwraiths. And that little hobbit thought he would amount to nothing.
Sauron the deceiver was destroyed, all thanks to Gollum. Nope, Frodo wasn't the valiant one who saved Middle-Earth from it's ring troubles, it was Gollum, the poor creature. Gollum fell into Mount Doom when he tried to take the ring from a possessed Frodo. Frodo didn't snap out of the power of the ring until it was destroyed. Elrond told me once that the quest would claim Frodo's life. Well, once again elves were wrong.
And why is that so suprising?
Saruman's attempts to take over the Shire were foiled, due to the commanding abilities of Meridoc and Peregrin. Who'd ever thought those two would turn out to be such successful commanders? I guess I have seen everything.
Samwise settled down with his lovely wife Rosie, and became mayor of the Shire. He fathered thirteen little rascals, which I cannot keep their names straight for the life of me. But I do remember that his first male child was named Frodo, after his best friend that he missed sorely. So touching.
I've heard that Merry has written some books. Very hard to believe, considering that little rascal couldn't sit down for two seconds and had no attention span whatsoever. Pippin settled down with some hobbit called Diamond of Long Cleeve. I remember her name because it sounds dwarven. They had a child named Faramir.
Obviously, these hobbits have no imagination whatsoever. Couldn't they have named at least one of their children Gimli? The injustices I have to go through.
Aragorn had taken his place as King of Gondor, and Arwen married him, becoming his queen. Yup, she stayed, even after arguing those long hours with her father and finally deciding to leave. Elrond must be hopping mad. Wouldn't want to run into him.
Eowyn's heart was broken when Arwen came back and married Aragorn, but Faramir was there to pick up the pieces. Now they live quite happily together, married.
Frodo admitted he couldn't go back to the Shire. He and Gandalf sailed away to the Undying Lands of the elves, which made all the hobbits sad to see him go.
Legolas and I have traveled all over Middle-Earth, exploring everything it has to offer. We explored Fangorn forest, and to my dismay, I began to like the trees. I could tell Legolas wasn't always thinking about the present. A lot of times I can see his eyes drift back to the days where Aralyn was still alive.
He'd then snap out of it and return to the conversation and the exploring. We went back to Helm's Deep and explored the caves, which I loved but Legolas admitted he felt claustrophobic. Helm's Deep was a painful place for him to visit, and I could see it on his face.
He then proposed we did something worthwhile with our time.
We traveled back to Mirkwood, Legolas's home, and gathered some of his friends together and we led a band of them to heal the wounds of the war ravaged Ithilien. They weren't too thrilled with working with a dwarf, but they soon got used to the idea and began to like me.
I admit it that they were growing on me too.
Then one day, Legolas suggested that we do something outrageous. He wanted to sail to the Undying Lands, and with me. He didn't want to leave me behind in Middle-Earth. I wasn't too excited about the idea living on an island full of elves, but hey, if I was immortal, that would mean I'd have all the time in the world to befriend a lot of those elves. Plus, Legolas and I had grown really close. He leaves and he takes a part of me with him.
Maybe that's the way he feels about Aralyn.
We would talk about her sometimes, but only the good times. He confessed how he kissed her and how he had professed his love to her. He also confessed how he had locked her up in the mountain with the women and children. Even that couldn't stop her. His eyes would get that far off look and I'd sit and wait patiently for him to come back to Middle-Earth. Hey, I've been in love before, I know what it's like.
What, just because I'm a dwarf you think it's silly that I've been in love? Silly stereotypes. Oh, for the record, women dwarves do not have beards. Well, most of them don't.
So we sailed across the sea, and I can't really say I remember much. It was really foggy and Legolas was so nervous I had to calm him down.
"What's the matter?" I asked him.
"She will be there. Slain elves go to the Halls of Mandos for a time, but are always released to Valinor." Legolas explained.
"Will she be there? I thought she was a half elf. Where do half-elves go?" I asked.
Obviously it didn't cheer up Legolas. He grew silent and his eyes were fixed on something in the distance.
I couldn't see anything, because dwarven eyesight is not as far as elvish eyesight. I sat back and smoked on my pipe until I could see land. I stood up and joined Legolas at the front of the boat and watched the land get closer and closer.
I saw three forms standing out by the edge of the water. They were foggy but as I got near they became clearer and clearer.
"Aralyn." Legolas said, underneath his breath. I squinted really hard, then I saw her. She was in the middle. The two other figures taller then her. She was smiling radiantly, and looked truly like an elf. She had a soft shine to her, like the moon. She was wearing a beautiful white long dress and her blond hair was pinned up exquisitely. Wow. Was the only word that came to my mind. Legolas leaped off the boat before it got into dock and waded the rest of the way to Aralyn.
"Legolas." She grinned as he pulled himself out of the water. They ran to each other and kissed.
Of course I followed, muttering and growling underneath my breath. "Water.why did we have to wade through water.Oh, why don't you two get a room?" I muttered, humorously.
"Gimli!" She cried, turning her attention to me. "It's wonderful to see you again." She said, and kissed the top of my head. I blushed, remembering Galandriel doing the same thing. I wondered if she were here.
"I have brought something back for you." Legolas said, pulling out her long knife with the inscription on it.
"My knife!" The male elf exclaimed, who was standing next to Aralyn. Legolas turned his attention to the male elf, and nearly dropped the knife. "Haldir?"
"Yes, Legolas, that is my knife." He grinned and took it from him. "One of the knives I gave to my beautiful wife." he said, turning to the woman who stood beside Aralyn.
"Legolas, this is my mother." Aralyn introduced, motioning to the mother. She politely bowed her head and held her hand to her heart.
"And this is my father." She grinned, motioning to Haldir.
"I know you!" I laughed. "I was the reason you blindfolded the entire Fellowship when you took us into Lothlorien."
"Yes, Gimli I remember you." He laughed and bowed to me.
"My trust for dwarves is fully restored, after meeting you Master Gimli." Haldir said, bowing his head to the dwarf.
Legolas and Aralyn shared a loving look as they turned and took each other's hands as they walked into paradise to start an eternal lifetime together.
Doesn't it just warm the heart?