The Will of the Ring
Chapter Eleven
by Makura Koneko
*Big Thanks To:*
Clear
unicorn87 (Thanks for volunteering the info, but somebody's already gotten it for me. *hugglez* thanks for your willingness to look it up for me!)
Allie (^^ Thanks for your vote of confidence, I really appreciate that great review.)
star0704 (*giggles* Yes, Legolas -or rather, Orlando Bloom- sure is a heartthumper, isn't he?)
SerenityLNguyen ( Glad you like the sweet parts; those are my fav, too. As for not having Serena leave Legolas, I did promise a happy ending, now didn't I?)
Chibi Arwen (I went to go read 'Starlight's Dance' (cute name) but instead found an authors note. So sorry to hear about that, I know what it feels like. *pats on back* you have my consolations.)
bee
Kolinshar Jackie-chan Benito ('Makura-sama?' *blushes* I'm not that old! *giggles* As for the sword, I was looking for the one Venus pulls from the base of the Prayer Pillar and uses to kill Beryl. But don't worry; I've already got it. ^^ Thanks ever so much, though!)
Ray of Hope (lol, did I post in time to satisfy you? *says teasingly* But I actually have a reason for posting on this particular day (October 24). Read the authors notes at the bottom to find out!)
Tarien (Yes, I remember your reviews from before I brought in your name. *hugglez* And I hope 'SQUEE-ish' is a good thing...? *sweatdrop*)
Spooky Fyre (oooooh, someone thinks I have great timing....this is a first....*faints from shock*)
Katlin Grace (I KNOW!!!! BLONDES RULE!!!! heh heh heh...ultimate excuse...that's for sure... Goodness knows it's saved my butt a million times!)
The Kuro no Tenshi
Lady
Espelle (Er, higher rating? What exactly did you mean?
This will by no means become a hentai, if that's what you mean, though I don't
think it was. ^^ As for raising it to PG-13, that is a possibility for future
chapters. But the story overall will probably remain PG. Gomen! But glad you
like everything else! Also, I love your username! And of course I want every
review possible, but it's not important enough for me to ask you to spend your
time on chapters you've already read. I'm just glad people are enjoying my
stories. And Marie says hi back! She was so flattered, it was so cute...)
sailorruss (lol.
You always cheer me up.)
Linauri (Thank you ever so much! I really appreciate it!)
niner (Workin' on the next chapter of Shattered Tapestry as I you read this!)
Sakura-Star-Magick (^^ I am very proud of this story, and so very touched that so many people are enjoying it so thoroughly.)
Tsuki no Tenshi
Silver Dragonfly (THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! I really appreciate it! btw, LOVE your sn!!)
Blue Angel
Kelly (Thank you! You were the first person to provide the script by review! I reeeeeeeally appreciate it!)
Beth
AngelQueen (*pats on back* *hands tissue* there, there, don't cry! I promise a happy ending, never fear! *strikes noble pose* It's Happy-Ending-Girl to the rescue!!!)
Usagi_1313
solarmistress17
Be'Jammin (Oh, drat, I forgot about Smaug. How careless of me. Oh, well, I always planned to depict dragons in my stories the way I view them, anyway. And I view them as 'exquisite and beautiful.' And maybe Smaug was usually like that too... I'd certainly feel pretty ferocious and nasty if people went around calling me a monster all the time and came knocking on my door to kill me!!!)
Sailor Omega/White Valkerie
Callisto Star (I tried going back to notebook, but me too lazy....*rubs sore hand* Nope, it's keyboard and .txt for me! *grins* And thanks again for the advice regarding LotR. I think my copy was from the 60's... *sweatdrop*)
Darcey ('Moving can be such a pain.' *drops head down on desk* *mutters* Don't I know it....)
Thanks a bunch to all who reviewed, and now on with the Show!
"Serena?" Hotaru asked softly, stepping out from behind a silvery-gold colored tree to see the slender girl sitting on a large boulder by a crystalline pond. Serena didn't acknowledge her. Biting her lip, Hotaru wadded up her skirt in her fist and climbed up onto the boulder, scraping her hand along the way, and sat down behind her on the moss covered stone. She looked out over the calm pond, surrounded by a sandy bank ringed with grass and moss and small flower bushes and then tall trees that gave way to paths and steps leading up to tree-dwellings. As beautiful as it was, Hotaru had not come for the view. Slowly she reached out and touched Serena's shoulder.
"Sere-chan?" Hotaru said quietly. "A-Ami-chan wanted me to tell you that…that they thought it might be best for us to all stay her for another few days, recuperate, while Ami-chan finds out if there are any Crystal Points nearby. Sh-she says it if you destroy the Ring on a Point, i-it'll be easier…" She trailed off, and sniffed, blinking back tears, when Serena still said nothing. The young teen reached out and pulled one of her princess's strands of hair back over her shoulder, running her fingers through it.
"Please, Sere-chan…talk to me…" Hotaru sniffed. "We all missed you so much…you should have seen Haruka-papa. I've never seen her so terrified... I mean, she acted so mad and tough, but her eyes…they were so scared! Even Seiya-san sensed something had happened, and came all the way from his Galaxy to see you. They're all, him and Taiki and Yaten, are waiting at home…we all missed you… Besides, we can always come back, I'm sure, or at least send letters… Remember how Chibi-Usa sent letters to her mother and father in the future? We could do the same, I'm sure Setsuna-mama would let you…"
Serena's shoulders heaved, and lowered, the gold of the chain around her neck glittering in the sunlight. Hotaru's eyes widened in hope.
"Sere-chan?" Hotaru scooted forward. "I-is what I said okay? Did I say something wrong?" No reply. Hotaru's eyes fell, and she rubbed away tears with the back of her hand, sniffing. "Okay, well… Like I said, Ami-chan wanted me to come and tell you…what I said earlier…about staying till she finds a Crystal Point… Legolas-san and Boromir-san have promised to come. The Hobbits, too. I think Aragorn wants to
come, too, though he's waiting to see if Frodo will come or not, since he promised to guard him. And you know we'll be with you, every step of the way…always…" Hotaru bit her lip. "And you know, Serena, that I'll stay with you...whatever you...whatever you decide."
Still there was no reply but the gentle rise and fall of Serena's back as she gripped her legs to her chest, her head resting on top of her knees.
"Legolas-san said he'd come and get you when dinner's ready." Hotaru whispered. She reached out to touch her princess once more, but stopped. She curled her fingers against her palm, as if to hold on to the friendship she felt she was loosing with her princess. She suppressed a sniffle, turned, and started to climb back down when she heard it…
Half way down the side of the boulder, Hotaru looked up at her princess to see her in the exact same position she had been when she first found her. She listened, frozen on the side of the boulder…
There it was again!
Hotaru blinked, then chuckled, smiling as the same sound drifted softly to her ears…a gentle snore; the legendary moon princess had been asleep the entire time.
"I will take her back," A voice said softly from just behind and slightly below her. Hotaru gasped, her hand slipped, and had it not been for excellent Senshi reflexes, she would have fallen flat on her back on the damp, silvery-blue moss covered ground. As it was, she barely managed to twist her body, agile as a cat, and land on her feet. She wobbled, and Legolas reached out and grabbed her elbow to steady her.
"Thank you," She said, the symbol of Saturn on her brow reflecting a bit of sunlight as she smiled. Legolas only smiled and nodded before both glanced back up at the slumbering princess atop the boulder.
"Did you tell her?" Legolas asked, looking at the teenage warrior briefly before stepping up to the boulder. Hotaru shook her head as he began to climb.
"I think she was asleep before I even got here," She whispered. "Poor Sere-chan… When we found her…these past few days…none of us have seen her glow like that since before…before the Prince died."
"How long ago was it?" Legolas whispered down to her as he reached the top of the boulder.
"A little over a year." Hotaru said back, just loudly enough so that he could hear her as he knelt behind Serena, reached forward, and pulled her back into his arms, the Locket around her through tinkling as it shifted. Carefully, cradling the princess gently, as if she weighed nothing, he climbed back down the boulder.
"Should we wake her?" Hotaru asked reluctantly. Legolas shook his head.
"No, let her sleep. I'll take her back to her chambers. Are the Senshi and other still there?"
Hotaru shook her head.
"They left once we made the verdict." She said as they turned together and headed back for Serena's 'treehouse.' "They sent me to ask Serena if she was okay with the plan."
"I'll ask her when she wakes," He promised the shorter warrior. Hotaru looked up at him with mild surprise and amusement on her face.
"You plan to stay with her?"
"I like watching her sleep." Legolas admitted, glancing down at her slumbering face. "That's the only time she looks like what she should always look like; peaceful, without any responsibility or fates of the world resting on her shoulders."
Hotaru stopped, and Legolas paused and looked at her. Hotaru looked up at him, regarding him with large, dark royal purple eyes that spoke of many years of pain and hate, of wisdom beyond her age, and of a kindness that contradicted everything she was.
Then, without saying another word, Hotaru smiled gently, nodded, then reached out to brush a strand of hair off of Serena's forehead, turned, and walked away, leaving Legolas to feel as if he had just passed a great trial.
It was a few hours later, as he watched the lovely Lunarian princess sleeping peacefully, that Legolas made the promise to himself that he would do his best to make sure her last days in Middle Earth were as joyous as possible. And so he set to making plans for later that day...
When Serena awoke, Legolas - whom had been there the whole time just as he had promised Hotaru- told her of her Senshi's suggestion/decision to search for a Crystal Point -if they existed in the future, and had existed in the Silver Millennium as well, then they must still exist somewhere!- to destroy the Ring on, and she nodded vigorously as her face brightened like the sun at dawn.
"Sounds good to me!" She said, tossing the blankets aside. Her stomach grumbled, and she flushed sheepishly. "Er, dinner?" She asked, grinning sheepishly. Legolas only laughed and held out his hand as he stood. Serena took it and used it for leverage to pull herself to her feet, pulling to the winding stairs.
"I hear there are some late berries still good along the east side of the River," Legolas told her as they reached ground level. "Since dinner is not for another few hours, would you like to take a raft to the other side and pick some?"
"Ooooh, that sounds like fun!" Serena squealed, latching on to his arm and looking up at him with bright eyes. "Where are the boats?"
"Just down that way, I believe," He told her, grinning in amusement.
"Race you!" Serena teased, dashing forward. It took only a quick blink and a laugh to overcome his surprise, and he was running after her, intrigued to find that as short as she was, even with his Elvin speed, he was hard pressed to keep up with her.
They found the boats easily enough, and by the time Legolas got there, Serena was already struggling to shove one into the water. Grinning, he came up behind her and poked her in the ribs. She squealed, jumped, and tripped over her own feet. Unable to hold back a laugh, Legolas caught her, grinning at the flush that covered her face as he set her back upon her feet. He tapped her on the nose affectionately before turning
and, with a heave, shoving the sleek little boat into the shimmering waters.
"Come on!" He called to her, standing shin deep in water, holding onto the boat as he held out his hand to her. She splashed into the water, skirts lifted almost indecently high to keep them out of the water and displaying a good deal of long, elegant leg in the process. She took his hand, and managed to trip and stumble into the boat without getting all that wet. Legolas shoved away from the shore with one last push as he swung himself into the boat beside her.
Serena grabbed an oar and stuck it into the water and heaved a grand stroke that sent them spinning. She shrieked and dropped the oar as she clutched the rim of the boat. Legolas's arm lashed out and snatched the oar from the water. Gripping the other one, he slipped both into the water and gave the appropriate strength for the appropriately placed strokes to righten the boat. Serena looked at him sheepishly as he gave her a raised eyebrow.
"You've never been in a boat before, have you?" He asked her. Flushing sheepishly, she shook her head.
"Not really. I went on a few with..." she swallowed thickly, but continued. "With Darien once or twice, but he always did the rowing. That was about it... Well, I sneaked aboard a cruise ship once, but that ended really bad since the cruise ship turned out to be a trap to gather hostages for energy…" Serena said. This led to, upon Legolas's inquisition, a detailed story of the hows, whens, and whys of this particular adventure.
"And you and your Senshi did this sort of thing often?" Legolas asked, slightly surprised. "When you were only children?"
"It was only a few years ago," Serena said in defense.
"Yes, but you did not have the knowledge, the memories and wisdom from your previous lives as you do now," Legolas pointed out. "So for all purposes, you were children, whereas now you are a good thirty-thousand years old, or might as well be."
"We were fourteen!" Serena argued, miffed. "Young, maybe, but we weren't children!" Legolas's lips quirked slightly.
"Yes, and I was nearly a thousand before I was allowed into my first real fight." He said.
"Then maybe that just means you mature slower." Serena said smugly. Legolas blinked in slight surprise. No one had ever dared make that suggestion before an elf! At least, not till now. Surprising even himself, he laughed.
"Maybe," He grinned. "Or perhaps 'tis simply cultural and parenting differences, hm?"
"If you mean that humans let their children go into battle younger than elves do, then, well, I guess so," Serena said. "But I wouldn't know for sure, because everyone's different, and besides, my parents never knew."
"Never knew?" Legolas frowned slightly. "Your parents never knew of these escapades in which you frequently came near death?"
"Nope." Serena shook her head, her hair swaying with the movement and the gentle wind. "And hopefully never will."
"Hopefully?" Legolas echoed. "Why would you say such a thing? Don't you want their support?"
"Support?" Serena sighed. "Yeah, sure, 'Hey, mom, dad, guess what? I'm a reincarnated Moon Princess who saves the Universe on a regular basis. Oh, and I can uses magic, too, on top of it all!' If I'm lucky, they would just think I'd gotten my dates mixed up and thought it was April 1st." She sighed.
"April First?"
"A holiday," Serena shrugged. "It's when you play tricks and jokes on each other."
"You're parents hold you in low enough regard that they would believe something you told them to be a jest?" Legolas asked incredulously.
"Well, no…" Serena said slowly. "It's just that…well… I tend to act like I'm not the…brightest person. Plus, I know magic is common here, but the time I come from, it's extinct. Bye Bye. Gone. Zippo. Invisible. Nada. Not there. A fairy tale. Plus, a Moon Princess? People who honestly believe there are beings on the moon usually end up in insane asylums….places for people who have something wrong with them up here," she tapped her temple. She shrugged. "Besides, even if I did go to the effort to prove it,
which I guess I could, I just couldn't do that to them. They love me, and to know that I battle evil monsters on an almost daily basis, even if I do have backup, that would kill them, especially knowing that there's nothing they could do to help. Even Sammy would be…" She sighed. "Sammy can be a sweetie, but he might let something slip, and if someone…not friendly were to hear, it could raise suspicions. I know I'd be okay; I've got my powers and my Senshi, but they could get hurt…" She shrugged. "Well, you see my point."
"Indeed, I do," Legolas nodded thoughtfully, looking past her to the west bank which was indeed lined with blackberry-like bushes. He then looked at her, an amused, wry smile on his face. "For someone who claims to be held as a 'less than bright' person, you have a notable amount of insight."
"Only when I'm around you!" Serena assured him firmly. "I don't know what gets me when I'm around you. I suddenly feel…smart, which is really weird, because I am so not smart."
"Why do you say that?" Legolas was beginning to dislike the way she spoke about herself so lowly. He was beginning to dislike it quite a bit.
Serena blushed.
"It's not that difficult to see," She said, rolling her eyes. "I'm clumsy, I cry at every little thing, I eat like a pig, I sleep a lot, I'm not very strong-"
"None of that has to do with being intelligent or not," Legolas told her. "Those are simply habits that some would find undesirable, but not intolerable."
"I guess…" Serena shrugged, unused to having someone not mind her flaws. Even Darien had commented they were annoying. "But I can't keep my mind focused on anything for long, my grades in school are horrible, my hand writing –not to mention spelling and grammar- is terrible, I can't pronounce anything properly, I can't study because I can't focus, therefore I'm constantly failing tests, and…" She looked at him helplessly. "You see?"
"No, I don't."
Serena blinked. "What?"
"I don't think I see what you're trying to convey to me," Legolas told her. "Because it isn't there. Can't concentrate in class, you say? Have you considered that is because that, in a way, you already know what's being taught, from lessons from your past life, therefore you subconsciously feel no need to pay attention? Perhaps some part of you remembers already learning these lessons when you were this 'Princess Serenity?' Or mayhap 'tis simply lack of sleep?"
"But you know me, I sleep all the time!" Serena whined.
"Did it ever occur to you," He said after a moment of regarding her. "That perhaps you need more sleep, more sustenance, because you are not fully human? That the environment of earth is different enough from that of the Moon that it is a strain on you, requiring that you sleep and eat more than a pure human would?"
Serena blinked rapidly.
"You know…" She said after a moment. "Not only did I understand that, which is freaky enough, but Ami-chan did once mention that maybe when I was reborn, I retained some of my Lunarian blood, that I was only part human. Raye dismissed it though…she said that if that were true, then I shouldn't be as clumsy as I was." Serena flushed. "Lunarians are supposed to be graceful."
"So are elves, but even they have their times of...lack of grace when turning from a child into an adult." This seemed like a confession that not many non-elven beings were privied to. "Has it occurred to any of your friends that mayhap since Lunarians are so long lived, it also takes them longer to grow out of adolescent awkwardness?"
Serena blinked.
"Okay, stop it, you're making me feel like a decent person whose flaws aren't all that many after all and it feels weird." Serena told him. Legolas laughed. Serena blushed as the boat touched the western shore, and Legolas jumped out, getting wet up to his thighs, and trudged through the water to the bank where he gripped the end of the boat and tugged it far enough up onto land that the currents wouldn't sweep it away.
He held out a hand to Serena, who took it and stepped out of the boat and into ankle deep water, holding her skirts out of the reach of the clear liquid as she stepped onto dry land.
Once she let down her skirts Legolas, on a whim that most would say was unlike him, pulled her into an affectionate embrace. He pulled away long and far enough to place a gentle kiss on the bridge of her nose.
"You are far, far more than decent." He told her. Serena blushed again, but said nothing as he took her hand in his, and lead her up the bank where they found a small, sunlit clearing sprinkled with patches of wildflowers and surrounded by thornless bushes. And, just as they had hoped to find, the bushes were filled with late batches of cherry-red berries.
"Neato!" Serena squealed, and grabbed a handful of berries and jammed them all into her mouth. "Yummy yummy yummy!" She mumbled through mouthfuls of berries, the juice trickling down her chin. Legolas found a place to sit on a root arching up out of the ground next to a thick tree. He used it as a nice lounging chair, leaning against the tree with one leg bent and the foot resting on the root, his other leg hanging down
lazily.
He sat there, wind moving the leaves of the trees above, the sunlight streaming through them to play a dappled, light-and-shadow pattern over his face as he watched her gather up her skirt in front of her to make a basket it and fill it with berries. She plopped down in the very center of the clearing, pure sunlight surrounding her in a golden aura as she kept the berries in her lap, eating one now and again as she picked flowers and weaved and strung them together into a thick, complex floral tiara.
When it was done, she examined it, added a flower here or there, then settled it on her head, pulling her hair through it and placing it around her buns, the top of it resting just above her bangs.
"Hey cutie, what are you doing staying over there?" She called to him as she popped another berry into her mouth. She waved him over. "C'mon! Help me make some tiaras for the others, pleeeeeeease?" She gave him a look, big eyes, pouty lips, fluttering eyelashes that he swore literally made his heart melt.
He swung his other leg down beside his other limb and slipped down off the root and came over to her, grinning. He sat down behind her, pulling her into his lap, she being careful of the berries. She turned her head, grinning and smiling, her face as shinning as the sunlight she was bathed in, and pecked him on the nose before returning to the task of weaving another floral tiara.
Legolas's arms lingered around his waist, the scent of her and her hair and the flowers in that hair tickling his senses. He had an idea, and since he knew he'd be inapt at weaving the little tiaras, he instead reached over and began plucking a small bundle of long stemmed wildflowers. Setting them down beside him, he took one and began weaving it into one of her streamers of hair.
Serena stopped and looked at him over her shoulder with surprise. He grinned at her, and her eyes widened in delight as she giggled and returned to her own task, eating a berry every now and again. She even ever so often would put her hand up over her shoulder and hand one to Legolas.
An idea came to her once, and, grinning deviously, she waited till his hands were occupied with her hair, and she put another berry up. Unable to remove either of his hands from his task and risk having to start all over again by doing so, Legolas was forced to take the berry with his lips. Somehow, knowing she'd timed the berry-giving appropriately, he nipped her fingers in revenge, making her squeal and retract her hand.
Both grinned, Serena giggling as she gave him an impish look over her shoulder before returning to her task.
"Hey, Legolas?" She asked after a moment.
"Yes?" He sounded slightly distracted as he reached the end of one of her streamers and was trying to tie off the weaving chain of flowers with a long blade of grass. She grinned.
"Does this count as a date?" She asked him sweetly. Legolas paused.
"If you mean an outing of the courtship sort, then," He finished tying off the flowers in her hair. "Then yes, I suppose it is." He picked up another flower and began on her other streamer of hair. A sniffling was heard... With the flower halfway weaved into her hair, Legolas stopped and turned her in his arms so that she was sitting sideways, and he could see her face better.
"What is it?" He asked her. She looked up into his openly concerned face, and with a happy sniffle, she snuggled deeper into his arms. Legolas was briefly thankful that all the berries were gone; what a sticky mess that would have made!
"Serena?" Legolas brushed the still un-flowered ponytail back over her shoulder, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm okay," She said softly. She looked up at him, smiling brightly. "It's just always been a secret, mushy dream of mine to do something like this. Just sit in a park or garden and just…be together. Eat berries, or something, do some sort of craft like make flower tiaras or build a mud castle, then get ice-cream and go swimming, or something…" She hugged him again. "I just realized just how happy I am here, now, is all." He returned the embrace, settling her snugly in his arms.
"I'm…" His lips turned upwards in a gentle smile. "I'm happy, too." He told her. Her only response was to sigh contentedly. Laying snuggled in his arms, she seemed to almost go to sleep as Legolas picked up another flower and began on her hair once more.
By the time he was done, she was fast asleep, and the sun was nearing the point of being considered near the evening. Loath to do it but not wanting her to have bad dreams from the cold or to worry anyone, Legolas tried to gently shake her away. She only mumbled something and remained asleep. Remembering the last time he had tried to wake her, Legolas reached over and picked up a discarded berry. He parted her lips with his fingers, and slipped it inside her mouth, and kissed her on the nose. She stirred, felt the berry in her mouth, and will a little smile, chewed, swallowed, and opened her eyes.
"Guess I fell asleep, huh?" She said sheepishly.
"I don't mind." He told her. "I like watching you sleep." She blushed, making him smile all the more. She shifted.
"It's chilly…" She said.
"Which is why I woke you," He told her. He glanced pointedly up at the sky. "We should get back." She pouted.
"We probably missed dinner…" She said. She brightened. "I don't care, though. This was way funner."
"Funner?" Legolas raised an eyebrow at her slightly. She blushed.
"Er…more fun?"
"There you go." He kissed her forehead once more before pulling himself and her to their feet.
"Haruka-chan's gonna have a fit when she finds out where I was." Serena sighed as they walked back to the boat. Legolas helped her climb in before shoving off and jumping in himself, settling himself across from her, oars in hand.
"Then we will simply tell her you were sleeping." He said. "'Tis the truth, after all." Serena blinked in surprise, then giggled. The sight of her laughing, her cheeks flushed, her entire form illuminated by the rosy golden light of the sunset made his own smile widen.
"Okay!" She said. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then made a face when she pulled her hand away. "Eeeew…my hands are all sticky…" She looked down at her dress in horror, realizing for the first time what a mess she'd made of herself. "Oh, no! My dress!" She wailed. "What am I gonna do? It was a gift from Galadriel-sama!"
Legolas suddenly remembered both the trick with the berry, and what Serena had said about the outing being one of her secret dreams… Hadn't she mentioned swimming had been a part of that dream? He grinned…
"Here, let me see that," He said perfectly innocently, his face straight as he set the oars back inside the boat and reached for her. She moved towards him, holding out a part of her hem that was soiled. He moved to touch it…
Elvin speed and grace aiding him, he stood up without tipping the boat, scooped the Moon Princess up into his arms, and dumped her unceremoniously into the river. She came to the surface sputtering and utterly disheveled, her hair plastered to her face, flowers floating away from her, the floral tiara askew on her head as she glared up at him. She opened her mouth to screech something indignant -she wasn't sure what- but she froze when she saw the subject of her glares and sputtering rages peal off shirt and tunic and dive into the water beside her with barely a ripple.
Serena abruptly realized that the skirt of her gown was floating up all around her, and she flushed as she realized what a view one would get if one were to look up at her from below. She hastily grabbed her skirts and tried to pull them down…but the only way to hide what should be hidden was to wrap the skirt around her knees, which prevented her legs from kicking to keep her afloat. Before she was able to find an alternate solution, though, something grabbed her ankle, and she barely had time to hold her breath before
she was tugged under the water. Her skirts billowed around her in a mass of pale pink. That, coupled with the cloud of golden that was her hair made it impossible to see anything.
She shrieked, air from her lungs escaping into the crystalline water; someone was tickling her!
"Stop it!" She tried to yell, forgetting that she was underwater. She choked, tried to gasp for air, but there was none; water filled her lungs as she slapped at her dress and hair. Somehow she managed to get all her hair out behind her, but her dress was still in the way! She pawed at it; it tangled around her arms.
Suddenly, she was free! She didn't know if it was a result of her struggling or the work of the pale-blonde elf that now held her face in his hands, his mouth over hers, pushing air into her lungs as he propelled them up towards air.
They broke the surface, both of them gasping as Serena choked. Legolas kept her afloat as she concentrated on getting the water out of her lungs and trading it for air. When she was breathing normally, she looked up at Legolas, debating on whether or not to slug him or kiss him. She decided on neither, and laughed; it hadn't been his fault she'd been stupid enough to try and talk underwater.
"I'm sorry," He told he earnestly, unsure of why she was laughing. "I forgot about the dress… I don't know what came over me."
"It's okay," Serena laughed, not noticing that she was as well as in her underwear. Though white and gauzy, the material of the strip of cloth wrapped around her bosom and underwear weren't transparent when wet, but were completely opaque and practically sparkled and shimmered; she might as well have been wearing a bikini. She also noticed that Legolas was politely not looking at anything but her face, even though hardly anything showed above the water. Then again, with how clear the water was, the water might as well have not been there.
Serena was still having a hard time swimming, her skirts were interfering so. Looking down at herself, she realized that the dress might as well have not even been there, it was so transparent. Not knowing, with her innocence, what her following action could have been interpreted as, she gripped the side of the boat and wiggled out of the gown and tossed it into the boat.
"You're sure you're all right?" Legolas, a slight flush on his cheeks, asked while glancing away, and she grinned.
"I'm fine!" She said. She grinned wolfishly. "But you're not!" With that, she linked her hands together and shoved a mini-tidal wave of water at the elven prince, who raised a hand to shield himself.
"Hey, now!" He protested. He grinned, and dived under the water. Serena shrieked as something brushed past her leg. She looked down through the glass-clear water to see Legolas swimming down, down… He turned back upwards, propelling himself faster and faster… What was he doing? Too late Serena answered her own question as Legolas burst upwards, breaking the surface at impressive speed and letting him fall back down to the water. As he hit the water, he used his full body weight to cause a huge splash to
completely engulf the golden haired girl that tried to swim away, but had failed to do so in time.
"Hey, not fair!" She screeched. "I'm smaller than you!"
"Unfortunate for you, lucky for me," He laughed mischievously, surfacing once more. Serena pouted, then, taking in a big breath of air, dived under the water. She turned on her back, facing upwards. Knowing he could see her, she beckoned with a wave of her arm, and he came diving down after her. She turned, kicking and stroking her arms furiously as she swam for the bottom.
Nearing a tall, pointed rock, she arched her back and looped around it, intending to pop out from behind it to surprise him. She blinked in surprise when she came back around it to find that he was nowhere in sight…
Too late did she remember that she was underwater and that gravity might as well have not have existed there. She felt the whoosh of water moving as something came down behind her, and lithe, muscled arms came around her from behind and brought her naked back against a strong, bare chest.
She squeaked, loosing air, and struggled, but it was useless. The arms around her moved down to her wrists, and brought them up so that her own arms were crossed over her chest. She looked over her shoulder, kicking to keep her place, to see Legolas grinning. He released her wrists, and her arms stayed where they were as his hands moved down to her hips to grip her gently as he turned her around to face him. His arms slid around her once more as he brought her against him.
Something clicked inside them both...
...And his head moved down to kiss her soundly, the exchange of air between them making the act even more thrilling as they seemed to hover there, her tresses a shimmering cloud of gold and silver around them, obscuring them from view as their embrace tightened.
Serena felt her breath literally stolen from her, for as sweet as the few kisses she and Darien had shared, this one made her feel inexperienced, a child at her first school dance.
Lack of air made them pull away all too quickly, and, still holding her tightly to him, Legolas pulled them both to the surface. They broke into the air, breathing heavily. The moment their lungs were satisfied, they drew together once more. She slanted her lips against his, to allow him more access, and that more access he took advantage of, stroking, pulling, even gently nipping at her sweetly full lips. She followed his lead, pulling at his mouth for more until she once again was gasping. Neither of them wanting to stop for more than a few moments, they took to taking tiny gasps between brisk, sweet, suckling kisses.
An apocalypse couldn't have broken them out of their own little world, but three outraged cries of three particular persons did…
They broke away abruptly, Serena flushed, lips plump and bruised, too look in the same direction as Legolas. Her eyes widened and she shrinked against him. Elf and Lunarian looked at each other, and together they chimed, "Uh-oh."
To Be Continued…ATTENTION:
Normally I wouldn't have posted this chapter for another week, since I don't allow myself to post a chapter until I have at least four chapters after it completed, and I only have the next three chapters for this one done. But, today is a special occasion, in that...
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!! *dances*
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *does backflips* YAHOOOOOOOOIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
*ahem*
*contains and calms self*
Anyhoo, so since it's my birthday I decided to do something for all my adoring fans and post this chapter early. *grins* I figured this would be an extra good one, too, since it had a few...elements a lot of you romance-lovers have been waiting for. *giggles*
Now, next important thing...
Okay, I know Legolas is from Mirkwood, and that he's a prince there, but does anyone know the name of the place where the King of Mirkwood (Does anybody know Legolas's dad's name while I'm asking?) and everybody resides? Is it just Mirkwood, or is there a city, like Lothlorien is in Lorien? And does Legolas have any siblings? I know, I know, I'm lazy for not looking it up myself, but it's a simple fact of nature that time doesn't seem to stretch to give me more time when I need it. Meaning I'm just too busy. If no one knows, I will just improvise (goodness knows I've gotten enough practice at it with this fic!) but I'd rather have accurate info before attempting to write the scene where they all reach Legolas's home. Is there even a palace or anything? Or is it like Lothlorien where that entire section of forest is just one big outdoor dwelling? GACK! I feel so lazy for not just looking it up...but like I said, time is cruel to me....
Anyhoo, once again, I cannot even come close to expressing my gratitude towards those whom have taken the time go give their insight/opinion/encouragement for this story, be it a simple 'nice, keep it up' sorta thing.
Until next time!
Hope Makes the Universe Shine,
Makura Koneko
*ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY*
