DISCLAIMERS: See part one

AN: this is Legolas' dream sequence of his past

Child of Darkness and Death

Chapter V

* * *

"Atara!" an elfling with sparkling blue eyes cried out in joy for today was his birthday, his shimmering blond hair flowing behind him as he searched for his mother. "Atara!" he cried out again when he finally spotted her, flinging himself into her arms. "Atara, where have you been?" he asked looking up at his mother, but was taken aback by the sorrow he saw in her normally cheerful eyes. "Atara, is something wrong?"

Legolas watched in wonder as the scene of his childhood faded away to be replaced by a scene he immediately recognized as the day he reached adulthood. And like the past 999 birthdays, he was in search of his mother, but unlike the past, he wasn't able to find her. Sighing in defeat, he slowly made his way back to his room to prepare for the feast his father had planned for him. To his surprise, he found his mother waiting for him in his room.

"Atara! Where have you been?"

"Waiting for you, my child," the Queen of Greenwood answered calmly, and for the first time since Legolas can remember, there was a spark of happiness shining within her grief-filled eyes.

"A child no more, Atara! I become an adult today!" Legolas declared, chest puffing up in pride, causing her to laugh. But the sound didn't last long before her smile faltered and her expression turned serious.

"Legolas, I have something to tell you," a pause, "I will be leaving for Valinor tomorrow."

"What?!" Legolas exclaimed.

"Good-bye, Legolas--- my little Greenleaf…."

Once again, the scene shifted. This time, Legolas found himself watching the grey-cloaked figure of his mother fading into the darkness of Greenwood.

"Atara! Don't go!"

* * *

"Atara! Don't go!" Legolas shouted, jerking upright in bed, breathing in rapid gasps. It took awhile for him to realize that soothing words were being spoken into his ear while his shaking form was held in a firm but gentle embrace.

"Estel?" the blond Elf asked in a soft tone when he recognized the voice whispering the calming words.

"Aye, mellon nin, 'tis I," the Man replied, loosening his hold, but not releasing the Elf Prince from his arms. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Legolas replied without giving the Man's question any thought.

Aragorn stiffened in frustration. "You lie, Legolas."

"Aragorn—" Legolas started, but was cut off by said man.

"Why won't you share your troubles with me? Do you not consider me your friend?" Aragorn demanded, holding the Elf at arms length by his shoulders.

"Estel! You know that is not true! I have always considered you my friend— my closest friend— and I will always consider you as such," Legolas exclaimed, staring back into the grey eyes of the Ranger. "But there are some things that just cannot be shared."

"Legolas…"

"…"

"I will go tell the others that you are awake," Aragorn said, sighing in defeat as he broke their gaze. "Rest now, I will tell the others that they can come see you at sun down."

Legolas nodded silently, staring down at his bed until Aragorn left his room, closing the door with a soft click. For a while, the blond Elf just sat there, thinking back to the event of the council. "Return to the beginning," he whispered to himself, unconsciously shuddering as he repeated the Call.

'So the Shadows are gathering,' Legolas thought, sighing heavily as he stood and made his way to his balcony.

Throwing his balcony doors open, Legolas couldn't help but remember his final conversation with his mother:

"There is nothing left for me in Middle-Earth, Legolas."

"But you have Adar. Adar and me, Atara! Are we not reason enough for you to stay? … Am I not reason enough for you to stay?"

"You are the reason I have stayed in Middle-Earth. If it weren't for the birth of the Child, I would have sailed for the Undying Lands immediately after your birth. Through you I have brought my clan's promise to Night and Death into fulfillment, Legolas, now I can finally find my peace."

"But Atara---!"

"Stop, Legolas!" the Queen of Greenwood cut in sharply. "Stop asking me to stay!"

Turning away from his mother, Legolas was quiet for a long while before he could make himself speak, "Go then, you were never happy with me to begin with."

"Legolas, listen to me," the Queen started again in a gentler tone. "Having you was both a curse and a joy to me. A curse because I had to stay with you and endure living in Middle-Earth without my harmony with nature. But at the same time," she continued, gently turning Legolas' face until he faced her again, "the same curse was my joy: because I had to stay with you, I was able to watch my child grow into adulthood, something none of my foremothers were able to enjoy." She smiled again, wiping away the single tear that escaped her son's eyes. "I love you, Legolas, my son!"

"Atara!" Legolas cried out, hugging his mother tightly.

"Cry all you want now, my son," the Queen whispered, tightening her arms as well. "Cry while you are in protective arms. But to the rest of the world, show no weakness!"

"Atara?" Legolas looked up questioningly at his mother's words.

"Since as far back as the Elder Days, a line of she-elfs from my clan—the same line from which I am a descendant of—have always born the spirit of the Child within them. After all these years, the Child has finally chosen to take form...

"I am afraid that there is a something urging the Child to make that choice," the Queen stated, looking intently into Legolas' eyes. "I am afraid that something of great evil forced the Child to awaken."

"Atara, I don't understand."

"Just remember to be wary, my child. For you are not only *my* child, but *their* Child as well. The one who began it all will seek to regain all that it had lost, and it will seek revenge!"

"But the ones you called Darkness and Death are gone!"

"Aye, they are gone, but *you* remain, Legolas! When the Shadows amass again, you will be the deciding factor on whether the world will plunge into darkness again."

A cool breeze brought Legolas back to the present, and he realized with a start that he had been lost in his memories longer than he intended for the sun had already begun to set. "I will be the deciding factor on whether the world will plunge into darkness again?" Legolas questioned himself as he watched the twilit landscape before him. "What am I to do, Atara?"

TBC…

A/N: hehehe ::nervous laugh:: sooooooo…erm.. long time no see? ^^;;;;;;;;;;;; ::waves to the angry readers:: please don't kill me? I'm sorry for not updating for so long (something I'm ALWAYS sorry for) and I'm sorry for putting out such a short chapter after my long …erm… 'absence' please forgive me! I was caught up in writing another A/L slash fic, which is also a WIP but I have parts 1-3 done, and fics in other fandoms. (::wonders if readers will be less angry with me if I put out those three parts to prove that I have been doing something::) But anyways, my main point here is: PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND REVIEW!!!! ::begs on hands and knees:: I'm sorry for being such an unproductive, undedicated writer!!! ::bows head in shame:: but DESPITE all of that bad stuff, you all, being the generous and forgiving readers that you all most UNDOUBTEDLY are, will review, riiiiiiiiiiite?? ::big puppy dog eyes::

Ganbatte!

~Gackt no hime