@Zoya ; You're right. The German GP was disastrous at the very beginning with all the collisions! And bad, bad Ralfie!!! He is handsome and I like him so much, still, he's one bad guy in that race!

@DiamondD ; I was never mad at you, but I'm very mad at Ralfie for starting the whole accident thing! Poor Kimi! He hurt his leg quite badly (At first, he didn't realize it when he jumped out of the wreckage of his MP4-17 and ran to the pit)! It was more like 'Sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga dan dilenyek lori!' Don't worry, though. Kimi will bounce back next three weeks in Hungaroring! Mark my words! And yes, I've bought the Cinema Online Mag. It's marvelous!

@AbbiCat14 ; 'Trouble at The Towers', hmm? My brain is already spinning with plots and everything! Let's pray that I come out with another fic with that title in the coming future! Thanks for suggesting it!!

Okay, everyone! We've come to the last chapter of this short story!

**************************************************************************

"Yikes!!" Elrohir cried out as he slipped on the mud and fell down hard on his rump.

Elladan reached over and helped him up. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, except for a bruised pride." Elrohir grimaced as he brushed the mud off his clothes. "I hate this thing. My tunic's all ruined."

Elladan grinned. "You're so vain! You should see yourself in the mirror! You look like a drowned rat!"

"Don't have to. We are identical, remember? I know exactly how I look like just by looking at you!"

"Well, that make us a pair of drowned rats!!" Elladan joked. He stopped laughing when he saw the site of a landslide a few yards ahead. "I hope they didn't get caught in this. This looks bad."

"But what if they did?" Elrohir voiced out, hoping that he was wrong. "Could they survive this?"

"I don't know. Let's check it out, just in case." 

***************************

Legolas was oblivious as time flew by. He was only aware of Keldarion's limp form in his arms as he kept providing air through his brother's mouth repeatedly. He realized that he was weakening and his movements were getting slower. His exhausted body screamed for respite but he refused to stop.

Keldarion had ceased stirring for sometime now. Still, Legolas could not accept the possibilities that his brother might already be dead. 

I will not stop! Legolas cried out inwardly. It's not over yet! Please, Kel! Stay!!!

But his body began to fail him. He had trouble breathing himself. Added to that was the blinding pain in his arm. He knew he was no longer capable of continuing.

It's not over…Legolas thought weakly as he slowly loss consciousness. Then he fell facedown into the water.

Almost immediately, a pair of hands grabbed him and pulled him upright.

"Legolas! We're here, buddy! Hang on!" As if from afar, Legolas heard someone cried out.

"Valar!! Kelarion is trapped underwater beneath the tree!"

"What?! Please don't tell me he has drowned!"

"I don't know. We have to lift the tree and free him."

There was some confusion around him that Legolas did not fully understand. He was propped against the tree and felt when it moved. A part of his mind told him that he should help, but he did not know how to order his body to do so. And when the leather strap that bound him to his brother was released, he panicked. No! Don't take it off! He tried to yell but it only came out in a moan.

"It's all right, Legolas. We got him," a familiar voice said. Then he was lifted out of the water and laid down gently on the ground.

Several moments later, Legolas blinked and saw Elrohir gazing down at him. His friend smiled. "Hey."

Legolas tried to speak but broke up coughing instead.

"Easy, easy. Take a deep breath," Elrohir said, rubbing a comforting hand across Legolas's chest.

"K…Kel…" Legolas managed to croak. "Where…?"

"Elladan is tending to him," Elrohir said grimly, indicating his twin who was giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Keldarion several feet away.

Legolas gingerly raised himself and scooted closer to his unmoving brother. "He's…not breathing?"

Elladan did not answer as he continued his effort. The pain expression on Legolas's face saddened him. He didn't have the heart to tell the Mirkwood prince that his brother had ceased breathing even before they pulled him out of the water.

Without a word, Legolas reached down using his good arm and placed a hand on top of Keldarion's chest. His brother's heart was still beating but very faintly. So, there was still hope.

Here goes…Legolas closed his eyes and gave everything he got, his healing power already mad at work. He forgot everything else except for his brother. Breathe, Kel. Breathe.

He never stopped even when he felt what's left of his energy began to desert him completely.

He didn't stop even when his friends' familiar voices frantically told him to do so.

He still didn't stop even when his body trembled and swayed.

Breathe, Kel. Breathe.

Then he felt himself falling…and falling…and he knew nothing else.

***************************

Keldarion woke up gasping for air. He wheezed and panted, and looked around him with fear in his eyes.

"Kel! It's all right, Kel. You are going to be fine." The twins snapped out of their surprised reverie to sooth their panicked friend.

"Le…Legolas… Where is he?" Keldarion asked with anxiety before he realized that his brother was lying right across his chest. "Oh, Lord! Legolas!"

Keldarion sat up and cradled his brother in his arms. "What did he do?"

"You had stopped breathing and I could not revive you, so he used his healing touch," Elladan answered.

Keldarion shook his head. "He never stopped, did he? First he breathed air into my mouth when I was trapped underwater, and now this?"

"It's not over…till…it's over…" Legolas said weakly all of a sudden. His eyes fluttered open and he grinned feebly at his brother. "Don't…forget that."

Keldarion returned the grin. "Right. How can I forget?" He touched his brother's cheek. "We did it, bro."

Legolas began to laugh. "You got your sense of adventure back, Kel?"

"I surely did!"

Elladan and Elrohir looked on worriedly as the two Mirkwood princes succumbed to uncontrollable mirth, laughing helplessly.

"Crazy brothers. You two lost your brains somewhere in the flood?" The twins couldn't help but grinned in amusement at their friends' weird behavior.

Legolas had to gasp for air after laughing so hard. "Could be. We are lucky we didn't lose our neck!"

Keldarion gazed down at his brother. "Thanks to you, we are still alive. You never gave up on me."

"Aw, stop that, Kel!" Legolas said, a little embarrassed.

The elder prince pulled his brother into his embrace. "Just be quiet and let me tell you that I love you."

"Right. Hmm, same here," Legolas shyly replied.

They stayed that way for quite a while, grateful that they had succeeded in facing a certain death together.

"Eh-hem!!" The twins interrupted, loudly clearing their throat. "What about us?"

Keldarion and Legolas grinned. "Yes, we love you guys too!!"

The four companions then crowded around, hugging one another.

"You two came just in time," Legolas said. "I was already defeated back there." Then he cried out in pain when Elrohir bumped against his injured arm.

"What? Did I hurt you?" Elrohir panicked when he saw Legolas grimacing.

"I think he broke his arm during the landslide," Keldarion told the twins. "Get me the leather strap. We need to bind his arm close to his chest before we head back to Mirkwood."

*******************************

Commander Linden led his troop of warriors through the woods. Night had just fallen but there was still no sign of the princes and their companions.

They had started searching for them the moment the storm had passed. Even Linden, who was not a father himself, could understand the great worry that Thranduil was going through. Those elflings! Always come out with one escapade after another! They are lucky they are not my sons or I would lock them in their chamber and not let them out until it's time to sail over the sea!!

"Commander!" One of the warriors called out suddenly, pointing out to their left at the approaching shadows.

Keldarion, Legolas and the twins looked up in surprise at the horse-riding Mirkwood warriors that unexpectedly appeared in front of them. They were not aware of the troop until they met them face-to-face.

"Linden! What are you doing here?" Keldarion spoke. He had one arm wrapped around Legolas, pulling his unsteady younger brother against him. Legolas, a little dazed and very tired, only lifted his good hand and waved at the commander.

Linden instantly dismounted, followed by the rest of the warriors. "Your highnesses! Good lord, what happened to you?" He looked at the two pairs of brothers, up and down. The four of them were soaked to the skin from head to toe with mud and lord knows what else. "You looked like drowned rodents!"

Elladan and Elrohir broke out laughing. Obviously, they were sharing a secret joke between them.

"The storm hit us while we were racing home," Keldarion explained, smiling at the twins' laughter. "Legolas and I got swept away by a landslide, we tumbled downhill into the valley, I got pinned under a tree, Legolas broke his arm, then came a wild flash flood, I got trapped underwater and we both nearly drowned. All in all, a very adventurous day for the four of us!"

Linden and the warriors stared wide-eyed at Keldarion's words, a mixture of disbelief and horror appeared on their faces.

"Well," Linden said finally, his lips twitching in amusement. "We have been looking for you by the king's orders. I'm glad you are all right."

"Except for me. I've broken my arm," Legolas whined, pointing at his injured arm in the makeshift sling.

Linden smiled wider. "Well, then, my prince. You are riding with me. We don't want that arm jostled too much, do we?" He then told several warriors to give their mounts to Keldarion and the twins.

"Now, let's go home," Linden said when everyone had settled. Then they were off.

In the peaceful silence, Legolas suddenly voiced out, "Linden?"

The commander gazed at the younger elf who sat in front of him. "Yes, your highness?"

"Is father angry?"

Keldarion and the twins groaned out loud to hear that. Linden grinned as he replied, "Immensely!"

**********************

Thranduil was not only angry. He was furious.

How dare those boys worried me like this again! he fumed as he paced in front of the great door. When are they going to start behaving like adults?!

A shout from the courtyard caught his attention. He rushed out the door to investigate, and all his anger disappeared abruptly. The boys have returned!

Linden placed a supporting arm around Legolas' waist as the prince dismounted. Keldarion and the twins also got down from their horses and turned to face the king.

After he got the first look on his sons and their companions, Thranduil felt torn between laughing or yelling at them. "What on earth had happened to the lot of you?"

"The storm happened," Keldarion answered. Then he started to relate the story the same way he had told Linden earlier.

"This time it was not our fault, father! How could we know there will be a storm coming today?" Legolas pleaded their innocence, thinking that the king was still mad at them.

Thranduil tried to keep a stern-looking face but failed. His lips twitched. Relief that his sons were still alive after that horrific landslide and flash flood, the king raised his arms to hug them both, but then thought better of it.

"Go inside and get clean," he ordered, wrinkling his nose at their mud-splattered state. "Take a bath and get rid of that mud! The four of you look like drowned orcs!!"

The young elves grinned at one another like idiots. The king's assessment of their appearance was the best they heard yet.

"And Legolas, after you've finished washing I'm going to look at that arm. That means, do not leave your chamber after your bath," Thranduil added.

Legolas rolled his eyes. "Yes, father." He started to follow the others inside. Then his eyes caught Elrohir's. They exchanged knowing looks for several seconds before they took off running at high speed.

"What the…!!!" The others were astonished to see the two run ahead.

"Is the race still on?" Elladan asked, bewildered.

Keldarion sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Looks like it is."

They both stared at each other and cried out, "Little brothers are annoying!!"

THE END

Finish already! Yes, that story was short, I know. Right now, I'm in the process of completing another LOTR story entitled 'Tortured Soul'. Yep, another 'T'.

I would like to thank all of you who spent your precious time reading and reviewing this fic. And, like always, here are the faithful reviewers in alphabetical order : AbbiCat14; Alkvingiel; dae; DiamondD; Ebony Falcon; Fairylady; feanen; goblz; HalandLeg4ever; Kayo; Kristy South; Legolas4me; legolaslover20031; lucy; Menthol; namarie2Legolas; Nikki1; PokethePenguin; Sailor Elf; szhismine; Tapetum Lucidum; teddybear888; Zoya (if I forgot anybody's name, please forgive me!)

I also have a request here. Since I have been submitting stories to this board early this year, I keep wondering if you readers could see the MORAL VALUES that I tried to put in my every story. If you can identify them, please tell me and give me your views. Your feedbacks are greatly appreciated!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

And Meagan my beta, I'm indebted to you. Thanks!

To those who are still confused, here are the titles in the Manyan Series :

1. Twisted Maze                                      (Prequel)

2. Touch Of A Healer                    (Prequel)

3. Typhoon                                                 (Prequel)

4. The Evil Bride                                      (Pre-LOTR)

5. Traps In The Woods                     (Pre-LOTR)

6. Tiger, Tiger                                      (Pre-LOTR)

7. Trauma                                                  (Pre-LOTR)

8. Through The Eyes Of Hawkeye                (Pre-LOTR)

9. Take My Heart Away                       (Pre-LOTR)   

10. Thicker Than Water                     (Pre-LOTR)

11. Thunder In The Realm                     (Pre-LOTR)   

12. Trust                                                      (LOTR)

13. Tortured Soul                                        (LOTR, coming soon)

See you all in 'Tortured Soul' in two weeks time!! See ya and smile always!!!