AUTHOR: Elendriel elendriel_g@yahoo.com
RATING: PG
PAIRING: Frodo / Legolas (but this is non-slash fic)
WARNING: This part is kinda heartbreaking. You may need to look for a handkerchief or a box of tissue before start reading.
DISCLAIMER: All characters are Tolkien's, not mine. I just only borrow them. ^^
SUMMARY: After Frodo's parents death. Bilbo and Gandalf bring the hobbit to Rivendell.
NOTES 1: This fic is kind of a Little AU. In this story, Frodo is about 4-5 years old now and Bilbo adopted him immediately after the tragedy.
NOTES 2: My mother language isn't English. So be patience with my grammar though I had checked my grammar in this fic many times before post it.
NOTES 3: Thanks Izzy to beta chapter 1 for me, Shane for betaing chapter 6 and Lily Baggins who beta chapter 8 and further chapters.
*…* for thinking
~*~
Innocent
Chapter 13
By Elendriel
"…He…he's gone…"
Frodo was stunned for a second. *What did he mean Legolas is gone? No! NO! It can't be!*
The hobbit turned back immediately.
As soon as his nose was free from Elrohir's chest, he almost suffocated from the rich smell of blood that filled his nostrils. For a moment Frodo felt sick -though the twins and the man's clothes were marred with blood, they didn't smell as thick as this one- but it disappeared as soon as it came when he saw Legolas laid on the blanket across the fire. He was lying on his back, his face paler than paper. His upper body was undressed, revealing the flawless chest that was so still; no sign of the heart beating inside.
Elladan and Aragorn were kneeling. Both of them were quiet; desperation, hopeless and mournful, shone in their expressions clearly.
"He….he d…died?" Frodo whispered very lightly so that the elves and the man almost couldn't hear. The tears broke down as he got up from Elrohir's lap and staggered toward the elf with wobbling legs. Each step seemed like he was walking on jelly and the surroundings were twirling a bit before his eyes. He sank with a soft thud near Legolas' head. He eyed the orcs' foul arrows that had been removed out and laid on the grass, soaked with blood on their jags, disgusting. They had taken away the one he loved.
Legolas was dead. He would never see his elf again?
*NO! NO! NOT AGAIN!*
"No, Legolas! Wake up! Don't leave me!" Frodo screamed and shook the elf's shoulder hard. His tears dropped on Legolas' pale bosom.
Elladan pulled Frodo back from Legolas gently but firmly also.
"We are very regretful, too. His wounds were more serious than we had estimated. We can't help him anymore," Elladan said, looking at the boy worriedly. All the elves in Rivendell knew well about the great attachment between Frodo and Legolas. He couldn't predict what would happen after this when considering how much Frodo had endured after his parents died (Bilbo had told him).
Frodo shook himself out of Elladan's grasp. He lay upside-down, his head resting on Legolas's shoulder, one hand laid upon his brows while another clutched the elf's hair. He watched his bigger friend briefly before closing his teary eyes wearily. He had lost his parents and it hurt him so much. Each morning, he couldn't help but tell himself that his mum would never come to wake him up and give him a morning kiss and his father would never take him outside and teach him anything anymore. No chance for him to say that he loved them, or hug them or kiss them.
He didn't want anyone he loved to die anymore.
NO! NO!
He would not give up. He would not let the elf die.
NEVER!
His mind screamed and Frodo felt himself drown in the bottomless of darkness little by little.
* * *
This place was so dark. Legolas didn't remember how on Middle-earth he was here. He turned around, trying to find the way to get out. At one place, he saw a little pale light so he decided to go on that way. The dim light was brighter with every step he took and suddenly he found himself in a wood. It looked so familiar, though he couldn't point out where he was. The sun shone her warm light through the leaves of the trees and caught on his blond hair; many squirrels ran along the branches of the trees that were above his head and the birds flew in the sky, finding their food. A very peaceful forest it was indeed. However, Legolas felt uneasy as if something in this place was not right. He went deeper and caught a voice of female singing the lullaby which he'd once heard from his mother so often when he was a young boy.
He followed the melodic voice because anyone who was singing this song might tell him what this place was. Before too long, the lines of the trees ended and the field of daffodils began until he saw nothing, save only the daffodils. A female elf in a white dress sat there with her back to him. Her straight golden hair was glistening in the sun, adorned with a daffodil garland.
"Hello" Legolas said as he went near.
She turned back slowly and Legolas gasped when he saw her face clearly.
Mother!
The Lady was his long dead mother. She tilted her head a little as if trying to recall who he was.
Then she smiled and offered her hand to him.
"Legolas."
Legolas felt like tears were trickling behind his eyes, threatening to fall out. He wanted to say something to her but his throat was stricken and no single word could come out. His mother was as beautiful as she used to be. He watched all the details of her face, trying to find any changes in her while his hand reached hers slowly. Just only a second before his hand touched her ivory palm, he halted. This lady wasn't the mother he knew. Although she was smiling, the smile didn't touch her eyes. Behind the happy face was cold and distance.
This wasn't mother! She wasn't!
Legolas stepped back. His minds screamed in two parts. One said *Are you crazy?! This is the way you behave with your mother?!* while another one screamed at him that *She isn't your mother. She would never look at you like this. Never!*
"What's wrong, Legolas? Don't you remember me?" she asked.
His hand reached the short sword that hung on the belt around his waist. He clutched its hilt tightly though he didn't pull it out for he was not sure what to do.
"You are not my mother," Legolas said.
Surprise flashed her eyes briefly before she stood up.
Suddenly, the warmth of the sun disappeared as if someone tore the background surrounding him out and revealed the real world that was cold under the pale moonlight. The trees around him shook their branches and their green leafs began to brown before falling to the earth. The field of daffodils vanished and was replaced by the grass. All things turned from the world of life to the world of death.
The son of Thranduil glanced around him with alarm. *What's happening?* he thought. When he turned to see the one who was disguised to be his mother, he saw a blond-haired man in white and black clothes standing there instead. His eyes were black like coal. Just for one moment as Legolas looked into those eyes, he felt like something gripped him in its icy hands.
"You are a brilliant elf, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood," he said.
"Who are you? Why did you try to fool me?" Legolas asked, angered at the man who dared to taint his beloved mother by being her. No one could do that. He would never allow anyone to touch her without respect.
"I'm sorry for my unthinkable joking. Your mother always told me how bright you are so I wanted to test you and you passed my test."
Legolas' heart lifted up a bit when he heard the mystery man mention his mother. But his suspicion of the man didn't vanish easily. "How can you know my mother? I've never seen you in Mirkwood and she passed away a long time ago."
His mouth shaped into a small grin and the coldness in his eyes seemed to subside a little as well.
"Oh! Where's my manner? I'm sorry to not introduce myself at first. I'm a servant in the hall of Mandos. That's why I know you. I come here to welcome you to our place."
Legolas trembled. He looked down to the ground. "I'm dead?"
Suddenly he remembered that he had felt two arrows pierce into his flesh from behind as he tried to protect Frodo with his body. How was the boy? Would he be all right? Would the orcs look after him?
He was so much occupied with his thought that he jumped when he heard the Maia's voice.
"Not really. You are in the middle of life and death. However, you are at the brim of death now. That's why I came to welcome you," the Mandos servant said with cold smile.
"Come with me, Prince Legolas. The others are waiting to see you, especially your mother," the servant of Mandos said.
Many things rushed into his mind. He wanted to see his mother again so much but not this way. He knew his mother would never appreciate his death. He thought about his father and how much he would grieve if he knew his son was dead. Legolas saw that the dislike between Mirkwood and Rivendell would heat up on his account. And he could foresee that Frodo would cry so hard.
However, it wasn't only his imagination. His elven ears caught the very light sound of a crying child from the distance.
*Where is that crying coming from?*
Legolas raised his head up. He caught the man's eyes briefly, wondering to see the astonishment and trouble in those eyes. He realised the servant of Mandos was watching something behind his back. Therefore the elf turned around to see what it was.
He blinked his eyes when he saw the familiar figure running toward him. It was Frodo. The hobbit was crying hard that his eyes were puffy red; his cheek was so pale under the moonlight and stained with tears.
"Legolas!!!" Frodo cried as he ran toward him.
Then suddenly he fell down on his rump as if he was running into a nowhere-to-be-seen wall which the Maia had set immediately after he saw Frodo. For it wasn't good for anyone who wasn't dead or nearly dead to set his foot in the middle of death and life.
"Frodo!" Legolas ran to give his aid to the little boy but he too collided into the invisible wall as well.
Frodo struggled to get on his feet and tried to reach him again, but it was useless because there was an invisible wall between the two.
"Legolas, don't go! Don't leave me like father and mother, please…don't…" the hobbit said. He leaned against the wall as he sobbed more.
"How can he be here? He's only of mortal folk," Legolas asked the Maia, though his eyes fixed on Frodo, wanting badly to enfold the child in his arms, but he couldn't. So he leaned closer to the barrier and pressed a kiss on it where Frodo's forehead touched the invisible wall, hoping that the boy could feel his love via the unseen wall.
"It might be his fairy blood that leads him here. I've had a few elven healers come here to retrieve their patients back to life. Actually, only two elven healers have come here in many thousand years because coming down to this place uses a lot of power and it may cost the healer's own life. This little one loves you so much to come here though, I think, even he doesn't know how it happened. Tell him to go back. If he stays here too long, he will die."
Legolas was frightened at the Maia's words. He couldn't let this innocent boy die because of him. Frodo should have had a good long life with his family and friends.
"Frodo," the elf called the hobbit gently.
The boy lifted his head up slowly; tears still flew out of his eyes.
"Listen to me, dear one. I'm SO sorry but I can't go back with you. I'm dead now. Please go back to your friends and your family."
"No, I will go back with you or never go back at all!" Frodo cried out and began pounding his little fists at the wall, trying desperately to break it. His soft and tender skin wasn't used to such a violent thing like this. It started to crack and red liquid streaked out from the wound, mingled with tears to strain the wall.
Legolas saw the tear-stained angelic face before him contorted with pain but never once did Frodo stop what he was doing.
"Stop Frodo! Please, don't do that. Stop…" The elf's pleading was ignored. Frodo continued to punch at the invisible wall though his face was getting paler and he looked like he was going to collapse in a minute.
Legolas turned to see the servant of Mandos with tears in his eyes.
"Please, do something! Send him back to his world, Please. I'm beseeching you!" Legolas begged the Maia desperately.
"I can't. I don't have the power to do what you asked. Tell the boy to give up and go back for he is doing a useless thing because he can't break the barrier I had made."
However, as he said that, the wall began to crack and started to crumble down, making a huge hole in it.
The Maia looked at it startled and surprised. He had worked, well, too long to bother to remember when it had started; this was the first time the fence had ever cracked.
Meanwhile Frodo smiled happily even though the cuts on his hands were paining him greatly. He climbed passed the hole and flew into Legolas' waiting arms. As he crossed the border, the hobbit began to choke. He tried to catch his breath but could inhale no air into his lung. Frodo started to spasm. His fingernails scratched at Legolas' arms frantically.
The young prince of Mirkwood was panicked by Frodo's reaction. He had no idea what happened and how to help the boy. So he held onto Frodo tightly and stroked his back in a soothing manner while the halfling writhing in his arms.
The servant of Mandos saw the situation before him all the time. He hurried to the two and quickly shoved them through the hole. Legolas had only a little time to change their position to not crush the boy. He stumbled down on his back with Frodo lying on top of him. The elf noted that Frodo's spasm ceased immediately and the little boy panted heavily, trying to get the cool air into his lungs again.
"Only people who are nearly dead can pass into this wall but can't pass out. This little one can't get in unless he dies," the Maia said with a heaviness in his heart, realized now that Frodo wouldn't go back unless Legolas went with him. However, if he let the prince go, it would mean breaking the rules. Yet he could foretell that anyone who could break the barrier between two worlds wasn't a simple person. This little one's fate was indeed grander than his little appearance showed to the others' eyes. Thus, he hadn't a heart to let Frodo die here.
"For his pure intention and his great love for you that can destroy this border, and the fact that you aren't completely dead, I will let you go back to the living world," the Mandos servant said after he considered briefly.
"Thank you very much," Legolas said and stood up, holding Frodo gently in his arms.
The Maia gave him a small smile and pointed at the little light far away.
"Walk back to that light and hurry. Though I let you go, it doesn't mean that you will return to the living easily. You will meet many threads on the way. The faster you go, the better it will be for you two. This little one lost a lot of power when he tried to help you. He is at the brink of death now. Farewell." the Maia said and used his power to repair the damaged wall while Legolas held onto Frodo tighter and ran back to the direction the servant of Mandos had told.
* * *
The twins and Aragorn were so glad when they noticed that Legolas' heart began to beat, though very lightly, after Frodo had laid his head on the elf's shoulder a moment ago. However, they began to worry for the boy's condition instead because Frodo was getting paler. Aragorn checked the hobbit quickly, tried to detect any fatal damage that he might have overlooked in the first place but found nothing, except that Frodo's heartbeat had slowed down until he could feel nothing at all. The man lifted Frodo's head off Legolas' shoulder quickly, thinking to lay the hobbit's head on the ground so that he could look at the younger boy more easily. However, he changed his mind immediately when he noticed that Frodo's condition was getting worse. So he laid the boy's head back on Legolas' shoulder again.
"Elladan, pump his heart. Frodo has stopped breathing," Aragorn said. He pinched the hobbit's nose with his thumb and forefinger as he bent down to puff air into Frodo's lungs. At the same time, Elladan pumped his heart very carefully because Frodo was very small, only a quarter of his own height and weighed barely more than a feather. If he pushed too hard, it would harm Frodo instead of help him.
Before too long, Frodo began to breathe again though his breathing and his heartbeat were too slow to the twins' and Aragorn's liking. At least the hobbit was still alive.
Suddenly, the sons of Elrond by blood and by heart heard the galloping of a herd of horses coming to their direction. Each drew their swords out, prepared to fight if need came.
In a minute, Elladan's chestnut horse came into view, followed by Elrond's horse with its owner on its back and many inhabitants of Rivendell.
"Ada!" the three cried and went to greet their father as he dismounted his horse.
Elrond nodded at his sons solemnly as his eyes caught on the two figures who were lying on the ground, bathed with the orange light of the flame. He listened to Aragorn's brief story while kneeling down and checking his two patients. From his experience as a healer, he knew that Legolas was on his way to Mandos which meant he might have the chance to pull him back.
What he didn't understand was how he could feel Frodo's presence in Legolas' mind. However, it wasn't the time to resolve the puzzle. The Lord of Rivendell gathered the healing power he possessed and placed his hands on Frodo's and Legolas' forehead, beside the hobbit's tiny hand. He leaned his back trustfully to Glorfindel's chest and started his journey into their minds.
To be continued...
~*~
Author's note: Sorry to make you all waiting four months for this chapter. All the time I was too-da**-busy. Yet I'm still busy until now, even Easter wasn't time for me to relax much. And bad news, my computer seems to love me no more. It keeps hanging up everyone in a while, let's say 20 minutes. That makes me mad and I need to fix it as soon as possible.
*sigh*
Forget about it. Thank you so much for your reviews. Each made me my day.
Vana Burke : For one who doesn't have any brother or sister like me, not mention about lacking of male friends when I was young; it's hard to imagining what would a boy do or like to do. Little Frodo that you just read was the closest image that I could think of for a brother I never had but would gladly to have one if he would cute like Frodo.
Mitsuko : I was feared of you chasing me around and decided to let Legolas alive but you didn't mention about Frodo dying. So I think it's okay to...er...you must wait to see the next.
Lutheyl : I didn't think about the problem with Gollum at first but I guess it will be hung up in the air like that. So you could just forget it. For Frodo's heritage of Fairy blood, it gives him some advantage, however, with a great cost that will change his life.
HaloGatomon : Alright Goll...er...I mean Halo-chan. ^_^; Leggy is saved. Now I think it's your time to worry about cutie Frodo. *ran away*
Gia : Yeah! It would be better to make Legolas get on his feet and run into the forest, find a beautiful elven princess, married and live happily ever after. But hmm...that sounds very fairy tale. I need blood and cry! mwhahahaha.......
Jaimi : Well, thanks a lot for good support, honey. I'm not angry about those reviews anymore. It's not worth to let those ruin my mood, right? Beside, not much people care about author's note. They just eager to read the story and so skip it, even me sometime do that too. *blushes*
Elvin Flame : If gollum was a dead meat, I'm sure wouldn't want to look at it a bit. urgh...*shudders*
ViNguyen: No! You can't cuddle little Frodo! He's mine...my precioussss....
Serena Cherry : oh...let your lawyer comes, honey. I'm thinking to study 'law' soon. Kidding. You should go to see the doctor. It's not good to faint, you know.
Salysha : Well, the tone in this story changed so much like you noted, from the smile and laughing between Frodo and his friends to the dark theme of battle, a bit frightening and death.
I'm a girl who intend to forget everything that is unnecessary or seem to be unimportant and 'elf-friend' had counted into this group too. Thus 'elf friend' was completely unintentional use and I'm sure will oblivious about the meaning of 'elf-friend' if you didn't mention it. I want to thank you about this fact. So I couldn't use it wrongly in the other fics I intend to write.
If the last one should have labeled as "Warning: causes unbearable curiosity and pressuring of the author." This one should label as "Warning: Stop reading it when you have time and look at the other stories that would cause you smile instead of this one."
I really enjoyed make the story go on slowly with important details at suitable times. However, I must confess that sometimes I am annoying with myself when the story seems to be expanded more than it should be because it feels like I will never finish it. And that thought is frustrating.
Well, thanks very much for your great comment. I hope you would enjoy this story so far.
tidus2529 : What happens with Legolas, doesn't that bad like you would find tha answer by now.
WildFire203 : Being
see Frodo pout everyday give me antibody from your pout, my dear. What's a periannath?
'Periannath' is the word that the Elves called the hobbit like the Men called
them ' halfling'
LilPup : I wasn't cliff-hanger. I was just so busy with stuffs. Besides, life is never fair. You can't choose what will happen to your life as well as you can't choose whom will be your parents or what would be your nationality. Well, just hope that the next chap will go out as soon as possible. Sorry to take a long time to update.
JadeownerofCATBoy : Your compliment was flattered me. ^.^ Really, you are not the first person who wants to see Frodo when he grows up. If I really did write more, it would take a long time to finish the entire story.
sagesumi : You surprised me with your almost right prediction. (I had wroted some part of this chapter before posted chapter 12) That meant my hint in the story hadn't been ignored at all.
blackunicorn : I don't know how could I do that either. I think I just wrote down along the plot I had planned though it would make the story more anxious.
Erinamation-limited2-nothing : I'm afraid this
chapter still not be the rest that you would like to know.
Finafyr
: Well, you should have looked closely at the note above the story. It's a kinda
of AU story. So everything could happen. However, don't be afraid about
Legolas' life. Our elf is toughter than you expected. At least he still be alive...for
god (I) know how long. hohohoho ^_^
Sky B. : I didn't mean to make
my story in the fashion of Legolas-dying-in-the-end. Sorry to make you feel uncomfortable
with the ending of my last chapter. Thanks for reading though.
liena : *gives handkerchief*
Serafina : Ah...you have the same mind about 'Frodo suffered for ANOTHER death of his loved one' like you will see what I didn't make Legolas die. By the way, I like your name 'Serafina'. If I remember rightly, 'Seraphim' is one of angels. So I presumed your name came from it.
