Sorry for that previous cliffie. I just couldn't help it. And now, for another cliffie…err…chappie!!!
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Suddenly, the door opened and Legolas entered. "Kel?" Then the younger prince went stock still when he saw Arwen wrapped tightly in his brother's arms. "Wh…What are you two doing?"
"Oh, Legolas, help me!" Arwen cried out. "He has gone crazy!"
Legolas stared in disbelief at his brother. "Kel, what's going on? Why are you treating her that way?"
Keldarion snarled, "Leave us, little elf! This does not concern you!"
Legolas' eyes narrowed. "Let her go, Kel. You are hurting her."
The elder prince only growled. "Get out, you foolish child! Or I'll break your neck!"
In that instant, Legolas knew that this was not his brother he was speaking to. His blood ran cold. "Who are you? What have you done to my brother?"
Keldarion laughed. "Your brother? Why, he is here, begging me to stop! But why should I? I'm having so much fun controlling him now!"
Arwen took the opportunity of Keldarion's distraction by raising her right foot and stepped down on his bare toe as hard as she could. He yelled in anguish and his hold on her loosened. She immediately broke through his arms and fled away to hide behind Legolas.
"Arwen! Go get my father and Lord Celeborn!"
"But Legolas…"
"Hurry!!"
She then ran out the door. Legolas faced his brother, his eyes calculating and searching. "Kel?" he called out anxiously. The elder prince laughed. "He can hear you but he can't answer you! Not right now."
"Get out of him, you fiend!" Legolas yelled.
"Make me." Keldarion sneered, sending chill up and down Legolas' spine as he saw the pure evil reflected on his brother's handsome face.
After a full moment of silent, Legolas growled deeply in his throat as he lunged at his brother. They both fell to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs, struggling to hold the other down. To those who knew them, they might think that the two princes were at it again, that their famous wrestling match was back in session. But this was a far cry from their usual playful scuffle. This match was more brutal and devoid of love.
Legolas swung his fist and hit his brother on the cheek, but then Keldarion struck back with an upper cut to his chin. Legolas saw stars, so powerful the blow was. He kicked and jabbed but his brother seemed to know his every move and managed to avoid being hit.
Legolas was now on his back, trying desperately to block his brother's incessant blows. He stared in horror at the wild and crazy glint in Keldarion's eyes. What had caused him to be this way? he thought desperately as his brother's elbow hit him again in the stomach, making him gasped painfully. Then he remembered. Oh, no! It was the red mist coming from the bottle! Was that the thing that triggered him to act crazy like this? Kel, come back to me, please!
The next thing he knew, Legolas felt his brother grabbed him by the front of his tunic and flung him across the room. He went sailing through the air and hit against the tall mirror standing by the wall. The mirror broke to pieces upon impact, showering Legolas with thousands shards of splintered glasses as he fell to the floor.
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"STOP IT!!!" Keldarion was screaming, but nobody except the demon heard him. He was now trapped in his own body, losing all control of his own movements. He could only watched in horror at every nasty thing that was being done to his brother. "Stop hurting him, blast you!!!"
He looked on as his own hands grabbed Legolas from among the sharp pieces of broken glass and hit him again and again. His younger brother was only half conscious, already bleeding in many places.
"STOP!!!"
But the demon only laughed and laughed….
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"Keldarion!" Thranduil shouted as he entered the chamber. He was greatly shocked when he saw his elder son beating his youngest senseless. "What had gotten into you?!!"
The elder prince straightened up and turned. He grinned upon seeing the Mirkwood king standing beside Lord Celeborn. "What an apt question! What had gotten into Keldarion?" Touching his chin as if pondering, Keldarion then cried out, "Me!! I got into him!"
The two elven lords exchanged looks of dismay. Legolas began to stir at his brother's feet. He painfully raised his head and gazed sadly at his father. "Kel…it's not him…something else…" he said brokenly, already in tears.
Thranduil and Celeborn stepped closer to get to Legolas. Seeing this, Keldarion firmly placed his foot at the back of Legolas' neck. "Come any closer and this boy gets a new decoration on his pretty face."
They both looked down and saw that Legolas' cheek was indeed lying amidst a pool of shattered glass. If Keldarion press any harder, Legolas might cut the artery in his neck. The prince whimpered against the pain but gave no sign of struggling. He said instead, "Kel, I know you can hear me. Let go of me, brother. Let me free."
It was as if time stood still. Arwen and Lady Galadriel had also entered the chamber behind Thranduil and Celeborn. Silently, they all watched the spectacle with feelings of dread, waiting anxiously for the scene to unfold.
"Kel…" Legolas called again, fainter this time. He was slowly losing consciousness.
Keldarion looked down, a mixture of emotions flashed rapidly across his features; glee, impatience, disgust, anger, dismay…guilt…
And the time dragged on.
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"LEAVE HIM ALONE, CURSE YOU! GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Keldarion still couldn't stop screaming, hating himself for being the tool for his brother's abuse.
Leave? All right, dear prince. I'll follow your words…for now…
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Keldarion finally stepped away from Legolas. The other four elves cried out in alarm when the elder prince swayed dangerously before collapsing in a dead faint beside his brother. They instantly got into motion.
Thranduil knelt down beside his youngest son and gingerly pulled the semi-conscious prince into his arms. Celeborn leaned over and touched Keldarion's neck. "He's still breathing. Take Legolas to his chamber, Thranduil. I'll take care of Keldarion."
"No…wait…" Legolas was protesting in a weak voice as his father lifted him off the floor. "Is he…?"
"Keldarion will be tended to, Legolas. But you are hurt. Let us see to you." Galadriel had come closer and stroked his head comfortingly.
Meanwhile on the floor, Celeborn was gathering Keldarion's limp form into his arms. Then, without warning, the prince suddenly snatched a long piece of the broken glass and stabbed it down towards the lord's throat.
His quick elven reflex and thousands of years of experience saved Celeborn's life. He saw it coming and managed to dodge out of the way…but not fast enough to avoid the sharp glass from hitting his right chest, so fast Keldarion was in his move.
Celeborn grunted in pain while the others cried out in alarm around him. He clutched Keldarion's wrist that held the glass and twisted it, forcing the prince to drop the deadly thing. Galadriel had already got down beside her husband and she gripped hard at the column of Keldarion's neck, pressing the nerve point there.
Keldarion thrashed about to get free but the lady's grip was firm. A moment later, the prince's eyes rolled in his head and he slumped forward, unconscious.
TBC…