Title: Light After the Storm, Chapter Five: The Triumph over Morsentel
Author: Nefertili
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Pairing(s): Aragorn/Legolas
Rating: PG
Genre(s): Romance, Angst
Warning(s): SLASH, meaning same gender relationships. If you are disturbed by this, read no further. Don't say I didn't warn you. There is also violence in here.
Author's notes: Yes! We're nearing the end! Look at the title again. Did you read the prologue? If you did, you'd surely have a heck on what's about to happen. And by the way, Amethyst Bubble, thanks for the review on my Chapter Four! I only do cliffhangers when they are necessary, but I give my best in them, anyway!
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"The fault is all mine…the fault is all mine…" Legolas said between stifled sobs as he let Gandalf gently stroke his back in reassurance. "If only I were more aware…" Legolas wasn't able to finish his statement. Aragorn would not have been possessed if not for his foolishness and ignorance. Legolas felt totally at fault.
"No," he heard Gandalf's voice endowed with wisdom say to him as comfortingly as possible. "Do not despair for mistakes that are not under your responsibility. Do not put all the blame entirely to yourself, Prince Legolas. Look at King Elessar."
Legolas gradually raised his head, as though frightened of what his eyes will behold. But he found out it was not all that heart-stabbing as he thought it would. He saw Aragorn in a way he had never seen him before. Aragorn seemed to be fighting with himself; his voice shifting from his own to the monstrous creature's…the way it was with Sméagol and Gollum.
"Let go of my body!" the real heir of Isildur's voice said with determination present in his words.
"You're indeed a lot more difficult to come to grips with than I've thought, Ranger!" the spirit said in a rather irritated tone. It was evident that there was rather some desperation in the tone as well.
"LET ME GO FREE!"
"Aragorn…" was all Legolas managed to say at first, his voice a mixture of wonder and dread. Slowly but surely, his eyes widened with understanding. "He is fighting the spirit…when I never saw Arwen successfully do so!"
"That will make it easier for me," Gandalf agreed with the prince of Mirkwood, fingering his staff readily.
It would have been easier for Gandalf to dispel of the spirit, yes. But before he could do another move, the worst shock awaited them. Aragorn was suddenly holding a knife he had drawn from within his clothing; he looked ready to strike himself.
"If my life is what you need to be rid of, then so be it!" Aragorn cried out. "I cannot let you inflict further harm to my beloved!"
Legolas was struck by the words just as lightning struck a dry forest and setting it afire. There he was, Aragorn, doing all means to triumph over the spirit, for the sake of his love, Legolas. He was even willing to give up his life for the Elven Prince.
But the spirit seemed to be determined not to give up the war for Aragorn's body. He was able to paralyze the Man's arm that was holding the knife, so sharp and deadly, to avoid him from imposing any more harm to himself. "I'm not as easy to be defeated as you think, son of Arathorn! Give up or you shall not survive the fight!"
Aragorn, of course, had some enough pride in himself for him to be inspired not to give up easily, now that Legolas was involved. With his strength of will, he still managed to move his paralyzed arm amidst the spirit's control. "If this is all that you can do, Evil Being, then you're finished!"
The multitude gathered inside the temple let out a cry of horror when Aragorn almost struck himself on his heart. He would have died right then and there if not the fraught spirit gave its all in having Aragorn once more in control; it could not force Aragorn to drop the dagger, however.
"No, King Elessar, he should not do it," Gandalf said worriedly. "He will, in the end, kill himself if he continues in his resolution; yet the spirit cannot be killed by metal. It will continue to live its existence and possess more innocent souls."
Legolas looked at Aragorn for a while. He was writhing, suffering, for he was slowly being devoured by the evil entity. He might not be able to survive it further if he wasn't given the aid. Legolas looked around him. They all were consisted of every race and nation of Middle Earth that took part in the overthrowing of the Dark Lord Sauron: Elves, hobbits, Men and a handful of Dwarves. He couldn't let them fall to the same fate as Aragorn and Arwen. He looked at his arm which was healed of the Ascar-lyg venom. He remembered all he underwent to go thus far. He couldn't just watch him, for whom he gladly risked his life and his immortality, fall into the darkness, farther and farther from his reach. In an instant, his mind was made up.
Looking at Gandalf steadily, Legolas said with firmness in his voice, "If that is what should befall if he should fail…we convince Aragorn to let go of the knife he carries and you are to do your job, Gandalf."
Gandalf, however, answered him rather hopelessly, "Alas, my lord, the King of Gondor could only hear the spirit's orders. He is kept away from the rest of us and the existing world by it…to be under his domination…to rob him of emotions so he will not be able to intervene with its works."
Legolas bit his lip, but his eyes were set. "Then if that is the case…I will take the knife from Aragorn. When that happens, do what you must do, Mithrandir. We cannot leave him alone to overcome it!"
"That's not a good scheme!" Gimli said suddenly, rushing to Legolas' side. "Let me do it! It's just like stepping into the halls of suicide just as that!"
"Bad if it is bad, Gimli, I don't care what you say…I don't care what befalls me anymore!" Legolas said in reply. Without further ado, Legolas stood up and ran towards the thrashing Aragorn. In no time at all, he was holding the dagger with his love.
Aragorn, upon seeing what was happening, said to warn Legolas, though he couldn't hear his lover, "Legolas! Leave this to me…You'll hurt yourself!"
His voice abruptly shifted into the spirit's, now furious and angry than it had ever been, "You again! I'll have to get rid of you, my hindrance, once and for all!"
"Evil One, I can never let you lay your hands on him!" Aragorn shouted back.
But the spirit really proved powerful. As swift as a flash, he, using Aragorn's weary arms, swung Legolas to the marble wall at some distance from them.
The force was terrible; the wall cracked and shuddered when Legolas hit it with his back. He stayed in the same position for a while, his eyes dazed and out of focus.
"Es-tel," was the name that sputtered out of his mouth before his eyes closed and he collided with the floor with a smash as he finally blacked out.
"NO!" Aragorn cried, fearing that the worst had fallen on his beloved. He attempted to come near Legolas and assist him, awaken him, but the spirit was against all this, forcing him to stay where he was.
"You are not helping him, mortal," it said.
"NO! LEGOLAS, LOVE, HEAR ME!"
"Keep silent!"
This time, Aragorn had enough of his enslavement. Before he knew it, he had mustered all his will and the strength of his soul as he shouted, "How dare you, Evil One!? You made me, of all the persons, inflict harm to my melethron! RELEASE YOUR GRASP ON MY BODY AND SOUL; NEVER RETURN!" (Nefertili: Melethron, if you don't know, means male lover in the tongue of the Elves.)
A shiver ran through Aragorn's body as the black spirit wasn't able to maintain his grasp on the King of Gondor, forcing it to leave his body. Gandalf took his aim with his staff.
"Receive the Flame of Arnor, Minion!" Gandalf said imperiously as a great flash of light escaped from his staff, obliterating the spirit. With a last shriek of defeat and defiance, it dissolved like wisps of falling dark snowflake and frost, its evil vanishing with it, leaving not a trace of its existence.
A great cheer erupted from the crowd upon the destruction of the Evil thing.
"The King of Gondor relieved himself from the spirit all by himself…he's more than what we think he is!"
However, it did not take long for the cheer to die out. Aragorn slowly stepped towards the fallen form of Legolas, which was crumpled in a heap at the base of the cracked wall. Gradually, he took the limp figure of Legolas in his arms and embraces him tightly to his chest. Estel was in point of fact crying and gasping over Legolas' pale head, which he cradled lovingly in his arms.
Seeing this, all that remained of the Fellowship, Elrond and his daughter Arwen gathered around them.
"If not for my foolishness, this wouldn't have come to pass!" Arwen whispered. "Oh, Legolas, talk to us!"
"You were possessed, my Lady, you were not in control of yourself. It was not you to blame," Gandalf answered her.
"But…but it happened when I, along with Father's Elves were helping pick the white roses which were for the wedding…and…and-''
"We will hear the whole story later, Arwen, along with what had hindered Legolas before he came here," Aragorn said as he stroked the Elven Prince's disheveled hair in an attempt to awake him, but it proved in vain; Legolas did not stir. "Legolas, please hear me…you have to be all right. You are in my arms now…you have long wanted it, haven't you, love?"
"Oh…is he…" Arwen said, her voice quivering with concern.
"No, he's alive, daughter," Elrond said, taking Legolas' wrist and feeling his pulse. The healer sighed. "But barely. He was laid bare to the enemy even before I healed him. He's extremely weakened…even Elves are hit hard by throws like such he hath just received…"
"But shall he live?" Aragorn asked him anxiously, grasping Legolas' other hand. There was not much warmth in his hand.
"He will be."
Elrond once more put his hand on Legolas' forehead; muttered a chant in the language of the Elves then raised his hand. After a few moments of waiting with held breaths, the company breathed with relief when Legolas' eyes fluttered open and he breathed normally once more. His face was now back to the color of life that was entirely his own.
"Legolas, welcome back!" Aragorn said, rubbing his head against Legolas' moonlight blond hair.
Legolas smiled weakly and looked back at Aragorn with an expression of joy that was too intense to be described.
This time, Mithrandir stood up tall and said, "Now I put forward that we discuss what had come to pass with all the details. However, I suggest that you all wash yourselves from the dust and dirt that fell on this day before we do so. Especially the Prince of Mirkwood, as he had suffered the most in this long day. What was once hidden shall be put to light tomorrow…"
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So, what do you think is the truth behind the happenings? And how Aragorn and Legolas will end this story?