Title: Chapter Six: The Light After the Storm

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.

Author's Notes: Okay, people, this is the last of it. It seemed only yesterday that I came up with the idea of Morsentel, slash and…But what a beginning has an end, right? Yeah, yeah…Mme. Nefertili, the Queen of the Didactics…Well, see how this story ends! By the way, the lines at the end of the story are from a song entitled…I'm not sure if it's 'When You Walk through a Storm' or 'At the End of the Storm'…so if you know the title, please tell me, K? Thanks!

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The sun never shined so brightly, Legolas thought as he faced the Anar from the open space between the mallorns. It was the day after the fateful 'wedding' of Aragorn and Arwen; a day after the worst trials and when he faced Mandos himself upon the brink of his heartbreak. Now, gone were the traces of his sufferings. His torn clothes which were streaked with blood and Ascar-lyg venom were discarded. Lady Galadriel had given him new clothing out of generosity. Now he was wearing a soft tunic made of a light blue-white material and dark leggings similar to what the galadhrim wore. His hair, however, he let down, reaching beyond his shoulder blades; and he looked different from the war-torn Legolas that tackled bane of the Elves and was wounded by several attacks of stray minions.

"Legolas?" a voice asked him from behind.

The Prince of Mirkwood turned around slowly. He was facing Aragorn, who smiled back at him. "You're beautiful, my Legolas, you really are."

Legolas merely laughed out of courtesy. "As are you, Aragorn." He quickly glanced at the son of Arathorn from head to foot. He looked different as well; he looked just like he was whenever Legolas pictured him: clad in leggings and a tunic that are both dark-colored with his flashing grey eyes; only he seemed to have washed himself. Aye, a miracle…Aragorn washed himself…Legolas thought to himself, and it made him giggle.

Aragorn looked at Legolas for a while then glanced at himself, as though becoming self-conscious. "Do I look peculiar, Legolas?"

Legolas managed to suppress his laughter as he replied, "No, no, don't get me wrong. You look fine, beloved."

Aragorn breathed a sigh of relief. How could he ever doubt Legolas? He then held out his hand for Legolas to grasp as he said, "I would just like to tell you, Mithrandir and the others are waiting for us."

"Oh, I remember now," Legolas replied, his smile vanishing slightly. "We are to talk about what came to pass…"

As they walked towards the meeting place, Aragorn said to Legolas, "I understand completely why you wish that it be left behind…but I guess we need to understand…" He broke off uncertainly. Legolas knew that Aragorn was still feeling the guilt of what he did to Legolas when he was in the grasp of the demon.

"Yes, you're right," Legolas assured him, giving his arm a loving stroke to attempt to relieve Aragorn of his shame. "Do not think bad thoughts now, please?"

"If you wish it, be it so."

**********

When Legolas and Aragorn arrived in the circular platform which was positioned on top of one of the mallorns, they found out that Gandalf, Arwen and Elrond, the ones who were most involved in the happenings besides them, already took their seats in a close circle. Arwen was now fully relieved of her possession. She smiled at the two as they took their seats on the two remaining chairs in the circle. The change in her was astounding; the fire in her eyes was gone and she was simply garbed in a silvery dress, though she still looked rather weary. Elrond sat still in his usual autumn robes which stood out in the mallorn's grey bark, though he left his tiara in his quarters; his face in its serious, wise expression. Gandalf, being a wizard of highest rank, was in all white; his staff, he carried in one strong hand.

Finally, they were complete, and Gandalf said, "It is true that not entirely all evil can be vanquished from this earth as long as we live. They still live in our mistakes and doubts, though this particular creature we managed to defeat on the day before now is still a powerful minion which used to serve the Dark Lord…Dark Lords in fact."

Elrond spoke up, "He served more than one Dark Lord? You mean Sauron and the first of all the Evil Lords, Melkor?"

"Yes, my Lord, but before we get to that, let's hear from Legolas what befell him before he arrived in the temple yesterday, that left him in the limits of his life."

Aragorn shot a glance at Legolas, who sat beside him. The Prince of Mirkwood closed his eyes for a while to recover the painful memory and he narrated to all gathered all that he had encountered on his way to his triumph. About the attack of the veering object in the woods with his horse Arod, about having to face an Ascar-lyg, in which he paid a terrible price of nearly losing his immortal life, and finally of Aragorn's horse, Hasufel's rescue.

Having finished his narrative, Legolas concluded, "That is why I came to the temple in such a way as you saw me…"

The council was silent for a moment before Elrond spoke up, "Ascar-lyg venom…I see. I could not recognize what poison attacked the body of the Prince of Mirkwood at first. My reasons are that this is the first case in which I encountered someone which hath the effects of the monster's poison. The poisonous green liquid remaining in the wound on your arm, Legolas," he told directly to the Elven Prince, "when I approached you gave me a hint that it was that of an Ascar-lyg…and I was afraid that if I do not act, you would have slipped from our grasp for all eternity. Your skin was already in the tint of grey, and that gave me a conclusion that the poison has already penetrated too deeply in you to be removed. Thanks to Hasufel, you came earlier."

"Ascar-lyg, you say, Legolas?" Aragorn asked. "How could that be? No Ascar-lyg has been seen since the downfall of the Dark Lord Melkor. Being his one of his demons he created for his own satisfaction, they cannot live without him…and out of his dark land at that."

"Now enters the story of Morsentel," Gandalf said as an answer to Aragorn's question.

"Morsentel?" Legolas and Elrond asked together.

"The spirit's name," Arwen said barely more than a whisper. It was clear that she was frightened by the mere mentioning of the name of the creature that possessed her.   

"He will reveal to you his identity once he gets hold of your body," Aragorn added. After a pause, he said, "He showed his entire past…and it was not exactly something that ought to be listened to if you want a lively conversation."

Gandalf nodded. "When I dispatched him with the flame of Arnor, it was as though he replayed to me the story of his life by the means of images…just as Aragorn said earlier. I came to understand that the veering object Legolas said attacked him and his horse in the forests of the Misty Mountains, the Ascar-lyg whose appearance seemed impossible…and the spirit that laid his hands of the bodies of the Evenstar and the King of Gondor, are one."

"Pardon me, Mithrandir, but I do not understand," Legolas said.

"To receive your answer, listen carefully," Gandalf replied. "This particular spirit was a dwarf once…living in the realm of Moria…when evil was still away from the mine. Even in his early years before he became a minion, he resented Elves far beyond reason. Because the Valar Iluvatar cursed his people…the Elves consider Dwarves as lower beings…things like that. He tried to convince his Dwarf-Lord that they start having their revenge on the Firstborn. But he was not in the side of luck, as no one agreed to his views.

Now Entel, as he was called before, became rebellious even to his own kindred. It came to the point that he was tortured and burned when he tried to seize the throne of Moria. But his acts sparked up the interest of the Dark Lord Melkor; after his death, Melkor got hold of his spirit and converted it into a minion with powerful dark magic for his own service, giving it a new name of Morsentel."

"And that dark magic is to possess beings…not only Elves and Men," Elrond said wisely.

"Yes, Lord Elrond," Gandalf said, nodding with accord. "Not only that. Morsentel was given the ability to 'split' his minion-soul so he can be in many places at the same time. Those powers were given to him on a mission that he destroys the silmarils and the Two Trees of the Valar, the timekeepers of Middle-Earth.

Morsentel was not successful in doing any of the missions assigned to him by the earlier Dark Lord. For what reasons? Probably because he wished that he use the power only for his own will; to quench his thirst for the bloodshed of the Elves. Now it happened that Lord Melkor was defeated, and in his place stood Sauron and Saruman. Morsentel then shifted his service to his new masters. When we defeated both of them in the War of the Ring, Morsentel was left in anarchy. He therefore lost all sense of serving and he used his powers recklessly, looking back at his past hatred for the Elves." Gandalf then looked at Elrond gravely. "He planned to take over Rivendell. Yet he knew you were too powerful to be touched by his own magic, as you possess Vilya, one of the Elven rings of power."

Elrond touched the blue stone of his ring. It was indeed one of the rings of power that were given to the Elves. Vilya, the Ring of air, belonged to Gil-galad before him, just as Gandalf's Narya, the Ring of fire, used to belong to Círdan. "So he took over my daughter in my stead," he said in realization. "How did it come to be, Arwen?"

It was now Arwen's turn to speak. She seemed a lot stronger as she said, "It happened when, as I tried to say yesterday, I was picking white roses along with several of our servants for the wedding. Extremely engrossed, I was with what I am doing that I did not notice I had wandered too far. As I gathered up all the blossoms that I had picked so I can go back, a black shadow just loomed behind me. I was alarmed by it, but as I tried to look behind me, Morsentel took over me.      

It was terrible. If one were possessed, one would lose all sense of time and memory temporarily. I don't know what happened…of what I was thinking of or how I tried to fight him away…all he allowed me to sense and remember was what he replayed to me about his life, just as Gandalf had said." She sighed at the memory. "So painful…every time I try to drive him out of me, I would only be thrown back upon myself. His words bring pain to the soul…tormenting one slowly until one finally succumbs to his power."

"In, short, he takes your soul to be his as well," Gandalf said. "That is how Morsentel becomes so powerful. He lives on the collected emotions and powers of all that he took, not to mention all the evil he nurses in him. And as a parasite to his host, he will soon abandon the body, he being more powerful then before, and the host's soul is lost to him…all his existence is history."

A gloom fell over the council the moment Gandalf said the horrifying fate of those who are not strong enough to resist Morsentel.

Aragorn then said, "What stuns me is how come I was able to repel Morsentel when the Evenstar, a stronger entity, being an Elf wasn't able to do so until Gandalf released her from the bond?"

This time, Legolas spoke out after a long period of silence. "Gandalf said the spinning thing that attacked me in the forest, the Ascar-lyg and Morsentel are one, or at least a part of each other. If they are pieces of Morsentel's demon-soul…then when I defeated the Ascar-lyg, a part of him was vanquished as well. That made him weaker and easier to defeat."

Gandalf nodded, "Could not have explained it better, Prince Legolas. A great part of him was thrown out of existence when thou defeated the Ascar-lyg. In fact, I saw that the thing of the forest just took the form of the great serpent when it got the chance."

Elrond then asked Gandalf, "If the demon is that strong…why was he overpowered by the flame of Arnor?"

Gandalf then said, "Old references to the chant of Melkor in which he cautioned Morsentel of his weakness. It goes as such:

By the Fire you were made to exist,

By the Fire, destruction, you may not resist,

One day you shall disappear into nothingness,

Just as you were during your emptiness,

One day he shall appear,

The Wielder, he to be called Mithrandir,

By his fire, thou shall be consumed,

And never shall thee, in thou glory, be resumed.

But it seems Morsentel's ignorance is his true weakness, as he did not pay heed to the warning. He hath forgotten it, if I am not mistaken, even before Sauron came to power."

The council lapsed into silence.

After a while, Gandalf said, "If no one has further questions on the happenings, then this council is put to a close."

All the members of the little council nodded and stood up from their seats. One by one, they departed by the stairs which span around the mallorn so they can go down the talan. Legolas heard Aragorn mutter to himself as he went down last, "Hasufel once more escaped from his stable, eh? I guess he needs a new groom…one that does not fall asleep out of pipeweed."

When they all were down the mallorn, Elrond suddenly took Arwen aside and said, "I hope you understand the matter, but Aragorn loves Legolas…"

"Yes, Father," she replied with a smile. Then she looked at Aragorn. "You know what, Estel? If only you have told me before, I would have given all my support to you."

"Arwen?" Aragorn asked, surprised.

"I know now, Estel. I wouldn't want to get in the way of your true love. Legolas is the one meant for you."

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Later that day, when the shades of dusk are falling over Lothlórien, the rising moon found Aragorn and Legolas strolling side by side under the shade of the mallorns.

"Legolas…it will forever be on my conscience all that I did to you yesterday…" Aragorn found himself saying to Legolas. "I slapped you…I hurt you with both my words and my-''            

"Hush, leave that behind, my love," Legolas said, putting a finger over Aragorn's mouth to silence him. "The past is gone. You are with me. I shall never put to mind that you inflicted me harm…you even risked your life and your soul for me."

Aragorn smiled and placed an arm around Legolas, who rested his head on his love's shoulder as he held Aragorn's free hand, grasping it tightly. Aragorn smelled his lover's hair, so fragrant and soft like sweet incense and silk. Then he remembered something.

"Legolas?"

"Yes, Estel?" Legolas replied, looking back at him. A flash of moonbeam fell on his eyes, and it made his eyes appear like the clearest blue crystal.

Aragorn drank in Legolas' beautiful image before whispering, "If you think I don't know how you felt when you suffered before you arrived in Lothlórien, think twice, love. I actually heard you crying out to me just as Arwen and I were walking down the aisle. It's my greatest regret if you implored my help yet I was not there to do so."

Legolas smiled understandingly. He touched Aragorn's cheek gently as he replied, "Our bond made you hear me. I'm sorry if ever I worried you, love."

"It's all right, Legolas," Aragorn replied. Gently pushing Legolas to the base of a nearby mallorn as he held his wrists tightly, he placed a loving kiss on Legolas' forehead, gradually moving down to his temples, his cheeks, and finally, his lips. He then began sucking at the Elf's lower lip, then after a while, moved to the upper one.

Legolas allowed himself to be taken by Aragorn, and he longed to encircle his arms around his neck, but Aragorn's grasping them, pushing them against the smooth mallorn bark as the son of Arathorn pressed himself dangerously closer to Legolas. "Amin mela lle, Aragorn. I'll always love you." Legolas said breathlessly after he broke the kiss.

"I love you too. I know you do…my Legolas…" Aragorn breathed as he steadily moved down to Legolas' smooth neck, tasting the salt of the sweat that was breaking out on his warm skin. He moved up to Legolas' pointed ears and nipped at them lightly, sending a gasp of surprise from Legolas' mouth.

"Estel! Not this time, Aragorn, please…" Legolas pleaded in a hoarse whisper, breathing in gasps. His hands were still imprisoned in Aragorn's hold as he was sandwiched between the tree and his love; his chest was heaving as though he went to fight an Ascar-lyg again. "Not this time…"

"Oh," Aragorn said, letting go of his strong grasp on his love, but nevertheless, he still kept his arms around Legolas' waist. He looked rather disappointed. But he smiled afterwards. "Then let it be, my love. I want you so…"

Legolas had to smile at Aragorn's hunger for him, yet he held Aragorn's hand as they resumed their walk. In a time, they reached a break in the forest. There stood an expanse of water, splitting the forest in two. The path ended in a silvery bridge that sparkled in the moonlight, spanning across the blue barrier.

"Shall we cross?" Aragorn asked Legolas mischievously.

Legolas nodded, though he didn't miss the playful tone in Aragorn's voice. When they reached the middle of the bridge, Aragorn pulled him to a halt.

Legolas looked at Aragorn in amazement. "What's wrong, Estel?"

"Look at the moon," Aragorn said. "See how beautiful she is."

Legolas laughed slightly, but he still looked at the side of the bridge, were Aragorn pointed. He gave another gasp. The moon, shining like pure mithril, reflected over the water. The moon looked as though it had tripled in its size, and it was surrounded by a faint crown of wispy night clouds and stars. There were also numerous fireflies, stars on the earth, on the scene, brightening the blue environment with their golden light.   

"Yes…" Legolas whispered, grasping the ledge of the bridge to admire the beauty and magic of the scene. He then felt Aragorn place his arms around his waist and rest his head on his shoulder.

"Yet they are not as beautiful as you are, melethron," Aragorn said, grasping one of Legolas hands. His voice then took on some emotion as he continued, "I am nothing without you. I pledge my love to you, Legolas Greenleaf…We shall beat the odds…nothing is impossible."

"Everything is possible, Estel…nothing can now separate us…and there's always a bright sun shining after the storm…"

Legolas gradually moved his head towards Aragorn's face, and their lips met once more, with only the moon, the fireflies and their light as the witnesses of the love they shared with one another.

At the end of the storm,

Is a golden sky,

And a sweet silver song of the lark…

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,

And you'll never walk alone,

You'll never walk alone…

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*curtain closes* Aww…is that nice? Thanks for the reviews, hope you liked my story!