Gasp! The very last installment! :( I, for one, am kinda sad. It seems like I worked forever on this story, and now it's all over. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I will post once more after this, to thank you guys and answer any reviews. This one's a bit longer than the last one, I think. :)

SilverKnight7--Lol! Sorry, I had to do it! I saw the line, and was like, "I have to stop this chapter here!" Thanks! :)

Deana--That was for all the wonderful cliffhangers you left me! :D Hee, hee. Hmmm, will you be attending Legolas's funeral? Will Aragorn save him? Will Aragorn attempt to save him and they both die? Am I really that evil?! :D Hope you like this last chapter!

wadeva--Yay, a new person! :D I'm glad you like it!

Here you guys go..I'm going to put the last couple paragraphs from last installment in.in case you forgot what's happening ;)

Gandalf hesitated a split second before turning and leaping from the low balcony and racing off into the fray.

"I will not leave you!"

"You must! Estel, I never thought it would end like this, but I will not have you die needlessly. Go now!"

Aragorn was absolutely torn. 'How can I just leave my best friend here to die alone?' A horn call filled the air. The army of elves, though surprised, obeyed immediately and made a hasty retreat.

"Go!"

Aragorn closed his eyes.

"Estel, listen to me. You are my dearest friend. I love you; please do not let me die with the knowledge that I killed you, too."

Aragorn suddenly knew what he had to do. He did not hear Legolas's voice anymore and knew that he was no longer at the window. Steeling his mind, the Ranger took off back into the castle entrance. 'He is somewhere on the third floor.'

Legolas staggered as smoke filled his lungs more rapidly. A harsh cough forced its way from his chest, leaving him to fall to the ground, wheezing. 'At least I know my friends and family are safe. I am so sorry, Haldir. I am so sorry I could not save you at Helm's Deep. And I am sorry that I am leaving you, Estel.' The castle shook roughly, causing him to crash the rest of the way to the floor.

Through bleary eyes, he saw the window. Alas, it was too small for him to fit his body through. 'This is it, then. I wonder what the other side will be like.' Blackness overcame the blonde elf.

Aragorn was thrown into the wall of the stairway as the castle trembled. 'He was right; it is going to blow up.' That thought only served to make him move faster. 'I have to reach Legolas in time.' Finally he reached the landing on the second floor. Whipping his head around frantically, he at last spotted the next stair case. Again he fled up these ones, taking as many as possible at a time.

The third floor greeted him. 'Now which door?' He started going down the hallway, rapidly flinging open which ones he could. Some were locked, though, and Aragorn could only hope that Legolas was not in one of them.

"Legolas! Legolas, can you hear me? Answer me! Which room are you in?"

Nothing replied to him. As he neared the end of the hallway, he realized that heat was pouring from the last room. Smoke was being emitted from the small gap at the bottom. Aragorn grasped the doorknob, only to find that there was no door knob. 'What the--? No time, just get the door open.' Aragorn took a few steps back, and then ran full speed at the door, smacking his shoulder into it. The door gave a bit, but it did not open. Aragorn screamed Legolas's name again, but there was still no answer. 'Please, Valor, let him be all right.' He repeated his actions. When the door still did not open, Aragorn let a cry of pure frustration.

At the moment, the castle roared from within. It shook continuously. The Ranger was thrown off balance and smashed into the door, and to his utter delight, it swung open. He scrambled to his feet the best he could, still off balance from the shaking, and searched for his friend. Smoke was pouring from everywhere, so thick he could barely see through it. Soon he was coughing. Ripping his cloak from his back he used it for a cover for his mouth. After what seemed like an eternity to him, Aragorn located Legolas. The elf was lying prone on the floor, eyes shut.

Aragorn raced to Legolas and scooped him up in one fluid motion. His cloak fell from his mouth and landed on Legolas, forgotten. With the elf now in his arms, Aragorn sped back out the way he had come. There was not much time left, he knew.

On his way back down, objects from the walls fell off and crashed around him, sending glass and other hazardous things his way. He shielded his unconscious friend the best he could. At last he reached the foyer of the castle. There had been a shelf on the wall which held bottles of liquid; now they were all broke and on the floor. Aragorn ran through it with as much speed as possible. He could not afford to slip and fall on the liquid, nor get a piece of glass through his boot and into his foot, but the castle was truly falling apart now. The Ranger cursed Traemire in his head; the dark elf must have set this to happen, for he did not know why otherwise the castle would be set to implode.

He managed to make it through the entrance, only to find himself face to face with an orc. 'Valor you have got to be kidding me! I cannot fight now!' The orc stared in surprise. Aragorn used its momentary stunned-state to dodge out of its way and make for the forest. Unfortunately, the orc shook himself from its stupor and gave a cry which alerted others. The orcs were gaining on Aragorn and Legolas. The forest line was only several feet away when Aragorn felt rather than saw the castle blow up. He dove into the safety of the trees as hunks of stone flew everywhere, crushing whatever it happened to land on, which happened to be orcs rather than anything else.

Knowing it was too dangerous to just lie there, Aragorn forced himself to his feet and resumed his pace, hoping that Elrond and the others had not gone too far. He had only ran a dozen yards or so when he saw the Elrond and Thranduil ridding towards them. Giving a sigh of relief, Aragorn stumbled to the Elves.

Aragorn was the first thing Legolas saw when he woke. Legolas made a small sound, no more than a whimper. Aragorn immediately sat up in his chair and leaned toward the bed. "Legolas? Did you finally decide to wake up?" Aragorn smiled softly at his friend.

Legolas only moaned and closed his eyes. Now Aragorn chuckled softly. "Is it such a bad thing to be awake? Or is it the company?"

His jesting earned him a smile out of Legolas. "The company," Legolas croaked. Aragorn only laughed louder. Then he sobered.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Legolas frowned and thought for a moment. He started to shake his head no, but memories of Aeterna Forest and what it contained came rushing back to him. His blue eyes snapped open to lock onto Aragorn's eyes.

"Does that mean you do?"

"How did I get back here?" Legolas asked, his voice unusually rough. "I remember being trapped in that room...and then telling you to leave." As he said that, Legolas narrowed his eyes accusingly at Aragorn.

"You really expected me to just leave you there? I found you and carried you out, as you had passed out. The castle exploded, just like you said. Luckily, we were out of there by then." Aragorn grinned.

"I thank you, my friend," Legolas whispered.

"You have nothing to thank me for."

"Well, then, I shall yell at you instead. That was foolish of you to go back for me! You could have been killed! What if the castle had blown while you were looking for me? What if the orcs had attacked you while you had me, and you could not defend yourself? What if--"

"But none of that did happen," Aragorn interrupted. "And everything is fine. If the roles had been reversed, would you have walked away and left me?" Aragorn fixed a knowing, piercing look on Legolas.

Legolas glared stonily at his friend, which made the answer quite obvious. Legolas seemed to deflate and sought to change the subject. He was not truly angry with Aragorn, since the man seemed unhurt. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Well, you were unconscious practically the whole journey home, and you did not open your eyes for the whole day we have been here."

"I cannot believe I was out that long!"

"Aye, you do seem to be passing out and lying around for people to find, have you not?" Aragorn gave a crooked smile.

Legolas scowled good-naturedly at his friend. "And Father, he is all right? Were many elves injured?"

Aragorn shook his head. "Your father is fine. Several elves had minor injuries, but nothing too severe."

Legolas nodded, and his eyes drifted shut. Despite his long "nap," he felt very tired. "So the whole thing is over, then?"

"Hopefully. Traemire is dead. Most of the orcs were killed in battle, and more were killed in the explosion." Aragorn paused and then looked intently at his friend. "I have one question, though. What in Eru's name were you doing in there, on the third story, to begin with?"

Legolas lowered his eyes, unable to meet Aragorn's steel-grey eyes. 'If I tell him how Traemire managed to trick me yet again, then he will truly think me foolish.'

"Well?"

"Why dwell on the past?" Legolas countered hastily.

"I--"

At that moment, the door was flung open, and the twins came barreling in, cutting off anything Aragorn would have said. They were tripping over each other, and it took a moment for Aragorn and Legolas to realize that they were purposefully tripping each other in order to be the first one to reach the bed. Legolas and Aragorn had to stifle their laughter at the comical display they were putting on.

"Father said--"

"That since the--"

"First year anniversary--"

"Of the destruction of the--"

"One Ring, yada, yada, yada--"

"Is coming up that--"

Elladan threw his hand over Elrohir's mouth in order to quiet him. Over the muffled protests of his brother, Elladan announced, "Father said that--ow!" Elladan yelped, withdrawing his hand quickly. Elrohir grinned broadly.

"Will one of you just spit it out already?" Aragorn asked in mock exasperation.

"We are getting there!" they cried in uncanny unison. "Father said that we can throw a big--"

"Party!" Elladan finished, at the same time Elrohir said,

"Festival!" They frowned and turned to glare at each other.

"Well, look at that. They do have their own, individual minds," Aragorn teased.

Legolas shook his head in amusement as the twins scowled at their foster brother. It never ceased to amaze him how extremely on track the twins were with one another.

The twins started up again. "We are writing up and sending out invitations--"

"To not only the Fellowship members but also to Lorien--"

"And Mirkwood, and if anyone from somewhere else wants to come they can."

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other with identical, mischievous smiles and finished, "The more, the merrier!"

Legolas could stand it no more and threw his head back in laughter. Elladan and Elrohir flashed wide grins at the prince.

"Rest now, my friend. We will take care of all the preparations," Elrohir "assured" Legolas.

"We are scared," Aragorn retorted.

Elrohir stuck his tongue out at Aragorn before the twins went out the door.

"All is well that ends well, right?" Legolas murmured, glancing at Aragorn.

"I suppose," Aragorn answered thoughtfully. "It all depends on if you are really all right."

Legolas thought for a moment. At length he answered, "Aye, I am."

"Then life will continue."

"For those still living."

"His death was not your fault," Aragorn told him, gazing sincerely into his best friend's eyes. He knew his friend all too well, and Aragorn knew Legolas blamed himself.

"I know," Legolas whispered. And he did know. It was just taking time for him to accept that truth. 'And time,' Legolas thought with some trace of bitterness, 'is something I do not lack.'

The two friends fell quiet and sat in companionable silence, each reflecting on the events of the last two years till now. 'What a way we have come, 'Legolas thought, glancing at his best friend's face. 'And a long way we have ahead of us. And only did we make it through because of each other, because of friendship. Aye, indeed, the Fellowship may have broken into smaller pieces, but we worked harder knowing our friends, each other, were doing the same. And only did I make it through this because Hope had faith in me. You were right, Lady Galadriel.'

The memory of Haldir's face no longer pained him. Now he only recalled his friend in happier times. Haldir, he knew, was happy somewhere else. Legolas, for the first time in weeks, found peace within himself.

Awwwwwwwww, now wasn't that a happy ending?! :D Ending's are usually my weakness!