Promising a Lie

Elrond watched sadly as his youngest son stood out in the garden, climbing trees like his best friend used to.

Used to.

"It's all my fault," he whispered. "I'm sorry, Estel. Legolas."

He sat there, just watching, trying to think of a way to ease his son's sorrow somehow.

Then he shook his head.

"You can't just tell him he's dead." Elrond said sternly. "Because there's still hope. For both of them."

But then again, as he thought about it, the chances of Legolas being alive was, well, -

One out of a thousand.

"At least there's one," he sighed.

* * * * * * *

"Legolas……"

Estel sat on the tree, watching the sky in silence.

"Everything okay here, you know. The twins are still up to mischief. Yesterday they put an orc's head onto Ada's chair, don't know how they got it. You should've heard him scream. I mean, Ada's always so calm about things you wouldn't even have imagined it." He said suddenly.

He stopped.

"I miss you, Legolas. Where are you?"

But the sky didn't answer.

Legolas……

"I keep dreaming about you, sometimes you're there but I can't see you. Then sometimes you're, - " he broke off, tears running down his face. "- crying."

"I'd ask you what you were doing there, then you would say, 'looking for you'. But I was there, Legolas. I was there!!" he cried.

"Are you dead, Legolas? Is that why you're haunting me? Is it?!" Estel asked. "Tell me what's wrong, mellon-nin. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Ada's always checking me, I think he thinks I'm going insane. But I'm not. At least I don't think I am. Am I? Do you think I'm going mad? Do you think I've gone insane? You're not just there in the dreams, you know."

"Sometimes," he began, " I'd really see you there, in front of me, or beside me…… Ada says it's because I haven't let you go. But I can't. I just can't."

Then slowly, as the wind blew, it lulled his exhausted mind away from his troubles, guiding him once more into dreamland.

Maybe I've really gone crazy……

* * * * * *

- Estel -

"Legolas!"

He was there again. I closed my eyes, hoping to get rid of the vision. But when I opened them again, he was still there.

And he was crying.

"What's wrong, Legolas?" I asked.

He stopped crying. He looked at me scared, and I wondered why, he's been doing that all the time. Was he scared of me?

"Would you let me go?" he asked presently.

"Huh?" I was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Would you let me go? Please?"

"I don't know what you're saying, Legolas."

"Please, will you?"

And then everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes, it was getting dark. The wind blew strongly, towards the sunset. Then I realized what he meant. He said to let him go.

So I did.

A little mist of gold, still caught in my heart. I let it go.

Namarie, Legolas.

I headed back towards the castle, my back facing the memory.

"Hey, Legolas," I began, walking.

// Yes? //

"You know, there are still many orcs out there in the world."

I heard him laugh.

// You're right. //

"One day, when you're back again, let's go kill 'em, okay?" I offered.

// Sure thing. //

Then we were laughing together, a thing we haven't done for more than a year.

I knew then, I had let him go.

But we weren't separated. We were together in spirit and soul, bond by our friendship.

Together we walked these paths before,

Then broken from a fight before;

I don't know what to think or do,

Now we're not apart.

Can't tell for sure,

What's waiting ahead in the future;

But one thing's for sure,

As long as you're by my side,

I don't have to worry, there's nothing to fear.

The wind blows and

Makes me let you go,

Can't reach out for your hand,

When we're not together,

Time stops forever,

Not passing, not moving,

Take my hand.

Towards the sunset,

There's a whole new world,

And we're going to explore it,

Not alone but together,

When time does pass I'll find you,

And take your hand forever.

Can't tell for sure,

What's waiting ahead in the future;

But one thing's for sure,

As long as you're by my side,

I don't have to worry, there's nothing to fear.

In the whole new world out there,

We're going to explore it,

We'll be together.

Oh, yeah.

Together it's the way we'll be.

"You know what, Legolas? I'm going to enjoy this moment." I said.

I heard him laugh again and together we walked up the steps, for the first time since our childhood.

The End

Now I'm done. Should I do a sequel, you think? Or start a new story? I realized a mistake in my story. You know, I put Terra, Tails and Green in, but I didn't use them? If I do a sequel I'll use them for sure.

So once again thank you, to those of you that haven't vanished yet, for reviewing my story.

Goodbye!