@Elven-Star-Of-Gold – Really? Haunting stuff is fun!

@Deana – When I read your review, I couldn't help but cackle evilly...

The song in this chapter is Superman by Five for Fighting. The lyrics may be wrong because It's really hard to hear what that guy's saying sometimes!

Chapter 33

~I can't stand to fly.~

~I'm not that naive.~

~I'm just out to find,~

~The better part of me.~

Legolas spent a lot of his recovery in his tent. He doesn't remember a whole lot since his mind was completely solidified with the thought of finally going home. What would the weather be like? What would Elenest look like? Obviously she'd start to have a belly; and his father would be smiling and there's a twinkle in his eye when he greets him. He couldn't wait.

Five days after Legolas had heard the news he had a nightmare.

He had returned home. Everything was faint and blurry, but he could make out the archway in the courtyard. He'd walk through it. It was like walking with a lead ball tied to your ankles. His feet dragged and his head grew heavy. Streaks of black shot across his vision like shadows. He gasped for breath and clutched his chest as he fell through an archway. He grabbed the stone but his hand slipped and he collapsed on the ground.

When he looked at his hand it was covered in bright red blood. His eyes widened when a knife suddenly clattered to the stone just ahead of him.

'It was me.' a voice softly whispered. 'I killed him.' Legolas slowly looked up. He could see the hem of a skirt and small slippers peeking out from underneath. A slim waist and flat stomach. He had passed her chest and spotted a necklace on her neck. The vision was blurred, but it definitely looked familiar.

'Legolas! Awake Legolas!' Legolas groaned as someone shook him from his eerie vision. He focused on the doctor who was shaking him gently.

'What?' he moaned.

'Your escort has arrived.'

As Legolas got dressed and washed himself, he realized he wasn't nearly as sore as he was before. He exited the tent to the fresh smell of a small amount of rain. The sky was still overcast and hid the rising sun from view. The escort was ahead of him, obviously fit for a prince. There was a white carriage of magnificent size drawn by large white horses. Four elves and a driver awaited him there, two mounted on other white steeds. Surrounding them were the people who lived in the camp, which was smaller since people had been going back home ever since the battle had ended. He noticed they were all staring at him.

~I'm more than a bird,~

~I'm more than a plane,~

~More than some pretty face beside a train,~

~And It's not easy to be me.~

He walked out slowly to the silence and burdened faces. Was his leave really this sorrowful to them? Had he really done that much?

Redd approached him slowly, carrying a small bundle. His face seemed tired and laden like the others.

'You came as just another person from a far off place.' he said. Legolas could tell he had rehearsed a speech before. 'You proved yourself brave and kind when you first battled against a plague that has haunted us for a long while. You became a legendary icon, then a rare hero, then a friend to us all.' Redd sniffed and his eyes began to well up.

~I wish that I could cry.~

~Fall upon my knees.~

'Now that you're leaving us, we feel a sorrow in our hearts.'

~Find a way to lie,~

~'Bout a home I'll never see.~

'We all agreed that we should give you something to show our alliance, friendship, and brotherhood.' Redd held out the bundle. Legolas shook his head.

'I wouldn't have been able to do anything if you all didn't save me countless times!' he said quietly, but loud enough for others to hear.

~It may sound absurd,~

~But don't be naive,~

'You have now idea how many people you've saved.' replied Redd. Legolas smiled and took the bundle from him.

~Even heroes have the right to bleed,~

~I may be disturbed,~

~But won't you concede,~

Legolas slowly unwrapped the bundle and gazed in shock at the gift in front of him. There was an ugly scar across the middle from being reformed, but there was no mistaking it. It was his blade, and it began to glow faintly. A tear slid down Legolas's cheek and fell onto the metal. It tinged lightly and the light grew even more white.

~And it's not easy to be me.~

Legolas was speechless, and the only sound was the echoing of his fallen tear.

~Up and up again away from me,~

~Well it's all right.~

~You can all sleep sound tonight,~

~I'm not crazy, or anything.~

Legolas dropped his blade, the steel sinking into the dead grass. To his surprise, it still began to glow brightly. He noticed the grass around it slowly changing color from yellow brown to a vivid green from root to tip like a flowing paint. It began to stand up straighter. Legolas smiled.

~I can't stand to fly.~

~I'm not that naive.~

~Men weren't meant to ride,~

~With clouds between their knees.~

'You don't know how great this feels...' he whispered. 'It's like... just incredible.~ Legolas wasn't the only one feeling it. Everyone felt as though their chest would burst with happiness. Legolas felt as though he was tilting. Stepping over the blade he embraced Redd. Redd hugged him back and felt tears racing down his cheek. It was then they both realized something important.

Someone can make as big a difference as they want... but only if they want to.

~I'm more then a man,~

~So sell that red sheet,~

~Trade it for Kryptonite,~

~On this one-way street.~

~I'm more then a man,~

~So sell that red sheet,~

~Looking for special fates,~

~Inside of me...~

~Inside of me.~

~Yeah inside of me...~

~Inside of me.~

~I'm more then a man,~

~And for that red sheet,~

~More than a man,~

~Looking for a dream.~

~I'm more then a man,~

~And for that red sheet,~

~And it's not easy...~

From the silence, a person began to clap. Legolas opened his eyes and more began clapping. He sniffed as the crowd around him burst into applause.

Home.

~It's not easy to be me.~

.

.

To explain that very LONG stretch of song up there, I wanted to make it like everything was done, over, zip-zap nothing else. Then they started clapping. For those of you in band *I really don't know if any of you are*, it's like that part when the music gets so quiet you can't hear it, then the real climax of the song starts! Which, by the way, will come up in the next book! Believe me, you'll be surprised what's going to go on!