Disclaimer: The characters are not mine.
A/N: Well, here's the continuation. I hope you liked it. It's kinda shorter than the other chapters.
The world darkened even further. To Glorfindel, past events were repeating themselves. It was like this when he had seen Ecthelion fall. Only this time, Glorfindel did not follow a few seconds later.
Haldir had fallen. He had seen it.
He had been warned, and he came here to stop it, but he couldn't.
'You cannot change what was meant to be.'
'He chose his fate. There is nothing that could be done.'
But he did not accept it. He couldn't.
/I cannot lose you. Please, Valar. Not again./
/He doesn't even know I love him./
/Valar, please. Manwe, if you return him, I swear I will never hurt him again. Please…/
He was alone, standing where he was.
Haldir was gone.
Forever.
"NOOOO!!!!"
The outside world became a blur and Glorfindel just stood there.
/You cannot be dead. No!/
The rain was still coming down. The orcs were still coming into the fort. But to the seneschal, everything has just come to an end.
/Not again. Valar, why are you doing this to me again?/
An orc, seeing the fair-haired elf just standing there, smiled evilly and advanced upon the shocked elf. It raised its weapon, planning on killing Glorfindel swiftly.
/He doesn't even know I love him! Why? Why did you take him?/
The orc raised his sword, but the seneschal still did nothing. He did not even see the creature.
/Haldir…Oh Gods, Haldir. I love you. I love you. You cannot be dead!/
With a triumphant roar, the orc swung his weapon. Still, the eldar made no move to defend himself.
In the last second, the flash of the blade caught his eyes and he turned to look at the orc.
/I'm going to die as well. Again./
He closed his eyes.
/Haldir./
But the blow never came. The eldar opened his eyes to see Legolas fighting the orc that almost killed him.
/But I do not want to be saved./
Still in shock, Glorfindel let Legolas pull him to safety. The Mirkwood prince dragged the eldar inside the fort. There, Aragorn, Theoden, and what was left of the army tried hard to barricade the door.
"Lord Glorfindel, are you alright? Where is Lord Erestor? Legolas asked.
But the eldar could not hear anything.
/Haldir is gone…dead. I could not save him…could not…I failed him. I loved him but it wasn't enough. It was never enough. Love is never enough./
"Lord Glorfindel?"
/I am a failure. I could never save the people I love the most./
Legolas gave up when he realized he could not get through. He would have to look into this later. Right now, there was the horde of Uruk-hai to worry about.
Glorfindel stood where the prince left him. Vaguely, he could hear the sounds around him, Aragorn talking to Theoden, the orcs banging on the door. But nothing mattered.
/Everything that mattered has just been lost./
"Ride with me." Aragorn told the King of Rohan. If they were to have a chance against winning, no matter how remote and impossible it seemed, they needed to make the last stand together.
The horn of the Helm was blown, and the surviving army rode out.
Glorfindel was still in shock. But he managed just enough to ride out, to fight one last time.
They were few, and the orcs were numerous. Any other being would have trembled at the prospect of making a stand against so many. But the men and elves were past fear. They had nothing else to lose. And if the orcs were to succeed, the creatures would only do so when every possible way to stop them has been exhausted.
Glorfindel fought like a mad elf. He no longer cared for his life. He had lost everything. And it was because of these vile creatures. He would kill as many of them as he could, before they could end his life.
And he wished to end it.
/Maybe I'll find you in Mandos, Haldir. I love you./
But he knew it was futile. He was never able to find Ecthelion in the Dark Halls. He had been alone.
Cold and lonely.
But he held on to hope.
/I will find you there. I love you. I will find you, even if it takes forever./
Their bravery paid off in the end. They were able to hold off the orc army until dawn.
'On the dawn of the fifth day, look to the east. I will be there.' Gandalf had promised.
That was this day.
And there was Gandalf, with hundreds of men with him.
Eomer and the Rohirrim.
Help had arrived.
From the top of the mountain, the new army charged towards the orcs, swords raised. Battle cries filled the air.
The orc army dispelled and fled.
Glorfindel watched them run.
/Haldir. We've won./
They had won. Cheers erupted from the army of men and elves.
/It's over, Haldir./
/I wish you were here./
Glorfindel could not take it anymore. Gone was the shock that hit him when he saw the March Warden fall. Gone was the anger at the orcs, for they were fleeig. Gone was the adrenaline of battle.
There was only one thing left now.
Grief.
Painful, mind-bending grief.
Glorfindel sank to his knees and tears fell from his eyes like rain.
Everyone was rejoicing, but there was one elf who grieved like no other.
Glorfindel hugged himself, trying to stop the pain. He began to rock himself.
The others were oblivious to his grief. They were too busy rejoicing.
/Haldir. Haldir/
Over and over, he said his lover's name, as if that name would bring everything back.
/Haldir./
"Glorfindel?"
Warm hands surrounded him.
"Mellon nin, what is wrong?"
Wrong? Everything was wrong. Haldir was not supposed to die. He wasn't.
/I love him, and he doesn't even know!/
"Glorfindel, talk to me. Where is Erestor? He came with you, did he not?"
His friend's name broke through his grief.
/Erestor? Oh Gods, I forgot about him!/
"I…d..don't know where he is."
He couldn't be dead too! Glorfindel could not bear it if he killed his friend as well.
"Maybe they are inside." Said the elf holding him.
"Elrond?" It was only then that the eldar realized who was soothing him. "What are you doing here?"
"I…" Elrond looked uncomfortable.
"Elrond? What is it?"
The Lord of Imladris was not sure if he should answer. His seneschal looked like he already had too much to deal with. And he still did not know why the eldar was crying. It couldn't have been the deaths. The eldar had been through worse.
"Elrond?"
Glorfindel froze as he heard the voice calling the elf holding him. He knew that voice, knew it as if it were his own.
/It can't be! He…he's dead./
Elrond looked at the elf who called his name.
"May I hold him?" Asked the elf.
The lord looked at Glorfindel's shocked face and nodded. He moved away, and the other elf took hold of the shaking seneschal.
"It's going to be alright."
Glorfindel stared. He could not believe his eyes. So he simply stared. It was the only thing he could do.
/It can't be./
"Glorfindel? I know this may come as a shock."
A shock?! Of course it was a shock.
/You're dead. I saw you die. It broke my heart. I grieved…/
The eldar still said nothing. He continued to stare, still not believing his eyes.
The tears had stopped. Once again, he was in shock. Confused, Glorfindel wondered if he was delusional. He had to be. There was no other explanation.
/This is a trick. The Valar is playing with me in my grief. This can't be!/
"Glorfindel, I…" The elf stopped when the eldar lifted a hand and touched his face tentatively.
"You are real." Glorfindel whispered.
The elf smiled. "Yes, I am. Oh Glorfindel, I've missed you."
Glorfindel knew he was going to be kissed. He closed his eyes. Just before the elf's lips could cover his own, he whispered the elf's name.
/How can this be?/
"Ecthelion."
Haldir stood there and watched as the elf kissed Glorfindel, his heart breaking into a million pieces. He was bloodied from all the fighting, but very much alive, thanks to Erestor, who stood beside him. They were standing at the gaping hole created by the orcs a little earlier, watching as men and elves celebrated their victory.
"What the…Ecthelion?" Erestor whispered as he saw the elf holding Glorfindel, then promptly kept quiet as he remembered the elf beside him. He turned a worried look to Haldir.
The March Warden looked pale, as if the whole world just dropped under him. Then, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
"See, Erestor? You were wrong. Glorfindel doesn't love me. And he never will."
It was a foolish hope. When would he ever learn? When Erestor earlier told him the eldar loved him, Haldir began to hope. Erestor was Glorfindel's closest friend. He dared to hope. At first, he was wary. But eventually, Erestor managed to convince him.
'He loves you.' Erestor had told him when they were in the storeroom below the keep where they had taken refuge.
It had to be a mistake. Haldir knew it was a mistake.
But Haldir desperately wanted it to be the truth.
And now he was reminded once again it was not and never would be the truth.
/Stupid! When will you ever learn? He will never love you! Never!/
/And now Ecthelion is back./
Haldir could not take it anymore, seeing Glorfindel in the arms of another. He turned and walked back inside the fort.
/Ecthelion is back. The one Glorfindel loved. The one he will always love./
A solitary tear escaped his eyes as he walked away.
/Forever./
TBC
A/N: How did Haldir survive and what happens next? Next chapter. Please review.
For those who reviewed the previous chappie, thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!