Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, ideas or anything else from Lord of the Rings. I do however lay claim on Elrond's twin daughters as Tolkien never wrote about any twin elven girls anywhere in his books. Everything else though, as much as I wish it, is not mine and belongs to the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien (a wonderful, wonderful man). Except for a 2-year-old toddler by the name of Estel (forever called tithen min by his siblings) who needs looking after.
~~~~OOOOO~~~~
She awoke from Elvish dreams at the light touch of a hand on her shoulder. She blinked once, and then followed the arm up to her daernaneth's smiling face.
"What hour is it?" she asked, still not fully returned to the world.
"It is approaching dawn, child. But come with me. You and your sister have come a long way to see me. And for a chance to look into the mirror. I am granting you your wish."
Arómenë's eyes lit up in wonder at the offer, and she rose quickly from her bed to pull on a robe, allowing Galadriel a chance to wake her sister.
Andúnë, as always, awoke in an instant at the slight touch, coming fully awake immediately. Rómë always had envied her that trait.
The Lady of the Wood led them out of the room and down one of the smaller staircases until it intersected the main one. Silently, the three elves descended to the forest floor.
Arómenë's breathe caught in her throat as they were led to a clearing at the base of one of the larger mallorns. The glade was small, but very quiet, even for the early morning hour, with the only noise emanating from the small brook that emptied its water into a stone pool. It was there that her daernaneth approached and filled a silver carafe with fresh water.
Elrond's youngest daughter exchanged a sharp glance with her twin as their grandmother poured the water into her mirror. Now that it came to it, the twins were starting to become just a little bit afraid of what they would see.
Galadriel stepped back from the mirror and waited.
Arómenë took a deep breathe and stepped forward, only to be stopped by the outstretched hand of her twin. The two exchanged a silent conversation that was more a battle of wills than anything, before Rómë relented.
Instead she stood near her sister and watched as she beheld the mirror and saw her future. In moments Dúnë's face went from happiness to utter despair and then to a contented look. Rómë sighed in relief.
The elfling stepped back from the mirror and only then did her sister catch the tears that glistened on her cheeks. Galadriel motioned her over and lay a comforting hand on her shoulder while her eyes followed her youngest grandchild, urging her to behold her own future.
But Arómenë suddenly did not want to know. Whatever was coming for her sister would end in happiness at least, and she was deathly afraid that hers would not be the same. That she would not share the same fate as her twin.
But Galadriel was not going to let her go so easily. Look, my child, and see what it is you are so afraid of. Neither you nor your sister shall suffer your uncle's fate.
That put her mind at rest, if only a little. But enough at least that she stepped up to the mirror to see….
Blackness at first, and then a welcoming light and she saw her childhood, short though it was, stretched out before her. Images of her and Dúnë playing together; of bedtime stories with their parents and picnics in the summer up by the High Falls; her brothers out hunting; and Arwen, walking the woods of Lórien with their grandmother. And then the scene changed, and she saw her brothers riding with the Dúnedain and her parents walking among the gardens of Imladris, alone. She saw Glorfindel at sword practice and Erestor working on his endless accounts. But they were happy, all of them, and she did not fear. Blackness again, and the sound of weeping. An image of Arwen crying in Celeborn's arms, a letter clutched tightly in her hand. A flash of her brothers in the midst of an orc attack, swords flashing. Her father sitting forlornly in his study starring at a portrait of her mother, tears glistening on his cheeks. And then the sadness lifted and she saw her sister and a golden haired elf of surpassing beauty walking together; she saw a young mortal boy, only a few summers old running towards her and saw herself picking the child up in her arms, laughing all the while; a brown haired elven lord, regal and mighty, kissing her hand and welcoming her while they stood on the shores of a green land. A white light again, a baby's wail, and a flood of happiness…
And she was back in Lórien once more, hands clutching the sides of the mirror for support, a look of utter shock on her face.
She raised her eyes to meet her sister's and saw the fear there, and the curiosity too. She shook her head slightly, indicating that now was not the time to ask questions.
"So you have seen what is to come. Or perhaps it is only what may come, for not even the mirror shows all things. Whatever comes to pass, do not fear it now, it is still many years away. Go and talk, for I know you are eager, and then rest. Seek me out if you wish to speak." And with that Galadriel disappeared out of the glade.
The twins stood and stared at each other for a moment longer, willing the shock to wear off enough that they could form coherent words. But in truth they did not need too, for they had both seen something similar to the other, at least of the past and present, and they had each seen a glance of the other's future.
Dúnë reached out for her sister's hand and Arómenë let her catch it and lead her out of the clearing and back to their room.
Arwen found them there, sleeping once more, a few hours later and she wondered at the tears that shone on their faces even in sleep. She too had once looked in her grandmother's mirror, and had seen only a pure happiness for herself that would bring untold grief to all others around her. Could her sisters have seen something similar? Or had they seen different fates, as her father and uncle had suffered? She prayed not. But neither would she question them, for if what they had seen came to pass, she would know soon enough anyways.
She closed the door and left them to their rest.
~~~~OOOOO~~~~
On their return home their parents met them at the entrance to the valley, their father having known of their arrival as they crossed the Bruinen. For Elrond knew all that went on in his valley, and of everyone who came and went, and he was awaiting their arrival.
Glorfindel was in front and so it was that as he reached his Lord he bowed slightly in greeting and announced that he had returned the twins 'safe and whole and if Elrond ever asked him to do such a thing again he was going back to Aman.'
Elrond had only laughed loudly at that and thanked his old friend before greeting his youngest daughters.
The twins watched their guardian ride off towards the house, repeating a long string of quite colorful swear words under his breath. If Elrond heard, he pretended not to notice.
Their mother enveloped then in a huge hug and immediately demanded to know how their trip had been and what they thought of their grandparents. A question which provoked a lively string of running commentary that lasted through dinner and late into the evening.
The elflings were finally escorted to bed by their parents who waited until they were under the covers before bidding them goodnight. The sound of Celebrían's clear laughter ringing down the hall was the last sound the two heard before falling asleep.