Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Yah.  You know.

**********Chapter 30***********

Legolas stared at Eressa in shock.  "I'm…I'm dying?"

"You are…slowly."  Eressa said grimly, spreading out her skirts and taking a seat on the grass.  Legolas fell to his knees next to her.  "You are fading, as elves do.  You must know."

Legolas shook his head vigoriously.  "No.  Elves can only die if they are slain, or if they have suffered a broken heart…"

"Or if they lose hope." Finished Eressa.  She didn't look at him, but Legolas saw a few tears slide down her cheeks.  "As you have."

"I have not lost hope!"  Legolas countered, a littler louder than he had meant to.  "If I had lost hope, I would not be planning to get out of this place!"  He said, referring to where he now knew his body was, imprisoned in a tiny cell in a human city, far from home.

Eressa still didn't turn her face towards him.  "You may still have hope."  She said quietly.  "But you have not hope enough to save your soul from drowning." She gestured with her hands towards the stream.

Legolas found himself become angry.  "Who are you?"  He asked harshly.  "The Eressa I know …and love…would never say these things."

"I only speak the truth."  Eressa replied, finally looking at him, her emerald eyes swimming in a pool of tears.  "But you are right.  I am not the Eressa you know.  She is asleep by your side in the Land of the Living.  I am simply her soul."

The girl's voice became shaky and she looked towards the sky.  "The Valar bid me to send this message to you.  They have a plan for you, near in the future, as they do for all living creatures.  But yours is special, Legolas.  Yours will decide the future of the world as you know it.  That is why you cannot stay here.  That is why you must go.  Now.  And never return."

Legolas listened to her words.  She seemed so much older as she spoke.  "I still don't understand…"  He murmured.  "What does all that have to do with me being here?"

"I have already told you."  Eressa replied.  "When a living creature is preparing to die, his soul comes to this world, to be ready to step into the stream and go to heaven.  Now do you understand?"

Legolas looked down to the ground, and then at the stream.  "Well…yes.  But why are you here?  Are you preparing to die?  Is Eressa going to try to kill herself again?"

Eressa smiled sadly and shook her head.  "No, Legolas, no.  You misunderstand.  All humans are born with the knowledge that they one day will die.  Therefore all human souls reside here from the moment of their birth to their death."

"How can you know all this…does Eressa—the one I know—know about this, as you do?"  Legolas inquired, curious.

"No.  I am her soul only.  The soul knows all, and only gives up knowledge when the body is ready to accept it."  Eressa said evenly.  "She will have no memory of this world or what happened here until the day I myself join the others in the Stream of the Dead."

"But…Eredor and Ithilion…that's my brother…I haven't told you of him yet…I saw them too…and Eredor…he was bleeding." Legolas said nervously, afraid of what Eressa would answer, if she gave one.

"Ithilion was here.  I know him.  We had a small conversation, but he passed into the stream."  Eressa said.  "Eredor's soul is waiting here too.  You saw him."

"But why was he bleeding?"  Legolas inquired, desperate to know more.

"Sometimes the soul itself bleeds…when…"  Eressa's voice trailed off, and she said no more.

"When?"  Legolas urged. 

"I cannot tell you.  You are not ready to know."  Eressa said sadly.  "You must go now, Legolas.  Your soul doesn't belong here yet."

Legolas frowned at her sudden eagerness to get him away.  "I do not have to go yet."  He excused.  "Only a few minutes have passed."

"Time passes differently here.  A day can become a year, and a year, a century."  Eressa said, her eyes pleading.  "Go, Legolas.  Your time to wade in the Stream will come.  But not now."

Legolas looked into her eyes for one long moment.  He reached a single hand up and wiped away a falling tear and then leaned forward and kissed her cheek ever so softly.  Then he got up.

"Alright.  I'll leave."  He announced sadly.

"And never return."  Urged the girl, still seated in the grass.  "Not until you have fulfilled the plan the Valar have laid out for you."

Legolas nodded grimly.  "I understand. Goodbye."

Legolas caught Eressa's eyes with his once more and they exchanged an eerie silence.  Then the entire world around him seemed to be ripped down, as he began to awake.  The noise was incredible, almost intolerable for his elven ears.  In one split second Legolas could have sworn he could hear all the sound ever heard in the world.

Then, with a start, he awoke.

Am I back?  Am I really back?  He asked the darkness, for he couldn't see at first.  He realized that his eyes must have been closed again…now he understood.  Elves eyes only closed during death…during fading.

I am fading…I'm dying…I'm slowly killing myself…and my soul was going to the Spirit World because I was unconciously readying myself to die…He thought as his eyes began to adjust and he could see in the darkness.  Yes.  He was back.  He saw the cold stone walls, and the small figure of Eressa still sleeping next to him.

Legolas took a shaky breath.  He was in a cold sweat, an occurrence that happened very rarely in his folk, and it frightened him.  He didn't know what was happening to him.

Legolas continued to breath deeply until his nervousness had been pushed aside, and his thoughts clear again.  He looked out the window and saw an endless void of stars scattering the dark plain of the sky.  It would be a few hours until dawn.

Slowly, he began to wander back into his slumber.  He didn't visit the Spirit World again, but his shallow sleep was haunted with the images he had seen there.  He dreamt of the faces in the water.  He recognized one of them as the man he had killed only days before. 

The man's face did not simply wash away like the others.  It lingered as Legolas looked down into the water, it's undead eyes staring into the very depths of the elf's being.  Then more faces Legolas knew appeared.  His father.  His mother.  His brother.  Eredor.  Eressa.  Everyone he ever came to know suddenly appeared in the water.  For a moment, they all just stared at Legolas with their cold eyes, and then looked as if they would move on.

But they did not.

Instead, they opened their mouths in unison…and screamed the most blood-curdling, horrific scream the elf's ears had ever heard.

********

Eressa awoke with a jolt.  She felt something move against her, and then a loud noise, but her mind was still groggy and she was not able to identify where the movement and the sound came from.

Sitting up and yawning, she looked immediately to the bed to look at Legolas.  But to her surprise, he wasn't there.

Oh no…am I dreaming again?  She asked herself, but a further observation of the small cell answered her question almost as quickly as she asked it.

Legolas was kneeling in the far corner, rocking back forth.  His hands covered his ears.  He was screaming.

Eressa instantly got up and went to him.  "Legolas!"  She cried.  "What's wrong?"

The elf started when she spoke and for an instant she saw such a fear in his eyes, it chilled her to the bone.  "Le…Legolas?"  She asked more softly.  He finally ceased his long, anguished yell, and now sat there shaking.

"Eressa?"  He asked, sounding more like a child then his usual self.  "Eressa?"

"I'm here," Eressa answered comfortingly.  "What's wrong?  Are you in pain?"

The elf took his shaking hands away from his ears and nodded.  "The screams…they pierced my skull…make them stop…"  His breaths were short and rushed, and he was much paler than he normally was.

Eressa narrowed her eyes and frowned.  "I don't understand."

"Valar…my head…"  Legolas moaned, and he leaned against the wall, pressing a hand to his throbbing temple.

"Are you hurt?"  Asked the girl urgently.  "Let me see."

Without another word, Eressa brushed his hand away from his brow, and looked upon him long and hard.  Legolas didn't notice.  He was still recovering from what he had seen…heard.

"I don't see anything."  Eressa observed.  "Legolas…why were you screaming?" 

Her voice was very quiet, the way Legolas noticed it usually got when she was very worried.  He finally managed the strength to look up at her.

"I…I had a dream…and I saw faces…screaming faces…"  Legolas muttered, unable to control his own mouth for a moment.  He finally closed it and swallowed.  His throat was dry, and he was in a cold sweat again.

"Are you ill?"  Eressa asked before she remembered that elves were immune to disease.  "I mean…are you alright?"

Legolas blinked and stared at the ground at his feet for a moment.  The throbbing in his head was beginning to subside, but the experience of the dream still left him shaken.

"Y…yes."  He stuttered slowly, and tried to stand up.  He stumbled, but Eressa caught one of his arms, and helped to support him.

"Are you sure?"  She asked, her eyes wide with concern.

"Yes."  Legolas repeated, more convincingly this time.

When Eressa grasped his arm, she had immediately noticed the change in the elf's body tempurature.  Usually he felt warm to her…but now his skin was ice cold and clammy.

"Legolas, you're frightening me."  She said with a shaky voice.  "What on earth could terrify you so much?"

Legolas swallowed again, but there was still no wetness in his mouth.  He turned and looked at the worried girl clinging to his arm.  Then he gave his answer.

"Nothing on earth."

***********Personal thingy*************

AN:  I know that the chapters have become more short again, but it's to avoid writing a humongous long chapter that eventually becomes boring.  Good news:  Legolas is going into the ring again in the next chapter! 

Also, I know my theory of the Spirit World and the Land  of the Living is a bit confusing, so if you have any questions, ask me and I'll be happy to answer them!  Thanks!  I'll see you all soon!

Crystal Snowflakes: Yay!  I updated again!!  Good guess…but as you saw here it was not right.  I wuv you! 

Legolas:  We love her too!!  Don't forget to tell her that!!

Will:  We would eat lots and lots of eggs for her!! (Platy—if you read this—I couldn't resist using this line!!  Hehe)

All but Will:  ….

Will:  (shrugs)  Hey, joking…joking…

Jack:  (glaring at Will)  Well I would eat lots and lots of LIVE SQUID for her!!

All but Jack:  Eeeeewwwww!!!

Rose:  Jack, no more!! 

Jack:  But—

Rose:  No!

Jack:  Can't I just—

Rose:  SIT BOY!!

Jack:  (hastily sits)  Yes madam.

Rose:  Good boy.  Crystal, thanks and I'll update as soon as I can!!  LUV YA!!

The Noble Platypus:  Yay for updatey feelings!!  I get those too sometimes!!  Yes a cliffy!!  Just so you know, I will end a chapter with a cliffy whenever possible!!  I just love doing it!!

Yes…homework…I know.  I just wait until the next morning to do mine…hehe.

Your theory is good…but wrong.  And there is one problem with it too, even if it wasn't wrong.  You compares Legolas and Eressa's situation to Arwen and Aragorn's.  Big difference.  Arwen is half-elven, so therefore she has a choice to stay elven or go all out human.  Legolas is pure blooded elven, so he doesn't have a choice.  HOWEVER…there was no mention by Tolkien or anybody else about what race Legolas's mother came from, so if she was a human, he could be half elven.  OOOOHHH!!  Good, good story idea!! *scribbles note down in dumb little story idea notebook* Thanks, Platy!  Ahem.  But anyway, that's not the way it is in my story.  In my story he is pure elven, his mommy was an elf too, so there.  It was a really good try, though, and if it wasn't wrong, it would have made sense.

Whoa…big, long paragraph up there…ahem.  SECHOOWAL TENSHUN!!!  LOL!!!

Yeah, I would think Eressa to be a heavy sleeper too.  She wasn't awake though.  That's a good idea though.  Another one!  *scribbles more*  Your giving me a lot of good ideas today, thanks! 

Yay!  I'm glad I finally updated too!  I was feeling stressful and now all the nice reviews are making me feel better!  Thanks, and luv ya!  Bye!!

Starknight:  Glad you liked my review!!  I do that with a lot of people!!  I love it!!  I want to write a whole story like that but I fear I won't be funny enough! 

Congrats on breaking 100!!  High five!  *holds up hand*  And great job on the big fat 40 reviews for your Boba Fett fic!!  I would have thought their would be a lot more reviews for a subject as popular as Starwars though.

Thanks.  Yeah, the stream was kind of modeled off of the Dead Marshes, except these faces don't hypnotize you and make you fall into the water, they just scream at you.  At least in Legolas's dream they did.  Mwahaha.  And nope.  Nothing to do with the whole mortal/immortal thing, although that's what a lot of people are thinking.  Legolas hasn't really put that into thought yet because he's so crazy in love with Eressa that he doesn't care.  Oops.  Gave something away.  Hehe.

One week…one week…I can wait one week…NO I CAN'T!!!  HURRY UP!!  Ahem.  I mean, please, take your time.  I might be posting two Lord of the Rings fics soon too.  You see, the one that I stopped doing was called The Song of the White Wood and I've been writing it when I have spare time from this story, and I'm nearing the end.  Yay!  So then all I'll have to do is respond to reviewers and post!! 

Well, I see you later!!  Bye!  Luv ya!

Whitecoyote:  Yep.  That's me.  That's aaaaalll me!  Cliffhanger muse or whatever.  Be warned:  you have not seen the last of the cliffhangers!!

(Annoying sing-songy voice) Legolas kissed Eressa…Legolas kissed Eressa…glad you thought it was cute!!  Thanks!  Actually, Eressa already accidentally confessed her feelings…Legolas is left.  I'll make him do it soon, but that elf has a stubborn mind, and it will take a lot to get him to do it.  You'll see what I'm talking about later…

Benny & Joon rocked!!  You have to see it!

Pippen:  Um…do I have to do anything nasty to get a drill?

Me:  (looks and you and shrugs)  Aw, here.  (hands Pippen drill from under the door.)

Will:  Hey!  No far!!  I can't see through this door either!!

Pippen:  Well at least you aren't stuck in total darkness!  (starts drilling)

Will:  It's worse then total darkness in here!!  Romantic candlelight…rose petals all over the bed…sappy music playing…(shudders)  I want out!!

You:  Tough luck!  And say your sorry!  My music isn't sappy!

Will:  Is so!  Let me out, or I'll…or I'll break down the door!

Me:  Ha!  As if!!

Pippen:  He sounds serious…

TO BE CONTINUED…

LOL!!  Bye, and luv ya!

ElvenStar5:  Oh, no!  No again!  (calls)  LEGOLAS!!!

Legolas:  (runs over, sees ElvenStar on floor passed out again)  Oh, no!  I did it once!!  Not again!

Rose:  Legolas!  She'll die!

Legolas:  If I give CPR to one girl, all the other girls are gonna be keeling over in hopes of my lips touching theirs!!  I will not do it!

Rose:  (glaringly)  Fine.  Stubborn elf.  No more chocolate cake for you.

Legolas:  (eyes widen)  No!  Not my chocolate cake!  Please!!

Rose:  Then do as I say and save her!

Legolas:  (groans)  Fine.  But I get lots and lots of chocolate cake for this.  (does CPR on ElvenStar)

ElvenStar:  (gasp!)  I'm alive again!

Rose:  (grabbing ElvenStar)  Come! 

ElvenStar:  Hey, what are you doing?

Rose:  (straps some large metal thing with a hose attached to ElvenStar's back)  Giving you an oxygen tank.  So you CAN'T faint again.

ElvenStar:  Oh, darn it.  (takes sip of oxygen, gets whoosy)  Wow…wheee!!  This is fun!!

Legolas:  (to Rose)  You've created a monster!

LOL!!  Thanks for returning!!  Sorry about the oxygen tank thing, but Legolas can't give you CPR every chapter!!  Like he said, then other girls will want it too!!

Crowd of Girls:  Yes we will!! 

Legolas:  AH!  Fangirls!!  Run for the sake of god!!  (runs away)

Shadow of Mordor:  Thanks!  I'm glad you think my story is too good to wait.  Sorry, I'm working as fast as I can, so you will have to wait…but only a little!  Thanks a lot, your compliments are great!  Bye!

Astievia:  YES!  Legolas can die!  But remember, I said he's dying.  Sometimes dying people can recover.  Keep that in mind.

Nirobie:  Yes he can!  He's living, there for he can die!  But I never really said that he would die for sure…stay tuned…

Oh, so you read every chapter over the phone.  Wow.  Thanks to your cousin!  I'm glad she likes my story!  Thanks!

LegyLuva (again):  Thanks!  I'm glad you like my story, but please, get homework out of the way first.  I wouldn't want you to do bad in classes because of me.  I'm glad you like my dreams (or rather, Legolas and Eressa's dreams)  Soon we'll be focusing more on Legolas's dreams…they've got a certain importance.  You'll find out that soon.

Yeah, Poor everybody!  I'm really cruel to the characters in this fic!  But you have to be, or it won't be good! 

See you at the end!  (one more response is waiting for you somewhere below)

Ayriel Greenleaf:  Valar!  Hannon lle!  (thank you in elvish)  I'm glad your eager to read the next chapters!  I can only hope you think they are getting better and better!  Thank you again! 

I will eventually get around to visiting your site.  But keep in mind that I have this story to continue writing, I'm finishing another one that I hope I will be able to post soon, and that I have homework, school, musical practice, piano lessons, voice lessons, and parents to deal with.  Right now this story is my top priority, but I promise that when I have the time I will visit.  Thanks!

LegyLuva (yet again):  Yep, he's dying!  That's what Eressa said, didn't she?  Your are right, it shouldn't happen, but it can.  But I'm not telling you anything about that, for you will find out soon enough!  I hope anyway.  I think the story has been slowing down. 

Thanks.  Great job catching up!  It's not that easy to read 30 chapters in only a few days!  Unless…of course…the story your reading is a very, very good one.  LOL.  Don't worry, I try to update at least once a week, so you won't have to wait too long. 

Thanks.  I'm glad so many people enjoy the dreams I write, cuz I like writing them too!  Escape is kind of far off still…to put it directly, I have to make Legolas and Eressa fall in love before that happens.  But I have a special way to make them fall in love (or at least confess their love and kiss and do…stuff…yeah, I forgot to warn you there are mild sexual references in this fic but you've already read thru it and you haven't said anything so I don't think you mind—ANYWHO) that requires taking time.  Don't worry, I'll try to keep it as interesting as possible.  I just want their feelings for each other to build up and up and up and up until they come crashing down and yeah…writing way to much here…

Anyway, thanks a whole lot, LegyLuva!  You're a very dedicated reviewer and I respect that very much!  Thanks!

~Roseblade

itarilde-elenastar:  Hey!  Thanks for all your compliments!  I'm glad you found a house you like!  I hope you get it!  Well, you probably read the chapter before this, so know you know all the answers to why Legolas is dying…it's cuz he's lost hope…in everything…in his love…his freedom…his whole being has lost hope.  I'll update soon!  Promise!  Thanks!  Your reviews are always so nice, I really appreciate them!  Thanks!

breeNbloom:  Yeah.  Sports.  Ugh.  Hehe.  Thanks, and tell me when and were your fic is posted, and I'll try and make time in my busy schedule to read it, ok!  Ok!  Thanks again! 

Nikki:  *gasp*  Yes, dying!  Thanks!  And don't tell anybody about saying what?  Damn?  I don't care if you say 'damn', just don't use the more colorful curses and I'll be fine!  Thanks again!