Author's Note: My deepest thanks already for the reviews, I own nothing that Tolkien came up with, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 2

The ending credits of Return of the King began to roll and Elrohir burst into enthusiastic applause. Elladan stood and went over to turn the lights back on while Elrohir continued his standing ovation.

"Oh isn't that just the best thing ever?" Elrohir asked, wiping away imaginary tears.

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Despite all that was wrong?"

Elrohir looked down at him with a slightly scornful expression. "You're just mad because of that Bloom character playing you. But you have to admit, he looks an awful lot like you."

"He looks nothing like me," Legolas said, shifting his eyes away and tossing a lock of long blonde hair over his shoulder. Then he sighed and slid his blue-gray eyes back over to the amused Elrohir. "Well, how would you feel if they had cast you in the movie?"

"I only grieve for the wasted possibility," Elrohir said solemnly. "They could have found an even more smashing individual to play us, then nobody would have even noticed the blonde elf poncing across the screen."

Legolas narrowed his eyes and his lips tightened into a thin line.

"Do not listen to him Legolas," Elladan said returning to stand in front of the overstuffed couch. "At least you were not an orc."

Elrohir looked indignant at the accusation. "Was it my fault for wanting to be a part of cinematic history?"

Elladan smirked. "No, of course not. Because it was not bad enough that you traveled all the way to New Zealand to be an extra, but then they cast you as an orc. That's irony right there for you."

Legolas laughed and Elrohir wisely let the matter drop. He instead stepped over to turn off the great speakers that had provided earth-shaking realism during the movie. Legolas suddenly remembered the article he had read earlier and decided now would be the best time to bring it up.

"Speaking of which," he said slowly, "I think they finally found it."

Elrohir turned from the speakers and Elladan's bemused expression became serious. "The mountain of fire?" Elladan asked in a low voice.

Legolas nodded.

Elrohir sat down in a chair facing them and Elladan perched on the arm of the sofa. "Are you certain?" Elrohir said.

Legolas sighed. "Not entirely certain, but I read an article in the newspaper about it today. It said archaeologists discovered an ancient volcano in the remains of the city they had already found. The city we thought was Mordor."

Elrohir sat back. "The locations were correct," he said. "But it can't mean anything, can it? The humans don't know what it is."

"Some of them might," Legolas answered. "And it does not matter if they do or not, our only concern is with the descendents."

The two brothers exchanged a glance. It had been a few years since they had talked about this, since the ancient city had been found, and they had hoped that the problem would simply go away, that nothing would truly happen. But now it didn't seem that way.

"Is this what our father told you would happen?" Elladan asked quietly.

Legolas shook his head. "Elrond told me nothing, it was Mithrandir who came to me. He was the one who heard of Elrond's concerns. But he said I would only have to worry if I did not hear back from him."

"And have you heard from him lately?" Elrohir asked.

Legolas was looking at the floor. "Not since the last time, fifty years ago."

The three sat in silence for a few moments. The mood had definitely shifted, and the air seemed heavier now, almost like it was thick with tension and nervous anticipation.

Finally Elladan broke the silence. "Was this the only reason Mithrandir asked you to come back?"

Legolas was still staring at the floor and said, "To prevent Mount Doom being found again? No."

"I don't mean that," Elladan said, then he took a breath. "I mean, the descendents. What exactly did he tell you about them?"

Legolas finally flicked his eyes upwards. Elladan's expression was grave, and Elrohir, who was decidedly less serious then Elladan on any occasion, was leaning forward staring intently at Legolas.

"He did not say much, only that if the mountain regained its power they would too, and that in turn would create more dark power..."

"And then Sauron can return," Elrohir said.

Legolas shook his head. This was the first time they had talked in detail about the new threat since Legolas had returned fifty years ago.

"No, Sauron cannot return. When the One Ring was destroyed, he was destroyed, his spirit could not linger anymore."

"Then what's the concern?" Elrohir said, sitting back. "If Sauron cannot come back, then what is the worse we can fear?"

"Sauron may not be able to come back, but something else will take his spot," Elladan answered for Legolas.

Legolas nodded, staring at the television screen that continued to roll its credits. "But nothing will be able to take his spot," he said softly, "as long as we stop the descendents."

"And how do we do that? How do we even find them?" Elrohir asked.

Legolas didn't lift his gaze. "I know not. Mithrandir said he would be the only one able to identify them."

"And that was before he left you fifty years ago," Elrohir finished. He sighed, "I always respected the ways of wizards, but they never seem to grasp the concept and urgency of time."

"And we do?" Elladan asked with a smirk.

Elrohir turned his dark eyes on his brother. There was no amusement found in their depths. "We do when we are forced to idly stand by and watch our world fall into darkness."

"The time of the elves is long over," Legolas said in a low voice, "this is no longer our world."

Elrohir was not fazed. "If you truly believed that, then you would have never come back."

Legolas finally looked up at him. "My loyalties are stronger than reason."

Elladan switched the subject. "If there are still descendents then," he said, "then what about the Numenor line? Or other elves? There has to be others left to help."

"There are elves," Legolas said, "Mithrandir said so and I have actually encountered a few. But they are mostly Moriquendi and hold no loyalties except for themselves. As for the Numenorean line, all the blood has been spent."

"You know for certain?"

"Not certain, but Mithrandir does not think so either." Legolas smiled faintly, "There will be no king to save man-kind this time."

All three elves fell silent at that. The atmosphere had darkened considerably, and now all were left with memories of those they had known before. And, invariably, their thoughts turned to death. And they had lived for so long, naturally there was a lot of death.