Lost Soul

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, except for all the OC's who appear. Once again, this is AU, and will eventually be mild Aragorn x Legolas slash.

Thanks to ff.net's (highly screwed up) formatting, all the symbols I used previously for breaks have been deleted, so now, all breaks/shifts in perspectives/you-get-the-point will be denoted by this - : : : : :

And since asterisks have been deleted as well, whenever you see words between these just imagine that the "" and "" are asterisks. Am I making sense here?

Enough of my crapping, I'll save that for after this installment. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Fairytales

Elrond settled himself into his armchair and began to tell the story of the Elf who had lost his soul. "He was called the 'Golden Prince', and a very fitting name it was…"

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Gold hair flew wildly in the wind as the young Elf streaked back towards the palace.

'Late, late, late, late! Oh, Ada will have my head this time!'

He skidded round the corner just in time to see his father greeting the guests and ushering them into the palace. As the King followed them in, he turned his head and surveyed the palace grounds, wondering where his rascal of a son had disappeared to when he had already been given instructions to be present at their arrival.

The blonde Elf ducked out of sight, praying desperately that his father would go back inside. As he heard the door shut behind his father, he immediately sprung out of his hiding place and dashed up the tall tree that led up to his bedroom.

Vaulting lightly off the branch and onto a windowsill, he dropped lightly in his room to find his distressed valet wringing his hands.

"Oh! Your Highness! Where have you been? The King is -"

"I know, I know! I ran back as soon as I could." The Prince started to take off his weapons and boots, discarding them on the floor as he hopped towards his closet. "Quick, where're my clothes for tonight?"

"I've laid them out here already, although I had hoped you'd arrived sooner than you did." The valet said dryly as he scurried around picking up after his young liege. "Now, your Highness, just leave your things be and get dressed. You're late enough as it is."

The Prince scowled and muttered some choice curses as he hauled his hunting tunic over his head and pulled on his court garments. In a minute, his valet was fussing over his hair and clothes, making sure that he, at least, looked vaguely presentable.

"There you go! Now, don't go running though the corridors or you'll mess up your -" The slam of the heavy door cut off the rest of the well-meaning words. The valet glared at the door in exasperation before he chuckled and shook his head. "There he goes again."

The Golden Prince fled through the halls as though a pack of wargs were after him. He finally reached the double doors of the great dining hall and pushed them open slightly, hoping that he could sneak through quietly…

"And it appears that my elusive son has finally returned from his hunting trip." There was a hint of dry humour in his father's voice as the King spotted the golden head peeking out from around the doors.

Embarrassed, the Prince stepped into full view. His father gave him a look that said 'We'll discuss this later'.

"Gracious friends, may I present to you my son, Prince Legolas."

Legolas smiled and bowed to the Elves gathered in the hall, oblivious to a pair of eyes that followed his every movement with an interest that burned with the fire of desire.

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'All who had seen him agreed that his beauty rivaled that of the stars, that there was something so pure and innocent about him that it seemed to draw those around him like moths to a flame.

'Many sought for his attention, but all failed. His heart was not yet ready to be bound by the chains of love. All he wanted to do was to taste the freedom that his immortal life had given him. He was young, and he wanted to see what the world had to offer him.'

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"So, you are the famed Prince of Mirkwood."

Legolas turned and smiled at the stranger. "Famed? You flatter me, and I do not even know of your name."

The elf laughed and bowed deeply. "Forgive my rudeness, Prince. I am Danin, one of the traveling companions of Lord Ragnor."

The Prince's eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah! You are the painter, they say. I've heard news of your talent, how you can capture anything on canvas, and the beauty of your art is only rivaled by the original subject."

Danin shook his head modestly. "They exaggerate. I paint only what interests me, and it takes something very beautiful to do that. I merely capture a portion of that beauty on my canvas, that's all."

"I love works of art… I wish I could see some of your paintings though." There was a wistful look in the young Prince's eyes that Danin found most fascinating.

"Perhaps you can… I was thinking of doing a few paintings of Greenwood during our stay here. Would you like to sit with me?"

"Oh, yes!" Legolas' eyes lit up immediately and resembled sunshine reflecting off a placid lake in spring.

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'They became friends through their common love for beauty… if the term friends could have been used on them. For one treated the other as an object of worship, idolizing him and memorizing every detail of the fair face. The other simply laughed his way through life, oblivious to the sorrow that lay ahead of him.'

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"Time really flies, doesn't it?" Legolas lay on his back staring up at the blue sky.

His companion made no answer. Instead, he was busy immortalizing the view of the garden before him in the form of swirls of colour. The artist certainly lived up to his reputation.

The canvas was covered with a rainbow of flowers swaying in the wind as the butterflies darted in a dance above them. In the distance, the dark trunks of the trees blended gently into the background save for the occasional bright spot of green leaves budding.

Legolas leant up on his elbow and took a look at the masterpiece before him. He could almost smell the scent of the painted flowers, so life-like were they. "That's really beautiful, I wish I could paint like you."

"It's because of you that I can paint like this." The off-hand comment made the Prince blush.

"I mean it, you know." Danin scrutinized the painting, then nodded, put aside his tools and sighed, "We're leaving tomorrow, returning home after traveling for the past few years. I suppose I should be glad, but I'm not."

"Why?" Legolas held out a hand and a butterfly landed gracefully on the tip of his outstretched fingers.

"I don't know whether or not I'll still be able to paint there."

"Why not?"

"You won't be there."

Legolas started and the butterfly flew off in fright.

Danin continued, oblivious to his companion's reaction, "The past weeks I've been here, and known you, there's been a new fire in my veins, like never before. It's as though you give life to my art. My best pieces have been done in your presence, and I don't suppose I could continue this way without you. But, painting is my life, I can't possibly live without it; I can't go on without you." He turned burning eyes upon the uncomfortable prince. "Your passion for life and beauty, it consumes me. I wish to have you by my side all the time, to show me what I can truly accomplish. Will you come back with me?"

There was a long awkward silence between them. Then…

"I'm sorry, I can't."

Danin gave him a sharp look. "What? Why not?"

Legolas shook his head as he stood up and walked a few steps away. "I… I don't pretend to understand what you feel, but this I know: my duty is here, with my people. I can't go with you. Besides, you are only using me as an object of inspiration, you will tire of me before long, and I do not wish to become a burden to you then. I'm sorry."

A hurt look passed over Danin's face. "That… is that your final answer?"

"Yes."

Danin's face hardened, and if the Prince had turned around to see him, he would have been frightened. When he spoke, his voice was icy and clipped, "Very well, your Highness. See that you do not regret this decision." He got up and gathered his things before striding rapidly back to the place, leaving a confused Prince behind.

"If I can't have you, no one else will."

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'When the delegation left, the King noticed that something was amiss. He later questioned his son about it, and, upon learning of the matter, told him to forget the incident. He deemed Danin as harmless, not knowing that the Elf in question came from a family rumoured to have magic in their blood, and that another thing Danin was skilled at was bearing grudges.

'Danin returned to his homeland, and tried to paint once more, but found that he could not. With no Golden Prince beside him, he found that he could not concentrate. Wherever he turned, the blue eyes and happy smile mocked at him with the carefree joy he had admired. Even in his dreams, he saw the one face he craved to have beside him.

'Finally, in desperation, Danin sought to capture the Golden Prince on his canvas, pouring every bit of himself into the portrait of Legolas, Prince of Greenwood. He recalled and brought to life every detail of the Prince's face, immortalizing the Elf on a piece of canvas, creating an exact replica of the Prince. Everything save one thing: the canvas lacked a soul.

'When it was completed, Danin thought himself to be rid of the memory of the Prince, and that he could return to his art at last, but still, he could not. He was not satisfied with what his hands had created, and could not point out what the single flaw was in his masterpiece – a life-sized depiction of the Prince of Greenwood. His love and desire for the Prince had turned into an obsession, one that burned and ate away at his soul. He longed to have the real Prince by his side, and not a parody of him that stared blankly out of the frame on the wall facing him.

'Everyday, he would sit and stare at the portrait for hours on end. Finally, one night when he felt as though he might go mad, he ripped up all of his other canvases and came to a halt before the one of the Prince, shouting with fury, "You're not real! You never were! You're just a cheap imitation, standing here and mocking me, just like you did back then! I told you that you would regret your decision, and I swear by the blood in me that you will!"

'In his rage, Danin did not realise that he was holding a palette knife tightly in his hand. Now, he tightened his grip as he made his vow such that it cut into him and the blood began to drip down the knife and onto the carpet. As the pain went tingling up his arm, he dropped the knife and stared blankly at the ugly red line across his palm. Without thinking, he walked up to the portrait he prized above all, so close his face almost touched it.

'He reached up with his bloody hand and caressed the face of the Prince he had painted so carefully, leaving a trail of red along the lips of the portrait. Then, he gave a strange laugh and spoke, "By the blood within me… I see, I see. Well, your Highness, I told you that you would regret it, so now it is time for me to remember that promise. Since it was the fire in your soul that attracted me initially, I will take that fire from you, and it will remain mine for all time. Yes, yes, it will be perfect, don't you see? Your soul, in exchange for mine. With yours captive here, with me, I will be free to paint once more."

'There was a sudden crack of lightning and a strange wind swept into the room as Danin stumbled out, laughing, sobbing and rambling about having the Prince all for himself. He did no see that the blue eyes that once gazed unseeing out of the canvas were suddenly filled with a light. The light that came from a soul.

'In Greenwood, the palace was in an uproar. The Prince had suddenly collapsed while walking his father back to his room. The healers were called in, but none could find anything wrong. The Prince lay with his eyes closed, his breathing unnaturally slow and shallow, his skin deathly pale and cold. No one could explain what had happened. All they knew was that he would not, or could not, wake up.'

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"You mean that Danin really managed to take his soul away from him?" Estel's eyes were wide in wonder as he listened to the strange tale.

"Yes, through some strange twist of fate, Danin succeeded without going through the actual rites of casting a proper spell. The next day, he noticed that something had changed about the portrait, but he did not know what. Instead, he found himself finally able to continue with his work. It was not until much later that he found out what he had done."

"How?"

Elrond sighed and shook his head, "To this day, no one knows. It was said that every night, after the hour at which Danin stole the Prince's soul, the portrait would come to life. It could move around anywhere, but the minute the sun rose, it had to return to its canvas."

"So there was no way the Prince's soul could have returned to his body in Greenwood," Elladan concluded softly.

"Yes, although returning to his body would not be such an easy task. I'm not well-versed in the art of magic, but according to Mithrandir, since blood was involved in the spell Danin accidentally cast, it would require his blood again in order to reverse it."

"Then why didn't they just go after Danin and order him to reverse the spell?" Estel demanded.

Elrond smiled and ruffled the Human's hair. "The story isn't over yet, Estel. When the King found out about this, he immediately sent a party of Elves to seek out Danin and the portrait in order to restore their slumbering Prince, for a soul cannot divide itself, nor can a body live without a soul.

"Unfortunately, Danin was more cunning than the King had given him credit for. He was not one to give up his prize so easily, not when he had finally realized his desire of having the delectable soul of the Prince. When he heard the news that the King had sent out a search party after him, he immediately hid the portrait far from his dwelling in a cave he was certain they would not come upon, and set a seal upon it, shielding it from the gaze of anyone who sought to find it using magic. Then, he went back and dared the soldiers to search his house to find any evidence that he had committed the crime of which they accused him.

"They found nothing, nor did they know what to do with Danin, for the Seers the King had enlisted to find out what happened to his son could not tell where the portrait was hidden. They arrested him and brought him back to Greenwood, where they questioned him repeatedly and locked him up in the dungeons for the better part of a century, in the hopes that he would tell them what he had done to the Prince. He refused to talk, and finally, the King had no choice but to release him, thinking that perhaps the Seers were wrong. In the meantime, his son lay in his chambers, sleeping the cold sleep of Death, even though he still breathed.

"When Danin returned to his home, he immediately went to the cave to retrieve the portrait. However, it seemed that in his absence, thieves had plundered the cave where he had hidden his portrait so carefully, for in his haste he had only shielded it from the eyes of magic users, and not common folk, being over-confident in his belief that no one could find the cave. Angered and crazed by his loss, he stormed out of his house and was never seen again by his kin.

"Thus, the portrait and the Prince's soul disappeared, and with it Danin. Until today, no one knows what happened to them."

There was a moment of utter silence after Elrond finished his tale. Then a falling log in the fireplace broke the spell and his sons stirred.

"So, was this a true story? Or are you making it up?" Estel's sleepy eyes stared suspiciously up at his father.

Elrond gave a little laugh as he ruffled the Human's hair. "No, Estel, I'm not making any of it up. Perhaps someday you'll come to understand why I told you this… but it's off to bed with you now." The Elven Lord picked up the Human, despite his protests, and carried him off to his room.

The twins glanced at each other, then settled themselves in comfortable chairs and waited for their father to return. Shortly after, Elrond walked in and shut the door, knowing what they were going to say.

"You must be wondering why I told him that particular story."

Elrohir nodded as his brother commented, "I thought that it was King Thranduil's wish for it to remain a secret, so that no one would know that Legolas is lying helpless in Mirkwood and stage an attack on them."

Elrond dropped into his chair with a sigh that sounded almost like a groan. "Yes, it was supposed to remain a secret, but there was one thing that the Seers foretold which was made known only to Thranduil, Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, Mithrandir and myself."

"What was it?"

"They saw a vision of the future. They saw that it would be a young man, a Human, who freed the Prince from Danin's spell. Curse, rather."

The twins looked at each other once more in surprise. "You mean that…"

"The grace period of a millennia is almost over, and no one has even gotten close to finding out what happened to Danin and that portrait." Elrond hesitated for a moment, before he continued quietly, "I believe that the human they saw is Estel. He is the one who holds the key to saving Legolas."

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TBC

Author's notes:

So? How was this chapter? It was longer than the prologue that's for sure. big cheesy grin

Ok, explanations time… First off, I'm really bad at coming up with names for my original characters, so… heh. "Ragnor" is the name of one of the companions of Barahir when Morgoth was hunting their clan. "Danin" (actually Daniin) is the name of one of the characters from the book 'Afterimage' by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Kevin J. Anderson. I'm trying to keep the number of OC's to a minimum so I don't have to worry about naming them… crosses fingers

Next update will be in 2 weeks time, hopefully over a weekend. I intended to post this over the weekend, but playing "Kingdom Hearts" for the millionth time just got too interesting. Interactive bashing is very fun. wink wink If I can finish writing this soon, then posting will be more frequent, maybe once a week? Keep hoping that I won't get hit by writer's block, there's a very high tendency of that to happen. Bleh.

Review replies… to the 3 nice people who reviewed and the first person ever to actually add me to MSN Messenger for the sole purpose of telling me to update. lol

Lillybeth1: Thank you! Hope you like this chapter. XD

Nightshade3: lol Don't worry, the next 12 chapters have already been written, so I guess you'll be able to hear more on this story for at least 3 more months.

Yo: Err… actually, the A/L won't be coming for quite sometime more… still polishing up some of the parts to make it more…. hehehe… slashy. wink Btw, are you who I think you are? (If you don't get what I mean then never mind.)

Toby7: Once again, apologies for the rather curt greeting I gave you online. Hope that the girl you beta for isn't giving you too much trouble again!

Thanks for reading, please click on the little button down there to REVIEW and further inflate my ego? Pretty please?