Disclaimer: If I owned LotR, the world would be high on sugar and everyone would be in love with slash. Oh, and I'd have a whole harem of pretty boys/villains to drool over. ((wink)) but I don't think anyone wants to know so...
Presenting chapter 7. Enjoy.
Chapter 7: Face-to-faceIt took some time before Elrond managed to calm the blonde Elf, who was nearly hysterical with joy. Estel took the opportunity to examine his 'stalker', as he had labelled the Elf.
Legolas was even more perfect than Estel remembered, even though they had only met the night before. His skin was pale in the moonlight and he shimmered with the soft glow of the Eldar. The bow was left abandoned on the floor, as he sat on the bed with Elrond fussing over him, looking like a very lost and frightened child who had finally found his way home. Suddenly, Estel felt something akin to pity and something else stirring within his heart as he stared at the Elf.
Finally, the blonde Elf looked up and smiled at his audience bashfully. "My apologies, I did not mean to cause such a scene." His shy voice was soft and musical, not unlike that of his family, but to Estel, it seemed even more pleasant to his ears.
"Do you remember us?" Elrohir asked excitedly as he sat down in a chair opposite the blonde Elf whom he had played with as an Elfling.
Legolas frowned slightly, then shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, I can only vaguely recall your faces, but not your names."
"It does not matter," Elrond said gently as he sat down near to the newcomer. "After all, it has been almost a millennium since we last met, I'm not surprised if you don't remember us. "I'm Elrond, and these are my sons, Elladan, Elrohir and Estel."
Legolas' gaze fell on the human and he immediately coloured to the tips of his ears. "Ah, I apologise for what happened the other night. I did not mean to scare you."
Estel waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. But why didn't you at least stay and explain instead of vanishing before my eyes? I thought I had gone mad for an instant there."
Elrohir snorted and commented, "What else is new?"
Elladan shot him a glare and he became sober once more, muttering an apology.
"Well," Legolas began, the blush still staining his fair skin a rather becoming shade of pink, "Truthfully, you scared me as well when you leapt up suddenly and took out that dagger of yours, so I decided that it'd be best if I returned to the painting, but I didn't manage to get the cover all the way on."
"So that's why it was left hanging from a corner." Estel nodded as though that piece of information had given him insight as to how to stop the Sun from rising the next day. "And what about last night where you vanished once again?"
"I wanted to stay and explain it to you, really!" Legolas protested. "But I hadn't been out of the painting so long that I kind of forgot how to maintain my state, so I returned to it by accident. I haven't come out for at least three whole years; the last time I tried to explore my surroundings, I didn't notice the old man sitting before me when I emerged. I think I almost killed him from the shock of seeing his painting come to life," he finished sheepishly.
"I suppose that would be the grandfather of the boy I bought the painting from," Estel muttered to himself.
"But tell us, Legolas, where have you been all these years? Figuratively of course, since your body is lying back in Mirkwood," Elrond questioned him.
Legolas' eyes grew hard. "After Danin imprisoned me, he kept me around his house for a while. When I realized that I could come out of my portrait after midnight, I tried to escape, to return home to Ada. But it didn't work. Every time the sun rose on me, I found myself back inside the painting. Which was when I realized that I only had, at most, eight hours to roam free. There was no way I could get back home.
"I resorted to trying to get attention within his household, but that didn't work for long, because one day, Danin wrapped the painting up in this heavy piece of cloth and carried it off. I don't know how long we journeyed, but eventually he placed me in a cave and left. That was the last time I ever saw him, something that I am glad of. When night fell, I tried to get out, but I found myself hampered with the cloth. When I finally succeeded, I found myself in a dark and dank place. There were bats swirling around my head, and I could hear wolves howling in the distance." Legolas shuddered at the memory. "After that experience, I stayed inside the painting with the cover on, even though it was night and I suppose I could have tried to escape, but I didn't dare to try.
"I don't know how long I was there, maybe a few decades, before I heard voices in the cave. They sounded like humans. I didn't understand what they spoke of, but they picked up the painting and carried it off. They sold it to someone and I became a decoration in the halls of some rich merchant from Harad." Legolas wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I never liked him. I took to wandering his halls at night, which led to rumours that his house was haunted, as some of the servants had seen me walking around at night and thought I was a ghost.
"Eventually, thieves broke into his house and killed him in his bed. Then they removed many items from the house before burning it down. Thankfully, the painting was one of them. And that's more or less the pattern of my existence these past years," the Elf concluded with a bitter laugh, "Being passed from owner to owner."
"But now you've come home," Estel said softly.
Brilliant blue eyes looked up quickly and caught the gaze of grey. "Yes, I'm finally home."
"We have to get you back to Mirkwood, and soon." Elrond stood up and started pacing. "There is much we have to do and we are running out of time. There are only a few months left before the thousand years are up. We have to find Danin and find a way to return you to your body or else..."
"My body will die," Legolas finished soberly.
"Yes."
There was a moment's silence before Legolas spoke again. "How is my father?"
"He is well. We just returned from Mirkwood. He misses you everyday, and longs for the day when you will wake from your sleep."
Legolas nodded slowly, then gave a little grin. "So, when do we leave for Mirkwood?"
Elrond smiled as well as he glanced out of the window, noting the lightening sky. "As soon as we figure out how to transport you."
Legolas' mouth dropped open in shock as he processed the answer he had not been expecting to hear. "What do you - "
The sentence was left hanging as he suddenly disappeared from their sight, startling the twins and Estel. They gaped at their father as he gestured at the painting, saying, "That's what I meant. The sun has risen."
One look was enough to explain what Elrond had been talking about. The blonde archer once more stood in the centre of the wood, eyes staring blankly out of the canvas.
Estel gave a sigh and remarked, "This is going to be harder than it looks."
"I agree," Elladan said solemnly as he surveyed the bulky painting.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X
TBCAuthor's notes:
((peeks out around a corner)) ((sheepish wave)) Err... heh heh... late post again, thanks to work... Sorry about that. My computer got hit by some stupid virus again and I'm getting kind of pissed too but... ((puts on intellectual voice)) If you look up, that is the perfect example of a "too long to post with the next chapter, but too short for a normal chapter, but posted anyway because it's still a (sort of) chapter" situation. ((crickets chirping)) Let me guess. That just made no sense at all, right?
Just a little teaser on what's to come (aka: the part where I try to placate the readers out to kill me for another short post), next chapter is where the, ahem, interaction between Estel and Legolas begins. Note the big cheesy grin on my face. Oh wait, you guys can't see me. ((laughs hysterically at the computer)) Chapter after that is where the twins get high on crack. Seriously. This is supposed to be DRAMA!!! Not HUMOUR!!!! ((bangs head on keyboard))
Incidentally, I currently have many rabid plot bunnies hopping madly around in my brain to write a crap fic for Prince of Tennis... To those who know what I'm talking about, think Sanada marrying Yukimura followed by a 'Newly Weds' TV series. Starring all the hot regulars of course. XD Help!!! I STILL haven't finished writing this fic yet... but.... Gah... the temptation... And the one-week holiday I just had didn't help much. I was watching my downloaded anime and reading fanfic the whole time. Sigh... ((determined look)) I will finish writing both this story and my crack story as well... which will be no mean feat considering the last time I actually wrote humour was... 3? 4? Years ago? (unbelievable huh... given the way I ramble in my author's notes)
Random thought: the 'Diva Dance' from the movie "The Fifth Element" is a super cool song. If it's considered a song, since it's just those kind of vocal acrobatics kind of thing. I love the fight scene that occurs with it as the background, and I'd lurve to write a fight scene set to it. Pity I'm not good at describing fights...
Anyway, on to the review replies... OMG!! I actually got more than 100 reviews for this story!!! starts crying and making thank you speeches I never ever expected to hit the magic 100 before... wow. ((stares at the numbers for a long long time)) Thank you all so so SOOOOOOO much for all the support, I really do appreciate it. And for my 100th reviewer, Someone Stupid, congratulations!!! You get a sugar Elfy!!! Which comes complete with a sugar Ranger and a whole lot of slash. XDXD see below for more of my insane comments. If you're not freaked out already that is. ;D
Toby7: Thanks thanks. Glad you liked the previous chapter, and here's wishing to Square releasing FF7:AC soon... Sephiroth rawks! ((fangirls over poor little Sephy)) ((Sephy runs to Zack for comfort))
Marbienl: Ooh... another person with the "patience is a virtue... which I don't have" syndrome. ((bounces madly)) Don't worry, Leggy the body/soul won't die. Not really. ((evil wink)) But... taking over the twins' bodies is a scary thought... Somehow, it reminds me of twincest. Although I think Elrond would be happier if there was one less troublemaker in the house. XD My OFC won't be appearing for another... 5 chapters at least. I can't remember. I kinda lost count. sheepish grin Too busy going gaga over new slash fodder see. And having bandits steal the painting... ((rofl)) I just had this weird scene playing in my head... something like:
Bandit1: Steal the painting!!
Bandit2 ((runs away very quickly)): Yay! We stole the painting!!
Estel ((chases after them)): Give me back the painting!!
Legolas the painting: Argh!! Help help!! They stole the painting!! ((note: can they actually hear him I wonder? And I think "the painting" is being overused here...))
And then, the all-powerful authoress on crack decides to intervene into Estel and Leggy's future love life so...
Bandit1 crashes into Bandit2 in their haste to get away from the Bumbling Ranger™. They drop the painting, Estel picks it up and everyone lives happily ever after in the confusion I have just written here.
That didn't make much sense... did it? SO before things get out of hand, thanks for the review, and hope you like this chapter!
Empath89: Hee hee... actually, when I reread that part after I got your review, I was thinking "gosh, that is so... soap-operatic" I could hear the music playing in the background too but... hee... anything for the Elfy. Thanks for reviewing, here's the next chapter!
Sielge: Ta-dah! They meet face to face at last!! Well, actually I wanted to call this chapter face-to-soul/soul-to-face, but it sounded... cheesy... But, hey, they got to meet, and soon they'll get to... ((thinks bad thoughts)) Ahem. Well. They get to meet. XD
Tmelange: Thank you! Here's the next chapter and hope it was soon enough. ((big big grin)) I'm high on nothing. Just in case you were wondering.
Lady Laswen: Wow... see, messing up the place in the short span of one week is just more solid proof that there's no point in clearing up at all. Right? ;D I hate clearing out my room. Well, actually, it's more of just shifting the things around so that it looks cleared. Like "out of sight is out of mind". XD Chaos is fun.
The: Yup yup! They "sort of" met in this chapter and are going to meet for real in a future chapter. bounces Am I confusing? I think I'm, confusing. In fact, I'm confused now. So I shall stop being confusing and remain... confused? O.o
Drew'sgirl: Oh... another psychic one. Of course something will happen on the way to Mirkwood. Being the evil authoress that I am, how could I resists adding a little angst and torture to the mix? (not like I'm good at writing torture...) And here's another hint. About the "evil force" comment you made? You got that one right, just switch the names around and you'll know what's going to happen. evil wink
Silvertoekee: Yay! I'm glad at least 1 person felt that his exit from the painting was eerie. I wanted it to be so. You know, kind of like those horror movies where someone walks at to a grimy window, and suddenly there's a crack of lightning and a hand sticks out, slaps onto the window and slides down with that 'screeee' noise? A combination of that and maybe one of the scenes from TTT (I think) where they showed the Uruk-hai being born? They were digging them out of this really disgusting membrane and stuff. XD Oh, and getting him out of the painting is the whole purpose of the story. ((evil giggles)) Such fun. ((thunder and lightning)) (red pill or blue pill? XDXD)
Losing grip: They met! And they parted. Unfortunately for them. ((sniggers)) but they get to jump each other in the next chapter. Well, not really, cos I can't write graphic slash. But if you read deep enough and twist the words enough, I guess you'll see the warped motive behind everything. Am I even making sense here? ((scratches head and rereads comment)) Nope. Didn't think so.
Grumpy: Wahahah!! Leggy got stage fright!!! Nah. Little blonde Elfys are shy and need coaxing, especially around dashing Rangers. ((wink wink)) Maybe Estel should try catnip next time?
Lady Lestat: ((rofl)) Maybe if they called FedEx to deliver the painting all their troubles would be solved? But I'll be making the 'shipping' process really simple... for the sole reason that I can't write extended "Kill the Orcs! Kill the Elves" kind of scenes. As in, it looks good to me in my head, but it looks really cheesy in words. There are 3 types of people I admire in the writing world: those who can write really good fight scenes that leave you on the edge of your seat, those who can write a really hard-core slash-lemon without it coming across as utter smut, and those who can write totally off the wall humour without turning it into something too random. And if you ramble, what do I do? XD
RMC: Thank you! But I wish my ability to describe objects developed faster... then maybe during all my aural English examinations I could have thought of something intelligent to say about the picture in front of me. Somehow, me the chatterbox was never told to shut up in the exam, while my really quiet partner-in-crime was interrupted halfway through her picture description and told to go onto the next section. Strange...
Goldmund: Oh wow... I never expected someone to actually review each chapter of my story as they read... A really nice surprise though. Thank you so much for all the nice comments! The whole Danin saga will be cleared up as the story progresses. ((wink)) That's one of the underlying plot thingies...
Smiley: Well, Estel is blur, so maybe we should forgive him for forgetting a certain Elfy? XD And yup yup they'll be spending quality time together. ((bounces around madly)) lots and LOTS of quality time in fact. Mwahahahahha!!!!!
HighqueenTashi: Huh? What Leggy go crazy one? Sounds interesting. I wanna read!!! Don't worry, this is going to continue for some time more. And to answer your question... it'll be somewhere along the lines of the power of love thing, mixed with a little bit of luck, magic, blood and angst. Oh, and suspense and fingers itching to kill me for writing/posting slowly. XP I seem to have a death wish? ((whistles innocently))
Someone Stupid: ((streamers and balloons)) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Oops, wrong greeting, but you get the point. Hope you like sugar Elfy and sugar Ranger. Maybe they have schweetness forevermore. And are you the same person who reviewed back in the first or second chapter? ((bounces up and down))
Animegurl14: The 101st dalmation! I mean, reviewer. Sorry, couldn't resist. Thanks for the compliment and review... btw, does your name mean that you're really into anime? ((hopeful shimmery eyes)) somehow, I haven't exactly found any writers in this fandom that dabble in the same things as I do... if you didn't understand what I just typed, never mind. I like to ramble. XD
The-Serious-Padfoot: Thank you!! ((bounces around madly)) Here's more!! ((bounces even more madly)) ((the chair breaks)) ((disappears into a hole in the ground))
And that's all! If I missed anyone out, I'm really sorry, but I've got to go prepare my lessons for tomorrow now. Oh wow, the replies were even longer than the story itself... hehehehe. Till next.. err... next next Tuesday then! ((waves and disappears in a pile of crack fic))