A/N: This is probably my first successful story. I'm actually planning on working on this one. I would first of all like to thank Valerya who is my beta. She does a wonderful job, and puts up with my delays.

Disclaimer: I would like to say that I do not own LotR, no matter how much I would want to. And have Aragorn and Legolas do naughty things at night. Did I just type that out loud?

An Introduction to the End

Thunder clapped, but no rain fell on this humid summer night. Of course the elves did not feel this, for they felt something very different. Sorrow. It washed over them as the sea washes over the shore, taking away little grains of hope.

Elrohir stood upon a balcony in Rivendell, facing East in hopes to see Mirkwood. But not even Elven eyes could see through the clouds of death and decay.

Elrond stood in the doorway, watching his youngest twin son closely. He could feel the worry and grief coming from Elrohir in waves of emotion. The tears that pricked at the corners of the young elf's eyes were winning the fight of pride versus emotion, and Elrohir gripped the railing to stop himself from collapsing.

Walking swiftly, Elrond approached his son, and placed his hand upon a shivering shoulder. Elrohir turned around, and buried his face within the crook of his father's shoulder and sobbed. "There's no hope is there?"

"Shh," Elrond whispered soothingly. "Do not let your despair overcome you." He stood there holding the distraught elf, stroking his hair as if he were a child who has just awoken from a bad dream. And that's what it seemed like, a sick, twisted event that could only happen in a nightmare.

"What is happening, Ada?" Elrohir asked when his sobbing subsided.

"The Dark Lord is returning to power," He replied calmly. "He is searching for his treasure. Somehow we must find it before he does."

"Will he attack Rivendell?"

"Not likely," Elrond replied, sighing heavily. "Either way, we will not allow anymore massacres." He exclaimed, lifting Elrohir's head up from his shoulder, and wiping away any remaining tears.

"Where is your brother?"

Elrohir smiled, "With our Hope."

Elrond chuckled, "Then let us find our Hope."

They left the balcony, and walked slowly down the hall, heading for Elladan's room. Elrohir stayed close to his father, feeling both uncertain and safe, but pushed it away to bring out the little bit of happiness he still had. Others would need him to be strong. Especially Estel, who was now too young to understand death and disaster.

"Ada!"

Both turned to see Arwen racing down the hall towards them. She skidded to a halt in front of them. "Mithrandir has returned. He is waiting in your study."

Elrond's face turned grim, and he nodded. He turned around and started heading swiftly towards his study. The first thing he heard when he entered the corridor was the cry of a small child. Opening the door he saw the wizard trying to calm the screaming infant.

Nestled within the arm of the wizard was a pale, blond-haired, elvish baby. He was small and looked undernourished. The runt's face was turning red from lack of air from crying, apparently not liking his long journey.

Elrond stepped forward, and took the child. The babe calmed when he was placed securely within the elf lord's arms. He slowly opened his eyes - shimmering, indigo eyes - that blinked sleepily up at him, then fogged over into Elvin dreams. Elrond smiled slightly and dried a few of the tears that still lingered on the child's face.

"He is the only known survivor," Gandalf said softly. "He is not but a couple of months old. Legolas, the last son of Thranduil." He also pulled out from his cloak a leather-bound book. "This was Enelya's journal. The last pages are written accounts of her last days in hiding." He set the book on Elrond's desk. "She did not survive the birthing of the child."

Elrond looked down at the sleeping babe in his arms. "Sauron has gone too far. Killing whole civilizations!? He must be desperate indeed." Sighing, he looked back up at Gandalf. "We must discuss this with the others. I will have a dispatch sent to Celeborn. In a few months we shall hold a counsel to discuss the next course of action."

Gandalf nodded, "But what of the little one? What will become of him? Surely, it would be too much to take care of a newborn, and start Aragorn's studies."

"I will raise him," Arwen said as she stepped outside. "If you would allow it." She had a determined parental air around her. "Since you and both of my brothers shall be too engrossed in your goals… Please, adar, I can prove this a wise decision."

Elrond looked at Gandalf, then at Arwen, and walked up to her. "I know I wouldn't be able to trust anyone more then I trust you, but there are still tests that need to be performed. Such as finding out if he carries any illnesses, and also finding out if he is a carrier of the gene."

Sighing, he then placed the infant into his daughter's loving arms, "Until we come to our decision about anything, I can at least leave him in your care."

Arwen looked up at her father, and smiled sadly, "I will not fail you, adar." She sighed, and looked into the babe's dreaming eyes. "He looks so much like her. Her presence is truly with him." She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to look up at her father with a smile. "Some are going to start believing that we are starting a home for war orphans."

Elrond smiled slightly. He brushed his fingertips against Legolas's soft, blond hair, then he kissed his daughter's forehead. "Go watch over your young charge until we make a decision."

Arwen bowed slightly, and started for her room where the weary infant could rest.

"There is no other choice!" Erestor announced, standing and looking crossly at Glorfindel. They had been arguing through most of the night, and into the morning with little progress made.

Glorfindel stood, fists clenched. "So you would sit by while those of our own kin are slaughtered before us!? While many of us are fleeing from these shores!? While every green field and mighty mountain crumble to dust, and we are sent into an eternal darkness!?"

"No, but you must understand that by just marching into the enemy's land will ensure the death of us all!" Erestor looked unflinchingly into the eyes of the blond elf, daring him to retaliate. He only sat when the other did the same.

When silence returned, and the quarreling elves calmed down slightly, Elrond spoke. "In this matter I must side with Erestor. I too would want this evil dealt with, but walking blindly into war would only bring more tragedy."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Glorfindel said brokenly, eyes cast down, shoulders tense. "Are we to just wait until the end? Sail to the west, or let this darkness engulf us?"

"No," Elrond shouted, fire in his eyes. "It will not come to that. We will defend ourselves the best that we can. We must bide our time until the Ring is discovered and a path to its destruction presents itself. Until we do, we must keep the sanity we have left."

Glorfindel looked up into the wise eyes of the elvish lord. Nodding, he shared a reassuring look towards Erestor, and leaned back into his chair.

"There is one more matter needing to be discussed here today," Galadriel exclaimed, going up to stand beside Elrond as Arwen came out holding an infant. "There is one known survivor of the attack. Seven months ago, Mithrandir discovered the Queen in labor. The babe is healthy, if not a bit small for his age. This is Legolas, " she proclaimed motioning towards the child, "Thranduil's last son."

There was a collection of gasps, as the others looked at the child wide-eyed. Erestor spoke first, "What is known of him?"

Elrond sighed, "Enelya, caused by the grief of losing her family, went into labor two months early. Mithrandir found her, and helped her deliver the child. Enelya did not survive. We believe she had died of grief.

"The child is completely healthy, which remains to be a miracle. Mithrandir has done an aura reading, confirming that Legolas does, in fact, carry the gene."

"I have been leaving him in the care of Arwen," He paused, looked at Galadriel, and nodded, "It would be best if she continued caring for him. He shall live here in Imladris, under the guidance of my daughter."

"Shh," Arwen paced back and forth in her room, trying to sooth the crying infant,, bouncing the child and humming slightly.

There was a knock at the door, and Elladan stepped in, rubbing his temples. He walked up to his sister, and took the babe from her arms, and continued Arwen's previous movements.

Using an old trick from when Arwen was this age, he stuck his index finger into the child's mouth. The child started to eagerly suckle on his finger, slightly biting with his new teeth.

"Good idea," Arwen said though too soon, for Legolas once again started sobbing. Arwen went over to her neglected lunch, and brought to her brother a dish of honey.

Elladan dipped his finger into the honey, then, once again placed it in Legolas's mouth. The babe now suckled contentedly, with Elladan reapplying honey to his finger every so often.

A knock on the door, then in ran Estel, followed by Elrohir who was carrying a baby's bottle, and a pitcher of milk.

"A bit late, aren't we brother?" Elladan said smiling at his younger twin. He watched as Elrohir took the whimpering child and handed him the bottle he was reaching for. He smiled slightly as the infant snuggled against him as he drank from the bottle.

"I had some help," Elrohir said a little frustrated, glancing at Estel then back to Elladan. He walked over to the child's cot, and leaned against the wall. Brushing hair away from the child's eyes, Elrohir kissed him on the forehead. "Hey, little one."

Elladan smiled as he saw his younger brother. Turning to Estel, he found that the human was transfixed by the site of the young elf. He then looked up at his sister. "Do you think that grandmother's vision will come true?"

Arwen looked between the two children, and smiled at how they admired each other. "Definitely," She said just as the two youngest residences in the room fell asleep.

--tbc--