Authors notes: - Sorry for the delay and shortness of the chapter but revision is taking so much time and I thought maybe a small chapter was better than nothing. Thank you to all the reviewers and please brighten my boring revision filled days with reviews...please :-)

Gimli stared down at his the pale skin on his friend's neck; he could see the pulse of Legolas's lifeblood beating in a steady rhythm and hear the soft intake and exhale of breath.

"What are you waiting for? One slash with that axe and you would put him out of his misery?" Sauron taunted and turned a sneering expression towards the dwarf. Gimli watched his friend's face twist to the whims of Sauron and it drove the grief deeper into his heart. Despite all his protestations and claims to be able to do so he could not kill him. Even if it ended the elf's suffering inflicted upon him by Sauron's possession he would not be able to end his life. While the elf was still living and breathing he held a smidgen of hope that he could be recovered.

"And you call me a coward!" Sauron mocked. Rising gracefully to his feet the elf laughed, a cold, bitter sound.

Gimli bristled. "I do not hide in the bodies of innocents too much of a coward to face their doom."

"Hiding? No! I love watching your faces each time I show this body to you. Rest assured it will be the last face you see."

Gimli glared back at the demon. "I do not fear you!"

Again the laugh sounded and Gimli winced. "You are surrounded and the alliance is falling. Do you honestly think you could kill me? I am pure evil dwarf and I could make Middle Earth crumble, the rivers boil, and the forests burn. Do not underestimate me for I could make you suffer beyond all comprehension."

Gimli recoiled at the malice and darkness that flooded out of the elf.

"Take him away; I have a wizard to meet."

Sauron took the reins of his horse from one of the orcs. The black horse rolled its eyes and screamed. Swinging onto its back the horse bolted as a familiar screech of a Nazgul echoed.

"Things are about to get interesting." He said and the swell of victory rose up.

"Fools for ever thinking they could defeat me."

Gandalf sat patiently cross legged in a clearing far from the tide of battle. His eyes were closed as if in meditation.

The pounding of hooves indicated the presence of another being that he could recognise without even opening his eyes due to the evil waves flooding the clearing.

"Sauron." He said calmly.

"The white wizard. Still meddling in affairs that are no concern of yours."

Gandalf opened his eyes and regarded the demon housed in Legolas's body. The elf had dismounted and the black horse pranced nervously, drooling white foam and throwing its head about. It looked mad and exactly like the horses the Nazgul rode.

Sauron walked towards him, even that simple exercise made it clear that it was not Legolas. Legolas seemed to glide whereas Sauron swayed with an inbuilt arrogance.

"Planning to kill me and save your friend? That will be your downfall, so desperate to save a friend that it blinds you to anything else."

"That is where you are wrong. If it would really serve our cause to kill Legolas I would not hesitate."

"Oh really! Because I gave the dwarf an opportunity to act on similar words and he could not do it. Quite pathetic really."

With a roar of fury Gandalf swung his staff and Legolas flew across the clearing, slamming hard into the ground. The elf was back on his feet quickly, the smile no longer on his face.

"Temper temper. I have tolerated this foolish exercise for far too long." Striding towards Gandalf Sauron grabbed the wizard and propelled him backwards with similar force to the wizards own jolt of power.

"Your power is not as it once was, whereas I am more powerful than ever. Did Thranduil tell you that for months before the initial attack elves were disappearing? Where do you think they went?"

Gandalf rose slowly his face showed his disgust.

"There is no ring to destroy Gandalf; a little Halfling will not save you now. Mirkwood is lost; I will take every elf; breed new orcs and keep this fine specimen as my own. Middle Earth will crumble. Men are weak; they will not put up much of a fight. That is the one thing I could say about elves, they were almost worthy opponents. You have placed your allegiance with the wrong side and I will take great delight watching you fight a losing battle, as you see friends fall as the tide of darkness sweeps the land." Sauron waved his hand and a dozen orcs stepped into the clearing.

"If you doubt my power lets see if Thranduil thinks the same."

Gandalf turned to see two orcs enter the clearing dragging a struggling but obviously wounded elf king. The orcs forced him to his knees and grabbed his hair, pulling it tight revealing a pain lined exhausted face of the king. Gandalf winced, realising what was coming. Sauron took one of the orcs' swords and aimed it at the Kings neck.

"Legolas?" Thranduil whispered with a slight hint of hope.

"Father?" Sauron said deliberately using Legolas's voice and let it crack as if in emotional pain.

"Legolas!" he exclaimed again and renewed his struggling with his captors. The orcs just cackled and hit him over the head.

"Do not listen to him Thranduil, Sauron is deceiving you." Gandalf called but he knew his advice would be ignored. He had never had a child but he could see clearly the emotional trauma parents often went through concerning their children. Thranduil was doing nothing to hide his desperate hope that somehow Legolas was fighting back. Gandalf had seen no sign that Legolas was fighting but he knew the young elf must be alive for if the soul fades the body will not survive even if possessed. Gandalf doubted that Legolas was holding out willingly and he wished he could end the misery for the elf.

Thranduil watched as Legolas stood impassively in front of him and levelled the tip of the sword at his throat.

"Son please fight him!" he begged and winced as the sword tip cut into his throat. A drop of blood ran down his pale neck.

"Do not give in, you can defeat it. Please we need you my son." The sword wavered or so Thranduil thought, but then it could also be also due to the concussion he had undoubtedly suffered making his vision blur.

"You betrayed him elf king. He loathes you all." Sauron spat.

"Mirkwood needs you. So do your brothers even Gimli and Aragorn. We are so sorry...forgive us..." Thranduil choked as one of the orcs wrapped an arm around the king's neck to stop him talking. Gandalf crept forward un- noticed as all the attention was focused on the two elves. He was about to raise his hands to chant the spell that would trigger the trap within Legolas's mind when a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. Looking down he saw the sword that Legolas had held at Thranduil's throat now imbedded in his stomach. Glancing up he saw Legolas smiling at him.

"I see all wizard."

Gandalf fell to his knees, gasping.

"Leave him. Bring the elf king with us. Summon my captains." And as quick as he had come the clearing emptied, leaving Gandalf led on his side bleeding his life away and the hope of the alliance in tatters.