An- Well, yeah, it's been awhile! Sorry about that! Hope y'all enjoy this chapter!The war is over baby! lol

Chapter 47

For a long time, all she knew was darkness. There was nothing but the sheer and painless darkness of oblivion. Then, just as the dark had swallowed her, a light started to appear again. At first, she tried to move away from it, wanting the nothingness opposed to what lay beyond the light. As much as she fought it, it soon became apparent to her that she couldn't fight the light…and if she did, she could never go back, that the darkness would keep her forever. So she let the light over take her again.

Erin's eyes fluttered a bit as she came back to consciousness. Her head swam with pain, which was only made worse by the bright light that was flooding through the room she was in.

Where am I? She wondered, rolling her head to the side and opening her eyes fully.

Then, suddenly, the memories came back to her with such force it mirrored that of slamming into a brick wall. She sat up bolt right and looked around frantically.

She realized that she was in a bedroom somewhere and that she was lying in a bed, but none of that mattered. Where the hell was Elijah?

" You know," a soft, female voice spoke in amusement from somewhere behind her, " this has to be the cutest baby I've seen in a long time,"

Erin whipped around and felt her heart lurch into her throat from surprise.

There, perched on a large windowsill that was behind her bed, with one leg dangling out the side of the open window, was Niori. Her friend looked at Erin with amusement as she held little baby Elijah in her arms as the baby cooed lightly and played with the other girl's hair (which had grown a few inches since Erin had last seen her).

Erin just stared at her friend and child for what seemed like forever with a blank expression. It seemed like some surreal dream. After so long, Niori was looked like a complete stranger. She looked different…no longer the party girl Erin had always known her as, but like some triumphant Amazon queen…her appearance had changed that much…she looked like a warrior now, even though she knew she didn't mean to.

" Niori?" she asked finally, her voice barely above a hushed whisper.

" Yeah," she spoke with a small chuckle, " it's me,"

Within a split second, Erin had forgotten all of her pain that was coursing through her body, and leapt from the bed and rushed towards her friend.

The two were hugging moments later, Elijah still held tightly in Niori's arms between the two.

" My God Niori…" Erin whispered, feeling tears well up in her eyes, " I thought I'd never see you again! God…I'm not dead am I? This isn't some like illusion right? You're real?"

" Of course I am!" Niori spoke with a laugh, tears glistening in her own eyes, " and so is this little guy…"

Erin half gasped half sighed as she looked down at her son. A tear slipped down her pale cheek as she gently took the baby into her arms. The baby gurgled happily and flailed his arms about in excitement, Erin laughed and hugged him into her.

He had survived…her prayers had been answered. Elijah hadn't died on the side of Mount Doom.

Oh…God….Frodo!

" My God!" Erin gasped suddenly, looking up at Niori with fear filled eyes, " Frodo? Where…where is he! Where's Sam? And where's Carla and Jane? Oh God…they're…they're not…"

" Don't worry," Niori told her with a comforting smile, " They're fine…everyone's fine. Carla is checking up on Jane, who's in the Houses of Healing, moping over some guy, who actually isn't Aragorn. Sam just woke up a while ago, and Frodo is still out of it…but we can go see him if you want,"

Erin nodded her head vigorously. Niori laughed and gestured towards the door and the two girls, Erin still carrying Elijah tightly to her, walked out of the room.

She was immediately taken back at the sheer grandeur of the hallway she stood in. Her room had been beautiful, but this was…wow. It was glowing with light and it looked…well, like a fairy tale castle.

" My God Niori," she spoke in an awe filled gasp, " where are we?"

Niori stopped moving and turned back to face Erin. " Oh," the other girl spoke, her voice full of laughter, " we're in Minus Tirith,"

Erin nodded slightly, still looking around her in wondered. It was…it was just so beautiful.

" Hey," Niori's voice suddenly broke Erin out of her thoughts, " what's up?"

Erin looked to her friend in confusion. What was she talking about? Erin's gaze drifted in front of them and realized that Niori wasn't talking to her. She was talking to Legolas, who had appeared in front of them.

Erin looked at the Elf, feeling like she hadn't seen him in a million years. It felt like she hadn't seen him in a million years. It felt like she had lived an entire lifetime since she had left them…and now she felt like she was starting a whole new life again.

" I was just coming to get you- well, three now I guess," Legolas told them, kindness dancing in his eyes as he looked at Erin and Elijah, " Frodo has woken up. Everyone else is already there, but you're the one he's waiting for…"

She didn't even wait for him to finish. Erin rushed forward until she came to an open door, leaving Niori and Legolas laughing behind her. She stood in the doorway and waited.

She saw everyone inside, but at the moment they didn't matter. There he was…alive. Frodo was sitting up in a bed much like the one she had woken up a while ago in, He looked up at her, no expression on his face. They locked eyes and just stood/sat there…Erin with tears running down her cheeks.

Oh God…it was the truth. He was alive. They really hadn't died on the side of that dreaded Mount Doom.

Then, Frodo lifted his arms and then held them out to her. Erin rushed forward and didn't stop until she was safe within his embrace. They sat like that, neither ever wanting to let go again.

" Oh Frodo…" Erin whispered, looking from her lover to everyone else in the room. They were all there (minus Boromir)…they had all survived… " We all just might get our happily ever afters after all,"

l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.

The sun shone brightly against the clear cerulean sky as over half (if not all) Minus Tirith stood crammed together on the top-level courtyard.

Niori, Carla, Jane and Erin (with Elijah in her arms) all stood in places of honor…right up as Aragorn was named king.

None of the girls could stop smiling. None of them could believe that this had come. It had seemed that war and death and killing would go on forever…and now here they were, celebrating peace and the future.

Technically, it was the first celebration they had attended. Sure, there had been an insane amount of parties and celebrations through out Minus Tirith in the days since Mordor's destruction, but none of the girls had went. All they had wanted to do was be with each other. The funniest thing about it was, despite the fact they had spent many months away from each other, and they had all changed considerably, they were as comfortable with each other as they had been on the day they were separated. There were no awkward silences, laughter and questions as each girl told her part of the story. As one spoke, the other three couldn't help but notice how each girl had changed. Every word or move Erin made, was stitched with a maternal instinct. Niori's every word no longer seemed like it was an invitation to party, but everything about her now radiated a calm and maturity. Carla was no longer harsh and blunt, but with a air of serenity and finally Jane had grown stronger in everything she did.

So here they all stood, beaming from happiness of being together again, and watched as the crown (which looked tacky to Niori and Carla) was lowered on to Aragorn's head by Gandalf.

" And now come the days of the king," Gandalf spoke lightly, and his voice was then lost in applause from everyone who stood cramped in the courtyard.

Aragorn got back to his feet from kneeling position and faced the huge crowd that stood watching him. There was a silence that was only broken when Aragorn's lips parted and a song fell from them.

The song didn't last very long, but for the few moments the lyrics floated through the air, tears filled the girls' eyes. The song sounded so beautiful as it came from Aragorn's lips, and it only made how beautiful all of this was.

Then as it ended, Aragorn made his way down from the steps. As he passed them, Aragorn paused to smile at them. " Thank you" he spoke softly, before he moved on towards the group of Elves that were moving towards him, Legolas in front.

The girls all looked at each other and smiled. This day was so…perfect. They were all together and there was no fear of death on the horizon.

" Come on," Niori spoke, gesturing forward with her hand, " I want to go see Elf-Boy,"

Laughing, the four (five counting Elijah) made their way forward. By the time they reached where Legolas stood, they witnesses in surprise as Arwen stepped out from behind a banner.

" Now I didn't expect that one!" Carla mumbled to herself as Arwen moved towards Aragorn. For a few moments, neither of them moved, and then Aragorn pulled Arwen into him and kissed her passionately (or as Jane would later put it, he attacked her with his lips).

Niori gave a little laugh and turned away to face Legolas. She gave him one quick glance over and then spoke.

" Nice dress," she smirked.

He didn't even bat an eyelash, but smirked right back at her, " you too," he replied coolly.

Just then, the four Hobbits appeared from apparently nowhere (most likely due to their size) and bowed before the king.

" My friends," Aragorn spoke, astonishment in his voice, " you bow before no one," with that, he bowed down to them, and soon after, everyone else followed.

" I'll never let myself live down the fact I'm bowing down to guys who are three feet tall," Carla muttered to herself, but going down on one knee anyway.

" And you four," Aragorn spoke, looking to the four girls, " you deserve this also. The Valar only know we couldn't have done this without you. Rise,"

Timidly, the four girls got back to their feet and looked around. Everyone else stayed bowed except for the Hobbits. All eight of them received homage together.

" This so rocks!" Jane squealed with delight.

" And welcome to the fourth age!" Niori cried with a laugh!

An- hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner than this one was! Review and all that good stuff!