AN: My sister got mad at me because this is the final chapter and I had no plans for making it longer. If you wish it to be longer as well, let me know. I will try to think of where to go with this. Also, I only own Aluna. If you have not read the first two parts, DO NOT read any further. Otherwise, enjoy.
The sun shone bright and clear into the courtyard. Many people were gathered and all were cheering. That is, all except one. Covered in a dark cloak with the hood pulled up, no sign came from this figure of happiness.
Aluna sighed. The years had passed so quickly. She had watched the baby, Aragorn, Estel, Elessar, or whatever you wanted to call him, grow into a fine young man. Soon, those years passed and he became a hardened Ranger, not one to believe in "fairy stories." She had watched him during his training years with the Rangers. She had watched him as he first met the Evenstar, Elrond's daughter, Arwen. Her heart rejoiced when they confessed their love for each other. She had watched Aragorn struggle through the journey to help destroy the One Ring.
She shivered. The One Ring still brought terror into her when someone mentioned it. That little band of gold could have destroyed her home, her father, and even her people. Not that all her people accepted her. She was considered a Halfling (not a Hobbit, as they were so commonly called) by most pureblood fae. Half elf and half fae, she was not worth their time or conversation. The only place she had found welcome was Aboveground. And Aboveground was where the One Ring was.
"Hooray for King Elessar!" the crowd cheered again.
Aluna smiled sadly. She had watched him grow, but he would never know it.
The crystal moon shone over the quiet Labyrinth. The only place that wasn't quiet was right in the center, the Goblin City which surrounded the Castle of the Goblin King. Jareth, the Goblin King and ruler of the Labyrinth, sat on the window ledge and looked out over his kingdom. Peaceful was the only way to describe it. For years, not one irate child had asked to have their annoying brothers or sisters taken away. The last child that had been here had been brought down by his daughter, for protection. Then, they had taken that little boy back up Aboveground to be cared for by Lord Elrond of Rivendell.
He turned his hand over and a crystal appeared in it. He started to twirl it in and out of his fingers, as he had often done when he was bored. The same as his daughter, he had watched that little child grow up from afar. He hadn't minded so much but his daughter had seemed to be growing more attached as the child grew older. Jareth sighed and moved off the sill and further into the room. The crystal he was playing with got a little bigger and soon he could see that sunny courtyard.
"Hooray for King Elessar!"
After all the ceremonies were done, Aragorn, now known as King Elessar, and his wife, Arwen, went to a private sitting room. They were soon joined by family and friends. Arwen was swept aside by her twin brothers, who wanted to give her advice on "living with Estel." Elrond walked into the room and immediately went over before his daughter decided to hurt his two sons. Legolas and Gimli immediately sat down on the sofas, before the twins decided to spread themselves out. Aragorn just sat off to the side and smiled. This is what could be considered normal for him. Not the ceremonies that they just went through.
"Of course, Ada," was the final sentence out of one of the twins.
Arwen, now free from that conversation, came over and sat down beside her husband. Aragorn had everything that could make him happy. A beautiful wife, a loving family, friends, and now he was king of Gondor. It was just that something was missing and he didn't know what it was.
"What's wrong, Estel?" Arwen asked.
"I don't know. All through today, I felt like something was missing."
Elrond looked over at his foster son, no, son-in-law, and watched him for a few seconds.
"If you felt like something was missing, it was probably there," Elrond finally said.
"What do you mean, Ada?"
"Was it something important you were missing?"
"No, not something. It was a someone. But who it was, I don't know."
The tears came. She wished she could have gone to him while everyone was congratulating him. She wanted nothing more than to go up to him and tell him everything. She had watched out for him like he was her little brother. She loved him like a little brother, the brother she could never have. Now, she stood in the abandoned courtyard, watching the doors from the safety of the shadows. The shadows, where she had always been and where she would always be.
Slowly, she disappeared. Soon, Aluna was standing in the gardens just in front of her mother's grave. Edana, the name engraved on the stone. The mother who had died giving her half-elf daughter life. Jareth loved his daughter as much as he missed his wife. Nothing would stop him from loving her. No matter how many times his family, especially his brother, told him to leave her Aboveground where she would be welcomed he couldn't do it. Aluna had been raised both in the Labyrinth and in the woods of her mother.
"Oh, mother. What am I to do? My heart is torn. I miss you so much," Aluna mumbled through her tears.
Jareth found her there, hours later, asleep on her mother's grave. He saw that her eyes were red from her crying and that was the only reason she slept. He gently picked her up and carried her into the castle.
Elrond sighed. Aragorn was right. There had been someone missing during today's ceremonies. He thought she would have been there but he had not seen any sign of her. She had always been a small part of Estel's life, mostly played out in the shadows. She had been his little protector when the Elves couldn't be there. She was the reason Estel always came back safe and sound, in a manner of speaking. Sometimes she would let him come back a little worse for wear.
"Ada, you know of what Estel speaks. Don't you?" Arwen asked, watching her father.
"I do. I had hoped she would be there but I didn't see her."
"She?" Legolas and Arwen asked at the same time.
Elrond sighed, "I guess it is time I let you know of Aragorn's 'Shadow Guardian.'"
"Shadow Guardian?" Aragorn repeated, confusion crossing his features.
So Elrond began telling them.
The sun shone bright and clear into the courtyard. Many people were gathered and all were cheering. That is, all except one. Covered in a dark cloak with the hood pulled up, no sign came from this figure of happiness.
Aluna sighed. The years had passed so quickly. She had watched the baby, Aragorn, Estel, Elessar, or whatever you wanted to call him, grow into a fine young man. Soon, those years passed and he became a hardened Ranger, not one to believe in "fairy stories." She had watched him during his training years with the Rangers. She had watched him as he first met the Evenstar, Elrond's daughter, Arwen. Her heart rejoiced when they confessed their love for each other. She had watched Aragorn struggle through the journey to help destroy the One Ring.
She shivered. The One Ring still brought terror into her when someone mentioned it. That little band of gold could have destroyed her home, her father, and even her people. Not that all her people accepted her. She was considered a Halfling (not a Hobbit, as they were so commonly called) by most pureblood fae. Half elf and half fae, she was not worth their time or conversation. The only place she had found welcome was Aboveground. And Aboveground was where the One Ring was.
"Hooray for King Elessar!" the crowd cheered again.
Aluna smiled sadly. She had watched him grow, but he would never know it.
The crystal moon shone over the quiet Labyrinth. The only place that wasn't quiet was right in the center, the Goblin City which surrounded the Castle of the Goblin King. Jareth, the Goblin King and ruler of the Labyrinth, sat on the window ledge and looked out over his kingdom. Peaceful was the only way to describe it. For years, not one irate child had asked to have their annoying brothers or sisters taken away. The last child that had been here had been brought down by his daughter, for protection. Then, they had taken that little boy back up Aboveground to be cared for by Lord Elrond of Rivendell.
He turned his hand over and a crystal appeared in it. He started to twirl it in and out of his fingers, as he had often done when he was bored. The same as his daughter, he had watched that little child grow up from afar. He hadn't minded so much but his daughter had seemed to be growing more attached as the child grew older. Jareth sighed and moved off the sill and further into the room. The crystal he was playing with got a little bigger and soon he could see that sunny courtyard.
"Hooray for King Elessar!"
After all the ceremonies were done, Aragorn, now known as King Elessar, and his wife, Arwen, went to a private sitting room. They were soon joined by family and friends. Arwen was swept aside by her twin brothers, who wanted to give her advice on "living with Estel." Elrond walked into the room and immediately went over before his daughter decided to hurt his two sons. Legolas and Gimli immediately sat down on the sofas, before the twins decided to spread themselves out. Aragorn just sat off to the side and smiled. This is what could be considered normal for him. Not the ceremonies that they just went through.
"Of course, Ada," was the final sentence out of one of the twins.
Arwen, now free from that conversation, came over and sat down beside her husband. Aragorn had everything that could make him happy. A beautiful wife, a loving family, friends, and now he was king of Gondor. It was just that something was missing and he didn't know what it was.
"What's wrong, Estel?" Arwen asked.
"I don't know. All through today, I felt like something was missing."
Elrond looked over at his foster son, no, son-in-law, and watched him for a few seconds.
"If you felt like something was missing, it was probably there," Elrond finally said.
"What do you mean, Ada?"
"Was it something important you were missing?"
"No, not something. It was a someone. But who it was, I don't know."
The tears came. She wished she could have gone to him while everyone was congratulating him. She wanted nothing more than to go up to him and tell him everything. She had watched out for him like he was her little brother. She loved him like a little brother, the brother she could never have. Now, she stood in the abandoned courtyard, watching the doors from the safety of the shadows. The shadows, where she had always been and where she would always be.
Slowly, she disappeared. Soon, Aluna was standing in the gardens just in front of her mother's grave. Edana, the name engraved on the stone. The mother who had died giving her half-elf daughter life. Jareth loved his daughter as much as he missed his wife. Nothing would stop him from loving her. No matter how many times his family, especially his brother, told him to leave her Aboveground where she would be welcomed he couldn't do it. Aluna had been raised both in the Labyrinth and in the woods of her mother.
"Oh, mother. What am I to do? My heart is torn. I miss you so much," Aluna mumbled through her tears.
Jareth found her there, hours later, asleep on her mother's grave. He saw that her eyes were red from her crying and that was the only reason she slept. He gently picked her up and carried her into the castle.
Elrond sighed. Aragorn was right. There had been someone missing during today's ceremonies. He thought she would have been there but he had not seen any sign of her. She had always been a small part of Estel's life, mostly played out in the shadows. She had been his little protector when the Elves couldn't be there. She was the reason Estel always came back safe and sound, in a manner of speaking. Sometimes she would let him come back a little worse for wear.
"Ada, you know of what Estel speaks. Don't you?" Arwen asked, watching her father.
"I do. I had hoped she would be there but I didn't see her."
"She?" Legolas and Arwen asked at the same time.
Elrond sighed, "I guess it is time I let you know of Aragorn's 'Shadow Guardian.'"
"Shadow Guardian?" Aragorn repeated, confusion crossing his features.
So Elrond began telling them.