Okay, things are gonna start moving fast for our characters, and then they're gonna slow right back down. . . lol, just read the next chapter or two, and you'll understand.

Aragorn was actually surprised when the city met his eyes the next day. He had hoped his theory was right, but was completely expecting the city to be gone.

"It disappeared, did it?"

"It did, Tel. Even Thranduil said it disappeared. See? I told you it would be back. That's okay, don't believe the human."

"Strider, I am this close to killing you right here, do not tempt me further."

"Why are you so against me, Tel? Why have you always been against me?" Aragorn asked, dismounting and removing the saddle from his horse.

"Because I had to deal with losing one of my best friends, and now I'm trying to deal with losing the other, and you've convinced my king to lead me on this wild goose chase for Legolas, whose body is in the Great Hall! Do you understand that none of this makes sense?"

"Tel, please believe me! Legolas is not dead. I give you my word."

"How can you say that, Strider? What makes you believe that?"

"I would know if he was dead. Look, this is going to sound weird, but I. . . I can tell when Legolas is hurt. When I'm not near him, and something happens, I feel the pain."

"Oh, and does Legolas have this magical power too?"

Aragorn shrugged, well aware of the fact that Tel didn't believe him. He started walking with the elf towards the city. "I don't know. He's never said anything about it."

Telemnar said nothing is response. Aragorn knew he still didn't believe him, but the elf would just have to trust him.

"They aren't very welcoming here, Tel. Just pull your hood up and let me do the talking."

"Wouldn't it be wiser if I stayed out here? Isn't that what you made your brother do?"

"Do you want to help me look for Legolas or not?"

Telemnar made a rude gesture behind the man's back. "All right, you do the talking. That way, if we get in trouble, I can blame you."

Aragorn tried not to show his frustration, but he was getting very angry at the elf. "Be quiet, would you?" He was heading straight for the largest building in the strangely empty town.

"Strider! Look out!"

The human turned to Telemnar and was broad-sided by someone strong. The two beings fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

"Hey!" The man said, pushing himself away from his attacker. Telemnar helped him up. "Oh, Valar," he added as he saw who was still lying on the ground.

"Legolas?"

Telemar dropped to the ground, but the being pushed the hands away. "My prince? Legolas? Oh, please say it's true. Tell me that my eyes do not deceive me!"

"Tel? Strider? What are you doing here? I thought you escaped!"

"Yes, well, we thought you were dead," Telemnar answered for Aragorn.

"I'm not."

Aragorn chuckled at his friend's innocent answer. "Where is everyone else, Legolas?"

"I don't know. They just. . . they leave all the time, and I don't know where to go. You can't get out of here without their permission."

Telemnar and Aragorn exchanged glances. "Sure we can," Aragorn answered. "Come on."

"You don't understand. There's a wall."

Telemnar gently shook Legolas to get his attention. He ignored the elf's shudder. "Legolas, what are you talking about?"

"The city isn't really here."

Telemnar put a hand to Legolas' forehead. "He hasn't got a fever."

"Don't touch me!" Legolas shrieked suddenly, causing both friends to jump.

"But perhaps a fever in this case would mean nothing."

"No," Legolas said, swatting his friend's hand away still. "I'm not sick."

"Legolas, where are your wounds?"

The elf looked at Aragorn, who was indicating his arms and legs.

"Haven't got them anymore. They weren't real."

"What?" Both Aragorn and Telemnar almost laughed. Aragorn shook his head. "Of course they were real. I dressed them. You were screaming."

"The pain was real enough, but only because I believed it."

Telemnar looked at the human. "I was hoping you would have some clue what he's talking about, but you looked just as confused as I am."

"More. Come on, Legolas. We're going home."

"We can't leave. Go ahead and try it."

Aragorn rolled his eyes and walked towards the edge of the farthest building. Suddenly, he bounced backwards. "What on Middle-earth?" He reached his hand forward, meeting solid. . . nothing.

He turned back to his two friends. "Legolas, what is this?"

"You haven't gotten their permission."

"We came in here just fine."

"They don't care if you come in."

Aragorn sighed, shaking his head, indicating to Telemnar that he was getting frustrated. The elf took over.

"Legolas, you're going to have to speak clearly so that we can understand what is happening."

"This city doesn't exist."

Telemnar rolled his eyes. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, Prince."

"None of this is real."

Aragorn took a deep breath. "Legolas, look over there and tell me what you see."

"There is an inn with a boar on the sign."

"That's the exact same thing I see. Telemnar? You?"

"I see that, too."

"If none of this were real, we would see different things."

"No," Legolas said, pleading with them to understand. "They made it. She made it. It appears like she wants it to. But touch the building."

Aragorn reached for the nearest building, his hand falling on brick. "What am I supposed to feel?"

Legolas said nothing, but stood beside Aragorn and reached out his hand. He was not watching his hand, but instead watched Aragorn.

The human gasped as Legolas' hand disappeared into the wall. The elf went up to his elbow before he pulled out.

"Try it, Strider."

"What? How?"

"Realize that there is no wall."

Aragorn laughed. Legolas was delusional, so he nodded and reached forward. It took him several tries before his fingers slipped through the stone, feeling nothing. He gasped and pulled back, but nothing happened. "Legolas! Help me! I'm stuck!" He was pulling with all his might.

"No, do not fight it. The harder you fight, the stronger it becomes."

The elf put his hand in the wall again, his fingers intertwining with Aragorn's. "Come with me." He pulled both of their hands out. Aragorn noticed that he was grimacing at the contact, but said nothing. Suddenly, a childhood memory raced to his mind, almost bodily forcing him to back away from the prince. Legolas let go of him, and the memory faded just as quickly as it had come. Legolas looked frightened, so he said nothing about it.

Aragorn ignored it. "How did I do that? And why did it go solid again?"

"You started believing again."

Telemnar shook his head. "You're not making sense."

"Strider, you couldn't understand that it wasn't there, you saw it, you needed to believe it existed. Once you realized that it didn't, you panicked, and you saw the wall again."

"I'm afraid I don't understand what is happening here."

"We are in a different world," Telemnar said, slowly easing his hand past the borders of the wall. "This isn't like Middle-Earth should be."

"You are right," Legolas said. Aragorn sighed in frustration. He tried to put his hand through the wall again, but found only brick. Why were elves always quicker to understand these things?

Legolas noticed the frustration in his friend's eyes. "You'll understand, my friend. In time."

"Legolas, we haven't got time. Your father thinks you are dead. All of Mirkwood thinks you are dead."

"Why?"

Telemnar and the human exchanged glances again. How to explain something like this? "Because they have your body, Las."

"No they don't! I'm in it! And I'm here."

"We can see that, Legolas. But we have to get you home so that everyone else may also see it."

"We can't leave."

Telemnar took his arm, but Legolas started fighting him. "What is wrong with you, Legolas?"

The prince was breathing heavily from his last two encounters. How could he explain this them? They wouldn't understand. Aragorn might. . . he had reacted too, but there was nothing from Telemnar.

"There is no way out."

Telemnar motioned to the brick wall. "So do whatever you did there to the invisible wall over there."

"It doesn't work like that," Aragorn said, somewhat proud of himself for realizing this before Telemnar did. "I didn't believe in whatever wall is there, so I should have been able to go through it."

Legolas nodded. "It is the only thing real in this city besides the people."

"Strider," Telemnar said, grabbing the man's attention. "Touch him."

Legolas shook his head, backing a little, but Aragorn reached for his shoulder. Both the man and elf gasped.

Aragorn could see his parents dying, a memory he had forced himself to forget when he was still a child. "What are you doing to me?"

Legolas pulled his shoulder away, ending the vision. "I can't help it."

"What's going on? What did you see?" Telemnar asked them both.

"An old memory," Aragorn said, studying his hand.

"And you, Legolas?"

"His old memory."

Aragorn started. "What? You saw them?"

Legolas nodded. "I've been able to do it since you left. Every time I come in contact with someone."

Telemnar squatted. "Even me?"

"Ai."

"What did you see? Nothing happened to me when I touched you."

"No, it wouldn't, I expect, because you are an elf."

"But what did you see?"

"I shall not tell you. Please do not ask me of it. The things I see are the things that you have forgotten."

Aragorn shook his head. "Has every person you touched reacted?"

Legolas opened his mouth, but instead shook his head. "No, only you."

"Not even other humans?"

"Only you have seen what I have, Strider. Only you." He paused, then said, "You told me a while back about a knife injury to your thigh."

"Yeah," Aragorn said, puzzled at the sudden change in topic. "That was before our last adventure together."

"I think that's why you can see them too."

"I'm the only who can see the memories you see because a knife was imbedded in my leg?"

Legolas laughed. "No, sorry. I mean, I woke up one night and my leg was throbbing, like I had been cut deeply. Then you mentioned when you had been injured, and it seemed about the same time. I think. . ." He trailed off.

Telemnar spoke when neither the human or his prince would. "You two have a bond, maybe? You know if the other has been hurt even if you are not near."

Aragorn looked at Telemnar. "Do you think it's possible?" He had experienced similar things, and Legolas' tale only made him more curious.

"I've heard of it happening before. Which could explain why you are the only one who sees what he does."

"Does it hurt, Legolas?" Aragorn asked.

"Touching people? It is very painful, but not physically. I've yet to see a happy memory."

Telemnar shook his head. "I don't have very many sad memories, Legolas. Please tell me what you saw."

"Aldarion's memorial."

There was silence that, as usual, Aragorn felt the need to break. "We have to get out of here. I bet that you won't see memories anymore once we leave." He moved to pull Legolas along with him. Aragorn actually screamed, wrenching his hand away. Legolas looked near tears.

"I am so sorry! I forgot!"

"It's okay," the elf's voice shook wearily.

Aragorn shook his head. "I never realized how much I touch you."

"You touch everything, Estel."

"I can't help it!"

Legolas actually laughed- a genuine, healthy laugh, but weariness still shone in his eyes.

To my reviewers:

Aranna Undomiel: Yeah, I warned that this one was gonna get bizarre. You're supposed to be kind of confused at this point, so don't feel left behind. Happy New Year to you too! Thanks for the review!

Sky 14: A wizard? No, but yes, there definitely is something weird with this city. Kudos for trying to figure it out, but you're not even close :-D

Mellaithwen: Oh, the men in white coats visited you, too? Lol. Apparently, Aragorn is not pulling at strings, but then, it IS a magical city. Are they being tricked? If Legolas is alive, what is the body doing at Thranduil's?

Deana: Kind of soon. Lol. We'll see if aragorn's gone crazy or not.

Manwathiel: Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

Faerlain: Happy New Year to you too! You're supposed to be confused by this point, it's a good thing. Well, for me, anyway.

Jazi: Ah, I promised you a long response, didn't I? Shoot. I have a test tomorrow that I haven't even studied yet. So. . . I'll make this longerish, but I'm gonna make you feel guilty about it, lol. Ah, but look, IS Legolas really dead? If he is alive, and Aragorn was just talking to him, what is the whole thing with his body being in Mirkwood? Oh! I just got a good idea. But you don't get to know, lol. Do you watch Medium? Good show. Disturbing, but good. Anyway. . . I've rambled enough.

Kukumalu: Thank you so much for your review! It made me very happy! I'm so pleased to hear that you enjoy the stories!