The Lure of the Ring

"It could save us from fading."

"Nothing can save us from fading."

"You know that is not true!"

"I am supposed to help them. I made an oath." Uncertainty tinged the musical lilt, and the tension in the clearing was taut like a drawn bowstring.

"Oaths can be broken. You are an elf first, a member of their Fellowship second."

A third voice, calm and flat, chimed in. "He is right. This is the only way to save your people and Middle Earth from succumbing to these filthy human beings."

Haldir stared at him menacingly. Celeborn stared at him commandingly. Legolas sighed and stood up.

"All right. I'll do it."

OOOO

Sharp blue eyes studied the hobbits as they slept. They were exhausted, in a deep slumber. It would be easy to take the Ring from Frodo. If only he could find the courage to do it.

He knew what would happen if an elf laid hands on the Ring. Galadriel had barely been able to resist it, and she had merely looked at it. If he touched it, if he took it, it would take him over completely. And he would be powerless to stop it.

"Legolas." He turned and saw the elven queen shining in the night. He shook his head at her and looked away.

"You cannot convince me. I know what I must do."

"You know what will happen if you do this." Her face was not entirely sad.

"Yes," he answered. "I know."

OOOO

Aragorn, kneeling by his sleeping pallet, gasped as Legolas came into view, flanked by Haldir and Celeborn. The latter two had always looked somehow fierce, but Legolas… he had merely looked alert. Now he had the air of a great warrior who would stop at nothing to complete his quest.

Celeborn and Haldir were in the leather armor of battle, bows and quivers across their backs, daggers at their sides. Legolas had abandoned his quiver and bow, daggers in hand. He was bare-chested, his hair was loose, and he had something around his neck.

"Legolas, you did not," Aragorn breathed. By the Valar, Legolas had taken the Ring!

Legolas stooped before the future king, who was still on his knees. "But I did."

A single arc of blood flew through the air as Legolas' wrist shot up in a strong motion, completely severing Aragorn's head from his neck. Hot blood spurted from the stump, and Legolas reached down to bathe his hands in it. Smearing it on his chest and face, he continued until he was covered in red. He licked the remnants off his hands and dared the Ring to tempt him further.

Haldir and Celeborn followed as Legolas moved towards the hobbits.

They were confronted by a group of Lothlorien archers. "The Lady has ordered us to stop you," one said coldly. Haldir laughed, a piercing sound in the darkness. Within seconds, the speaker lay on the ground, an arrow piercing his forehead.

"Who's next?"

OOOO

Legolas delighted in ripping each one of them apart as they screamed, their little hairy hobbit feet kicking insanely. His laugh grew louder and louder, and more maniacal as it rose in pitch. His laughing woke the others, and they looked in horror upon the four dead hobbits at his feet. He beckoned to them to come. And they came.

Oh, they came.

Boromir arrived first, and within two blocks of his sword, he was dead, his body cleaved in two. Gimli fell from a well-placed slash to the face, grunting as Legolas snapped his neck with a foot. It was done. The Fellowship was dead. The Ring was his now.

OOOO

The outskirts of Caras Galadon burned as the three elves stood before the palace, Galadriel watching them with tears in her eyes. She didn't resist as Celeborn walked up behind her, slitting her throat with his dagger and painting himself with her blood, just as Legolas had bathed himself in Aragorn's. He looked at Legolas, who leered psychotically.

"Middle Earth shall be ours."