'Ello. Nothing to say. Enjoy.

Italics represent the mental battle in Norui's mind

'…' represent thoughts

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 9- Lost in My Mind

The halls were dark and gloomy, normally full of life and laughter from the children of the King, but not today. One lone maid walked down this hall and gasped at what she saw, dropping her tray of dishes.

"M-my lord?" She stuttered. She knelt down beside the Elvenking and gazed upon the five younger elves that he lay next to. "Oh my…" She leapt up and hurried off down the hall, forgetting her previous duty.

Soon, the six elves were lying in beds with fresh, clean sheets that smelled of roses and wild berries in the Healing Wing. Lothron, the oldest daughter of Thranduil, sat beside her father's bed, clinging desperately onto his hand. Melyanna was in the same position with her brother, Norui.

"What happened to them?" Lothron called frantically to one of the healers.

"We are not sure, my lady Lothron. There aren't any signs of physical harm. It is almost as if they are just sleeping as Men do." She replied. The healer bent down to check the King's pulse when Melyanna suddenly shouted.

"Come look!" She shouted, tightening her grip on Norui's hand. Lothron and the healer turned their attention to her and made their way over to Norui. They found that his eyes were wide open, like he had seen a ghost. But the emerald green eyes that everyone was used to seeing were no longer there. They were red.

The healer gasped in shock. Lothron swallowed. "Norui?" She called to him quietly. There was no response. "Norui? Can you hear me?" She called again. This time he responded, but not as they expected. He began to grip onto Melyanna's hand tightly. His eyes narrowed and he made a hissing-like sound.

"Leave me alone." He growled. He gripped tighter.

"Norui, let me go!" Melyanna tugged at her arm, trying to break free of her brother's grip, but he just tightened his hold. She yelped in pain, and, to the surprise of others, Norui did as well.

"Stop! Leave me!" He shouted.

"I can't if you don't let me go!" She whimpered, still pulling desperately against her brother.

"No, Melyanna! Look at him!" The younger princess stopped tugging and took a better look at him. She gasped. His eyes that were red just moments ago were ever so slowly changing colors. Beneath the fiery red tint, emerald green could faintly be seen. His grip was steadily loosing on Melyanna.

"What is going on?" The healer questioned to her self.

------- -------

"Leave me be, foul creature!" Norui argued. A tall, dark figure stood before him robed in black cloth, it's eyes glowing red.

"Never, young prince! You have no power any more!" It cackled in a scratchy voice.

"Would you like to bet on that!" From his back, he took his longbow. Twisted in between the leaves and vines on the bow, 'Noruion Thranduilion' was written. Norui wore a confident smirk on his face. The creature cackled again, sending shivers up the prince's spine.

"Go on! Take your best shot at me, princeling!" It taunted him. With a snort, Norui notched a golden brown arrow to his bow. Quickly, he drew it back to it's full weight and sent it flying. The arrow flew steady and true, but just as it came to the heart of the creature, a red shield-like cover formed over it, causing the arrow to ricochet in Norui's direction. The arrow shot back at him in a renewed speed and, even with his elven reflexes, was not able to dodge it before it lodged itself in his shoulder. He cried out and fell to the ground. The creature laughed maliciously.

"You see now? You can not harm me. You must kill me to be free, but you will die as well. Face it, elf! You are mine!" Norui struggled to sit up.

"I will never give in to the likes of you." He winced as he pulled out the arrow protruding from his shoulder and studied the shaft of it. 'How am I going to get rid of him?' He thought, 'I could try to shoot at him again, but he would just sent it back at me again. Maybe I could get close enough to…' He reached for the hilt of his sword at his waist. The creature saw this.

"Don't even try it, prince." It warned him. "I will simply put my shield and you will die from it's touch." Norui moved his hand back to his side.

'There has to be something I can do!' He closed his eyes in deep thought. Suddenly, it came to him. 'He is bluffing. He will not kill me, no matter what I do. If he does, then my body will be useless to him and he will have to leave.' He sighed. 'Oh well, at least I will be with Atara in Mandos.' He smiled, remembering when he was but a very young elfling. How he would help her with his siblings. He drew out his sword from it's sheath. It was a finely polished weapon with five emerald jewels embedded in the center of the blade. He stared at his reflection in the blade. What he saw was a young elf, seeming to be only 500 years of age, but held in his eyes the wisdom of an elf aged far beyond human comprehension. This elf, Norui realized, was himself. He was still a child in the eyes of his people; such a young age to be facing dangers like this! He smiled grimly as he wiped a lone tear from his cheek. "I guess that is enough motivation." He said aloud. The being furrowed his brow.

"What are you talking about, pathetic elf?"

'Be good for Ada, you guys, if I guess wrongly on this.' He thought, meaning for his siblings. Norui rose, cringing from his wound. He positioned his sword, centering in the middle of his face. (A/N: Think of Aragorn at Amon Hen in FOTR when he says his silent prayer before taking on the uruks.)

"Atara's blade shall taste blood once more!" He shouted and began charged at the creature, his blade emitting a luminous, green glow.

"Foolish!" It brought up it's red shield again, smiling evilly, but Norui saw through the mask. He charged at the creature and smiled to himself as he saw panic takeover it's form. "Stop!" He commanded, but Norui kept coming.

------- -------

"Melyanna! Look!" Lothron called to her sister. She scurried across the room from her spot at the window and knelt down beside him. The red was rapidly disappearing, allowing the natural green to shine through almost like it had always done.

------- -------

"Leave me now!" Norui demanded, giving the being that controlled his mind an underserved second chance.

"Never!" It argued, hesitantly.

"Then prepare to die!" With a cry, Norui leapt up into the air to deliver the final blow. In a moment of panic, the creature let it's glowing shield down, allowing Norui's blade to slice clean through it's body. The blade's glow shined brighter, as if in approval. The creature let out an ear piercing screech, making Norui flinch, but he still held on, digging deeper. He one last shout, Norui tore the blade from the creature's body. A strong breeze blew through the area and through the body of the being. A bright light shone in Norui's eyes and he fell back. When the light had passed, the one who had possessed him was gone. Norui wiped the blade off on his leggings and shoved it back in the sheath. Just as he was about to sit and tend to the wound in his shoulder, a sharp pain shot from his leg and he cried out. An arrow had somehow found it's way into his leg.

------- -------

Norui let out a painful yell and Lothron took his hand.

"Lothron!" He called out desperately.

"I am right here, Norui!" She assured him as she gently stroked his brow. The prince's now emerald eyes came into focus to find his sister's teary ones. "Norui!" She said happily, tears of joy now falling rapidly down her cheeks. He smiled at her and reached up to touch her cheek, but a sudden surge of pain shot from his shoulder, making his throw down his arm back to the bed. He moaned. "What is the matter, dear brother?" She asked him worriedly.

"Nothing." He replied, rubbing his shoulder. "It is nothing." Melyanna then burst into the room.

"Lothron, I just sent Espenshade with a message." She glanced over at her brother and gasped when she saw he had returned to normal. "Norui!" She ran over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "I was so worried that I-" She stopped, anger coming into her voice. "That I could smack your face all of the way to Rivendell!" She smacked his injured shoulder. He yelped.

"What was that for!" He shouted with anger in his voice too.

"For doing this!" She held up her hand that he had held. It now sported brown and blue bruises.

"I didn't do that!" He argued.

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did t-"

"Shut up, you two!" Lothron cut in, smacking them both on the face. Melyanna huffed and stormed out of the Healing Wing, no longer happy her brother was alright. "Now, let me take a look at you, Norui." He nodded and she peeled the blankets away and unbuttoned his shirt. She gasped. "Norui, what happened?" A deep gash was cut into him with blood oozing down his chest. "You say that is nothing? I will get a healer." She hurried out of the room. Norui sat up slowly.

"I guess that arrow did this. I wonder…" He pushed the blankets off the rest of the way and rolled up the leg of his leggings. A wound, just like the one on his shoulder, was cut into his thigh. "I guess what ever he does to you mentally happens physically as well."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There ya go! Another chapter. I had quite fun writing this one too for some reason. :D Hope I get reviews next time! I love my arrows! -------

Until Next Time,

Manwathiel