Hello again. Still, not many responses. Where is everyone? Did I do something wrong? Well…please read the authors note at the end. Also, I am no longer writing in my notebook- it is going to come off the top of my head- so prepare for an entirely different writing style. If you have read Call of the Red Bird (and I BEG you to! It might- WILL- come in handy this chapter!), then this is going to be written like that. So, without further ado…

Italics represent a dream sequence.

Bold is a vision thingy.

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Chapter 32- Visions Of A Life Passed

The croaking of the frogs filled the ellon's ears and the feel of the soft grass tickled his feet as he walked blindly in the forest. His mind was in a blank and he could not figure out he was. The moon and stars were his only light though they made no difference to him; his whole world was dark. He grunted when his foot caught on something on the ground and his fell flat on his stomach. He sighed tiredly, wondering if he should just stay there. He propped his head up in his palms and stared ahead of him though unseeing.

'Perhaps I shall wait here.' He thought in his muddled brain. He glanced around one more time then laid his head down on the grass and closed his eyes, allowing his senses to leave him- something that he would never normally do. With a small smile on his lips, Legolas faded into a deep elven slumber.

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Jaimea stormed back to the small cabin with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her steps made more noise then an elf's normally would, alerting the two ellons of her presence before she even came to the porch. She heard them call her name but she could not recognize their voices. She couldn't recognize anything.

"Jaimea, what is the matter?" Elladan asked quickly as he hurried down to the elleth, grabbing her arms gently. Elrohir quickly hopped over the railing that he was perched upon with a worried expression and strode over to them quickly. When she didn't respond, the younger ellon moved behind her and put his arm around her.

"Come, let us go inside and talk." He said gently as he tugged on her gently. Jaimea struggled to fight back her tears and nodded once before surrendering to him. The two brothers exchanged worried glances before slowly walking her back inside.

The others looked up from the business when the three elves entered and quickly rushed over to them with worried faces. Jaimea smiled weakly at them, trying to convince them that she was fine but some saw through it. Remembering what Legolas had said, Lothron quickly grabbed her elbow and pulled with a small smile.

"Come, speak with me in peace." She said and the elleth looked up at her with puffy eyes. The princess offered her yet another smile and Jaimea returned it with her own. She nodded and stepped away from the twins, giving them both a shy smile, and then followed the other elleth into another room. Slowly, the others went back to their own business though no one thought of Legolas's absence.

Lothron closed the door behind them silently, then turned around to face the other elleth who had perched herself on the spare bed. Jaimea had her eyes fixed on her hands and she shuffled her feet anxiously. The princess strode over to her quickly and sat down beside her, looking at her worriedly.

"What is the matter, Jaimea?" She asked gently with a small smile. She shook her head.

"It is nothing." She replied, "At least, not important enough so that you have to worry about it."

The princess bit her lip and sighed quietly. If she wasn't going to tell, she thought, then she was just going to have to dance around the subject. If that didn't work, well, she had other means of getting the information she wanted.

"Alright then, if you don't want to talk about it then we don't have to." Lothron said, still smiling. Jaimea gave her an appreciative smile and nodded, "So, what were you doing out there?"

"I was in the forest." She replied weakly.

"I see." The other elleth replied, already getting frustrated with her short answers, "What drove you to go in there?" Jaimea shrugged.

"I wanted to run."

"Alone?"

"No, Legolas was with me." She said, pain creeping into her voice. The princess smiled slightly, pleased that the conversation was getting somewhere. But the hurt that echoed in the elleth's words put a small frown on her lips.

"Where is he? Did something happen to him?" Lothron asked, finally realizing her brother's absence.

"He is still in the forest, I think, and no, nothing happened to him." Jaimea replied, struggling to keep her emotions in check. A sigh escaped the mahogany haired elleth and she shook her head.

"What happened though that puts you in such a sorrowful mood?" She asked quietly, "Did he say something to you?"

"It is more like what he didn't say to me." Jaimea replied without thinking but a blush immediately made its way onto her pale cheeks, accenting the pink tinge even more. Lothron quirked her brow at her behavior.

"Jaimea, what happened?" She questioned a bit more sternly. The other elleth kept her gaze averted but said nothing. Lothron sighed again, "If it is about what I think it is, then I must show you something."

Without even asking for consent, the princess put her fingertips gently on the she-elf's forehead and closed her eyes with a thoughtful expression on her face. Slowly, Jaimea saw images form in front of her eyes, canceling out anything she saw before her. First it was blurry but then the pictures she saw became as clear as the waking eye. The sound was sharp enough that she could even hear the crickets that were chirping at that moment.

She saw Lothron and Legolas sitting out on the porch, conversing quietly but she could hear them perfectly.

"I cannot keep her off of my mind."

Jaimea's eyes widened as her heart beat faster in shock. A blush rose up on Legolas's cheeks as he spoke with his sister. Was he talking about her?

"She haunts my thoughts and dreams everyday and night."

The elleth even felt a blush form upon her own cheeks as she listened and watched intently to his confessions. She did not understand why he said these things to his sister yet completely told her the opposite. Confusion radiated off of her small form.

"Norui has said that I should leave her alone."

Rage boiled within the young elleth, shocked that the Crown Prince she respected so much had tried to keep her and Legolas apart. What cause was there for that! As far as she was concerned, Jaimea thought, it would prove well for the both of them. There was a call from somebody else in the vision and both elves stood up without another word and disappeared from the elleth's sight.

With a sigh, Lothron took her fingers from the other elleth's forehead and looked down to her lap, not speaking a word. Jaimea shook her head in disbelief, wondering why he had told her these things. She stole a quick glance to Lothron and swallowed hard.

"Where did you learn to do that?" She asked breathily. The princess shrugged with a small grin.

"I am one of the head healers back at the palace. Being a healer has more benefits then you might imagine." She said with a wink. Jaimea chuckled softly and nodded.

"He told you those things then?" She asked hesitantly, looking back down in her lap. Lothron sighed and nodded once, "He told me the exact opposite though."

"He does not know what he wants, Jaimea." The princess began, "He looks up to his brother- more then you know- and strives to follow in his footsteps. I do not doubt that he was influenced by Norui to say those things to you."

A bright smile lit up on the young elleth's face and she felt like jumping in excitement. He did love her! He felt the same way she did every time the kissed and laid together.

Wait, the same way? How did she know that she loved him? He had just rejected her without so much as a grimace. The happiness within the elleth was quickly drenched and the fire that grew in her heart was extinguished. After what had happened, how could she know that she was correct and he really did love her?

Sensing her inner turmoil, Lothron placed a hand on Jaimea's shoulder with a small smile. The other elleth looked to her sadly.

"Give him time." The princess said softly, "He will come around."

"I thought that you didn't approve." Jaimea retorted weakly. Another smile appeared on the mahogany haired elleth and she shook her head.

"The whole world could be against it but that does not mean that it is not possible. Your love would not be quenched." She replied, "If you believe that you can make something out of it then I give you my blessing."

Yet another grin formed upon Jaimea's face and she had to bite her lips from bursting out in happiness. Lothron laughed cheerfully at her reaction and patted her on the back.

"I thank you so much, my lady!" She laughed, nearly bouncing on the bed.

"Well, it is about time someone breaks through the barriers in my brother's stubborn heart." The princess added cheekily.

The two elleths sat in the room for countless minutes, enjoying each other's company. For the first time in the whole mission, they were able to finally get to know each other; see each other's likes and dislikes and interests. Once the barrier was taken down, Jaimea realized, Lothron was very much like her younger brother. She enjoyed making jokes and laughing; doing anything that might provoke a laugh. Finally, the two stood and left the room to check on the others.

They found them all in a state of panic and they furrowed their brows. The twins, Iaurtondariel and Estel were dashing around the house and the others they could hear outside.

"What is wrong?" Lothron called as the elleth passed her by. She did a double take and quickly came to a halt.

"We cannot find Legolas!" She exclaimed, "He never came back in the house."

"He is in the forest still." Jaimea said quietly and the young elf glanced at her with wide eyes.

"The forest?" She gasped, "That place is riddled with foul creatures! What drove him to venture in there?" Without another word, she dashed out of the house, grabbing a small sword propped against the wall on her way out. Lothron and Jaimea exchanged worried glances before hurrying after her.

The shouting and cries of the company broke the peaceful silence of the night as they plunged into the forest, forgetting the dangers that lurked in its depths. The trees creaked as the wind blew their leaves and the darkness concealed the group as they dashed deeper and deeper into the wood, all fearing the worst.

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His body wafted up into a seemingly endless tunnel of white. There was no smell, sight or sound, even to his acute senses. He looked up and saw a bright light glowing down upon him and below was just an empty void that went on forever.

When the white finally disappeared, Legolas found himself face down in a field of plush, green grass. The scent was strong with lavender and roses, lifting his lips into a small smile. He was content with just laying in the soft field but considered otherwise when he heard a soft singing in the distance. He lifted his head slowly, gazing around for the source of the sound.

Sitting by the banks of a gurgling creek sat a golden haired woman, clad in a sparkling white gown. Half of her long hair was pulled back into a small braid that trailed elegantly down her back. She sat cross-legged on the ground, delicately tracing the petals of a white flower with her long finger.

Legolas stood up carefully, not wanting to alert the woman of his presence just yet. He took hesitant steps towards her until he was but a few feet from her. He looked at her reflection the stream cast and stumbled back in shock, eyes wide. The woman's bright, cerulean eyes stared back at him through the water and a small smile was upon her pink lips. She slowly stood up and turned around to face him, still smiling. The ellon continued to gape.

"N-Naneth?" He gasped, taking a few steps back. The woman's smile only grew.

"I was beginning to wonder why you didn't recognize me." She said softly. Her voice was gentle and sweet like the soft cooing of doves. A lone tear streamed down Legolas's face as he beheld the one he thought he had lost so many years ago.

"How is this possible?" The young prince breathed, "I thought you had been killed by that-"

"Yes, Legolas, you are correct." The Queen said sadly, "As for how you are here, it is because you have already begun to fade from the world."

Shock spread across the ellon's face and he shook his head in disbelief. Why would he fade? There were still many things that he looked forward to in life and things that he wished to fulfill.

"I have no desire to fade, Naneth. Why would I?"

"Do you not know, ion-nín?" She questioned and he shook his head, "It is because you rejected the love that both you and Jaimea felt for each other." A frown appeared upon his face and he turned away from the elleth, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I did what was right." He said tensely. He did not even hear his mother take graceful steps towards him and place a delicate hand upon his shoulder.

"You did what your brother told you to do." She replied, "And that may not have been the right course."

"I do not understand. How could Norui have been wrong? It has never happened before."

"That is a lie." She said quickly, moving around to face him and she took his hands in her own, "Listen to me, my Greenleaf. You must do what your heart tells you, no matter the cost."

He only glanced into her eyes skeptically then quickly averted them to the ground. He could feel the anxiousness emanating off of her lithe body as she lifted his chin gently.

"If you do not follow your heart, then you and her both will succumb to grief. You will fade into the nothingness that is death and never again see each other. Your brothers and sisters will follow you to Mandos, as will Thranduil. But you will be with me for all of eternity and we will live in peace as a family again.

"But if you listen to what your mind and heart feels for the elleth, then you will live in happiness that you would never again feel. Yes, you might both die on this quest but at least you would have spent the last days of your life with the one you love."

A tear trickled down the elleth's alabaster cheek as she gazed lovingly up into the eyes of her youngest son. A sad smile was upon her lips as she traced her fingers down his cheek and jaw. Legolas's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he took in what would be his fate. A soft chuckle escaped from her lips.

"You are so handsome, my little Greenleaf. It is amazing to so how much you have grown."

"It has not been an incredibly long time, Naneth, though a painful one."

"Nay, it has not but it has tolled on you as well as the others." She replied, "I am sorry that you had to go through that." Legolas shook his head quickly, wrapping his arms around her form and burying his face in her golden locks.

"Do not speak like that, Naneth. You did not choose to leave us." He retorted gently.

The two stayed in each other's arms for the longest time, relishing in the idea that they were back together again. But, after a moment, the Queen pulled back with a small smile on her lips.

"It is time for you to go, Legolas." She said and put her hand up when he made to argue, "You cannot stay here; it is not your time to leave Middle-Earth." She grinned mischievously, "But there is something that you must see before you depart." With that, she bounded away from him, her long gown billowing in the wind. Legolas watched her go for a few moments before following her swiftly, making not a noise in the tall grass.

After a few moments of running, they came to a large weeping willow, its thin branches waving in the breeze like the waves of the great sea. Concealed behind the vines lay a lithe male, leaning against the tree's trunk. His silvery hair was wafted around his slender face, blocking the two elves from seeing his true face. His legs were crossed over as was his arms and he breathed deeply, eyes closed in sleep.

The Queen smiled laughingly and made her way towards the man, Legolas following behind her with curious eyes. The elleth knelt down beside him and shook his shoulder gently. The male groaned softly before stretching, his eyes fluttering open. The prince gasped as the other man's navy blue eyes met his, instantly recognizing him.

"Daeron?" He questioned, taking a hesitant step forward. The one on the ground stood up quickly with wide eyes.

"Legolas!" He cried, "What the blazes are you doing here?" The prince did not answer but stood dumbfounded at the one before him.

Long before the Queen has perished, a lord dwelt in a hidden chamber in the palace of Mirkwood. No one knew of him- except the Queen- and was only discovered when a dark terror had been unleashed in the palace. One morning when his lady woke from slumber, she found him dead. The elves were never able to uncover how exactly he had died. He was the one who originally owned Espenshade but the falcon had claimed the prince as her new master once Daeron has perished.

"I see you remember him." The Queen giggled, watching the two males cheerfully. Finally, Legolas cried out in laughter and grabbed the lord in an embrace, earning him a couple of laughs.

"Put me down, Legolas!" Daeron exclaimed, "You are much bigger then I remember!" The ellon laughed and did as he asked, wiping a tear of mirth out of his eye.

"I never thought I'd see you again." Legolas said, "And what are you doing here?"

"I died, remember?" The lord asked with a quirked eyebrow. The prince shook his head.

"What I mean is why are you in Mandos, if that is where we are?" A grin formed upon Daeron's lips as he looked to the Queen.

"Your beautiful mother here gained me entry. Plus, it was said that I died performing a great deed for the elves so they let me reside here." He explained with a shrug. Legolas opened his mouth to continue speaking but the elleth stopped him.

"I am sorry, ion-nín, but now you must leave us. I am sorry that our time has been short but you must go back to the living." She said softly, striding over to the males. A frown formed upon both of their lips and she chuckled, "Remember what I told you, Legolas. Make the right choice."

The prince smiled despite himself and nodded, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and then turned to Daeron. The silver haired elf smiled and clapped his shoulder.

"Be careful, my friend, and take care of my Espenshade." He said. Legolas grinned and nodded.

The Queen motioned for him to come to her and he did so eagerly. With a sorrowful smile, she placed her fingertips on his temple, whispering words so soft that even the archer could not hear them and before he knew it, the ground was swept out from his feet and he entered the white nothingness once more.

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Maladiel slid down the steep embankment, cursing when her knee caught the edge of a sharp rock. Grimacing slightly, she stood up and squinted into the darkness. Far away, she could see a pale light on the ground and she instantly knew what it was. She growled.

For a fleeting moment, she thought to leave the foolish ellon behind. It would prevent the others from trying to destroy the Muru and then she would not have to worry about it. A grin formed upon her lips as she turned to leave, accepting this as her decision, but then quickly stopped.

What was she doing! Legolas would never do something like that to her or anyone. He did nothing to provoke her anger. It would be foolish to leave him in the woods. With that in mind, she called out as loud as she could.

"Mithrandir! I have found him!" Within moments, the whole group came dashing up to her and gazed out with hopeful eyes. Sure enough, his faint elven glow shone out like a beacon.

No words were said as the young prince was hoisted up and carried back to the house. He was laid on the couch and covered in a warm blanket, his eyes closed the entire time. Melyanna sat on side of him, stroking his golden mane softly.

They had all gathered back into their spots but none were in the mood to talk any longer. Tired sighs escaped from their mouths and they all wished to go to bed but they knew there were still things to be discussed. Not wanting to prolong it anymore, Norui cleared his throat.

"As we were saying," He began, "How would we go about destroying this creature?"

"You will not destroy this creature." Maladiel growled bitterly, earning her a few shocked glances, "Because I will not tell you how."

"What do you mean?" Elladan questioned suspiciously.

"I will not risk my people for the sake of a single elf realm. It is not worth it."

Every elf in the room leapt up angrily, yelling at the Muru. She leapt up as well, holding her own against the group. Mithrandir remained in his seat, rubbing his eyes in his palms. The outraged screams filled the entire house and echoed out into the night. Both sides had no intent on loosing.

"I will not let a single maiden decide the fate of my country!" Norui growled, "Especially one like you!"

"Your words mean nothing, prince!" She retorted, "Nothing you say can change my mind!"

"You will tell us what to do right now!"

"Never!"

Minutes slipped away as they continued their arguing, showing no signs of relenting. Finally, Mithrandir leapt up from his seat and slammed his staff upon the ground. The room darkened eerily and they all stopped their bickering, cowering in front of the powerful Istar.

"I have had about enough of this!" He boomed, "No more will be said tonight!" With that, the darkness lifted and he stormed off down the hallway. They all watched the doorway with wide eyes as if expecting the wizard to appear again and cast a dark spell on them but he did not.

Not wanting to anger the wizard anymore, they all filed out, leaving only Legolas, Maladiel and Norui in the room. The Crown Prince and Muru stared each other down, neither wavering.

"Why do you do this?" The ellon hissed between his teeth.

"Because I will not sacrifice my own race." She replied just as tensely.

"So you instead sacrifice my race, your sister's race and your mother's race!"

"Mirkwood is only one kingdom." Maladiel growled, "There are others and elves would come back to live there over time. But there is only one realm where the Muruién reside. Even if it weren't so, this spell could kill us all if it was not done correctly."

"Then do not doubt us. We are determined to save our people but we would not willingly put your own at risk."

"By doing this, you willingly put my people at risk. It would kill us! Are you willing to take that risk?"

"It is obvious you are willing to kill us."

Maladiel's mouth opened and closed, searching for the right words but found none. When the Crown Prince's eyes continued to gaze expectantly into hers, she growled in exasperation and stormed away.

Norui sighed and slumped over slightly. He looked to his unconscious brother sadly and sat down at the foot of the couch. He pulled the blanket over the younger prince's bare feet and put his head in his hands.

"What do I do, Legolas?"

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Norui awoke with a jolt as his shoulder was shaken vigorously. He groaned softly but a hand was clamped over his mouth. His eyes sprang open and he looked up to see Elrohir standing over him. He furrowed his brow.

"What is wrong?" He asked and the Noldo elf shook his head.

"Just come quickly. All will be explained later." He replied, already heading out of the room. The ellon quickly leapt from bed and threw his tunic over his head, then slipped his boots on. He grabbed his bow from a corner along with his quiver and short blade, then hurried after the younger twin.

He found the entire group waiting anxiously in the living quarters. He hurried over to them with questioning eyes but they said nothing. He then noticed Iaurtondariel in the middle of the group, whispering to Mithrandir. The Crown Prince strained his ears to hear but found he could not. He sighed tiredly and looked around, surprised to see Legolas standing.

The golden haired prince felt his brother's gaze on him but he did not turn to look at him. His dream of his mother and his friend haunted his mind and he could not forgive Norui for keeping him from Jaimea. The Queen had said that he was not always right and Legolas believed that, right then, he was wrong.

"Alright." Iaurtondariel spoke in a whisper and everyone turned to her, "We must make haste lest she wakes."

"What are we doing exactly?" Norui questioned just as quietly and the young elleth smiled at him.

"I am taking you to Edhellond, land of the Muruién."

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Well, there you have it. I hoped you liked the length of this one but I'm not particularly happy with it. :shrugs: Oh well. I'll try to make the next one better. Remember, read Call of the Red Bird! I am sure those of you who haven't are now lost on the whole Daeron thing. Now, author's IMPORTANT note…

PLEASE READ

I have decided that I will not post unless I get at least five reviews for this chapter. And no, Sabre, that does not mean you can have your poor brothers review. ;) I am sorry, guys, but I feel like I'm just not motivated enough anymore.

Jousting Elf with a Sabre- Hello there, my friend. Well, did Maladiel come to her senses? Hehe. I hope you liked the chapter. Thank you so much for reviewing and yes, Legolas is a jerk. :whacks Legolas: BAD elf! Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing.

Swasti- Hehe, indeed he does. Maybe he learned some sense in this chapter but who knows. Men/Ellons can be stupid sometimes, it seems. Hehe, that part was specifically for you. I had a feeling you would like it. :) I hope you liked this picture and this chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

I have another picture for you! This one is of Norui when he was really young. As in, probably a pre-teen in human years. Make sure you take out the spaces.

http / i 4 . photobucket . com/ albums /y 1 1 5 / Manwathiel /LIMM Norui. jpg

Well, that's it.

Until Next Time,

Manwathiel