Darkness' Claim, Shattered Heart

A/N Dating 13-02-2013 I started rewriting my other LOTR fic "Facing the Shadows - Loss of the Light" and came to see that this fic was nearly as popular. I can't divide my attention between both fics at the same time and rewrite (and continue this). So I decided for easier reading to at least throw a spellchecker over the fic as it is (I know, I was hasty and didn't have an english spellchecker in those days, I sucked xD). Rewrite of his and continuation probably coming after I finish on the other one.

~To my faithfull reviewers~

~ Uhm, no reply's. Sorry. I've just gotten back out of the Hospital and I am real tired still. I haven't written there, if anything, I developed a writer's block :( Sorry. Please do review. The more reviews, the quicker the next chaps will be coming. I know more people read my story than the people that have been reviewing. So, please, everyone who reads this fic, REVIEW! Or this writer's block will not be broken and there will be no more chapters. No beta either, sorry once more. Again, I'm real tired. Sorry.

Luv Jane

~Disclaimer~ Any idiot who actually thinks I could make my dream come true of owning Lotr and who actually needs this disclaimer so they will not sue me, is an idiot who makes me cry, 'cause remembering me my dreams of Leggie and Aragorn are only dreams, makes me sad beyond.

~Summary~ Legolas and Aragorn go on the journey to destroy the ring, but things happen and both realise they are more than just friends. But what will it take to let Aragorn realise it in time? A/L Slash.

Chapter Eight, Cold Darkness

Aragorn lay on his side, his back turned towards the lady Arwen. He had been angry with her in his heart. She should know she could never ask such things of him! She loved him, did she not? She trusted him not to stray from her side, did she not? She was an elf, even though, mortal, she would still have more years on her side before her body and should would fade. She had so many time, why was she so possessive of him?

Aragorn shook his head softly, he honestly did not know. But she had given him something so valuable, even though it had been against his wishes, but he could not be angry with her now. His heart felt some of it, yes, but he would not word nor express them in any other way. He would remain silent and let her think he was alright, except for the fact he had told her he could no longer do as she had asked from him.

The Ranger felt no regret from what he had told her, he only felt regret for what he had already said, for the words that had reached Legolas' ears and hurt him. He had never meant to say Legolas was replaceable, not ever! Legolas was not even replaceable, he was the most unique person he knew. His voice so unique (*wink 2 reviewer who should recognize herself now*) and enchantingly beautiful. His features were not like an other as well, noone could replace the elf. Physically it seemed impossible, but wonders still roamed Middle-earth, so he might be wrong...

But Legolas' inner self, his unselfish wonderful soul. The soul of a true Mirkwood prince, loving, caring and willing to even sacrifice itself for another. His soul was truly unique, no one and nothing could ever compare to that. Legolas was never selfish and he would never do anything out of his own purpose. He forgave everything and everyone (eventually, in some cases), who did not even deserve forgiveness. He gave those that needed, strength and health and even those he knew who were not grateful for it, he still gave. Aragorn was often amazed by all the ability's the young elven prince had. He was only (as elves speak) 3000 years old and he had not the wisdom any other of his age had, he had more, far more. He speaks and acts as if he was an elder, far wiser than any other elf or other being.

Aragorn sighed, of course Legolas would've forgiven him by now, not speaking of the hurt it would have caused him ever... That, because of the fact he did not want to be a burden to anyone, and his unimaginable stubbornness. This was probably the only flaw in the elven prince, the only thing that sometimes he would use out of unselfishness, that often only caused him more pain and misery. Often this had happened in their adventures, Aragorn recalled one of the first times that caused Legolas much pain and agony...

~ Flashback~

Legolas and Aragorn had gone away from Mirkwood for another adventure about 24 years before. Small caves held their place on Middle Earth just north of Mirkwood. They were always empty and hollow, but as of late, other adventurers spoke of echoing sounds coming out of the holes. Word had reached the closest realm, Mirkwood. They were to investigate the holes and see what these sounds meant, or where they came from. The road passing closely by the caves was no longer one to be traveled. All travelers took another route, even orcs, whom now came dangerously close to Mirkwood's realm.

The decision had been made then, some of Mirkwood's warriors had to go to the caves, investigate and report back to Thranduil. When Aragorn arrived a few days before the search party was to go, he had come up with the idea, to let it be investigated by him and Legolas. He sure had been feeling for another adventure of them.

Thranduil did not support them, thinking Legolas to be unable to complete the job, only being weak and getting injured again. But the both had gone none the less. Legolas could not have cared less. He had swung his father's orders in the wind, letting it carry away, until he could no longer understand the words. He left the same day, so his father would not be able to stop them, nor could any other Mirkwood elf, or for that matter, any other being. Never had the prince been so determined to prove himself to his father. Normally he just cast away his words and spoke not of them ever again. But for some reason it bothered him greatly this time, perhaps because his father had not only spoken of the lack of confidence he had in his son, but also in his human companion, whom he did not trust to be able of anything.

The two warriors had rode off to the caves and investigated them quickly, the sounds were only those of bats, spiders and other creatures, together with a stream of water. The sounds seemed only to grow in the caves, so it would sound like something humongous and fearful held residence in the caves. The only difference there was now, was that the caves were deeper, probably by hands, weapons and crafts of the orcs whom grew in number those years.

The human and elf returned from the dephts of the cave and unknown to Aragorn, Legolas had been bitten by a rather large poisonous descent of Shelob. The elf had kept it hidden well, even though the man had seen his face pale and perhaps fevered when the daylight had reached the two companions once again, the elf knew very well how to hide and lie for it. He had told the Ranger it was mere because of the darkness and the silence that held him in the caves. The foolish Aragorn had believed his friend to speak true, ignorant of the fact his elvish friend could be lying, so he would not be a burden to his companion.

When they had reached Mirkwood, Legolas had looked as if he was a man taken by a terrible flue or other illness. His brow was fevered and his face pale, a dark cloud lurking around the elf. The elf had quickly retreated himself from the the human the first night they arrived at Mirkwood. When Estel had come to get him the next morning for breakfast, he could not find him. He quickly went around the palace, searching for his elvish friend, but soon he learned from other elves, Legolas lay at the mercy of the healer. He had been bitten by a poisonous spider and he was suffering greatly!

Aragorn had been furious at the elf, but had not strayed from his side none the less.

~End of Flashback~

Aragorn sighed once more, a stubborn elf he was indeed. He had told him he only did it so he would not be a burden to the ranger during their travel. Once more Aragorn had become so angry with him and he had threatened Legolas even. If he would ever do such a thing again, he would leave his side and he would not return for many many years. Legolas had only laughed his melodical laughter, saying the ranger would be incapable of it. And indeed, the elf had been right, he had done it so many times after that, even though the Ranger was quick to see it often since then, but never had he left. Always he stayed by his side, fighting off evil orc and other evils.

He wished he had never spoken the words he had towards his elvish friend, he wondered briefly how Legolas would feel now, what he would be thinking off...

~Legolas' POV~

I opened my eyes and saw nothing but dark, bewildered and ready to fight off the dark presence I felt, I stood, ready to grasp my weapons. Shocked I found my daggers not on my sides, my bow and quiver not upon my back... I was unarmed. Shocked I looked around me, waiting for the dark presence to attack me. Little did I know, there was no dark presence, but all around me was dark and evil, this was what I felt...

Dark mist surrounded me, swirling around me, so I could see nothing but the dark. Only blackness, pain and misery resided here, and I was trapped, trapped to face it now. I could not wake, as hard as I tried, the black fog held me in it's grasp tightly. All around me, not even when I squinted and looked as hard as I could manage, could I not see an sign of light or hope. I desperatly hoped there was such a place behind all this darkness and fog. But I feared there would not be, I feared it would never come to me, ever.

I turned and looked above me, hoping that somehow I could see stars, or a moon lit brightly beyond the dark fog. I prayed for a little light, I prayed for even the smallest star to reach me, a star burning so bright it could penetrate this fog and reach me. But when I looked, nothing was there.. Only darkness. I looked and looked, to the right and left, forwards and behind me, up and down, but there was nothing but the almighty darkness. It seemed to have swallowed all around me, all light, all living... there was nothing left and at the moment, the darkness was devouring me.

I tried to move forward, I tried to get out of the thick suffocating fog, but my legs would not move me. They would not move for me, they would not carry me out of the dark. It was as if they were paralysed, yet still I could feel them and they would still carry me. As I looked at my feet, seeing if they were in some way stuck, or for any other reason there might have been for their lack of movement and what my eyes told me terrified me.

The dark fog was thickening, swirling around my feet, darkening it's color. They could not move, because darkness had taken over. Slowly the dark fog moved upwards, swirling around my legs, slowly heading up. I felt the cold on my legs once it reached a new place, terrible coldness plaguing me, as if freezing me solid. Never had I felt like this, at first, the terrible coldness when it touched new skin, then as if thousands of knifes touched my skin, doing nothing but stroking it at first, but that gradually became worse. The longer my skin had been taken into darkness, the darker it became, the deeper the knifes would stab. It was terribly agonizing, but I refused from crying out, I refused to give in.

The darkness had reached my chest in the mean time and I could see how I breathed cold air. I desperately moved my arms to remove the darkness from my chest, stopping it from freezing my lungs solid, so breathing no longer was an option for me. But the moment my fingers touched the dark fog, it stopped circling my chest, but now divided in two, reaching for my hands...

My fingers slowly turned blue, then darker and darker. Felt icy blood stream through my veins, my lungs breathing nothing but coldness. I felt numb, I no longer tried to protest against the cold and the fog ensnaring my body. I no longer tried to rid myself of it, no longer tried to move, I was too cold, to tired.

The darkness slowly consumed my hands, wrist, arms and was now going painfully slow around my both shoulders. I stared upwards silently, tears falling from my eyes, turning into icy crystals and falling upon the dark ground. I could hear them shattering, one by one. I felt the cold go op my neck, the two dark swirling fog's uniting once more. They were as two snakes, slow and painfully crawling up my body, leaving a poisonous venom behind that paralyzed me and turn my warm blood into ice.

My mind wandered off to Estel, I prayed to the Valar to protect him and to let him be loved dearly by everyone. Even though I loved the man with all my heart, I wanted him to be happy at the side of Lady Arwen. I knew he would be happy and loved with her, I knew she could guide him well as he was to become king soon. *Oh, Estel...* I softly sighed in my mind, saying a soft goodbye to the man. I would die from this soon and he would never know how I cared for him...

The darkness soon reached my eyes and I felt myself unable of crying, tears no longer fell and my head soon became frozen, all it's muscles paralyzed. For a moment I could not longer see my own body which I had been looking at for a moment, I was forced to see the dark fogs cross and block my vision. After that, my vision returned to me and I noticed I could still breath, for my lungs still worked.

For some reason my chest had not been affected since it went off to my hands, but that was not to be a reason for happiness. The dark snakes were working their way back down and soon I was to die. Soon they would take my broken heart and lungs and I would die. My thoughts lingered in Estel's presence, I could not get him out of my mind. It suddenly hit me... would the future king of Gondor be affected by my death? What would he think when he heard of the news... or would he eventuelly fetch me myself and find my body draped over the floor, not breathing, not any signs of life... dead. Would he be grieving?

The darkness reached my lungs, deceasing their actions, stopping my breath. My eyes fell into a black stare, but I still remained alive. *No, I am replaceable... he would not grief and soon forget he ever knew off a Mirkwood prince called Legolas Greenleaf. He will become king of Gondor, Arwen, loving him dearly, ar his side and he will never think off me anymore, I will, by then... be replaced...*

~A few last beats, until his heart turned blue and then dark, a last slow beat and then... nothing...~

A/N Speechless and tired I, I only will say one thing... REVIEW PULEASE?! Tell me whaddaya think :D

ps Sorry for the quickly written flashback, if it bothers you greatly, I will expand it. But I just did not want it to be a story on itself, it would get to confusing, catch my drift?