A/N A freezing snowstorm in the middle of April is just not cool (hah no pun intended! :)) and needed to update early so I could vent my angry of my favorite elf and ranger! Again, a million thanks to everyone out there!

Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter Nine

That night, Legolas's condition plummeted. Aragorn, who had been replaced by Elladan in the early morning, stepped into the prince's room after his own brief rest and felt his heart stop. There was a dramatic difference in his friend.

The elf lay still in the bed, his eyes completely closed. The shivers that had racked his body relentless were no longer there, though Aragorn suspected it to be more of having no strength left to shiver than being warm.

Elrond and the rest of his brothers were gathered around Legolas's bedside, talking quietly with grim expressions upon their faces.

"What happened?"Aragorn cried, swiftly covering the distance to be beside the elf prince. His hand reached out hesitantly, feeling the freezing skin and weak pulse.

"Legolas had a relapse just a little while ago." Elrohir explained his usually jolly voice sad.

"For once his pulse went down instead of up." Elladan continued softly. "Dramatically down, and his breathing became light and shallow not soon after." Aragorn nodded slowly, placing a hand lightly on the prince's chest, needing to know form himself what was troubling his friend.

He looked up at Elrond, the human's face worried.

"Legolas is running out of time…" he stated the obvious, searching his father's eyes.

"Yes, he is. But do not be disheartened." Elrond advised, wrapping his arm around his son's shoulders. "We will have to wait for Legolas to awaken before we know what else has changed."

"Good, it gives us time to think up stories about Estel to tell our dear bed laden prince to keep him entertained!" Elladan joked, trying to lighten the mood. They all needed a laugh.

All day they waited for Legolas to awaken, but he never did. Finally his friends began to try and force him awake, but their attempts were meet with failure. Legolas slept through the night and into the morning, when his eye's finally flickered opened.

"Ada! Estel, Elladan!" Elrohir shouted, being the one on duty over the elf. Aragorn jerked awake from where he had been dozing lightly, fingers tightening were they had been clasping Legolas's.

"Legolas!" he joyfully cried, a half crazy smile adorning his face.

"About time you woke up!" Elladan stated, turning to face the younger elf. Elrond, who had been working at a table, rose and made his way over, stepping in front of his sons to get a better view of the prince.

"You had us all a little worried there." Elrond said kindly. When Legolas did not reply to any of them, the lord frowned. The excitement level in the room dropped as the elf made no sound. The brother s squeezed in close, their eyes holding an unchecked fear.

"Legolas?" he asked, gently touching the elf's chin and bringing his face up so he could look him in the eyes.

When Legolas awoke from the blackness, he found himself surrounded by unfamiliar people and in an unfamiliar room….though once he thought about it, the elf realized that he had no idea about anything. He didn't even now his own name.

The people in the room were crowed closer in on him, talking as though he was suppose to know who they were. Suddenly, the tall dark haired one reached over and touched him. Crying out with shock at being touched, the elf pulled away, struggling to scout back a few paces. The other one seemed to be surprised, freezing with a look of hurt and confusion on its face.

"Who― who are you? What do you want?" he asked, trying to raise his voice higher than a croaky whisper.

Aragorn stared at Legolas with disbelieve written on his face. Legolas had to be teasing them, he had to be.

"Legolas, it's me, Estel!" he said in confusion, reaching out for his friend. Legolas, however, reacted badly. Letting out another warning shout, he violently pushed himself back, smashing his head against the head board in the process.

"Aragorn," Elrond warned, holding up his hand. This was not the way to deal with what was happening.

"Get away from me!" the elf in the bed hissed, fear and terror clear in his eyes. This was the last straw for the young human next to him. To have his best friend not recognize him, to be afraid of him, was too much.

"Legolas, its Aragorn!" he cried in desperation, flinging himself forward and grabbing the prince roughly and shaking him. "Strider, Estel…the fifthly human!" he shouted, trying to think of any name that his friend might have ever called him. By now he was snapping the elf back and forth as if it would trigger his memory somehow. Legolas cried out, trying to fight against the currently much stronger human but his weak arms were unable to pry the man away from him.

Elladan and Elrohir jumped into action, grabbing their younger brother and pulling him back by the arms and holding him tightly. Aragorn fought against them, smashing the back of his first into Elrohir's face, causing him to stagger back.

"Aragorn, stop fighting us!" Elladan yelled in frustration, trying to recapture the man's hand. But with a crazed look in his eyes the ranger swung around, landing a square punch on the eldest's twin's chin. Surprised, the elf let his grip loosen for just a second, but it was enough

Yanking his arms free, Aragorn stumbled forward, all but tackling Legolas. The prince tensed, a look of utter panic entering his eyes as the human wept bitterly into his shoulder. Fighting, he tried to dislodge the man from himself to no avail.

The twins rushed forward, again dragging Aragorn off. Still the man fought, clawing madly at Legolas's tunic while straining against the twins. Elrond stepped calmly forward, gently prying his son's fingers off. At the sudden release, all three fell back into a heap.

"Estel, I will make you leave if you don't calm down." The lord threatened his eyes sad but firm. Suddenly his attention was diverted to Legolas as the elf rolled over onto his side, tossing the contents of his stomach over the side of the bed.

"Legolas!" Aragorn howled, his finger's desperately straining to reach Legolas, his eyes wild.

"Get him out of here." Elrond hissed at his two older children, needing to tend to the prince who was hurling yet again. Elladan nodded and they began to drag the human back, struggling to keep a firm hold on their fighting brother.

"Let me go to him." Aragon screamed "I promised to stay with him!"

"Aragon!" Elrohir cried sharply, yanking him down to the man's own room. Raising a hand, the younger twin glanced at Elladan. He nodded, tightening his grip on the human to keep him from bolting off. With a sharp crack, Elrohir slapped the ranger.

Aragorn chocked on a 'Legolas' going limp in Elladan's arms with a shuddering sob. The twin gently forced the human into the chair, watching sadly as the man buried his face in his arms.

"Estel?" Elrohir asked hesitantly, sharing a worried glance with his twin.

"He doesn't know me, doesn't remember me." Aragorn whispered fresh tears slipping down his cheeks as he looked up at his brothers. His grey eyes had a desperation that scared the twins, and they both silently promised that Estel was not going to left alone from here on out, not in the frame of mind he was in.

"He will, Estel, he will. Believe it!" Elladan soothed, trying hard to hide the way his own voice cracked. Never in a million years had he expected this to happen. With a moan of despair, Aragorn flung himself forward, clutching at Elladan and sobbing without restraint.

Sinking to the floor together, Elrohir joined them. They held each other close, finding comfort with each other. What if Legolas never remembered them? What if his brain was permanently damaged by the poison?

The tired and weary human soon cried himself to sleep, one hand wrapped in Elrohir's tunic while he leaned against Elladan. Carefully maneuvering their younger brother with the grace of the elves, Elladan and Elrohir laid him gently down, covering him up with blankets to ensure that he would stay warm.

"I think it best if one of us stays here, just in case Estel awakes in a panic or tries to leave. You go help Ada with…Legolas." Elrohir whispered, not wanting to wake his brother. Sinking down the younger twin gently placed a hand on Estel's arm, letting him know that he wasn't alone. Elladan patted both of his brothers' shoulders before leaving the room, knowing that his father would need his help.

Slipping back to Legolas's room, Elladan found Elrond sitting on of the floor, next to the huddled form of Legolas. The prince was rocking back and forth, knees pulled against his chest and his head resting on his arms. Soft whimpers were escaping his lips as Elrond tried to talk to him.

"We mean you no harm. Let us help you." he was whispering in a slow comforting voice, reaching out a hand.

"No," Legolas sobbed. "No…" the elf began to rock back and forth all the harder. He sniffed suddenly, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his tunic. It left an eerie red stain.

Elrond glance up fearfully at his oldest son, indicating that it had been this way the whole time Elladan had been gone. Inching forward, the lord hesitantly put a hand on the wood-elf's arm.

Crying out with fear, Legolas tried to scramble back, only to find the wall behind him. Trembling, the young elf curled into a tight ball, beginning to mutter again. They had caught a quick look at him, and it was not a good sight. Blood was all over his face, down past his chin and speckled across his tunic.

"Legolas…everything is all right, just listen to me. You have to trust us." Elrond tried again, letting his fingers just brush the prince. Legolas tensed, but did not pull away. "Right, see we won't hurt you. We will help you."

Legolas didn't move, but when he turned to look at the lord his eyes were narrowed in mistrust.

"I don't know anything! You took it all away!" he hissed, blaming the first person he had seen for that fact that his mind was a total blank canvas. His voice spluttered slightly and he coughed, spraying the ground with blood that had dripped into his mouth.

Elrond sighed, closing his eyes; this was going to take a while to straighten out. Now that the elf would at least allow him to touch him, Elrond carefully moved his hand down to the elf's throat, taking his pulse.

Legolas's heart was beating much too fast and too weakly. Another attack would be sure to follow even though the young elf had just experienced one.

"Legolas, I know you don't trust me, but I need you to drink this." Elrond gestured for Elladan to bring him the medicine, which his eldest did, carefully pouring out the right proportion. Legolas, however, was shaking his head violently a terrified look in his eyes.

Suddenly his body began to shake and quiver, pain seeping into his glazed eyes.

"Quickly, Legolas take it. It will help!" Elrond tired, holding up the spoon. Legolas's lurched forward, a hiss of pain escaping his lips. Elladan reached over, taking the spoon from his father and gently but forcefully pushing it in when Legolas open his mouth to let out a cry of pain.

The prince of Mirkwood would not allow for it, however, gagging before spitting it out.

"Swallow it!" Elrond hissed, afraid to force the prince to do so for fear of giving him a cause to fear them. The prince refused it, choosing to suffer through what seemed an eternity of pain before his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped to the ground, unconsciousness.

"Quickly, Elladan," Elrond commanded, pulling Legolas into his lap and forcing his mouth open for his son while hastily grabbing a clean towel to press against the elf's bloody nose. Elladan did as he was told, and soon the attack was over.

"This is not going to be easy…" Elladan whispered horror detailed in his voice. Moving Legolas back to his bed, the two older elves could only pray that he would remember once he awoke, but somehow they doubted it.

TBC…

Oh Valar! What are they going to do now?!

Oh and hah, funny story. On my last post I forgot a few very important words…about responding in the chapter itself! I went back and fixed it but…I feel so embarrassed….! :( This mistake was almost as good as when I switched up 'his' and 'he's' in Crimson Stains! :) lol!( that was a bad one!)

Review Responses:

World-classgeek: I think they had better shut up and listen! But, Aragorn being the noble person that he is, most likely won't! Thanks!

Crystal di Angelo: I agree with you! I'm really surprised that Aragorn hasn't left yet…but my brain told him to stay put he listened…for once. Thanks!

ShadowHawq35: Thank you very much, mellon-nin!

Sarathestarkidranger: That sounds like fun! I'm coming too! Wait…it was me that ordered the elf angst…I'd better let them do all the work while I sit around watching! Lol.

LILEVILONE96: Sorry about the mistake! Hey, I was born that way! No, I swear, I've loved angst from a young age…which is sort of creepy…

LotrNienna: Thanks so much!

robinsmum: I had fun writing it! ;) I think that, after this especially, Aragorn needs a little huggle! (and yes, sorry about the mix up, :) )

DragonElf: Yes, that was totally my mistake there…sorry! But I'm glad you like them because it is a lot of fun to write them!

AmazingWriter123: *Hands over your pleasant surprise!* Thank you, mellon-nin! I'm glad that you liked it, because, trust me, it was fun to write! (That is coming from the evil person that I am!)