After thirty-five chapters, I have run out of greetings for my author's notes. I can't believe it.

So, here's the infamous disclaimer: I only own Kayden, Peyton, and Robin.

Chapter 36: Home

"They're back! They're alive!"

Kayden and Peyton turned their heads in surprise as Robin bolted past them in the halls of Minas Tirith, yelling at the top of her lungs. A massive smile stretched across the young hobbit's face, her brown eyes alight with joy. "They're back!"

Peyton opened her mouth to ask what the commotion was about, but before she could, Robin had sped past her, rounding a corner and passing out of their sight. "What was that about?" Peyton asked, turning to Kayden.

"I don't know," Kayden replied, staring after her friend. A sudden idea struck her mind, the elleth gazing at her friend. "You don't think…"

Sudden looks of ecstasy appeared on their faces as the duo finally realized what was happening. Without another word, the two friends began to sprint, following the path Robin had taken not a few minutes ago. They skidded around several corners as they raced through the white halls, eventually coming to an open door, loud laughter ringing clearly from inside.

Immediately, Kayden and Peyton entered the room, the cheerful grins on their faces only growing bigger as they viewed the scene inside. Frodo sat on the bed, Merry, Pippin, Robin, and Sam all tackling him in joyous embraces. Gandalf sat at the foot of the bed, laughing merrily. Gimli stood nearby beside Legolas, the Dwarf clapping his hands and chuckling heartily, the Elf beaming serenely at the hobbits. Aragorn stood closest to the door, a rare smile on the elder man's face.

The Fellowship of the Ring, after many, many months of adventures and dangers, had reunited, and no one could be happier.

~o*o*o*o~

After the fall of Sauron, celebrations abounded in the White City. Nearly every tavern was filled with surviving soldiers of the war, drinking merrily and clanking tankards together as a sign of camaraderie. But rarely would you find any member of the Fellowship among them. The eight spent much time inside the Citadel, telling the others of their adventures while they were apart. For them, the mere fact that they all were alive was celebration enough.

The days past swiftly, and May was quickly approaching. It was then that Kayden began to notice that Aragorn had become much more withdrawn, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Several times the elleth had seen him pacing in the halls, an anxious expression on his face. And Kayden suspected she knew the reason behind his actions.

"Hey," she greeted, approaching him during another of his bouts of pacing. "So, are you nervous?"

Aragorn nodded, his face grave. "I do not know if I am ready to be King, Kayden. This…this is what I was born to be, but-"

"Aragorn," Kayden interrupted, gently clasping his shoulder. "You are more than ready to be a King. You were the one who led the Fellowship to safety after Gandalf fell in Moria. You were the one who aided Theoden and helped him ride to victory for Rohan. And you were the one who led the Armies of the West in the charge on the Black Gate, even when most lost hope." Kayden drew in a deep breath, gazing steadily at Aragorn. "Aragorn, you don't need to search for the qualities of a King within you. They've been there all this time."

A small smile appeared on Aragorn's face. "Thank you, Kayden."

"It was nothing really. You just looked like you could use some encouragement." A small chuckle escaped the elleth's lips. "Actually, I should be the one thanking you."

At Aragorn's questioning look, Kayden continued. "You helped Robin, Peyton, and I survive in world not our own. Without you, we would've probably fallen quite a while ago." She sighed. "We would never be who we are today."

Aragorn gently smiled, turning to Kayden. "It is as you said. Those traits of valor and strength were always there within you three. You just had to dig down deeper to find them."

Kayden laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

~o*o*o*o~

HNNNNNNN!

The melodious sound of an Elvish horn echoed throughout the city as the delegation of Elves approached the front gates of Minas Tirith. The procession slowly rode up to the topmost circle of the city, earning numerous gasps of surprise and awe from the townspeople as they past. The Fellowship stood at the Citadel, awaiting the company of Elves.

The Elves soon arrived, an ethereal glow surrounding them. At the head of the company rode Elrond, Galadriel and Celeborn not far behind. Glorfindel could be seen among them, the twin sons of Elrond, Elrohir and Elladan, beside the Balrog-Slayer. And right at Elrond's side was…

"Arwen," Aragorn breathed, not believing his eyes. The Evenstar of her people still shone as brightly as she did when Kayden, Robin, and Peyton had first met her. Arwen smiled serenely at the sight of Aragorn, dismounting her steed alongside the other Elves.

Peyton gazed at Aragorn, shaking her head in amusement at the soon-to-be-King. The former Ranger was completely still, disbelief plastered across his face. "Well," Peyton prompted, gently nudging his shoulder. "Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to go and say hello?"

Aragorn snapped out of his trance, slowly stepping towards his love. Elrond nodded his approval, stepping aside with the other Elves. Arwen gently stepped towards Aragorn, the two meeting in between the company of Elves and the Fellowship.

For a good, long moment, the pair just stood there, gazing at each other, both incredibly happy to be reunited.

And then, Aragorn pulled her close, quickly bringing his lips to hers and giving her an overjoyed kiss. Arwen blissfully returned the kiss, throwing her arms around his shoulders. Elrond beamed at the duo, the silver trails of tears making their way down his face. Kayden and Legolas grinned at each other, each recalling a very similar event in Helm's Deep.

Peyton chuckled happily. "That's not exactly what I meant when I said, 'Go and say hello.', but it works."

~o*o*o*o~

Coronation day was soon upon them, the entire city buzzing with excitement. Preparations were made for the grand celebration, and the air was filled with joy. Thousands upon thousands crowded into the top level of Minas Tirith, all gazing at the steps of the Citadel, where soon, their new King would stand.

Peyton stood beside Ėomer, fidgeting with her dress. It was of a rather simple design: a forest green bodice with a lighter green skirt, the edges of the cloth trimmed with gold. A brown leather belt girded her waist, a long section of leather hanging down from the engraved gold buckle. A flowing red cape hung from her shoulders, held in place by two brown pauldrons of Rohirrim armor.

Peyton's green eyes scanned the crowd, gazing at the surrounding soldiers and civilians. Kayden was a little ways away, she too wearing a dress. Hers was made of silvery white cloth, large bell sleeves draping off her arm. A pale blue sash encircled her waist, and, like Peyton, she too wore a pair of armor pauldrons on her shoulder. A deep blue mantle draped from her shoulders to her feet, and a bright silver leaf pendant was visible on her chest.

Robin was not far away, standing alongside the other hobbits. She wore a simple pale yellow dress embroidered with tiny orange flowers. The young hobbit almost had a hysterical laughing fit when she had seen Peyton wearing a gown. Dresses were an article of clothing she severely despised. Her laughter, however, was soon followed by a light slap from Peyton, who was muttering something about "standard protocol" and "I'm going to kill Kayden for this". Needless to say, that shut Robin up.

A hush fell over the crowd as the doors to the Citadel opened. Gandalf stepped out, closely followed by Gimli, the Dwarf bearing the crown of Elendil on a velvet pillow. The silver and gold winged crown gleamed in the light of the sun, weighted with the history of the kings of old.

And then Aragorn came out, dressed in the royal armor of a king. A nervous light shone in his gray eyes, his dark hair framing his face. The faintest of smiles flickered across his face as he knelt silently before Gandalf. The Wizard gazed serenely at the former Ranger for a moment before lifting the crown of Gondor high into the air.

"Now come the days of the King," he proclaimed, placing the winged crown atop Aragorn's head. Gandalf beamed proudly at the former Ranger. "May they be blessed."

With a deep sigh, Aragorn stood, turning to face the crowds before him. Claps and cheers erupted from the people as they looked upon their new king. Happy tears sprung in Kayden's eyes, the elleth recalling the first time she had met Aragorn. It seemed so very long ago, when she was just a lost Elf, and he was just a Ranger.

Aragorn's gray eyes scanned the crowd, resting on each of his companions and friends for just a moment. He then lifted his head high, looking every bit like the King he had become. "This day does not belong to one man, but to all," he declared. "Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of the peace."

Once more, the crowd cheered for their king. Soft white petals began to float down from above, as Aragorn closed his eyes and began to sing.

"Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien
Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta."

His deep voice washed over the crowd, all of whom stood in awed silence. The beautiful Elvish song floated into the air as Aragorn slowly walked down the path paved in between the crowd, all bowing their heads as the new King passed.

As he proceeded down the white stone path, Aragorn noted several people in the crowd. Ėowyn and Faramir, both wonderfully healed and well, dipped their heads in respect for the new King. Ėomer and Peyton stepped forward together as he came near them, both bowing low to Aragorn. But only Aragorn saw the quick, reassuring smile Peyton flashed him before she disappeared back into the crowd.

And then, as one, the company of Elves stepped forward, headed by Legolas and Kayden. All were clad in silver and white, seeming to emit a beautiful, soft glow. Kayden was beaming brightly at Aragorn, unable to contain her happiness for her comrade. Through war and fire, hardships and toil, Aragorn had been there, from the very beginning. Legolas serenely smiled at his longtime friend, proud of what the Ranger had become.

Aragorn gently clasped Legolas and Kayden's shoulders, his clear gray eyes shining. "Hannon le."

Legolas and Kayden nodded silently in acknowledgement, both stepping aside to reveal Arwen, clad in flowing green raiment, holding the white banner of Gondor aloft in her hands. A genuine smile formed on Aragorn's face as he stepped closer to his love, gently taking the standard from her and handing it to a nearby soldier. The two held each other in their arms for a moment, before Aragorn pulled Arwen into a passionate kiss, whirling her around with joy.

After several blissful moments, the King and his Queen continued along the path, approaching the five hobbits. The five were seemingly dwarfed by the crowds surrounding them, and yet they managed to stand out the most. Nervously, Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo bowed low, while Robin dropped into the best curtsey she could manage.

Aragorn gazed at the five before stepping forward, his hand raised in a stopping gesture. "My friends," he stated quietly, a soft smile on his face.

"You bow to no one."

Aragorn dropped down, kneeling before the hobbits. Arwen followed his example, and soon, all of the great host assembled was bowing low before the hobbits, the unexpected heroes of Middle-Earth. Robin's hand was clasped over her mouth in an expression of utter shock and euphoria. The widest of grins was plastered on Pippin's face, an identical expression plastered on Merry's face. Sam shuffled his feet, evidently embarrassed by all the attention, and Frodo's eyes shone with tears of joy, his face weary…but glad.

A new age was dawning on Middle Earth. And this was only the beginning.

~o*o*o*o~

That night, a great banquet was held. The grand hall of the Citadel was positively alight with the glow of joy and celebration. Music filled the air, and, much to the hobbit's delight, food was abundant. Guests danced pleasantly across the dance floor, Aragorn and Arwen joining them occasionally.

Yet despite the festivity surrounding them, Kayden, Peyton, and Robin all felt something weighing on their hearts. Now that the war was over, what would become of them? Would they have to return to their home, or would they stay here, in Middle-Earth? These questions plagued their minds until, eventually, the trio approached Gandalf.

"Gandalf?" Peyton called as they came to the Wizard. Gandalf looked up from his drink, but when he did not say anything, Peyton pressed on.

"We were wondering about our world," she stated.

"Ah." Gandalf nodded in understanding, turning to face them. "Well, you see, ever since you mentioned that you were from another world entirely separate from Middle-Earth, I have been…studying this other realm." A grave expression settled onto the Wizard's face as he continued. "It seems that when you passed through the gateway between worlds, the three of you simply…faded from memory."

Kayden gazed at Gandalf questioningly. "You mean…everyone forgot about us?"

The Wizard nodded. "From what I can gather, no one in your realm has any recollections of you three."

Robin turned to her friends. "So that means…"

"…we can never go back," Kayden finished.

"Precisely," Gandalf replied. A small smile appeared on his face. "Though, I do not believe you three wanted to leave in the first place."

"We do want to stay," Peyton agreed. "We just wanted to see if we could."

"Thank you, Gandalf," Kayden stated, beaming. The three grinned at each other before disappearing back into the crowd.

~o*o*o*o~

We can stay.

Three words couldn't have made them any happier. They had found so much in Middle-Earth that they couldn't see on Earth: courage, strength, fellowship, and love. At first, Middle-Earth was just a world of excitement and adventure for the trio, but now, it was so much more.

This was home.

I don't know why, but I cried while writing the ending of this chapter. Possibly because it's signifying that this story, my very first fanfiction ever, is almost over. I believe there is only one more chapter to go.

So anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!