A/N: Happy Birthday to me! Finished this yesterday night as a gift for all of you. Why do school work has to exist, top writer's block. Enjoy~

Part 2：Of Blue and Light

Chapter 23: Into the Mirror

Lady Galadriel awaited Rae at the bottom of the staircase as she entered Lothlorien. With a gentle smile, she extended her hand: "Come, my child, it is time you look into the Mirror."

Rae had heard of the Mirror before. Her three brothers had told her that every elf who came of age in the forest had a chance to glimpse their future when invited. Lady Galadriel led her through the palace's twists and turns until they arrived in a private garden, untouched by the merrymaking of Lothlorien elves. The garden was bathed in pure golden light, enveloping a small clearing in the middle. At its center, a wide, shallow basin carved from a single piece of polished stone awaited. Beside it, a graceful pitcher stood, shimmering like liquid starlight.

With a steady, fluid motion, Lady Galadriel lifted the pitcher with both hands and poured the water into the basin. The crystal-clear liquid cascaded in a shimmering arc before settling in the mirror's hollow, taking on a reflective quality like a window into another world.

"Look into the Mirror, child," Galadriel instructed, her voice serene yet compelling.

Rae took a step toward the basin and looked down. At first, she saw only her own face—blueish skin, bioluminescent markings, and Na'vi tribe braids. But then, her reflection began to change. Her blue skin gradually turned a delicate shade of ivory, yet her bioluminescent markings remained, glowing softly against her new complexion. Rae's ears elongated gracefully, and her cat-like yellow eyes shimmered, taking on a golden hue. Her once-braided hair, adorned with beads and decorations her mother wove into it, now flowed unbraided, silky and free.

She was transforming into an elleth, an elf. And standing beside her was Legolas. His gold-silver hair framed his handsome face, and his purest blue diamond eyes gazed at her with an expression entirely different from his usual anger.

The water in the basin rippled, erasing both of them.

Her vision then shifted to a lizard soaring through the sky, flying south toward an ancient and dark forest she couldn't name. What business did she and the lizard have in another forest?

The water rippled again. Rae found herself in a fierce battle beside a strange castle, a place that could only be read about in human tales. Orcs swarmed the walls at night, their dark, grotesque forms moving with relentless aggression. Amid the chaos and bloodshed, she saw Haldir wielding a sword, cutting down orc after orc in fluid motion. A blade found its way past his defenses, biting into his side. He gasped in pain, momentarily faltering. Blood stained his tunic, but her strong brother pressed on. Just as he thought he could continue, another orc struck from behind. The blade pierced through his armor, plunging into his back with brutal force, and he stumbled.

Rae screamed, tearing her gaze from the mirror.

"I have seen all you have, child,"Lady Galadriel said kindly.

"So all of it is what will come to pass,"Rae whispered to herself, not realizing tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Yes and no, for the future is uncertain. There is only one event in the mirror that speaks absolute truth, for I have witnessed it as well."Lady Galadriel handed her a piece of silk to wipe away her tears.

Rae's breath hitched. Please don't let it be Haldir's fall, she prayed.

"Your transformation, that is."The lady continued.

Rae let out a breath of relief: "Yes, I have noticed changes in my body since my arrival. My skin has been less blue, I'm sturdier, and my tail is shortening as well."

Lady Galadriel nodded: "It will not be long until you transform fully into an elleth. You'd better prepare for it."

"But what if I do not will it?"Rae pressed, her head cocked to one side.

The lady chuckled lightly: "It is Eru's will you were brought to Middle-earth, for a purpose. Choose your path wisely, for there is no return once you've chosen."

"It has never been my choice to make; I was brought against my will,"Rae argued.

Lady Galadriel laughed softly: "Eru would never bring anyone to our world against their will, child. Besides, it is your brothers'will that you remain a member of their family, of the warriors in Lothlorien. Go, child, inform your brothers of your transformation; they will be overjoyed."

Taking one last look at the gentle smile of the wise Lady of the Golden Wood, Rae left the garden.

"Remember, child, never lose hope for the ones you love when the future is uncertain."

And so, she vowed to never let Haldir fall during that horrific battle, no matter what it cost.

Her brothers' reaction to her news of transformation was unexpected.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, it was Haldir, always the broody one, who spoke first. "Rae," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "Are you certain about this? Transformation into an elf is unheard of in Arda."

Rae nodded, gripping the side of her chair to stop herself from imagining the horrific scene of his fall. "I am certain; it is Eru's will that I become an elf."

"But is it yours?"Haldir asked.

Before she could reply, Oropher and Rumil tackled her in a hug. If not for her Na'vi stature, she would have toppled over with them falling on her stomach.

"So, our little sister is becoming an elleth!"Rumil exclaimed, looking up at her.

"Yeah, she's gonna be the prettiest elleth in Middle-earth!"Oropher chirped.

"Am I not pretty now?"Rae teased.

Rumil faked a brooding expression, looking at her from head to toe. "Well, you're a bit tall for my taste. I prefer my ladies shorter than I am."

Oropher gave an excited shriek. "Oh my, you must love female dwarves then!"

"We were not informed that you have such a peculiar taste in women,"Rae added.

"By shorter, I mean just a few inches!"Rumil argued, his ears suddenly red as apples.

Haldir raised a brow. "Judging by your expression, one could presume that you already have someone in mind."

"No, I don't!"

For the rest of the evening until bedtime, the four argued about random things, leaving Rae to ponder Haldir's question.

But is it yours?

Rae's schedule had changed significantly since she informed her family of her transformation.

Haldir, ever the protector, assigned her entire morning to the library, claiming that her skills would be greatly needed. Unbeknownst to her, he had secretly arranged for one of the scholars to teach her Elvish.

Oropher and Rúmil took it upon themselves to ensure Rae remained socially active. They frequently brought her to the bustling market and various social gatherings. Though most of their companions were ellons from the warrior team, they made a concerted effort to introduce more ellyth into their circle.

"We don't know what ladies should be like. Urgh, so we brought some ellyth,"Oropher said awkwardly, introducing the she-elves one by one. The ellyth were kind enough, all of them sisters of her patrol team, and their brothers had spoken highly of Rae back home.

Oropher and Rúmil even worked up the nerve to take her to fashion and makeup stores, places ellons were almost never allowed.

"Seriously, you guys spoil me!"Rae muttered as they headed out of one of these stores.

"Nope, besides, we've still got all that money Haldir gave us,"Rúmil said, grabbing several bags of fashions and makeup kits.

"Yeah, better spend all that money."Oropher smirked, shaking the half-full purse. "I heard those skinny-tall-heels are very popular among ellyth these days."

"Stiletto heels,"Rae corrected.

Rúmil grabbed her hand. "Yeah, those stiletto heels. We're gonna buy them now."

"Urgh, don't you guys think I'm tall enough?"Rae chuckled. Despite the change in her appearance, she was still very tall, her skin now a very light shade of blue. In fact, she was exactly a head taller than Haldir, the tallest of her three brothers. Beside, her tail was long gone, making it easier to purchase without having to spend extra on explaining the details of where her tail is located.

Oropher surveyed his sister. "Hum, you're right. No ellon would ever be tall enough to even look you in the eye, even without those heels."

"Shoes, check. Training attire, check. Skincare, check. What else?"Rúmil wondered.

"Hair, of course! Sis, it's really time to change out of those braids of yours. You see, we elves wear fewer braids, not all over our heads, and no beads in our hair,"Oropher explained, gesturing at his own golden hair.

Rae stiffened. "That's out of the question."

The best part of Rae's day was placing her neural queue upon a tree.

She loved to watch the hobbits joke around and Gandalf scowling at the pair. It felt as if her soul were part of the Fellowship, though her body remained in Lothlorien. She experienced almost everything they did—the long walks, the horrid weather.

And someone's feelings.

Sadness, anger, fatigue. Rae didn't know anyone could burden themselves with so much negativity except herself. No, that person was never angry at anything that happened during the journey; most of the time, they were just numb. It was an impossible state of not feeling anything at all.

As the days wore on, it became even more severe for Rae to detect their emotions. That person felt numb, a walking shell incapable of feeling temperature or being emotionally triggered. No hobbit joke could evoke humor, no obstacle could trigger fear. She felt sorry for that person, whoever they were.

In fact, she saw herself in their eyes.

She had been that numb when her tribe fell, when her parents—Nataya, Locke, and Elara—fell.

Lothlorien, her second home, had chased away that numbness and replaced it with joy.

"Eywa, tsivun nga tokx si eyawr. Fyape ulte txo nga rìk si. Ngenga nì'aw, kea wìntxu sì oel srungti lefpom sì yewla'awn tivìr. (Eywa, please heal their body and spirit. Guide them through this difficult time. Only you, without any fault, can bring peace and comfort.)"Rae prayed.

Lothlorien, being one of the most well-protected elven realms, almost never experienced dramatic drops or rises in temperature.

But the temperature in her visions had been dropping ever since.

Though there were no traces of snow, Rae could see that the hobbits were struggling to keep up and had to be carried by Aragorn and Boromir for some time during the journey. The Fellowship was walking uphill, for that she was certain, as Gimli the dwarf kept complaining about how walking uphill did no good to dwarven legs.

"Natural downhill climber," he claimed.

And yet, not even a ripple of emotion changed from whoever had been building the connection.

Then one day, all connection ended.

No matter how hard Rae tried to connect her neural queue to the tree, she couldn't see the Fellowship anymore, nor feel the emotions.

One day turned into a week. Rae became restless day and night. She couldn't focus on her Elvish lessons, nor patrol properly without accidentally defying Haldir's orders. She no longer responded actively to her twin brothers' jokes, and even had her older brother install a bell in the living area to wake her in time for morning patrols.

"What's wrong with you lately?" Haldir asked, finally having had enough of his sister not listening to him. He hadn't the heart to punish her or even raise his voice.

"A bit under the weather, I guess." Rae replied, detaching from the target in the archery field.

Oropher cracked: "My dear Lembas sis, elves don't really feel changes in temperature. Especially since Lothlorien's temperature never alters!"

"I presume you use that weather excuse quite a lot back home," Rumil observed.

"I am home." Rae glanced at them, putting her arrows back in the quiver.

"And we're your family, so tell us what is bothering you lately," Haldir interrupted.

Rae sighed, setting down her quiver. "It's a long story; I'd rather not share it."

"There's nothing a good slice of lemon pie and a kettle of hot tea can't solve. Let's get back before it's late. I remember there are still a few slices in the cupboard," Oropher suggested.

"It's my neural queue," she began, lifting her braid, revealing the neural queue within. "This is not just a braid; it's a part of me that connects to all living creatures. When I place it upon a tree, I can sense the life around me and connect with the Fellowship, feeling what they feel."

Her brothers exchanged glances, intrigued and concerned.

Haldir asked, "What do you mean, you connect with the Fellowship?"

Rae nodded, looking down at her hands. "When I connect, it's like my soul is with them, experiencing their journey. I've felt their long walks, the horrid weather, and their emotions. Someone's emotions."

"Do you know who that is?" Rumil questioned, being serious for once in his life.

"Nope. But now, this person's suffering is all I can feel. And then, one day, the connection stopped. I couldn't see or feel the Fellowship anymore, and it left me worried."

Haldir stood up. "Did you catch any information about where they're heading back in Rivendell?"

"Yes, Gandalf mentioned that they're making for the Gap of Rohan," Rae confirmed.

Her brother paced the talan, then stopped in front of the map of Middle-earth hanging on the wall when Oropher and Rumil weren't doing any mischief. He pointed at the map and muttered, "There are only two paths to Mordor. One, through the Gap of Rohan. Two, across the Misty Mountains."

"And you said, you can only connect your, uh, neural queue to living creatures to feel emotions?" Oropher looked up.

"Apparently, that other person you're talking about has the same ability, or at least a similar one, as well!" Rumil added.

Everyone gasped in realization. "The Fellowship is crossing the Misty Mountains."

Goodness, even hearing the name of the Misty Mountains chilled her bones and made her old wound ache again as she thought of the horrific Nazgûls that pursued her and Lizard day and night.

Through their bond, came Lizard's voice, its mouth full of grapes: "You good?"

Rae rolled her eyes: "Yeah, yeah, don't forget to wipe your mouth when you finish. I don't like purple Ikrans."

"FYI, I'm eating green grapes. And stop hiding that wound that pains you by taunting me."

Rae huffed, turning to her room to get thebottle of painkiller potion Arwen gave her before she left, and shut down the bond.

She was never used to anyone sharing her feelings, her pain.