Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, and probably never will.

Chapter one - The Sacrifice

It was a fight of survival. Legolas' knives flashed as they attacked orc after orc. There seemed to be no end to the orcs and trolls, but he could not stop. The small army of men needed all the help it could get, and Legolas was not about to let them down.

The shriek of a Nazgul instantly drew him to halt. That's when he saw the troll. It slowly made its way to Aragorn, viciously swinging a heavy sword with every step. With a sudden burst of strength, Legolas dashed toward it, but it wasn't enough. The troll now stood behind Aragorn with its large sword suspended above its head. Legolas grabbed for his bow, strung an arrow, and released.

The arrow never reached its target. An orc was thrown into its path, and the arrow imbedded itself into the orc's neck. Legolas reached for another arrow, but it was too late. "Aragorn!" he screamed. Aragorn looked up just as the sword fell, crushing him to the ground.

Legolas cried out and ran forward, pushing aside anything that stood in his way. As he came to Aragorn, he stopped and fell to his knees in horror. Aragorn's head rested in a pool of dark blood, and he scarcely appeared alive. Legolas edged next to Aragorn and rested the death-like head on his knees. "Aragorn?" he whispered.

Aragorn's eyes opened and he looked up into Legolas' face. "I am here, mellon nin my friend," he said weakly.

Legolas broke into a smile. "Aragorn!"

Aragorn shook his head. "Legolas-"

"I am here for you, Aragorn. The men will need you…" He stopped at the look in Aragorn's face. "Aragorn?"

"No," said Aragorn. "There is nothing I can do now."

"You cannot leave!"

Aragorn held out his hand to reveal the Evenstar. "Return this to Arwen," he said. He struggled for another breath. "Farewell, mellon nin my friend."

"No, Aragorn! You will live! You-" But Aragorn was already gone. Legolas sank back in disbelief. How could this happen? So many times Aragorn had been close to death, but every time he had survived. And now…

There was still something he could do. He quickly put his hand on Aragorn's head and closed his eyes.

Suddenly he heard a cry: "The eagles are coming! The eagles are coming!" He looked up just as an eagle swooped down on one of the Nazgul. The eagle let out a long cry, and immediately Legolas could hear the sea gulls calling him to the sea. The sea! The gulls had already woken his sea-longing, and the desire for the sea now burned in his heart. There could be no more peace for him until at last he could sail into the west. He grabbed the Evenstar from Aragorn's lifeless hand. The calling of the sea was too strong. He slowly pulled out his knives as he watched the orcs around him. Suddenly he sprang up and whipped a knife into an orc. "Your evil kind stole the life of my friend," he said fiercely. "You deserve to die, and die you shall!" He yanked the knife back out and charged into the battle.

Suddenly the fighting stopped. Legolas pulled his knife out of a final orc before following everyone else's gaze into Mordor. A silence had fallen over the entire crowd, almost as though they were waiting. Legolas was not sure what they were waiting for, but he did notice that the Eye looked different, as if it was burning. He watched in stunned silence as the tower began to crumble and the Eye vanished. The dark lord was no more. He excitedly turned to find Aragorn, but quickly stopped as he remembered that Aragorn was no longer alive.

He did not notice as Gimli walked up beside him. "They did it!" exclaimed Gimli. "At last, that ring is destroyed!"

Legolas kept staring into the distance. "Yes, Gimli. But I have failed." He walked over and knelt beside Aragorn. "Why have you left us?" he whispered. "Why now, when you are needed so much?"

Gimli walked up behind him. "There was nothing you could have done," he said.

"But there was!" exclaimed Legolas. He pulled out the Evenstar pendant. "I could have done something. I can still do something!" He pressed his fingertips against his forehead and closed his eyes. He could give Aragorn his own life. He could give up his immortality and change it into a new life for Aragorn. But Legolas would never be able to become immortal again. He would never be able to see the sea, and someday… he would die. He let out a heavy breath. Death. In the past it had been nothing more than a foreign concept to him, one that he need not worry about. But if he gave up his immortal life… No, he could not bring himself to do it.

One of the men ran up to Legolas and looked down at Aragorn. "Over here!" he shouted. Several men, including Eomer, ran up and stood beside him.

Legolas stood up and looked at them with empty eyes. "He's gone," he said quietly.

The men stared back at him until at last Eomer removed his cloak. "Use this for Aragorn," he said. Aragorn was laid on the cloak, and four men were assigned to carry him.

The company was soon ready to leave. They assembled themselves with Aragorn's body in their midst. Eomer mounted his own horse and took the lead. "We ride to Gondor!" he shouted, and the company began to move.

Legolas and Gimli were riding together toward the front, but Legolas did not heed his surroundings. He had the Evenstar in one hand, and was absently running a finger along the polished edge. He would have the painful duty of giving it to Arwen, and telling her that Aragorn would not return. He could already see the pain in her eyes, the pain that he alone could prevent. He longed to give her happiness instead. But the sea was still calling to him, endlessly pleading with him to come and see its distant shores. And his family… would they understand if he could not go to Valinor with them?

He was brought back to reality as the group came to a sudden stop.

"Do you know this place?" asked Eomer.

"No," replied one of the men. "This place is unfamiliar to me."

Eomer stared into the dense trees that surrounded them. "We cannot stay here for long. We must get to Minas Tirith quickly." He turned to face the rest of the men. "Does anyone here know the way!" He was met with silence. "It is as I feared," he said, turning back. "No one knows where we are, or where we should go." He let out a heavy sigh. "If only Gandalf were still with us."

One of the men nodded. "Or Aragorn," he said. "He knows this land better than anyone I have ever met."

Legolas had heard enough. They needed Aragorn, and not just to find their way to Minas Tirith. Legolas sprang off his horse and ran back to Aragorn, ignoring the men calling after him. He stopped beside Aragorn's body and rested a hand on Aragorn's head. He whispered some words in elvish, closed his eyes, and waited…

"Legolas."

Legolas' eyes flew open to see Aragorn sitting up and looking at him. "Aragorn!" he breathed.

Aragorn's brows furrowed. "You look cold. What is wrong?"

Legolas took in a breath. "Nothing is wrong, Aragorn," he replied. He slipped the Evenstar into Aragorn's hand. "Not anymore."

Aragorn nodded. "Hannon le, Legolas thank you." Suddenly hearing the voices of the lost men up ahead, Aragorn jumped up and ran to the front. Legolas smiled as he watched the reactions of the men. Aragorn knew immediately where the company was, and once he was supplied with a horse, he began leading the way.

Legolas shivered as he mounted again in front of Gimli. He would never be able to cross the sea now, and someday he would have to die, just like the mortal he now was. But the looks on the men's faces was worth it. He had given his life to those who needed it. He had made the right choice.