So this is actually a request from one of my friends. I don't really ship Legolas and Tauriel, but it was a lot of fun writing this!

But no worries. I'm not abandoning my other stories for this one haha.

Reviews would be fantastic. Just saying.

Blood and darkness and fire and the clash of steel against steel and shrieks and battle cries and arrows soaring through the air –

And there he was, looking up at her, smiling faintly at her, and his eyes, once so bright, so full of life, were fading –

And then they were empty –

Lifeless.

Dead.

"She walks in starlight in another world."

She can hear a scream, and then her weapons are dropping to the ground, and she realises the scream is coming from her, is ripping through her –

"It was just a dream."

The world is spinning, spinning and whirling around her, and she is weaving through the fallen bodies, dropping to her knees, and she can only see his face in her mind, see his lifeless body –

"Do you think she could have loved me?"

And long, cool arms are wrapping around her, hands around her waist, holding her close, enclosing her in a warm embrace, soft and safe and comforting.

Yes, she wants to scream. Yes, she could.

"Tauriel. Tauriel."

Her eyes snapped open.

Legolas, leaning over her, his eyes glinting in the darkness, full of worry and concern. His long blond hair fell about him, and Tauriel was suddenly consciously aware of his hands on her shoulders, of how close he was to her.

Almost instinctively, she shrugged her shoulders, backed away.

"You were having a nightmare."

Tauriel had to turn away.

"It was nothing." She kept her eyes averted away from him. "Thank you for awakening me."

She had already clambered out of her bedroll and was walking away when Legolas called out, "It cannot merely be nothing, to still be dreaming of the same battle after sixty years when you have gone through so many others."

Tauriel froze.

She shut her eyes, took in a deep breath.

And there he was, beneath her eyelids, smirking at her, staring at her, smiling at her, looking at her with those eyes so deep and so bright and so full of –

Her eyes snapped open once more.

"It has affected me more so than the others." She turned slightly, turned so her eyes met Legolas', and was thankful for the sun rising behind her, grateful that it kept her face mostly in darkness. "That is all."

He took a step closer. "Tauriel – "

"How long shall it take to reach Rivendell?" she interrupted, not wanting to have this painful conversation. Not when she could still see his face in her mind. Not when the memory was still so fresh.

"We should reach by nightfall. Tauriel – "

"Then let us make haste and be on our way." She turned her back to him once more, scanned the vast expanse of forest before them. "I shall awaken the others. We have travelled long – it would not do to delay our arrival more than necessary."

Legolas wondered if it had been wise to bring Tauriel along on this journey.

She had changed, in the past sixty years. She had become colder, more aloof, throwing herself into her duties as part of the Guard with a ferocity he had never seen before, never leaving Mirkwood. She had been different ever since their encounter with Thorin Oakenshield and his company sixty years ago, ever since the Battle of the Five Armies.

Ever since that dark-headed dwarf had fallen.

Legolas was no fool.

Even now he could remember how the dwarf had looked at Tauriel, how she had not looked away, but responded in kind.

"Why does the dwarf stare at you so, Tauriel?"

"Who can say? He is quite tall, for a dwarf. Do you not think?"

"Taller than some, but no less ugly."

And even now he could recall how she hadn't replied, how she had turned away.

How he had found her, later that night, sitting by his cell, seeking a conversation with him.

"All light is sacred to the Eldar, but Wood Elves love best the light of the stars."

"I always thought it a cold light, remote and far away."

"It is memory, precious and pure. Like your promise. I have walked there sometimes, beyond the forest and up into the night. I have seen the world fall away and the white light forever fill the air."

The wistful look on her face, how the dwarf had stared at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

How she had gone after him when he had been injured, poisoned.

"She went into the forest armed with her bow and blade. She has not returned."

How she had chosen to heal him, and to stay with him.

Legolas kept his eyes fixed on her as she deftly woke the others, silently packed her things.

He couldn't remember exactly when it was that he had begun to care for her.

For years they had grown together, fighting, sparring, exploring, challenging each other, him the Prince of the Woodland Realm and her a Captain of the Guard.

But she had never merely been a Captain of the Guard, not to him.

She had been his friend.

And then, one day, it had simply turned into something more than that.

Tauriel, beautiful Tauriel, fierce and strong and brave and true. A warrior, a soldier, a fighter through and through. And at the same time gentle, so gentle; finding beauty in delicate blossoms, in the starry night sky, in the wandering path through Mirkwood.

He knew his father would never have approved. Would never have let him pledge himself to her. Not to a 'lowly Silvan elf'.

Legolas hadn't cared.

And now, sixty years later, nothing had changed.

"How goes the council?"

Legolas glanced up to see Tauriel appear, walking in from the balcony, her long red hair flowing behind her as it always did.

"Well," he said. "I am a part of the Fellowship of the Ring."

"I know," she said. "Two young hobbits ran past not a moment ago, talking rather loudly and excitedly about a blond elf accompanying them."

The faintest of smiles flickered over her face.

Legolas watched her.

"They would not happen to be by the names of Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck, would they?"

"I believe so," Tauriel said, that smile flickering over her face once more. "They called each other Merry and Pippin."

"They bring much laughter and joy."

He kept his eyes on her, wondered if her smile would slip away.

"That they do."

The smile was still there.

"They inquired after the colour of my hair," she continued, looking past him, not moving from her place. "They did not believe an elf would have hair the colour of fire, and spent much time debating over it before choosing to ask me."

"It is a colour to match your heart and your soul."

She glanced over at him then.

"And what does your hair say of you, Legolas?"

He felt his heart soar.

He couldn't remember having conversations like this with her, not for a long time. Not for over sixty years had she spoken to him in such a way. No, for the past sixty years she had remained quiet, cold. Emotionless and aloof.

"Will you not tell me?" he said, and he felt a smile spreading over his face.

Her smile widened slightly before fading, before she moved to stand next to him.

"When will you leave?"

"Two days hence."

"Ah." She glanced briefly at him again, and looked away. "I shall not be accompanying the others on their return to the Woodland Realm."

"What?"

He spun around to face her properly, eyes widening.

"I shall not be accompanying them," she repeated. "I shall linger in Rivendell a while longer, if Lord Elrond should allow it."

"Why?"

She raised her eyes to meet his.

"Gimli, son of Gloin, was accompanied here by his father," she said, softly. "And here stays a hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins."

He felt himself grow cold.

He knew it had not been wise to bring her here.

"The past is in the past, Tauriel."

Her eyes hardened, slightly.

"It does not do to forget."

She turned away.

"I have also met the Lady Arwen," she continued. "Lord Elrond's daughter. She is pleasant to be with."

"My father will not be pleased that you have chosen to stay."

"Your father ceased to regard me with any respect sixty years ago, Legolas."

"Promise me something, Legolas."

Tauriel stood before him, her face an expressionless mask.

The rest of the Fellowship stood behind him, saying their last goodbyes before leaving.

"What would you have me promise?"

She looked up at him, before glancing away, briefly.

"You are the only friend I have ever truly had." Her hands closed around each other. "Promise me that you shall return."

The only friend I have ever truly had.

Promise me that you shall return.

He felt his heart lift, slightly.

It did not matter, did not matter so very much, that she still only regarded him as a friend.

She wanted him to return.

"I promise, if you shall give me one in return."

Tauriel turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"Promise me that you shall do your best to heal, while you are here in Rivendell, away from everything."

She raised her eyes to meet his.

"I promise."

Tauriel stared out at the night sky above her, stars glimmering, glittering, looking down on her.

Encasing Rivendell in their light.

Starlight.

She shut her eyes.

Master Baggins had been pleasant enough to converse with, telling her of all that had happened in their quest all those years ago before her encounter with them, of Kili and his brother Fili and their uncle Thorin, of tales that the other dwarves had told him regarding one of the youngest members of the company of Thorin Oakenshield.

Gloin, on the other hand, had not known how to react when he had seen her, and their talk had been slightly awkward before they finally fell into simple, easy conversation, with her telling him all that had happened to Mirkwood and Thranduil since their time there – not an easy task, for it had been a long time since Tauriel had truly cared about what happened to Mirkwood or her King – and him talking of how they had picked up the pieces of their life together again after reclaiming Erebor.

After the battle.

After their King had fallen, and the line of Durin broken.

Tauriel took a deep breath, opened her eyes.

It had been three weeks since Legolas and the Fellowship of the Ring had left, three weeks since the party from Mirkwood had returned home. Three weeks since she and Legolas had exchanged their promises. Three weeks since Lord Elrond had granted her permission to stay in Rivendell for as long as she needed.

Rivendell had been good to her. She finally felt more at peace than she had had for years; she could not remember feeling this calm in what felt an age.

Not for sixty years.

She supposed this was what Legolas had meant, in asking her to do her best to heal while still in Rivendell.

And yet in her mind she could still see her dark-haired dwarf's face, could still see his smile, hear his laughter. Could see the light fading from his eyes, hear his choked gasp as he and his brother both fell.

"He has grown much wiser, since I saw him last."

She whirled around.

"Lord Elrond."

"I am surprised you did not hear my coming," he remarked, moving to stand next to her, placing his arms on the balcony railings.

"I was lost in thought."

"So I could see."

Elrond glanced at her, before turning his eyes to the night sky.

"Who were you speaking of?" Tauriel asked, finally, after a long moment of silence between them.

He ignored the question.

"The Wood Elves, I know," he said, "have always found the greatest beauty in the light of the stars."

"Starlight is pure. Precious."

"So it is. As your relationship with the Prince of the Woodland Realm."

"My lord – "

He held up a hand. "Allow me to speak."

Tauriel fell silent.

"Sixty years since I last saw Legolas," he said. "Such a short period of time. And yet he has grown so much within these sixty years that it may seem like a thousand."

He turned to face her.

"Do not live in the past. If you could but open your eyes, you would see how much he has changed. You would see how, despite Gimli's antagonistic nature towards him, Legolas bears him no ill-will. You would see how he places the fate of Middle-Earth, what must be done to save it, before all else. You would see how willing he is to fight and to do what is right."

Tauriel kept her eyes fixed on the stars.

"You would see the way in which he looks at you."

Her hands clenched on the railing.

"I know that you still suffer from your loss." He turned to face the sky once more. "I understand your pain. But remember that though we elves love rarely, we may love more than once, and we love true. It is always possible to open your heart to another; it does not mean that you are forgetting the old. It merely means you have the strength and the capacity to love again."

Lord Elrond stepped back from the railing.

"I have seen the love in Aragorn and Arwen's eyes, have seen how they look at each other. He is a good man, but he is still a man; and yet what they share is real and unbreakable. It is a love so true, so strong, yet it does not blind them to each other's faults, or to what is happening around them."

She closed her eyes, thought of Arwen; Arwen, whose love for Aragorn burned so strong and bright and true it was painful.

"It is the same way that Legolas looks at you."

Elrond turned away, glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Goodnight, Tauriel."