AUTHOR'S NOTE: *sigh* Just read, please! Big note at the end.
The Choice:
Kika stared unbelievingly at the shining figure. "What is this choice?" she said slowly after what seemed an eternity of silence.
"I must first tell you the circumstances under which we have decided to give you this choice. Legolas told you that Ithilien was destroyed by the War of the Ring, did he not?" Kika nodded, as she remembered their conversation in the library the day they had informed Thranduil of their betrothal.
"Yes, he said he wanted to take some elves with him there to try to return it to its former beauty. We were going to go. . ." she trailed off and squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that were threatening.
"Do not grieve for what may not yet be lost," Gilthoniel instructed before continuing. "This effects the lives of many. Many elves would follow their Prince to Ithilien to help him in his efforts, and men would appreciate the fertile land long after the elves leave Middle Earth. However, your death has changed all this. Despite his best efforts to hold on, for he knows you died to save him, Legolas is dying. Your love was strong enough to drive you to give your own life to save his, and it is strong enough that your death has caused him more grief than any elf has ever experienced before. He will not last much longer before he fades." Kika's eyes filled with tears.
"I wish I had never met him. . . that way he could lead the life he deserves. . ." she said with much difficulty.
"He would live," Gilthoniel agreed, "But it would be an existence devoid of love. You completed him. If given the choice, he would have chosen to have known and loved you, even if it meant his own death. He will die without you, and his death will alter everything. No elves will go to Ithilien. This will affect many of their lives quite drastically; some would meet their life-mates while living in Ithilien, and some would decide to go there instead of leaving Middle Earth as they had been contemplating doing. Men would never be able to use that land; in the very distant future, ages from now, when all elves are gone from Middle Earth, there will be men who must farm that land, and it will not produce enough food; families will starve. Without the help of the elves, the land will never fully heal from the war." She paused a moment, allowing Kika to take in the magnitude of what she had said.
"Your choice is this: you can go to the Halls of Mandos, where, like all elves, you will wait to be reborn, or you can return to your former life, return to your body to live with Legolas as his wife. The second choice is not without its expense though; should you chose to return to your former life, if you should be killed again, you will not have the choice to be reborn as all other elves are."
~*~*~*~*~*~
It had now been eight days since Kika's death, and Legolas had been sitting by her side for two days. He had at first only stared at her face, but he now held her hand in both of his, resting his forehead against their joined hands. Every once in a while, the silence would be broken by a whispered "Why?"
It was the dawn of the ninth day when Legolas noticed that his hands were cold against Kika's. At first he made nothing of it, but it eventually made its way through the fog of grief that clouded his mind. Her hands should be colder than his, no matter what the temperature of the room. He sat up slowly and looked at her face. Her lips had regained their color, and her cheeks looked less like porcelain. . . and more like living skin. He held his breath as her eyelids cracked open a bit.
"I am dreaming," he said, his voice cracking from not being used in so long. "But I do not wish to wake." Her eyes opened fully and finally focused on him.
"Legolas," she said, a smile spreading across her face. He just sat and stared. "Are you not going to say anything?" she asked jokingly.
"I. . . but I am dreaming," he insisted hoarsely. Kika's smile widened.
"This is no dream, I assure you." She sat up slowly and looked around the room. "Where are we? And how did we get here so quickly? We were a good distance from the palace." He looked at her disbelievingly.
"Quickly? It has been over a week since. . . what happened." He stood a distance from her, as if afraid of her. Kika stood and took a step towards him, only to have him retreat a step. She tried to hide the hurt in her eyes.
"I suppose you would like to know what has happened," she said slowly. Legolas nodded mutely. "You were. . . dying," she said with difficulty, "of grief, and the Valar knew how this would affect the future, how your being gone would mean that Ithilien would never recover from the war, for no elves would ever go there. I was given a choice to go to the Halls of Mandos or to return here, with you. I do not know why the time passed differently. . . for me it was naught but a few moments." Legolas took a step forward and raised his hand to gently cup the side of her face.
"It is really you," he finally said. Kika nodded, tears filling her eyes. Legolas seemed to break past a wall that was holding him back, rushing forward and scooping her up, hugging and kissing her while swearing that he would never let her go.
"Never, never again," he swore. "I was so lost without you, I did not know what to do. It was as if I had no emotions at all, you took my heart with you." Kika smiled as she returned his kisses.
"But I left mine behind with you."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kika and Legolas walked hand-in-hand away from the dining hall. There were those who had not wanted to believe that this was the same Lady Kikania who had died over a week ago, but after speaking with her and seeing her eat a meal with them, none could deny it. Their Lady and Princess was back.
Legolas and Kika stood out on the balcony that night, watching the stars. She was leaning against him, and he was simply enjoying the feeling of her warm, living body against his. As they were standing there, a thought occurred to him. He had been so elated about her return, he had not stopped to think about what it may have cost her.
"Kika?" he said softly. She turned to look at him. "Did you have to. . . do anything, or give anything up, to be able to return?" Kika smile lovingly and kissed his cheek.
"Nothing I would rather have in exchange for this." He held her eyes, obviously wanting to know what it was. "If I should be killed again, I will not be able to be reborn." Legolas was silent for a moment.
"I will not allow any harm to befall you," he swore. Kika smiled.
"I know." She reached around his neck and pulled his face down to hers for a deep kiss. "When shall we leave for Ithilien?" she asked.
"Not too long from now," Legolas replied. "I intend to speak to my father as you asked me to do, then I wish to spend some *quality* time with my wife before we leave." He bent down and nuzzled her neck.
"I believe that quality time should begin as soon as possible, don't you think?" Kika asked a little breathlessly. Legolas responded by pulling her behind him into the room, being sure to close the doors behind them.
A/N: That's it! The end! The honest-to-God-no-I'm-not-kidding-really-and- truly end. I hope to get a lot of reviews! Please! This is the hardest chapter to post; this is the first fanfic I've ever finished! If you haven't read my other fic, please check it out! It's much better than this one, or I think so anyway. A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed; without those good reviews I would have given up long ago, because I was scared to post this fic to begin with, as I am always hesitant to 'display' anything of mine. I am infinitely glad that I did, though, and I really hope you enjoyed the story!
The Choice:
Kika stared unbelievingly at the shining figure. "What is this choice?" she said slowly after what seemed an eternity of silence.
"I must first tell you the circumstances under which we have decided to give you this choice. Legolas told you that Ithilien was destroyed by the War of the Ring, did he not?" Kika nodded, as she remembered their conversation in the library the day they had informed Thranduil of their betrothal.
"Yes, he said he wanted to take some elves with him there to try to return it to its former beauty. We were going to go. . ." she trailed off and squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that were threatening.
"Do not grieve for what may not yet be lost," Gilthoniel instructed before continuing. "This effects the lives of many. Many elves would follow their Prince to Ithilien to help him in his efforts, and men would appreciate the fertile land long after the elves leave Middle Earth. However, your death has changed all this. Despite his best efforts to hold on, for he knows you died to save him, Legolas is dying. Your love was strong enough to drive you to give your own life to save his, and it is strong enough that your death has caused him more grief than any elf has ever experienced before. He will not last much longer before he fades." Kika's eyes filled with tears.
"I wish I had never met him. . . that way he could lead the life he deserves. . ." she said with much difficulty.
"He would live," Gilthoniel agreed, "But it would be an existence devoid of love. You completed him. If given the choice, he would have chosen to have known and loved you, even if it meant his own death. He will die without you, and his death will alter everything. No elves will go to Ithilien. This will affect many of their lives quite drastically; some would meet their life-mates while living in Ithilien, and some would decide to go there instead of leaving Middle Earth as they had been contemplating doing. Men would never be able to use that land; in the very distant future, ages from now, when all elves are gone from Middle Earth, there will be men who must farm that land, and it will not produce enough food; families will starve. Without the help of the elves, the land will never fully heal from the war." She paused a moment, allowing Kika to take in the magnitude of what she had said.
"Your choice is this: you can go to the Halls of Mandos, where, like all elves, you will wait to be reborn, or you can return to your former life, return to your body to live with Legolas as his wife. The second choice is not without its expense though; should you chose to return to your former life, if you should be killed again, you will not have the choice to be reborn as all other elves are."
~*~*~*~*~*~
It had now been eight days since Kika's death, and Legolas had been sitting by her side for two days. He had at first only stared at her face, but he now held her hand in both of his, resting his forehead against their joined hands. Every once in a while, the silence would be broken by a whispered "Why?"
It was the dawn of the ninth day when Legolas noticed that his hands were cold against Kika's. At first he made nothing of it, but it eventually made its way through the fog of grief that clouded his mind. Her hands should be colder than his, no matter what the temperature of the room. He sat up slowly and looked at her face. Her lips had regained their color, and her cheeks looked less like porcelain. . . and more like living skin. He held his breath as her eyelids cracked open a bit.
"I am dreaming," he said, his voice cracking from not being used in so long. "But I do not wish to wake." Her eyes opened fully and finally focused on him.
"Legolas," she said, a smile spreading across her face. He just sat and stared. "Are you not going to say anything?" she asked jokingly.
"I. . . but I am dreaming," he insisted hoarsely. Kika's smile widened.
"This is no dream, I assure you." She sat up slowly and looked around the room. "Where are we? And how did we get here so quickly? We were a good distance from the palace." He looked at her disbelievingly.
"Quickly? It has been over a week since. . . what happened." He stood a distance from her, as if afraid of her. Kika stood and took a step towards him, only to have him retreat a step. She tried to hide the hurt in her eyes.
"I suppose you would like to know what has happened," she said slowly. Legolas nodded mutely. "You were. . . dying," she said with difficulty, "of grief, and the Valar knew how this would affect the future, how your being gone would mean that Ithilien would never recover from the war, for no elves would ever go there. I was given a choice to go to the Halls of Mandos or to return here, with you. I do not know why the time passed differently. . . for me it was naught but a few moments." Legolas took a step forward and raised his hand to gently cup the side of her face.
"It is really you," he finally said. Kika nodded, tears filling her eyes. Legolas seemed to break past a wall that was holding him back, rushing forward and scooping her up, hugging and kissing her while swearing that he would never let her go.
"Never, never again," he swore. "I was so lost without you, I did not know what to do. It was as if I had no emotions at all, you took my heart with you." Kika smiled as she returned his kisses.
"But I left mine behind with you."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kika and Legolas walked hand-in-hand away from the dining hall. There were those who had not wanted to believe that this was the same Lady Kikania who had died over a week ago, but after speaking with her and seeing her eat a meal with them, none could deny it. Their Lady and Princess was back.
Legolas and Kika stood out on the balcony that night, watching the stars. She was leaning against him, and he was simply enjoying the feeling of her warm, living body against his. As they were standing there, a thought occurred to him. He had been so elated about her return, he had not stopped to think about what it may have cost her.
"Kika?" he said softly. She turned to look at him. "Did you have to. . . do anything, or give anything up, to be able to return?" Kika smile lovingly and kissed his cheek.
"Nothing I would rather have in exchange for this." He held her eyes, obviously wanting to know what it was. "If I should be killed again, I will not be able to be reborn." Legolas was silent for a moment.
"I will not allow any harm to befall you," he swore. Kika smiled.
"I know." She reached around his neck and pulled his face down to hers for a deep kiss. "When shall we leave for Ithilien?" she asked.
"Not too long from now," Legolas replied. "I intend to speak to my father as you asked me to do, then I wish to spend some *quality* time with my wife before we leave." He bent down and nuzzled her neck.
"I believe that quality time should begin as soon as possible, don't you think?" Kika asked a little breathlessly. Legolas responded by pulling her behind him into the room, being sure to close the doors behind them.
A/N: That's it! The end! The honest-to-God-no-I'm-not-kidding-really-and- truly end. I hope to get a lot of reviews! Please! This is the hardest chapter to post; this is the first fanfic I've ever finished! If you haven't read my other fic, please check it out! It's much better than this one, or I think so anyway. A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed; without those good reviews I would have given up long ago, because I was scared to post this fic to begin with, as I am always hesitant to 'display' anything of mine. I am infinitely glad that I did, though, and I really hope you enjoyed the story!