A/N: thanks for all the reviews and suggestions, as well as follows and favourites :) This chapter is a bit longer than usual! :)

Enjoy!

Legolas climbed the tree, every step he took falling exactly into place. He was very skilled at climbing, so he spent most of his time in the trees, playing with the animals and the birds.

He smiled to himself as he sat on a tree branch high up. The tree welcomed him and he grinned in response. From up here, he could see an entire half of the Royal Gardens. He picked an apple from the tree and he bit into it, savouring the sweet taste of it. His ninety used to love apples.

When he heard some voices, he narrowed his eyes and moved further into the branch so he can get a better view from the other side of the gardens. Lord Elrond was walking alongside his Adar, and Thranduil's eyebrows were furrowed. Elrond, however, seemed carefree and he was smiling as he spoke.

As they walked closer to Legolas, he slowly started hearing their speech. The words were muffled, though, and he could not make out full sentences until they reached the tree across from him and sat on the bench in front of it. They sat facing him.

"Arwen wanted to visit you as well, but she decided it was best if she stay there." Elrond was saying. "She remembers you from when she was a child herself, only about as old as Legolas if not a bit older!"

Thranduil, to Legolas' surprise, smiled. "Aye, she was a merry child. She would pull and yank at my hair, spill ink over my robes, and rip apart my documents. She was very wild!"

"And carefree," added Elrond, raising an eyebrow.

Thranduil nodded, sighing. "Legolas is nothing like her when she was his age. Like you said, she was carefree. He is not." He said sadly. "I do not know what to do with him. At first, I really believed he was the reason for her death; I blamed him for it. I honestly thought he should have died instead of her. But then Thorel and Rolen suddenly started talking to me about him, and I started thinking about it. He is but a child, he is really suffering."

Elrond grinned wholeheartedly. "That he is, and we need to help stop suffering."

"Merita visited me in my sleep last night." Thranduil added. "She told me I was the reason for his suffering, even more so than her death. Can you believe she has not visited me in sleep since her death, until last night?"

"That is very unusual," noted Elrond. "Usually the dead visit right away."

Thranduil nodded. "Aye. I believe it is because of how I acted towards our little elfling." He rubbed his temples. "She told me to care for him, because we are all losing him. I do not want to lose him, Elrond. I honestly do not know what I was thinking for the past three months."

Elrond looked at the ground thoughtfully. He and Thranduil sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Legolas grinned to himself. His adar did not hate him anymore! Legolas bit his lip and stood up. He did not want to be caught eavesdropping. He grabbed another apple and started to make his way down, but paused, an evil smile playing on his lips.

"Ow! What in Arda was that?" Thranduil suddenly yelped, getting disturbed from his thinking. He rubbed his head in slight pain and looked at the ground. An apple had hit him. "Who threw that? Reveal yourselves!" He called, standing up.

Elrond laughed, and then Thranduil chuckled. Elrond looked to Thranduil. "This is more like yourself. I want to see you laugh like you always used to! I wonder who was brave enough to throw this at you."

Thranduil laughed along. "I wonder who has such good aim!" He added in awe. "Reveal yourself, you will not be punished!"

Legolas smirked. He would not be punished? He grabbed another apple and carefully aimed it at Lord Elrond's head. When he threw it, it hit the target exactly where Legolas wanted it. Elrond jumped in surprise and continued to laugh, then grabbed the apple and bit into it. "They sure do have good aim," he told Thranduil.

Legolas slowly walked further out into the branch, revealing himself from behind the leaves. Thranduil raised his eyebrows in surprise when he spotted Legolas, and Elrond smiled. Legolas was at least eleven feet above them. How the elfling managed to climb so high he did not know!

Thranduil's eyes softened as he saw Legolas chuckle. He crossed his arms and smiled. Had Merita been here, she would have been tugging at his sleeves in worry, begging him to get Legolas down from that tree. "Legolas, it is you, then."

Legolas nodded.

"Why don't you get down from that tree?" Asked Elrond. "Then you can come here and sit with us."

Legolas disappeared into the tree and began to make his way down quickly. Elrond turned to Thranduil. "He loves you. It will not take him long before he gets used to your merry self again."

Thranduil nodded. "I feel unbelievably guilty. Even if he forgives me quickly... I feel like I was being mind controlled for the past three months! It was the effect of depression, I fear."

Legolas ran over to them and held on to Elrond's robes. Elrond smiled and picked him up. "I see you are happy today, Legolas."

"I was playing with the trees. I'm always happy with the trees." He told Elrond. "uncle," he said after a pause, "I forgot my ball in the woods yesterday. I did not want to go alone to get it back. Can you go with me?"

Elrond raised an eyebrow. "Why were you in the woods to start with?"

Legolas had a confused look on his face. "I am always in the woods. It is nothing new."

"Do you realize how dangerous it is?" Hissed Elrond. "How long have you been sneaking off into the woods?" He asked.

"I never sneak off into the woods, I merely go to them. I have not seen anything dangerous yet. I did not go as far in as we did when we were attacked." Legolas answered innocently. "But my ball fell into a deeper part of the woods so I did not get it, because I was scared of going in alone. The trees told me to stay away."

Elrond shot an angry look at Thranduil, who looked down in guilt. "Legolas, we will fetch your ball, but you must promise me not to set foot into the woods again. You can play here, in the gardens."

Legolas sighed. "But the gardens can get really boring!" He complained.

"Nevertheless, they are safer for you."

"I have been going to the woods for three months, and I am still safe." Argued Legolas. "But if you get me my ball back, I promise not to go there as long as you're here."

Elrond sighed and nodded. "Lead us to it, then. Thranduil, come along."

"Of course I will."

They walked into the woods, Legolas leading them to where he lost his ball. After twenty or so minutes, Elrond stopped. "It is somewhere near, is it not, Legolas? We are already deep enough into the woods."

Legolas shook his head. "No, it is far from here." He said, and he continued running, dragging them along behind him.

After another fifteen minutes, Legolas finally pointed to a path between the trees. It was very dark in the woods, and many spider webs surrounded them. Elrond shifted uncomfortably.

"It fell in there, Uncle." Legolas said, pointing to the somewhat hidden path.

Elrond shook his head at Thranduil. "Legolas, we will get you a new ball. Leave this here."

"But we came all the way here-"

"Legolas, listen to Elrond." Said Thranduil.

Legolas could not hold back his tongue. "I will listen to him without you ordering me to do so!"

Elrond heard a soft noise creep up around them. "Thranduil, this place is full of spiders. We need to get out. Now."

Thranduil nodded and Legolas held Elrond's hand in fear. Elrond started walking back the same way they had come, taking slow steps as to not be found. Legolas, however, started laughing loudly all of a sudden when he saw a squirrel play around in a tree. Elrond shushed him, but it was a bit too late.

"Elrond." Elrond looked up to where Thranduil was looking, and saw a spider making its way over to them.

Legolas hid behind Elrond in fear, letting go of his hand. The spider was too near for them to run away, so it had to be killed. Elrond only hoped there weren't any more around. Elrond looked to Thranduil, who was staring at the spider, eyes widened. Elrond waited for him to pull out the sword he had brought, but Thranduil made no move whatsoever. Clearly he was having some flashbacks.

Suddenly, the spider shot a web and jumped over to the tree behind them. Legolas screamed, running to the other side of Elrond. Elrond pulled out the sword from Thranduil's built and stabbed the spider immediately between the eyes. The spider didn't die right away, so Elrond stabbed it three more times, letting out his anger on it.

"What were you thinking!" Elrond bellowed at Thranduil. "You had the sword for a reason!"

Thranduil gulped and shook his head, as if suddenly waking up. "I-I..."

Elrond picked Legolas up and stormed off. Thranduil followed them, stuttering and trying to explain his actions. "I merely remembered Merita and-and-I apologise-"

"Shut it, Thranduil."

Once they were back at the castle, Elrond took Legolas to his chambers, leaving Thranduil behind. He set Legolas down on the bed.

"I told you the woods were dangerous."

"I never saw those spiders before. Ever." Legolas mumbled, whimpering. "I think they came today for a reason."

Elrond exhaled slowly, calming down and feeling confused. "For a reason?"

"To show us that Ada was lying." Explained Legolas, his voice low. "He does not love me. He still wishes I was dead. He did not kill the spider because he did not want to protect me."

Elrond closed his eyes and breathed out again. "Good Lord, Thranduil. I think you have officially lost your son." He whispered.

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