You sat beneath a pillar, silently watching Legolas and Tauriel discussing matters of wizards. They argued back and forth, never agreeing on a single thing. You sighed, wiping your knife clean of blood on the edge of a stone stair beside you. The simple sight of the red sticky liquid made you feel queasy, and you hastily scraped it off.
"We'd never get Gandalf here in time before he wakes up," Tauriel was saying agitatedly, gesturing to Thranduil as she paced back and forth.
"Then I go and you stay," Legolas said exasperated.
"One lone elf is not enough to take care of our king," Tauriel argued.
"Then we gather the other elves of this kingdom," Legolas snapped. "They'll listen to you."
"We don't know where their loyalties lie," Tauriel snapped back.
You watched with faint amusement and boredom. Impatient, you butted in. "Now I understand why you two never got together." Legolas and Tauriel whirled on you, equal amounts of frustration and confusion on their faces. "You never agree on anything." You got to your feet, putting your knife away. "How about this: You two stay here, and I go find Aragorn and Gimli, then we go find Gandalf and you two can put Mr Glorious cape over here back to sleep every time he wakes up. Sound cool?"
"You aren't going alone to find them," Legolas said instantly.
"I'm not asking," you said.
"You are completely new to the dangers of this world, Y/N!" Legolas argued. "You can't just start trying to play the hero every time a problem arises. There are dangers in this world that you just don't understand."
"I can fight!" you protested. "How do you think I got these weapons? I fought. I'm not useless, Legolas."
"You are not going," Legolas repeated sternly.
"Yes I am," you said, walking to the stairs. You felt a strong hand grip your arm, pulling you back. You whirled back and bumped into Legolas. You looked up at him, glaring.
"You are not going," Legolas repeated again.
"Y/N! Legolas!"
Legolas instantly released you at the sound of Aragorn's voice, and you both turned to see Aragorn and Gimli springing up the stairs towards the three of you. Aragorn instantly went straight up to you, pulling you into a hug. "Don't you ever run off again, Y/N."
"Too soon, Mr Strider," you mumbled, your voice muffled by his chest. "Geez, I wasn't even gone for that long..."
Aragorn released you and glared down at you sternly. "Don't you ever run off again," he said again.
"No promises," you said cheekily.
Aragorn frowned and turned to Legolas. "Legolas! I see you have achieved victory."
"Only half of it," Legolas said, looking down at his father. "We do not know how to lure the dark servant out."
"Perhaps all you needed was an old wizard."
You all turned toward the newcomer, and Aragorn let out a breath of relief, while Gimli let out a loud, joyous laugh. A tall figure stood before you, clad in white, holding a shining white staff. Your eyes widened as you realised it was Gandalf the White, and you felt the need to bow, but at the same time you couldn't.
"Greetings, elves, men and dwarves," Gandalf said. His eyes shot to you, narrowing thoughtfully. "Though I do not remember meeting someone such as you."
"I'm, um, new," you mumbled.
"Indeed," Gandalf nodded. He walked over to the limp body of the king of Mirkwood, leaning down beside him. "I was called here recently by a dark presence. Something so dark that I came immediately, without hesitation. Would you care to explain?"
"We believe a servant of Sauron has taken over my father," Legolas said.
"Servant of Sauron, eh?" Gandalf poked Thranduil with his staff, standing up straight. "No, I do not believe that is the problem. I have not felt his presence or anything like it from him. This is something else, yes, indeed. Something older, perhaps."
"Older than Sauron?" Legolas said incredulously. "That is not even possible. He was here near the beginning of time, I believe. Nothing was before that time."
"That is what we all wish to believe," Gandalf sighed. "But we have been proved wrong. I have travelled long and far, and I have come to the knowledge of a time before Sauron, long before Sauron. Perhaps it was the making of Sauron, I do not know. Perhaps it was the evil that put Sauron into motion all those years ago, but we will never know. This evil feels old." Gandalf leaned in close to Thranduil, laying his hand on the king's forehead. He closed his eyes, murmuring some words softly in a foreign tongue. You watched, intrigued. Suddenly you heard whispers, and you looked around at the others, seeing if they were hearing it as well. They gave no sign; they were intrigued with Gandalf's spell or whatever he was doing. The whispers grew louder, and you put a hand to your head, a dull headache beginning to grow. The voices became clearer, like a dull hissing. But clear.
Y/N.
You looked around, fear spreading through you. But no one had heard the voice. They were all staring at Gandalf, no one even noticing you. You frantically tried to push the voice away, but it didn't leave you.
Yes, I know you can hear me. Don't be afraid.
Who–who are you? you asked shakily. It was like talking to an animal: through the mind communication, but somehow different and more dark. It felt like the dark presence in your mind was roaming your mind.
I am death. You will succumb to the darkness. I will wipe you from this world, for you do not belong here. This body is weak. You will submit to me, and be my body.
You felt your limbs go stiff against your will, and you jerked, trying to control yourself. You felt a slithering, cold presence weave its way throughout your body, your mind, freezing you in place. You writhed, fighting against the pressure. Your body trembled, responding only mildly to your protests. You opened your mouth to scream, and only a small whine escaped you. You looked to the others for help, but they were paying no attention to you. You thrashed harder, and you broke free for an instant, letting out another whine, before the dark presence held you again. You looked around desperately for anyone to notice you, to help you. Your eyes locked with Legolas, wide with desperation. Legolas' eyes widened with horror, and he instantly bolted over to you. He skidded to a stop before you, on hand gripping your shoulder hard and the other gripping your hand.
"Y/N!" Legolas said desperately. "Y/N, focus on me."
You tried to thrash again, but the presence was too strong now, taking control of you. Unable to move, you just stared back at Legolas, frozen in place. Legolas whirled around. "Gandalf!"
Gandalf snapped out of his trance, turning to Legolas and you. His eyes widened and he took a long stride to you, and raised his staff, pointing it directly at your forehead. He whispered a few words, then suddenly the pressure instantly released you, and a screech erupted from the evil voice in your head, and you collapsed to the stone cold ground. Legolas caught you right before you hit the ground, pulling you close.
"Y/N?" he whispered. "Y/N? Stay with us."
You focused on the real figure before you, trying to bring yourself back to reality. Legolas became slowly clearer, and you took a ragged breath. Legolas sighed in relief, while Gandalf leaned down beside you, a worried frown on his face. You blinked several times, then frowned. "What...w-what was that?" you whispered.
Legolas instantly looked to Gandalf, but Gandalf looked just as confused as the rest of you, just more calm and collected. "I believe that was the evil of old in form," he murmured. "He cannot take a real form yet." He stood. "We must prevent him from taking a real form, or else we might all perish."
You nodded weakly, and Legolas helped you stand. You wobbled, clinging to Legolas. Gandalf examined you closely. "How do you feel?"
"C-cold," you stammered, suddenly realising that you were shivering. It was as if the cold presence had left its coldness behind, but the evil presence itself had disappeared.
"What did you feel?" Gandalf pressed. "Did you hear anything?"
"I-I..." You shot Legolas a 'help me' look filled with confusion and fear, and he shot you an encouraging smile. "I felt like a cold snake was coiling its way throughout me," you continued. "As if...it was seizing me, holding me against my will. It spok, too. I-it said my name. It knew who I was." You cowered into Legolas, and he held you close.
Gandalf however was not so comforting. "What else did he say?" he demanded. "Did he give any hint of himself?"
"H-he s-said...he said that he was the darkness...and that he w-wanted my body, and t-that I do not belong to this w-world..."
Gandalf narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. "That only supports my earlier claim, that he needs a body to act."
"Who will he go after next?" Legolas demanded. "One of us? Or maybe someone else in the kingdom...He could be anywhere now."
"Indeed," Gandalf said thoughtfully.
"Then who's been killing all the elves?" you asked shakily.
"I doubt this evil would do it himself, so it must have been someone else..." Gandalf trailed off, seeming to come to a conclusion.
"There are more of them, aren't there?" Aragorn said, taking a step forward. "More of these creatures."
"It would seem...likely," Gandalf said, turning to Aragorn.
"They could take over the whole of Middle-Earth!" you exclaimed. "If they took hold of you, Aragorn, they'd have control of Minas Tirith. One of them had control of Thranduil, and they had control of Mirkwood. They could gain control of Rivendell, or Lothlorien, or the dwarf kingdom, or–or–"
"Calm down, Miss Y/n!" Gandalf said, whirling around. "We have no proof that there are more. And if there are, we must be prepared."
"Could we...maybe catch them?" you suggested quietly. "Like trap them in something?"
"Perhaps," Gandalf said thoughtfully. "Though it is unlikely, for if this evil is as ancient as I believe, then we will have little hope of capturing them. Perhaps even little hope of destroying them. I need to find out more about them...maybe call Radagast."
"But what about us?" Gimli huffed. "What will we be doing in the meantime?"
"You will be staying out of this," Gandalf replied sternly, turning to the stairs. "Help king Thranduil when he awakes, for the evil would have left him. Then go back home. There is nothing that can be done."
"Gandalf, this is my home," Legolas argued. "My people. They are getting hunted, and I intend to find out more about this darkness so I can protect them."
Gandalf whirled on Legolas. "This is something out of your control, Legolas. Stay here, or return to Minas Tirith. I must leave." With that Gandalf left, rushing down the stairs.
You watched him go, and you felt Legolas' comforting grip around you loosen, and you looked up at him. His eyes followed Gandalf and were filled with an unshed anger. "Legolas?"
He looked down at you, all anger fading. "Yes, Y/N?"
"What will you do?"
Legolas thought for a moment, then came to a decision. "I am going to go after the shadow," he admitted. "I cannot stand here and wait for Gandalf to return from somewhere we do not know, and we do not know if he will indeed return. I must act now."
A low moan interrupted Legolas, and he released you and turned to the sound. Thranduil was beginning to stir, and Tauriel was by his side, gently helping him to sit up. He stood up to his full height, looming over everyone else in the throne clearing. He looked around, looking completely lost.
"What happened?" he murmured.
"You were taken over by a new evil," Tauriel told him gently. "But do not worry, it is gone now."
"An evil? Yes, I do remember something..." Thranduil trailed off into thought, bowing his head in deep thought.
"The evil was killing off your elves, my king," Tauriel continued. "And you accused your son of murder."
"My son..." Thranduil's head shot up and he looked around the group, his gaze stopping as it landed on Legolas. Legolas stepped forward hesitantly. "My leaf..." With that Thranduil took one long stride and embraced Legolas. Legolas hugged back, burying his head in his father's shoulder. Thranduil held him close; as if, if he let go now, he would never see him again. "I am so sorry, my little leaf."
Legolas didn't respond, and if he did, it was muffled into Thranduil's shoulder. Aragorn looked a little surprised, as well as Gimli. You were also surprised, for you had never seen this side of Legolas, even in the movies. Tauriel looked on, her eyes glimmering with memory. After a moment father and son released each other, stepping back. Thranduil looked around the room, and his eyes began to glimmer with anger.
"I will destroy whoever would do this to my son," he spat. "I will hunt them down."
"Father, I think it best if you stay here and help your people," Legolas said. "They have been confused and lost with your sudden change of leadership, and knowing that you are back will put them at ease. If you suddenly disappear to find an ancient evil, they will worry even more."
If this had come from anyone else, Thranduil would most likely have flown into a rage. But since it had come from his son, he took it better than expected. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Fine, but I will hunt it down one day."
"Gandalf is looking into it," Aragorn spoke up.
"Gandalf?" Thranduil said in confusion. "He was here?"
"Yes, father," Legolas said. "He was the one who brought you back."
"He will not be enough," Thranduil spat. "That...thing has been in my head for so long now, I know that it will stop at nothing to achieve its ambition."
"What is its ambition?" Gimli asked, leaning on his axe.
"I cannot tell...But I know that it is of nothing good," Thranduil hissed.
"We should set out immediately," Legolas said instantly.
"Legolas!" Aragorn said, giving Legolas a meaningful look. "You know what Gandalf said. We are to stay here until he finds out more."
"Until more people die?" Legolas shot back. "I will not wait, Aragorn. I must set out immediately, whether you are coming or not." Legolas picked up one of his daggers that he'd lost in the fight earlier and made his way to the stairs.
"Legolas!" Legolas turned to Thranduil. His father made his way over to him and gave him a gentle hug. "Be safe," he whispered so quietly that only Legolas was meant to hear, but you managed to just hear it. The king pulled back, letting Legolas go. Legolas bowed his head, then turned and made his way down the stairs.
You watched him go, feeling torn between listening to Gandalf or going after a reckless elf who would probably get himself killed... but would be alone. Did he even know where he was going? You doubted it. You hesitated, then decided, nodding to yourself. You charged after Legolas, bolting down the stairs. He was already halfway down the long branch, and you slowed as you reached him.
"Y/n?" he said in surprise.
"Yup, I'm coming with ya," you said. Legolas opened his mouth to argue, but you swept on. "Don't even think about it. I'm coming, whether you like it or not." Legolas tried again, but once again you shut him down. "None of that, either."
Legolas sighed and stared ahead. "There's no talking you out of anything, is there?" he murmured.
"Wow, you've only known me for, what, two days? Or was it three?" You counted with your fingers, thinking. "And you've only just figured that out? Wow, I expected that to take you a few more days."
You continued to walk down the stairs, until you got a prickling sensation. You spared a quick glance at Legolas, and realised he was staring at you. Uncomfortable, you twitched a little. "What?"
"You are a very strange lady, Y/n," Legolas said thoughtfully. "Brave, strong headed, yet soft in the inside."
"Oh no, I've already let off that much?" you said worriedly. "I've really gotta work on keeping my personality a little closed off..."
"But that wouldn't make you, you? Would it?" Legolas pointed out.
"Hmm...you're right," you decided, nodding to yourself. "Anyway, off this kinda personal topic: where are we going?"
"I don't know..." Legolas sighed.
"You don't know?!" you exclaimed. "Oh, so you just waltz out of Mirkwood with not a single idea where you're going, and probably going to get yourself killed...Great idea, Lego. Great idea."
"Lego?" Legolas repeated.
You blushed slightly. "Sorry, nicknames just kinda slip out–"
"No, no, I like it," Legolas interrupted, smiling a little.
You sighed with relief inwardly. Phew. "You know, it would really help if we had a couple other someones to help us..."
"Legolas! Y/n!"
You grinned, turning around and seeing Aragorn and Gimli rushing down after them. Right on que.
"I knew you wouldn't abandon us," you said, putting your hands on your hips.
"Us? Abandon you?" Gimli said indignantly. "I believe it is the other way around, my lady."
"Hmmm...Let me think about that. Uh, nope. Pretty sure you abandoned us."
Legolas and Aragorn let out a little laugh, and the four of you continued your walk down the long stairs.
"So what are we actually doing?" Gimli asked.
"We need to find out more about this creature," Legolas said. "Gandalf cannot do it all, so we will...attempt to help."
"Riiight," you said sarcastically. "And there's totally a place around here where we're gonna find clues about this guy."
Legolas thought for a moment, then exclaimed. "The abyss!"
"Of course! The scariest place in the whole of Mirkwood, totally the right place to go." You snorted.
"You decided to come," Legolas reminded you.
You let out a long sigh. "Ok, fiiiine. Let's go quickly. Oy, by the way, won't the elves still think we're intruders?"
"My father is organising a meeting," Legolas said. "We will be clear."
"Cool!" You raced ahead of them. "Then what're we waiting for?"