(hey everyone and welcome! just a side note before we begin, my phone is set to only lowercase so everything will be lowercase. i hope that doesn't bother anyone. also i'm a lazy bitch so everything is in the third person.) enjoy!
the ring was gone. destroyed.
legolas let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. the entire company gazed in absolute awe as the mountain burst and deathly hot lava spilled out and flew up into the sky.
he didn't know how but frodo and sam did it. two hobbits marching into sauron's lair all by themselves was something he couldn't fathom.
but the feeling of pure joy only lasted for a moment until they all came crashing back down into reality and realized their circumstances. legolas prepared to fight off the remaining orcs. but luck was on their side and in the mere blink of an eye, the ground swallowed every single one.
that's when the hollering and shrieks of victory began. when everything was truly over. legolas practically leaped into aragorn's arms. adrenaline and happiness putting aside the fact that it was quite an affectionate thing to do.
but without hesitation aragorn returned this hug. practically giddy with excitement. they stayed that way for slightly longer than normal. and when they pulled apart they shared a strange moment of understanding. looking into each others eyes. legolas felt quite vulnerable in this moment. like all the walls of feelings were torn down, but he did not want to pull away. so he didn't until aragorn did.
"we won! we won! legolas this is it. this is madness." aragorn exclaimed. hyperventilating.
"yes. yes this it it. sauron is destroyed and so is that cursed ring." legolas agreed.
as they all prepared to leave the black gate and return to gondor, legolas could just make out the eagles extracting frodo and sam from the devilish mountain. he breathed in a sharp breath, feeling a burst of hope that they would be ok.
the remaining soldiers prepared to return to gondor.
legolas was suddenly filled with a wave of sadness because he secretly dreaded the day that aragorn would become who he was meant to be. everything would change. and although he felt immensely happy for aragorn he couldn't help but wish things could stay the way they are. it's like when your reaching towards a goal and you want to get to it so badly, but once you do, you feel empty and lost. legolas never really thought this war would end. or at least in their favor.
"what is wrong, mellon nin?" aragorn asked. with a concerned glance toward his friend. they were riding on horseback to gondor but at the moment they were sitting in the grass, taking a break.
"nothing, i feel fine. just thinking." legolas smiled. hoping it was convincing. he thought he was good at concealing his emotions. but aragorn was always good at knowing when something was wrong.
after merry and pippin stopped quarreling over the last serving of stew they all got back to there horses and rode off into the slowly setting sun.