Lonely Dragon {Legolas x Reader}

The Nightmare

The jagged ruins of Barad-dûr loomed in (Y/n)'s vision, rising like a cursed monument against the blood-red sky. The Dark Tower, broken and scattered for so many years, was being rebuilt. Massive stones and shards of iron clung to its skeletal frame, hauled up by thousands of filthy orcs who crawled over the towering heights like ants. Each brick slammed into place with a deafening thud that reverberated through the land, shaking the very bones of the earth. The air reeked of burning iron and sulfur, a stench that clawed at her lungs, choking her with every breath.

She could feel the weight of evil pressing down on her, suffocating, as she stood frozen in place, forced to witness the nightmare unfolding before her. Mount Doom in the distance bled rivers of molten fire, casting a sickening orange glow across the landscape. Above it, an enormous cloud of black filth grew, spreading like a cancer across the sky, darkening everything beneath it.

The darkness was alive, swallowing the light, swallowing hope.

This is wrong... her mind screamed, yet her body refused to move. She could not look away from the ruinous sight, the chaos unfolding before her.

Her heart pounded painfully as she gazed up at the growing shadow. Then, from the heart of the corruption, she heard it—an eerie, rasping voice, the twisted sound of a creature she had not seen in centuries but knew all too well.

"Baggins... Shire..."

Her blood ran cold. The name, the word, hissed from the creature's lips with venom, as if even speaking it caused him torment.

Gollum.

Her body trembled as the rasping voice grew louder, closer. She felt his malice pressing in on her, growing like the darkness overhead. Then, suddenly, the sky cracked open.

A terrible screech split the air as the Nine Riders burst forth from the shattered walls of Minas Morgul, black shapes against the already-dark sky, their forms twisted and horrifying. They charged forward on their nightmarish steeds, their dead, ghostly eyes locked on her—always her. She could feel their cold hatred, their relentless hunger for the power she still carried within her blood.

In the nightmare, her own voice was gone. Her body remained motionless, paralyzed, as the Black Riders drew closer and closer, their screeches rattling through her skull. Barad-dûr rose ever higher, a monument to her deepest fear—her failure. A twisted, grotesque reminder of the war she thought had ended long ago.

Suddenly, she heard a whisper. A familiar voice.

"Come, my child... Come homeward, bound."

It was her mother, Queen Estriel. The voice was soft but inescapable, wrapping around her like a serpent, pulling her into the shadows. "Come home..."

She screamed for her mother, for Legolas—anyone. But no sound left her lips. The Riders were upon her, and their shadows swallowed her whole.

(Y/n) woke with a start, her body jerking upright in bed. A piercing scream escaped her lips as she clawed at the blankets tangled around her, struggling to free herself from the suffocating grip of the nightmare. Her heart raced, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. Sweat drenched her, clinging to her skin like a second layer. Her pulse thundered in her ears, drowning out all sense of reality.

Her hands flew to her face, trembling violently. She could still feel the chill of the Riders, the vile pull of Barad-dûr's dark power. She wasn't there...but it felt real. Too real.

The door to her chambers burst open, and Legolas rushed in, panic etched into every line of his face. His bow was in hand, as if he expected to find an intruder, but when his eyes fell on her, sitting up in bed, his heart twisted with worry instead.

"(Y/n)!" he cried, his voice thick with concern as he dropped the bow and hurried to her side. His strong hands found her shoulders, his fingers gentle as they brushed back her damp hair. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

She couldn't speak, still choking on the remnants of the nightmare. She shook her head, trembling as her body fought to rid itself of the terror that had gripped her so fiercely.

"I...I saw it..." she whispered, her voice ragged and broken. "Barad-dûr... it's being rebuilt. I saw them... the Nine..."

Legolas's face paled as he held her closer. He sat down on the bed beside her, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her into his chest. She was shaking uncontrollably, and he could feel her rapid heartbeat against his skin. He kissed the top of her head, murmuring soft reassurances, even though fear clawed at his own heart.

"It was just a dream, meleth-nin," he whispered, trying to steady his voice. "You're safe here. Barad-dûr is gone... Sauron is not—"

"No." She cut him off sharply, her voice trembling but firm. "It wasn't just a dream, Legolas. It's rebuilding. I could feel it. I felt the darkness returning, calling to me."

Her voice cracked, and tears welled in her eyes, ones she fought back with sheer determination. "I heard... Gollum. I saw the Black Riders coming for me."

Legolas stiffened at her words, but he didn't release her. He held her tightly, willing his own fear to subside so he could comfort her. "You are not alone in this. I won't let anything happen to you."

She pulled away slightly to look up at him, her eyes searching his. "But what if I can't stop it? What if this... darkness... takes me back?"

Legolas leaned down, his forehead pressing against hers, his voice soft but filled with fierce conviction. "You are stronger than the darkness, (Y/n). I know you. You fought your way out of it once, and I will fight with you now. Always."

She closed her eyes, feeling his warmth, his strength. But beneath that, the cold whisper of the nightmare still lingered.

"It's not over, Legolas. Sauron is stirring. I... I feel him, calling to me."

Legolas's jaw tightened. He would not allow her to be pulled back into the darkness. He knew that (Y/n) was more than capable of facing whatever lay ahead—but he would not let her do it alone. Not this time.

He gently lifted her chin so that their eyes met. "Whatever happens, you won't face it alone. You have me. You have our people. We will stand against whatever comes."

(Y/n) nodded, though the weight of the nightmare still pressed down on her like a heavy cloak. She leaned into Legolas, burying her face in his chest as her breathing slowed.

But as the night wore on, neither of them spoke the truth they both feared: the darkness was already spreading, and soon, they would both be called to face it.

And this time, there might be no turning back.