I'll hold you once more. [LOTR FanFiction]

Chapter 18. Goodbye

Vanya and Legolas were running out of time. They laid sickly upon a bed, both sweating heavily, like a mortal, both with black spots around their eyes as they breathed heavily as if something heavy was upon their chest. 

No matter how much Radagast and Mithrandir did their best, they knew it was useless. Elrond was in his study furiously going through books and mixing herbs. His hands were shaking as he searched over and over for a cure or a solution to this tragedy. "No... no... there must be a way." Elrond muttered to himself as he mixed a few herbs with his shaking hands. 

"Ada." Arwen called out as she quickly entered his study and grabbed her father's hands. By the touch of his daughter's hands he instantly calmed down. Arwen pulled her father into a hug, burying her head in the crook of his neck. Elrond held his daughter tight as she shut his eyes, a single tear escaped his eye. Elrond pulled away and looked at Arwen who just cried her eyes out.

"Ada... we have to let her go." Arwen said and as she said that her heart clenched painfully. She didn't want to let her sister go but just seeing her sister suffer from so much pain, slowly kills Arwen. 

A storm had come, lightning, thunder, and heavy rain with dark skies covered Rivendell. Everyone was now in the same room as Vanya and Legolas. Everyone was saying goodbye. Tauriel sat near Legolas' head wiping off the sweat on his forehead. It was the first time that Elladan and Elrohir were crying, yes, their mother had suffered but not as greatly as this. 

"Why can't they just sail to Valinor?" Elladan furiously asked since there was nothing he could do. "Vanya and Legolas does not want to sail, even though they are in much pain the sea doesn't call them." Elrond spoke. "But look at them ada! They are suffering. They would be better off if they sailed." Elrohir added. Then Vanya spoke weakly "It is not your decision to make." Thranduil sat in a chair beside Vanya as he held her weak hand. 

"The least we can do is grant their wish." Elrond said to everyone. Legolas suddenly groan from the pain. Thranduil gave his son a concerned look. He stood up as he gently put Vanya's hand down. Thranduil dragged his chair above the bed since the bed sat in the middle of the room. He put the chair between Legolas and Vanya's head. Thranduil then put one hand on each person, one hand was on Legolas' head as the other one was on Vanya's cheek. 

Vanya tried her best to lean into Thranduil's hand but she didn't have the strength to. To lighten the mood, Mithrandir reminisced and brought lovely memories up as everyone smiled even though it was hard to, and they even laughed at a few memories. Vanya and Legolas tried their best to laugh but every time they did pain would course through their body. Each one even took time to say goodbye and some even shed a few tears. 

In the middle of the talking and laughing, Vanya and Legolas gasped out in pain really loudly making everyone else go in complete utter silence. The only sound that could be heard was the thunder and the pounding of the heavy rain. Thranduil looked at both of them in worried and sadness. 

Tears pricked everyone's eyes including Vanya and Legolas. Vanya was breathing heavily, she knew it was almost time. Elrond looked away while Arwen's eyes were steady on her sister. Vanya was gasping for air as she had a tight grip on Thranduil's hand. "Thranduil," she gasped out in pain "I... I love you." she said through her tears.

Anger surged through Thranduil as his hand held onto Vanya. He then bolted from the chair and out of the room. His robes flapping behind him. He then went to the gardens not minding that it was raining hard. Once Thranduil arrived at the stone he was already drenched from head to toe. Thunder and lightning ran across the sky but he didn't mind. 

His knees came crashing to the ground as he ignored the pain of the gravel. "Is this what I deserve?" he yelled at to the thunderous sky. "Don't I deserve to get a second chance?" he yelled once more. His tears getting mixed up with the rain on his face. "I love her." he yelled once more. 

Sometimes he would shout in pain and anger. Elrond stood in the distance where it's not wet watching the king deal with his grief. 

Thranduil then unsheathed his sword as he stood up looming over the stone. "Don't you get it? I love her!" his voice echoed throughout Rivendell as he brought down his sword upon the stone and...