Disclaimer: I don't think the characters are mine. But if someone tells me otherwise, I am willing to believe ;)

Rating: PG-13

Warning: This story is AU. I still have not gotten a hold of the books, and wrote this before I was told about the age and circumstances involving the characters canon-wise. I actually went back and corrected my canonical mistakes afterwards, but changed it back again because it just did not have the effect that I intended. Therefore, bear with me, and please do not email me to tell me that this is AU. Sadly, I already know. And decided to leave it that way.

Author's Note: Thank you to Konie Hime, who reviewed Between Heaven and Hell! It was such a surprise hearing about that fic! I plan to reformat it and reload it, seeing how I was unused to the auto-formatting of ff net site and panicked and the whole story got clumped unceremoniously together. Thank you for your praises!

I am back from Korea, and am physically and emotionally drained enough to be lazier than usual, if that is possible. My sincerest thanks to those of you who wished me a nice trip, who reviewed Tears of Yesterday, and who waited for another story from me. Here it is, a short one in response to a long-ago request made by my gracious reviewer, Beling.

I hope you enjoy!

By Kasmi Kassim

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Into the Light

Chapter 1: Under the Stars

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The wind was harsh in its course through the plains. Dark clouds continued to streak across the late afternoon sky. The dry dust that swept across the flat land brought news of foreboding.

A man stood alone among the dry dust that cloaked his tattered clothing, his haggard face. Dirtied fingers clenched a red-stained sword, while bloodshot eyes scanned the vicinity alertly. His lips were pressed into a thin line.

At last satisfied that he was safe, he turned and swiftly walked into the nearby forest. His dark form blended readily into the dark tangle of bushes and trees. He moved stealthily through them, until he reached a small hollow created by massive tree roots protruding from the ground. He crouched before the cavernous mouth and called into the darkness.

"It is safe."

A sigh of relief could be heard. Then, tentatively, a small hand emerged from the pit. The man took the hand and pulled gently, and a young woman materialized from the darkness. He quickly encircled her waist with his arm and steadied her onto her feet. Seeing his smile, the weary-faced woman smiled back, shaking out her dark hair.

"Are they far?" she asked quietly.

The man looked around briefly before reaching out to gently remove particles of dust from the woman's hair. "Yes, they went after the fake trail. By the time it disappears, they will be too far behind to catch up with us."

The woman's tired eyes twinkled as she reached out to remove filth from his dark hair as well. The man caught her pale hand, however, and squeezed it tight. He brought her fingers to his cheek. He closed his eyes.

"My love."

The soft words cast a glimmer onto the woman's gray eyes. She smiled tenderly, and her lashes lowered as she scanned her swollen belly.

He pulled her into a gentle embrace. He buried his face in her dirtied hair, closing his eyes. She smiled, and stroked his back. She sighed into his neck. His hands clutched her cloak tight.

"My love."

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The sun was blazing above their heads when they stopped for a rest. He quickly stripped off his cloak and laid it onto the grass, and she almost collapsed on top of it. Her breath was ragged and shallow as she closed her eyes. He stood over her, shading her with his shadow, as he looked down worriedly. There was no more water left.

"We must go into the forest," he said quietly.

She opened her eyes. "You know that our kind cannot depend on forests for protection." Her voice was weak.

He shook his head. "You will fall with exhaustion if this continues." His eyes were pleading.

She held his gaze evenly. Despite her weariness, her voice was firm. "We knew the dangers of the plains and the forest, and we chose the plains." Seeing his pained expression, she smiled weakly and held out her hand. He grasped it readily. "Do not fear for me," she whispered. "I will be well."

His gaze wandered toward her belly, resting on the roundness of it. He bit his lip. She would not be well for long.

He tore his gaze away, eyes scanning the far horizon. The desolate emptiness that rested on the other side of the world. They were alone.

They had to get to a village quickly. They had to get out of this predicament. But it seemed that there was no escape. No escape at all.

His eyes suddenly shot down, and he stared acutely toward the east. She noticed this and sat up wearily. His fingers were latched around his sword.

"Run."

She sprang to her feet, and ran.

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Darkness was falling by the time he made his way toward her in the woods. His form was dark, unsteady, as he groped his way through the bushes. She rose from her crouched position in a small bush, extending her hand. He grabbed it, and collapsed into her embrace. Together they crumpled onto the moss, soundless against the dark blue sky. And they remained unmoving, his head on her lap, her arms encircling his back. Gray eyes glimmered forlornly in the thick silence.

"You should not have come."

Bloody hands clenched at the rough fabric of her dress. The stars were shining overhead. Somewhere afar, a lone wolf cried to the moon.

"You should not have bound yourself to me."

She shook her head, and bent forward to pull him closer, cover him fuller. Her warm breasts enveloped his trembling head, matted with blood, her weak arms snaking around his cold bones, holding him nearer, nearer. Into the warm eternity of her embrace.

"You never should have met me."

Lacerated knuckles whitened against her knees. She continued to mutely shake her head, fiercely, desperately, as she held him close, her body enfolding his, gently rocking him back and forth, back and forth. And the chill of the darkness warmed under her touch.

He dug his head into her lap, a sob escaping his throat.

"You never should have loved me."

The stars were shining bright.

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To Be Continued

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To the readers who reviewed Tears of Yesterday chapters 11 and 12:

BelingThank you so much for your kind words. They meant so much to me. And when I read your words regarding the last chapter...it gave me the finality that my bumpy road was over, that the wrenching tale that had emotionally exhausted me each time was finally at its end. It almost had me crying. Thank you so much for your continuous support and beautifully generous encouragement!

And regarding your request...I am sorry to say that this story spun out of control. I couldn't bring myself to write a father-son fic of little Estel and Elrond. Somehow I cannot imagine Estel calling him Ada, when he seems to miss his mother so much in the movie that it seems that he remembers her, and if so, he would remember that Gilraen and Elrond were not married, and notice that Elrond is not his daddy...plus, the movie Elrond did not seem very fatherly to me. I don't know. Maybe the book has it that he is, but from what I observed, Elrond's treatment of Aragorn – his daughter's issues put aside – seemed to be that of extreme familiarity and veiled concern but not that of filial love. My vision of Elrond is not a father but a kind father-figure, a wise guardian that he is to all refugees, who is not often overtly demonstrative in affection. I'm sorry this story is not what you wanted, but I hope it pleases you nonetheless!

seeing-spots: Ah, I see. Thank you for letting me know, and I am glad you enjoyed the story. And thank you for reviewing To Live Another Day!

KLMeri: Oh good! I am so relieved to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how you feel about that. I thought I may be one of the very few people who see things that way. And I am so moved with your review of chapter 12. It was simply beautiful.

Aerlalaith: Haha, thank you. I am glad you liked it!

Achika: You must be psychic. Hahaha. And yes, I would smile too. Just that I wouldn't be able to. Sigh.

KissTheRainGirl12489: I see. I may be able to write fiction but I suck at talking – I don't know what to say. "I'm sorry" is such a bland, overused phrase; I will say thank you for sharing that painful memory with me. Your revelation is deeply appreciated and treasured. And I also have you to thank for defending me in public and comforting me in private. Thank you so much. It was such a shock, and a balm when I was depressed.

Someone Reading: Your honest and soulful review and encouragement touched me deeply. I find myself looking forward to your reviews no matter what story I write. You are SO spoiling me mellon nin. ;) But don't stop! Pwahahahaha. Just kidding. And your review for the last chapter was very moving, as it seemed to wrap up the story with finality and set me free to move onto my next journey. Beautiful words, tearfully kind encouragements and such touchingly honest revelations. Thank you so much mellon nin.

Unsung Heroine: Then I should be very flattered, shouldn't I? ;) And thank you so much for letting me know how you feel about the slash issue. I thought maybe I was just lacking the skills to be coherent. And I cannot believe that I write differently from so many other writers on fanfiction net! Thank you so much for your praises and encouragement.

elvingirl3737: Thank you! It is really nice to hear that you are enjoying how I portray my characters!

SakuraSun: Exactly! You expressed what you wanted to express beautifully in such concise words. Can I direct people to your quote over here? ;) Your analysis of my story and writing was breathtaking, and so humbly flattering. Thank you so much for such kind words.

Anastasia Who: Thank you so much. I am so relieved to hear that you liked the ending. Your words are very kind.

Coolio02: Oh, don't apologize for reviewing late! I am happy that you reviewed even if it was later than some other reviewers! Thank you for indeed keeping your word! And your review of my last chapter was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Thank you!

Galadryal: Yes, her reviews are really something huh? But I do appreciate all forms of reviews, no matter how rugged or incoherent. ;) Thank you for letting me know what you saw out of my character relationships!

Erestor: Your reviews are more beautiful than my stories. It is really rare to find talented authors who are generous enough to compliment other authors, and you have my humblest thanks and respect for your generosity. You are definitely one of my favorite authors too, if you haven't noticed. Hehe. And yes, I share your sentiments regarding Erestor. I love that elf with each passing day. ;) Your review for chapter 12 made me choked up in return, for your kindness and the knowledge that I actually managed to touch someone that deeply with my humble writing.

Brazgirl: Yes, isn't it beautiful to be able to revert back to another language to express emotions more fluidly? To have reins over two languages is such power. And I was touched by what you said about going through a hard time in life. Perhaps I wrote character bonds that way because it was the only way my family was able to survive a cruel heartbreak together. And tell your Thranduil that I thank him for the hug! But he'd better get back over here fast, because he is mine. ;) Mwahaha. Anyway, thank you for your reviews. I'm happy that you liked my ending.

ThePastIsPrologue: I prefer to think that the twins went to Minas Tirith for a while and lived in their valley again a bit longer before going to Valinor. I would hate to see Elrond lose another family member. And as for that issue regarding Elrond being a father figure to all of Aragorn's forefathers...hmmm. Interesting point. That never crossed my mind, with my being ignorant of canon and all. And I was impressed by your summary of the execution of my themes in the story. Such gratifying reviews. Thank you! Oh, and I am steadfastly working on the Hobbit. The biggest reason being that you invited me on that one-on-one chat...;)

yuki's first love: Hahaha, I agree. I would have really liked to go on and portray their healing further. But sigh, I was called to a stop by my heart and could not disobey. Thank you for reviewing!

Yuuki Okami: I'm flattered to hear that you read my other stories too! Thank you for stopping by to let me know that you liked my stories!

Ertia: Wow. Really? Your review really excited me. Thank you so much!

That Undomiel Chick: What a flattering compliment. Thank you! Here's to you!