Summary: Vae: Well. In the end, perhaps making things well between them was the best they could do for each other at the final parting, even if there was nothing that needed to be mended. Oneshot, Aragorn and Legolas friendfic. Not slash.

Elvish Translations: To my knowledge, all of this is in Sindarin. Most will be internally translated (aka: "Elvish word. English translation."), but just to make it easier...

Mellon nîn- My (dear) friend

Saes- Please

Iallon achen- I beg of you

Gwador nîn- My sworn brother (A brother of the heart, not of blood.)

Goheno nin- Forgive me

A, Elbereth- Oh, Elbereth (Elbereth is one of the members of the Valar.)

Im naer- I'm sad/sorry (In this case, it means I'm sorry.)

Hannon le- Thank you

Navaer- Farewell

Garo hîdh nen gurth- May you find peace in death

I Veth- The End

Disclaimer: Had I owned Lord of the Rings, you would have seen this scene occur somehow and some way. But I do not own Lord of the Rings, and so that is why this is in Fanfiction.

A/N: My first foray into the world of LoTR after being inspired by the Mellon Chronicles of Cassia and Siobhan. It has been quite some time since I have seen the movies, and I've unfortunately not gotten the chance to read the books yet, but I have always loved the friendship of Aragorn and Legolas and the writings related to the Mellon Chronicles only increased that. As many other writers on here have done, I wondered what the final parting between Aragorn and Legolas would look like after all their time fighting side by side. This wondering led to the eventual creating of this piece. I hope you enjoy...

Vae

by guardyanangel

"Legolas, are you well?"

They were the first words spoken in the silent bedroom of the king since the elf had entered, pale and tight-lipped. Long moments had passed since the entry of the king's best friend, in which Legolas had taken in the span of the room, most notably the form lying upon the bed, and then turned to stare out the window at something beyond the sight of most others in the castle.

When the soft words of the king finally broke through the silence, Legolas turned pain-filled eyes at his best friend.

"You lay upon your deathbed and ask me this?" the Mirkwood native responded hollowly, "Estel, how could I possibly be well?"

Aragorn sighed softly. He had expected this of the archer, and yet it still pained him to see the raw agony in his friend's eyes. The king slowly moved into a sitting position and beckoned at the elf gently.

"Please come here, Legolas. Sit with me a while."

Legolas neared, but did not sit. His eyes clamored with questions that could not be answered- nay, that he did not want answered for fear of what those answers may be.

Aragorn saw this and met his eyes readily. "Speak freely, mellon nîn. I know you wish to."

Legolas took in the king's frame yet again and his eyes burned. When he finally spoke, the word was simple, yet heartbreaking.

"Why?"

Another sigh escaped the Gondorian, and he shut his eyes. "I am weary, Legolas."

This did not appease the elf and he readily made that fact known. "As you have been in times before, under far worse circumstances, after which you survived and thrived with the memory of your past to guide you. How is this any different?"

"I am much older now than I was then." came the gentle explanation

"You are but a child in the eyes of an elf!"

Aragorn opened his eyes and met his friend's calmly.

"I am no elf."

The quiet words increased the ache in Legolas' heart more than anything else thus far had. He knew from the beginning the truth of his friend's words. He knew from the beginning that this day would come, when Aragorn's mortality would claim him. What he had not known from the beginning was how much this day would take from his own immortal soul. He shut his eyes, and took a breath to pause his thoughts. When he opened them again, his blue eyes were still agonized, but far more determined.

"That may be true, Aragorn." he finally responded, "But you are still a Númenórean and your life can go longer than this."

"Even for a Númenórean I am old, my dear friend. You know this."

"What of your friends? Or your wife? Your son? Your kingdom? You would give up now, when you have the most to fight for?"

"My kingdom is safe and at peace, and Eldarion would guide the people well even if it were not so. My son has learned all I can teach him and more. He has Arwen for comfort, and she him, and even if that were not true, she remains a child of Lothlórien even if her life as an elf is long past. My steward, my men, and the people of this castle and this land have, for the most part, been good and faithful to Gondor, and they will continue to be so even with me gone. Gimli will mourn, but he has seen the passing of mortals and survived." he paused, looking directly into the archer's eyes. "As have you, Legolas."

Legolas looked back steadily into the grey eyes of the Gondorian king.

"Those mortals have not been you, mellon nîn."

He knelt beside the bed now, his eyes agonized and pleading. "Saes, iallon achen...Please, I beg of you." He grasped one of the hands of his friend in his. "Stay with us."

The former ranger sighed softly. "Legolas..."

"Saes. I have stayed with you all these years in spite of- of everything. I have clung to life with both hands for you, gwador nîn. Can you not do the same for me? Iallon achen..."

The elf buried his head into the empty space of bed not far from his dear friend's stomach. Now, more than ever, he felt the call of the sea, and knew that if Aragorn would not hold on he would soon either sail or die of a broken heart.

Aragorn, for his part, felt the guilt rise in his heart at the sight of best friend's hurt. He squeezed Legolas' hand slightly. "Goheno nin, Legolas." he murmured quietly, a tear slipping down his face, "Forgive me, if you can. I have not your strength. I am so sorry..."

"Oh, Aragorn, no. There is nothing to forgive." the archer cut in swiftly, looking back up at his friend. "You have no need to-"

"Yes, I do." the king interrupted, "If not for this, then at least for the pain I have caused you over the years. You should have sailed, Legolas. I made you stay, and, in the long run, I have hurt you more than I would have been hurt by your departure, and for that I apologize. I am sorry for hurting you then and I am so very sorry for hurting you now, gwador nîn. Saes, if you cannot accept my decision, then at least forgive me for it."

"A, Elbereth." Legolas sighed exasperatedly, moving to sit next to his best friend. "Strider, gwador nîn, you do not need my forgiveness. Any pain caused by my resisting the sea was brought about by my choice and was far outweighed by the joys I have experienced in remaining with you through these years. And as for this..." his eyes flashed with sorrow as he studied the form of his dying friend, but he schooled his features so it would not show again. "This, I understand. And even if it pains me to let you go, I do so freely and with joy."

"Which is far more than I can say for myself in regards to you." came the frustrated reply, "Legolas, you have been hurting all these years, and I could not let you go. Now, in my time of departure, I ask you to do what I have been unable to. It is unfair to you, gwador nîn. If you could-" the king paused then, shutting his eyes for a moment and sighing tightly. "Even now, I ask too much of you. I'm sorry, Legolas. You do not have to forgive me. In fact, you could hate me for the rest of your days, and it would still be less than I deserve for hurting you." Tears slipped down the king's cheeks, "Im naer. Im naer, gwador nîn. I am so sorry..."

"Elessar." Legolas murmured, embracing him, "If it eases your heart, then know that I forgive you for whatever wrongdoing you feel you have inflicted upon me, no matter how misplaced that feeling is. You have never done anything to harm me, but I forgive you nonetheless."

The king's arms wrapped tightly around Legolas, and the sobs that had begun to shake the former ranger quelled slightly. He released a breath he did not realize he had been holding in.

It was good of the elf to forgive him, even though he did not deserve it. It was redeeming, in a way. It made the parting easier.

The moment was a welcome one for the elf, as well. The embrace of his friend was reassuring, despite the shadow of death that already touched him. He had not passed on yet. Perhaps, then, there was still hope...

Unconsciously, Legolas tightened his hold on Aragorn, allowing the tears to flow freely from his eyes. He did not want to let him go.

"Goheno nin, Telcontar. Im naer. I, too, am sorry." he whispered, half to himself.

Due to their proximity, his friend naturally heard the soft murmurs. "Whatever for, gwador nîn?"

"For being angry. For asking you to stay, when I know it would only pain you. And... and for having such a hard time letting you go." He admitted the last after only a moment's hesitation. There can be no holding back when you are by the side of a deathbed. Aragorn knew this, and hugged his friend gently.

"As you have said, there is nothing to forgive, Legolas. But also as you have said, if it eases your heart, I, too, forgive you for any wrongdoing you feel you have done."

The elf relaxed at his friend's words, the weight lifting off his shoulders ever so slightly.

"Hannon le, Aragorn. Thank you, for everything." Legolas murmured

"Hannon le, Legolas. Thank you. I will miss you, gwador nîn. Navaer. Farewell, oh brother of my heart."

"And I will miss you, gwador nîn. Garo hîdh nen gurth. May you find peace in death, my brother."

They embraced each other tighter for a moment, before simultaneously releasing the other. Legolas slowly got to his feet, and, with a final glance backwards, quietly slipped out of the room, not even bothering to hide the tears that slipped down his cheeks. He had felt the fading of his friend as they embraced, and knew his time would be coming soon. It would be best if he called for Arwen, Eldarion, and Gimli so that they could be with Aragorn as well when he passed.

Aragorn understood the elf's motives, and watched his friend go with tear-filled eyes but a peaceful heart. He had granted Legolas forgiveness and been given it, even though to each other it seemed neither had been needed. He knew his friend had accepted his departure and he knew also that it would be Legolas who would be departing Middle Earth not long after. In Valinor, the pain of the years would finally slip from the elf, and he too would be at peace.

Aragorn Estel Strider Elessar Telcontar, son of Arathorn, adopted child of Lord Elrond, Ranger of the North, Gondorian King and brother-in-heart of Legolas Greenleaf, eased back down onto the bed and shut his eyes. As the remainder of his tears slipped down his cheeks, breathed a soft sigh of joy and relief.

It was well.

I Veth

A/N: To recap, here are the Elvish translations again:

Mellon nîn- My (dear) friend

Saes- Please

Iallon achen- I beg of you

Gwador nîn- My sworn brother (A brother of the heart, not of blood.)

Goheno nin- Forgive me

A, Elbereth- Oh, Elbereth (Elbereth is one of the members of the Valar.)

Im naer- I'm sad/sorry (In this case, it means I'm sorry.)

Hannon le- Thank you

Navaer- Farewell

Garo hîdh nen gurth- May you find peace in death

I Veth- The End

I know that this has been done before but I hope that this was still a good read for you. And yes, as some of you may noticed, I had Legolas referring to Aragorn by each of his many names, beginning with Estel and moving on to Elessar/Telcontar, as the story progressed. This was mainly to show how Legolas has seen Aragorn grow through his lifetime. I hope it didn't confuse you, and I hope that you enjoyed it a bit. Like I said, this is my first shot at a LoTR piece, so I'm a little nervous about the response. Please review!

Thanks for reading!

~Guardy