disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters or settings, they all belong to Tolkien. However, all OC's are mine, my own, my preciousssssssssss, so please don't use them without my permission. This is just for fun.

A/N: Well, it seems the first chappie went over well, lol! I'm glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks for the many wonderful reviews, and please review again. However, all flames will be thoroughly laughed at by me, and my friends, then deleted, so don't bother.

This is an AU fic, so some liberties have been taken, though I'm trying to stick as closely to canon as possible. Please keep this in mind while reading.

Special thanks to Whit, who beta'd me this time around, I appreciate it doll!

And a note for Trin: Get your butt back from vacation!

Alrighty, enough chatter for one day, on with the fic!

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Legolas glared at Elrohir as he tried not to fall off the ship.

The younger twin was crouching on the deck of the little ship, fighting desperately for his balance. In one hand he was clutching a dagger, the dim sunlight gleamed off the razor sharp blade, the other was braced on the deck, as he tried to compensate for the bucking of the waves beneath the boat.

Cell-hu had apparently decided that running was no longer necessary as he cowered between his master's legs. Legolas was crouched in a similar position to Elrohir, holding the dog's collar with one hand, the other braced on the deck.

Elladan, who had never been a very good sailor, was clinging to the mast, looking decidedly green.

The three didn't move for several minutes, as the tremors continued to rock Valinor, causing the ship to leap and buck wildly on the waves.

Eventually, the quakes ceased, and the three elves regained their feet.

Though Elrohir had a million questions running through his mind, first and foremost to him was the safety of his wife, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. "We have to get back to shore!"

Legolas continued glaring at him for a moment, before tying Cell-hu in an out of the way place, to keep him out from underfoot, and helping Elrohir with the sails.

Elladan took a moment longer to recover, before he rose and took a line from Legolas, so the Prince could shimmy up the mast and fix a sail that had gotten tangled. As Legolas climbed, he kept shooting evil looks at Elrohir, and muttering things like. "If you hadn't cut the ship's moorings you nift!" and "Just wait until we get back to shore!"

Legolas reached the top with elven ease, and perched on the crow's nest, the wind tossing his hair about like a banner.

From his vantage point, he could see that Valinor was utterly ruined. Not a building was standing, and most of the trees had fallen over as well. But no matter how he squinted, he could not catch sight of a single elf, living or dead. This terrified him beyond all measure, but what frightened him even more was that the Valar had not made a single appearance.

Not to quell the tremors, nor calm the fears of the elves, nor even to explain what was going on.

Legolas was almost certain something had happened to them, but what? What on Earth could possibly harm the Valar?

The thick black smoke was spreading all over the island now, and stretching to outlying islands which were largely uninhabited, though one housed a few soldiers who preferred the relative privacy away from the mainland, as they guarded Valinor from unwanted visitors.

Legolas could see them standing on the shore, frantically waving at the ship. As he watched, the smoke reached the island, and encompassed it. A gust of wind cleared it away for a moment, the elves had simply vanished, as though they had never been there.

The Prince was horrified, he quickly finished with sail, and shimmied back down to the deck. "We have to get back to shore as soon as possible."

Elladan and Elrohir nodded, in full agreement with their old friend.

"That's not such a good idea, mellyn nin."

All three froze at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, then looked around frantically.

Though they canvassed the entire ship with their sharp elven gaze, they saw nothing.

Legolas' brow furrowed, the more he thought about it, the voice DID sound familiar, though he could not place it just yet.

Tying down a final line, he looked in the direction the voice had come from, "Why is it not such a good idea? And who are you that you call us your friends? Show yourself!"

This produced a hearty chuckle, "Once upon a time, we were the best of friends, like brothers."

Elladan closed his eyes, the mellifluous voice was tugging at his heartstrings, and he did recognize it now. A tear slipped down his cheek, and he whispered a name he never thought he'd speak again. "Estel?"

Elrohir and Legolas looked at the older twin in shock, it was impossible! Aragorn had been dead for 6000 years! There was no possible way they could be hearing his voice now.

The voice simply chuckled again, "I always knew you were the smart one, Elladan."

Elladan blinked once, and then again. Right before his eyes a figure was slowly appearing, as though made of mist.

At first, he could only see silvery eyes that sparkled with humor and warmth, then the familiar grin. After a few moments, Aragorn stood before them, looking exactly has he had when he was 21.

He stood straight, with his broad shoulders squared, and his chin up. His face was unmarked by age and the worry that ruling a kingdom had brought him, and he was positively grinning from ear to ear. "Miss me?"

"Of course!" Elrohir, as usual, didn't think before he acted, and dived at his long lost younger brother.

As he leapt forward, Aragorn rolled his eyes, but didn't move, and the normally graceful elf passed right through him as though he were smoke, and landed flat on his face on the deck.

Aragorn snorted, and crouched down beside the younger twin, "You can't touch me, 'Ro, I don't have a physical body. In fact, I can take any form I wish, but I can't have physical contact, because I'm nothing more than a spirit now."

Elrohir rolled over, and glared at Aragorn, "Well you could have warned me!"

Aragorn didn't respond, but simply looked over at Legolas, "6000 years, and everything that goes wrong is still my fault! It's nice to know some things never change."

Shaking his head, Legolas helped Elrohir up, and all four turned to look at what remained of Valinor.

"What happened Aragorn?" Elladan's voice was distressed, as he thought of his wife and children caught in that mess. "What caused all of this?"

"What could?" Aragorn's voice had lost all it's humor, and his eyes had lost their cheerful sparkle. "What is the only thing that could cause this sort of destruction?"

Legolas closed his eyes as his heart dropped to the toes of his boots, and he whispered the name, "Melkor."

Aragorn simply nodded, and his brow furrowed. "I have much to explain to you, but first you must get as far away from Valinor as possible, it's no longer a haven for anyone, but especially Elvenkind."

"Wait, what about our families, Aragorn! We have wives, and children, we can't just abandon them!" Elladan looked almost ready to leap off the boat, and swim to shore.

"You're not 'abandoning' them, you HAVE to leave, so you can help them! Don't worry, the children can be kept safe from Melkor, Arwen is protecting them from him." Aragorn smiled reassuringly at his older brother.

At the mention of their sister's name, both Elladan and Elrohir looked at Aragorn hopefully, "She is well, then?"

"Oh yes, very well. Even though she has no physical body, she still has the powers granted her as the Evenstar, though the Valar can not help her, neither does Melkor dare harm her. She has your children, along with all the other elflings on Valinor in her protection, and there they will remain until the danger has passed." Aragorn stepped away from them, and began to fade away. "Now, you must get sailing, and I have other things to attend to. When you have reached a safe distance from Valinor, I will return, and explain everything to you, I promise."

With those last words echoing in their ears, Aragorn vanished, leaving them quite alone.

The three elves exchanged awestruck and determined looks, then they adjusted the sails, and sailed away from Valinor as quickly as the vessel could go.

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