Minas Tirith (One Year Ago)

Legolas and Gimli stood side by side, watching Aragorn look over the city below.

"I said I would do it, didn't I?" He asked, his words came out strained and breathless, his body was shaking. Gimli looked up at Legolas with concern in his eyes. The elf placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I've defeated Sauron, he is no longer a threat anymore." Aragorn continued, "My people are safe, Arwen is safe, and I have kept you both safe."

He turned around and smiled, but there was something menacing in the way he looked at them, and there was a crazed look in his eyes.

"Did I not keep my promise?" He asked walking towards them. "Are you not both alive and well? I have kept my word and here you are, my friends." Aragorn placed his hands on both of their shoulders, his trembling body shook them.

"Yes, we are both here," Gimli said slowly glancing sideways at Legolas, "although neither of us imagined it happening this way."

Aragorn laughed, his brow furrowing slightly. "What do you mean? I told you both that I would defeat Sauron."

"Yes, but it was not in the way we planned." Legolas eyed the chain hanging around Aragorn's neck, the man followed his gaze and scowled.

"Even now you still believe that it should be destroyed? After it has delivered us from our enemy?"

His hands tightened around their shoulders, he glared accusingly at the elf and dwarf.

"You may have defeated Sauron physically, but his malice will continue to live on in the Ring," Legolas warned. "The only way to be rid of him for good is to destroy it. You know this."

Aragorn studied him for a moment, then he turned to Gimli. "And what do you think? Should we cast the Ring away as if it were some mere trinket or keep it so that its power may serve us in the future?"

"I doubt that it will serve any of us," Gimli replied gruffly, "Legolas is right. We should destroy it now while we still have a chance, then we can be sure that Sauron will never return."

Aragorn became rigid; he released them and stormed back to the open window his hands gripping the sill in anger.

"You said you trusted me, and now you doubt me? All I wanted from you was your trust and I am denied even that!"

A chilling silence followed his words. Legolas didn't know what to say to calm his friend, he feared that trying to explain themselves would only make things worse. Finally, Aragorn straightened and turned around. Both Legolas and Gimli startled when they saw the malicious grin on Aragorn's face.

"Very well, if you will not give me your trust willingly, then I must force it from you myself."

"What do you mean?" Gimli asked narrowing his eyes.

"Both of you will be staying here, until you learn to that only I have the power to keep you from harm. Once you've learned your places in this world you will have nothing to fear."

Outrage and horror met his words.

"You can't keep us here against our will!" Gimli shouted. "What about our fathers? Our friends and family? They have been waiting for us and we intend to go to them!"

Legolas stiffened, fearing what Aragorn's reaction would be. To his surprise, he only laughed. "Do you think you can go against me? If I say that you will remain in this city, then here is where you will stay. No one enters this city," he paused and turned to Legolas, "and no one leaves it."

----

Minas Tirith (Present)

It felt as if weights had been chained to his ankles, making every step one of agony. Legolas was led, blindfolded of course, by two guards to yet another place. He didn't know where he was going or what would happen to him once he arrived, but it scared him.

He'd seen the eagerness in Aragorn's eyes when he spoke about controlling him. What did he mean by that? He heard a door open and knew that they were entering a room. When the door slammed shut behind him his heart sank.

There would be no escape from this.

The blindfold was pulled from his eyes and he found himself face to face with Aragorn. He said nothing as he eyed Legolas, his gaze making the elf shiver. Finally, he turned away and Legolas slumped his shoulders in relief. He quickly searched the room he was in; like the first one it was dimly lit with several torches and had no windows. The only difference was a long wooden table, and a pit filled with burning coals with a metal rod laying in it.

Aragorn walked towards the pit and grabbed the end of the rod that wasn't in the coals. He lifted it out and inspected the orange glow emanating from it. Legolas swallowed a lump in his throat and tried not to squirm in the men's grasp.

Aragorn quickly noticed his discomfort and smiled.

"Do you remember when we used to travel together Legolas? All those nights spent out in the wilderness? I always found it strange that you never came near the fire. I assumed that it was simply because you did not need the warmth, but then I learned something very interesting."

He poked at the coals with the rod, sending several sparks flying out of the pit and onto the stone floor. "Legolas Thranduilion, the son of a king, was afraid of fire. And to this day, he still is." Aragorn smiled and let the rod settle back in the coals. Legolas felt as if his legs were about to give out, surely Aragorn wasn't going to do this to him? Not his friend...

"Prepare him," Aragorn ordered the guards. The two men began to drag Legolas towards the table, one that he noticed had four straps on it. One for each hand and foot.

No! He wouldn't do this! He wouldn't let them!

Panicking Legolas struggled against the guards, who fought to keep a hold on the frightened elf.

They didn't expect an elf with his hands bound to be so difficult to restrain, but Legolas was desperate and afraid, which made him dangerous. He thrashed and kicked. He tore himself out of their grasp and kicked one in the stomach, causing him to double over.

The other guard used more caution with approaching the elf. Out of the corner of his eye Legolas could see Aragorn approaching. He started backing away from the two men, searching frantically for a place to run. But there was nowhere to go, he was trapped.

The two men charged forward just as Legolas tried to run. Both collided into him and all three crashed onto the floor. Pain shot up Legolas' arm but he didn't stop fighting. Aragorn was behind him trying to get ahold of him while the remaining guard was trying to pin his legs down. Legolas kicked out and caught the man in the face, he collapsed on the floor unconscious.

His relief was short lived when he felt Aragorn's arms around him, pulling him back against his chest.

Legolas twisted his body to try and wrestle himself out of Aragorn's grasp, he saw the guard he had kicked in the stomach running towards them. Eyes wide Legolas thrashed and felt Aragorn's grip on him weakening, he was almost free!

Suddenly a fist caught him on the side of the head; stunning him. Then he felt his mouth being pried open and a cold, burning liquid being poured down his throat. He tried to spit it out but his mouth was clamped shut and his nose was plugged, leaving him no choice but to swallow the liquid.

The two men released him and he collapsed onto the floor. He tried to push himself up but he couldn't move his arms, in fact, he couldn't move anything.

What's wrong with me?

He tried to move his head but found that he couldn't do that either. His confusion turned to panic when he realized that he couldn't move any part of his body at all, only his eyes were able to look around.

"What do you think of my little concoction Legolas?" Aragorn asked standing over him. "It renders its victim completely immobile, perfect for those who aren't willing to cooperate."

Aragorn knelt down and gathered the elf in his arms, cradling him as one would an infant. "But don't worry, you'll still be able to feel all the pain you are about to go through, and you will be able to scream."

Standing up he carried the elf over to the table and carefully laid him on it. Legolas watched as Aragorn moved beside him.

"You know Legolas, if you are going to live among men perhaps you should look more like us," he took a fistful of Legolas' hair and studied it, "let's start by getting rid of all this hair. No man has hair this long."

Legolas' eyes widened in panic. His mind was telling him to run, to fight, but he couldn't move. Aragorn couldn't cut his hair! He knew what that meant for an elf; it was a way to mark criminals and traitors, elves who were banished for their crimes.

He saw Aragorn pull out a knife. Legolas wanted to plead with him to stop, but he knew deep down that nothing he said would dissuade him. The knife cut through his hair inches from his head. He closed his eyes until Aragorn was finished.

"There, doesn't that feel better?" Aragorn brushed the golden hair off the table and onto the floor. Legolas didn't reply and kept his eyes closed. He knew that Aragorn was far from being finished with him.

"Now let's do something about these ears, wouldn't it be better if your ears were round like the rest of us? You wouldn't stand out anymore, you would look normal."

Legolas' eyes flew open.

Was he mad?!

"Aragorn, please don't do this."

"So he finally speaks!" Aragorn smiled and patted Legolas' head. "Are you going to beg some more? Perhaps show me some tears? Come on Legolas, cry and I promise I won't hurt you. Much..."

He fell silent after that. When Aragorn realized that he wasn't going to do as he asked he rolled Legolas' head to the side, exposing his right ear.

Without hesitating he took the knife and cut off the tip of Legolas' ear. The pain was unlike anything Legolas had ever experienced before, a scream tore itself from the elf's throat and caused the remaining guard to flinch.

Aragorn's smile only grew as he continued his work, Legolas' screams growing louder with every cut he made. Blood began to run down Legolas' head and onto his neck, a small puddle of red formed on the table. It only lasted a few minutes but to Legolas, it felt like an eternity. Finally, Aragorn finished and set the knife aside.

Legolas didn't even realize he was crying until Aragorn brushed a tear from his face.

"There are the tears I asked for. Was that so hard?"

Legolas didn't hear him, he felt as if he was going to faint from the pain. He hissed as Aragorn wiped the blood off his ear.

"Now let's move on to the other one shall we?"

Legolas didn't bother trying to plead with him as his head was turned to the other side. Again the same process was repeated; first, the tip of his ear was cut off, then he used the knife to shape Legolas' ear into the way he wanted. Legolas' screams did nothing but please him, he relished the pain that the elf was in.

What he loved most was how helpless Legolas was. He could do nothing to fight back, he could only scream.

Once he finished Aragorn cleaned up the blood. He frowned when he noticed Legolas' fingers twitching. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the vial that contained the potion and poured it down Legolas' throat, he didn't even try to fight it.

He was finally breaking him, but they were not finished yet.

"How are you feeling Legolas?" He asked tilting his head to the side. Legolas only stared at him, his eyes were red from crying and tears stained his cheeks. Yet there was no fear in them, only anger. Aragorn backed away slightly before his own fury took over. This wasn't supposed to happen! He was supposed to be begging him for mercy not defying him still!

Narrowing his eyes Aragorn grabbed Legolas' shirt, and taking his knife, he sliced down the middle and tore off the green tunic. Legolas watched him carry the shirt over to the pit where the coals were and threw it in. He watched the flames consume the shirt, his heart started to pound in his chest.

Aragorn grabbed the metal rod, smoke rising from the end that had been left in the coals, and stormed back to Legolas. Standing over him he ran his hand over Legolas' chest. "Such perfect skin." He murmured. Legolas closed his eyes and wished he could shudder, he felt as if he were about to vomit.

"You've been burned before Legolas, and it left you wounded. You elves have a way of covering up old wounds, but only a few elves can cover scars. And unlike your father, you cannot hide yours."

Legolas' eyes widened as Aragorn raised the rod over him.

"No! Please no! Don't do this!"

His pleas were in vain.

The hot metal pressed against his skin, the smell of burning flesh filled the room, and Legolas screamed.

He screamed until his voice cracked, he cried until he had no more tears left to shed, he endured the pain until he could no longer.

Then he fell into darkness, and he knew no more.