The Darkened Soul

Minka's Fanfiction

The Darkened Soul, Minka’s Fanfiction archive.

The Inn door swings open and a lone, mud covered traveler enters the crowed common room.

“Come in my weary traveler, sit and warm yourself by the fire,” the Innkeeper’s wife tells the stranger who eyes all the people gathered in the room, forming a circle around a young woman dressed all in black.

“Perhaps a tale would ease your fatigue?” the girl directs to the new comer who is obviously tired. With the nod of the stranger’s head, she continues, “well now, let me think. The stories that I have to tell are many, but, rest assured, they are not of truth, beauty and above all things love.” A small laugh erupts from the seated circle, the patrons obviously agreeing with the young woman’s words.

“They are of freedom,” the woman continues, “the struggle to remain strong and to fight the darkness that laps at the soul, threatening to claim and destroy it.

“‘Tis said by great writers around the world that the best tale is one that ends happily. I we beg to differ. It is my strong belief that the greatest of all stories are the ones that, whilst sometimes ending well, are the stories that take you upon a winding path through the intricate world of darkness, death and suffering. They are stories that make the reader look into their souls, seeking the courage and the power of will that the characters so often display whilst forcing them to question their own resistance to the evil of the world.”

The girl continues, “so sit back, relax and let me entice you into a world unlike your own. A world were the forces of good and evil are constantly at war, not just on the battlefield, but in one’s mind and heart as well.”

Warning!

Due to the content of most of the stories found on this page, the site has an overall rating of R. Things to be considered when reading one of these stories are; most contain large amounts of graphic, bloody and descriptive violence, others slash (male on male relationships), and even a few character deaths. Please keep this in mind when you are browsing the titles.

Chaptered Stories

Title: Shadows Within; Darkness Without (or just SW;DW)

Rating: A VERY strong R

Genre: Action/Adventure/Horror/Anguish/Torture

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, Merry and Pippin.

Chapters: 9 so far, but many more to come

Complete: No

Summary: This is a dark AU (Alternate Universe) that works on the fact of, ‘what if Legolas had approached Boromir about his lust for the Ring?’ It then proceeds to wind its way through the Elven form of darkness, pain and self doubt as Legolas finds himself in the hands of the Orcs that took Merry and Pippin.

Title: Dangerously in Love.

Rating: Strong R

Genre: Action/Adventure/Anguish and lots of battle scenes.

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, Éomer and others.

Chapters: 6

Complete: Yes.

Summary: After Legolas suffers a grievous wound at the battle of Sarn Gebir, he starts to slowly slip into the Elven form of depression. Set in Helm’s Deep, it tells the story of Aragorn’s feeling towards Legolas while the human tries desperately to keep the Elf safe and from the Orc’s – but can Aragorn save Legolas from himself?

Warnings: Slash, descriptive violence, character death??

Title: Extorted

Rating: R

Genre: Alternate Universe/Mystery/Action/Adventure/Romance

Main Characters: Legolas, Estel

Chapters: 4

Complete: No

Summary: Written for Grath’s challenge. In the clutches of a possessive Lord, Legolas finds companionship in the form of a gift; a human slave. But as feelings change, secrets come out – some of which seek to claim lives.

Warnings: Slavery, a few squeaky situations.

Title: Everything In Me

Rating: R

Genre: Action/Adventure/Mystery/AU/Supernatural

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, Gandalf, Théoden and Gríma

Chapters: 2

Complete: No

Summary: When Legolas is placed on trial due to crimes against the people of Rohan and the accusation of siding with the enemy, both he and Aragorn learn that a deadly slip of words can bring about more danger then either ever thought possible.

Warnings: Possible character death? Reference to Witchcraft trials.

Title: The Eaters of the Dead

Rating: Strong R

Genre: Action/Adventure/Horror and character death???

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Elladan, Elrohir, Haldir and a few of my own creation.

Chapters: 4

Complete: No

Summary: It comes as the mist shrouds the deep valley – snaking down the mountain in the form of a line of fire and flame, heading towards the small village tucked within. Thirteen must go if there is to be any hope of salvaging the remains and saving the Havens beyond.

Title: Restoring Hope

Rating: R

Genre: Action/Adventure/Anguish and character death

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, Elrohir and Elladan.

Chapters: 2

Complete: Yes

Summary: “Legolas Greenleaf long under tree

In joy thou hast lived. Beware of the Sea!

If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore,

Thy heart shall then rest in the forest no more.”

A darker look into what Galadriel’s message could have meant.

Title: Remember Me.

Rating: R

Genre: Anguish/Drama

Warnings: Attempted rape and a bit of character bashing.

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Arwen.

Chapters: 2

Complete: Yes

Summary: Legolas has long held his feeling for the human king at bay, but when Aragorn makes the first move, will he be able to hold to his morals and beliefs as well as keep himself safe? Set after The Return of the King.

One Shots

Title: Fallen

Rating: PG

Genre: Angst

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Haldir and Gimli

Complete: Yes

Summary: When Haldir passes to the Halls of Mandos at Helm’s Deep, Legolas is forced to reconsider the true value of immortality. Short, sad interlude telling of Legolas’ reaction to such a loss of immortal life that I feel was greatly missed in the movie.

Warnings: Character Death

Title: To Handle Everyday

Rating: R

Genre: Angst/Tragedy

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn

Complete: Yes

Summary: A darker look on how Legolas may have reacted to Haldir’s, among others’, deaths at Helm’s Deep. Written for a dear friend who needs to see that there is always light and hope, one just needs to part the darkness.

Warnings: Dark themes, reference to character death

Title: Making Sense of the Ruins

Rating: PG

Genre: Angst/ Supernatural

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn

Complete: Yes

Summary: Delves into the raison d'être and events that shaped Legolas’ resolution to sail over the sea subsequent to Aragorn’s death. Terse, poignant, vignette for Rhysenn’s “The Alliance of Elves and Men” challenge.

Warnings: Slash

Title: The Whispered Voice Within

Rating: Strong R

Genre: Action/Supernatural

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Saruman

Complete: Yes

Summary: Friend is thrown against friend as the greatest battle of Helm’s Deep is fought before the arrival of the Orcs; the battle for Aragorn’s soul. After a mishap when expelling Saruman, Legolas is forced to take arms against his friend and the voices within.

Warnings: VERY graphic violence, a few slashy moments, dark themes.

Title: Relinquishing the Past

Rating: PG

Genre: Angst

Main Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli.

Complete: Yes

Summary: After the great fatalities of Helm’s Deep, Aragorn watches as Legolas slowly diminishes and loses sight of all that he once loved, his self-blame slowly consuming him. Now, on the way to Isengard, Aragorn plays his last card in trying to help his friend. Written for the Mellon Chronicles “What’s the Story” challenge.

Title: Serenity.

Rating: G

Genre: General

Main Characters: Elrohir and Elladan

Complete: Yes

Summary: A short piece telling of the connection of an archer to his bow and the world around him. “It whistled as it flew through the air, staying perfectly straight and on the deadline that he had set only moments before. It twirled round and round, the wind playing on the white feathers that adorned the end and making it spin, as if in a graceful dance with a partner that one could not see and only feel.”