Legolas and the Balrog

[Nelyo]

In Fangorn Legolas said:

'It [the forest] is old, very old,' said the Elf. 'So old that almost I feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children. It is old and full of memory. I could have been happy here, if I had come in days of peace.'

If he was born in the 3rd Age why hadn't he felt young in the presence of Galadriel and Celeborn? In Eregion? Maybe he didn't know that Gandalf was a Maia, really, few of them knew. But he had to know that Galadriel crossed Helkaraxё, or that Celeborn saw Thingol of Doriath. For me the only explanation is that he is not that young, he was born at least in the end of the First Age.

' An evil of the ancient world is seemed, such as I have never seen before' said Aragorn ' It was both a shadow and a flame, strong and terrible.'
'It was a Balrog of Morgoth,' said Legolas; 'of all elf-banes the most deadly, save the One who sits in the Dark Tower.'

Aragorn doesn't know what it was. If he has his suspicions the never voices them. He has never seen a Balrog before. But Legolas speaks of Balrog with certainty, as if he met one. If he is at least of the same age as Elrond then he could have seen a Balrog or two)

What I say next is just my version of what could have been. It's just a reconstruction, not a very accurate one, but I've tried to be consistent.

For an elf of Doriath it was impossible to meet a Balrog. But some of the doriathrim warriors were present at Nirnaeth (Beleg, Mablung and their company). If Legolas went with them (he-he speculations), he could have seen Fingon's death hence the fear of Balrogs. He could've return to Doriath with Mablung and Beleg.
Or he could have retreated with Turgon to Gondolin. I don't think Turgon left those not of Gondolin outside if he had the chance to save them. They just couldn't leave Gondolin while it stood. We know that Gondolin had 50-50 Noldor and Sindar from The Silmarillion but we know nothing about its social structure, so we will have to believe Fall of Gondolin in that. Professor never said it was invalid after all, just an early text. If we have the House of Hammer of Wrath (ex-prisoners of Morgoth), then surely those non-Gondolin worriers could enter one of the Houses, especially if they intended to spent rest of their life (way too long) in the sity. Legolas could enter the House of Tree easily =). So when the armies of Morgoth came to Gondolin Legolas could have led the survivers out of the sity (due to his keen sight he colud find the right pass) as Legolas Greenleaf of the House of Tree. He would have seen another Balrog then...
He is his father's son so they think of simular things.
He could have desided to leave Beleriand to Noldor (to Morgoth really) and move East. He would have arrived to Erin Galen at least some years after Oropher and Thranduil. As for his lack of travelling, that little adventure would be the good reason to stay at home in the future. And all the places he visited in the past are under the water now so they don't count in Middle-Eath of the 3rd Age).
At the very end after Aragorn's death Legolas sails to the Tol Eressёa, the same isle Legolas of Gondolin sailed after the Fall of Gondolin. Who are we to say he [Legolas of Gondolin] didn't tarry in Middle-Earth an age or two?)
If we have so many versions of the same text, so many "historical notes", why don't we combine them? "The chroniclers" could make mistakes, so our task is to "find out" what really happend.

Sure Arda is big and sometimes elves re-use names. But having Glorfindel, Galdor, Legolas and Elrond son of Earendil in Rivendell at the same time is just too much