Disclaimer: This story is heavily based off the characters in both the Hobbit film directed by Peter Jackson, and of course the actual book. The only character I made up is Esmerelda. I think it was also inspired somewhat by the ABC TV series "Once Upon a Time." (Yes, I do believe Esmerelda is based off of Regina before she started trying to become good; I picture her every time I try to imagine this schoolteacher!) I'm rather indebted to all the encyclopaedia writers on Council of Elrond; I have no idea what I would do without this resource and have learned so much through it! I apologize to Legolas fans: he does not have much of a part and I have not been kind to him, but everything will be fine in the end! Nonetheless, if you are sceptical you probably won't want to read any further. I dedicate this story to all those who join me in Fili and Kili fandom. I am sure you wonder what it would be like if these two amazing dwarf brothers did not die but survived the Battle of the Five Armies. In order to make it shorter, I have tried to give the simple basics of where we are in the film, and to tell you enough details that you can figure out the context of my changes. With that note, you shall find out the alternative ending to The Hobbit movies (and the book, if you would like to think of it that way!).

Author's Note: This chapter has been updated! Check for updates in the next 6 chapters soon too; probably next week before I update & I'll tell you which ones are done. And please review!

OoO

The wonderful sound of metal clanging against metal filled the air. An assortment of creatures, five armies in fact, waged war against each other. Elves, men, dwarves, and a solitary hobbit allied against the goblins and wargs. The atmosphere was thick with the blood spilled from all these creatures, and the ground stained deep red in many places due to the massive combat. The day seemed rather dark and dreary due to all the death everywhere.

Thorin Oakenshield had madly commanded his nephews Fili and Kili, along with their relation Dwalin, to accompany him on a foolhardy mission to kill the leader of the orc armies: Azog himself, the very one with whom Thorin was at eternal enmity. Those below the incline noticed the threesome's mad dash uphill on goats and trembled, expecting the worst outcome and dreading that they were unable to help the dwarf leader.

The brothers looked seriously at each other, fully prepared to help their uncle conquer the evil foe.

Once at the top, the party went on a search for the great white orc. Unfortunately, Azog had expected something like this to happen and was prepared for the group, staying deep within his dark and ugly caves and capturing Fili as he cautiously searched for him. A goblin held Fili at the edge of the drop, sword point digging into his back. He glanced at his brother, fear showing wildly in his eyes. He was not in pain yet but rather uncomfortable as he tried to prepare for his death. However, Kili had a plan and motioned to his brother, a move only he would recognize. Suddenly, the blonde dwarf pushed back with all his might and flipped over his captors, racing to Thorin's side. This move, of course, served to anger their foes even more and a great fight ensued. Thorin fought with his dread foe Azog, while Fili once again got separated from him and engaged the remaining orcs in battle. Kili was pushed to one side of the ridge, fighting valiantly with the goblin Bolg, the huge son of Azog and a champion warrior.

Then the lovely elf Tauriel arrived on the scene, frantically searching for her true love and calling his name. She finally spotted his struggles and made her way to him, helping him fight the evil brute and getting injured herself in the process. She crossed swords with the villain. Unable to dodge his balde fasr enough, her faced ended up scratched. The goblin pushed her and threw her to the side. A sickening crunch sounded as she hit the stone, her ribs broken.

Kili noticed she was down and took over the fight, jumping on their foe's back, giving Tauriel enough time to catch her breath and hoist herself up. The orc gained the upper hand on Kili and was about to run him through when he quickly rolled aside, the weapon harmlessly scathing the floor. Together, elf and dwarf allied against the foe, pushing him away until he fell, where Legolas took over the fight and conquered the beast. The couple collapsed, exhausted from their long fight and extensive wounds, in addition to the emotional exhaustion they experienced from seeing each other so near to death. Tauriel painfully crawled to Kili's side. "Meleth, I am here!"

"Oh Tauriel! I love you so much!" He clasped her hand and his eyes rolled closed as his body coped with the severe loss of blood by forcing him to lose consciousness. The elf followed suit, her own body severely beaten and battered.

Meanwhile, Fili battled with more orcs and once help had arrived and the enemy knew they fought for a lost cause, he engaged one last foe in one-on-one combat. They swung their weapons and, with a final burst of energy, Fili charged and knocked the head clean off the foul beast. However, the orc's large body landed on top of him, knocking him off balance and into a sharp rock. The world went dark, like being in a cave without a light and far from the entrance, and he knew no more of what went on around him.

King Thranduil approached at the end of the battle and saw Tauriel lying there on the ground, covered in blood, a mixture of her own, Kili's, and the orc's. He thought at first she was dead, then realized the life still flowed within her veins. Thus he picked her up and brought her to the healers. He noticed the faithful dwarf brothers lying there, senseless, and sent someone to fetch Fili and Kili's faintly breathing bodies.

An hour later, once the huge battle had been completely won, some elves came and gathered the wounded to tents they had set up for healing purposes. Unfortunately, Thorin Oakenshield was fatally wounded from his own battle against Azog and he survived only a few hours after the battle, thus was unable to bid his unconscious nephews his last farewell.

OoO

Several days later, the brothers finally awoke. They found themselves lying side by side in a large tent with many others who had also been seriously wounded but were expected to recover. The cloth door remained shut, which made the exact location of the tent unidentifiable at the moment, but they assumed they lay somewhere in the vicinity of Erebor.

Fili woke up first. He opened his eyes slowly and inquired, "Kili, where are you?" He, a bit unsure of where exactly he was, needed someone he knew nearby. Besides, the brothers had not been apart much ever since Kili was born, and Fili had sworn to protect his younger brother and see to it he arrived safely back to their mother, Dís.*

This statement aroused Kili, who winced as he opened his eyes into the blinding light and he answered, "I'm here next to you, but the real question is where exactly are we?"

A nearby elf came over to them. "You are at the bottom of Erebor. This tent has been set aside for some of the wounded. I and many others have been caring for you."

"We aren't at war with you anymore? Uncle Thorin was so rude to you elves. I and my brother thank you profusely for saving our lives; we shall be forever indebted to you for your kindness. Speaking of Thorin, where is he?" Fili replied, forgetting momentarily that he had watched his uncle bravely fight and go down in victory over his foe, unable to go to his aid, and that the elves had rallied with them against the goblins and their friends.

"I'm so sorry!" the elf exclaimed. "Thorin was fatally wounded in the battle and passed on a few days ago. However, the good news is we have won the war."

Their faces fell, eyes dark with sadness as they realized the man who was practically a father to them was no more. Fili reached over and squeezed his brother's arm, taking care to be gentle as to not injure either of them further. They had looked up to Thorin from childhood and knew their mentor would never return, but they could press on and tell his story to their children and grandchildren. He had been there for them ever since their own father had been killed in battle, along with their grandfather Thror, and deserved honour and respect for his leadership.

Each dwarf sat in silence as they allowed their minds to take in the sad news. They fondly recalled their first lessons in swordsmanship and how their uncle helped them pick out the most suitable weapons for both their strengths and personalities and taught them their proper use. While their mother, Dís, loved them and did her best to care for them, she appreciated that they had a male figure to whom they could look up and discuss matters which would be rather uncomfortable for her to explain. Thorin was by no means perfect and had many faults, but he loved his family and wanted to see them safe and sound in their own kingdom. The dwarves had lost a great leader who would always be remembered, preserved by the tales of his nephews.

*Look for this theme later on. I found a sweet pin on Pinterest which spoke of how no one ever expected Fili to die because he was the responsible one. It suggested he didn't need to promise to return because everyone expected he would, while the more reckless Kili needed that extra motivation to not do anything rash, to not rush into things as he was inclined to do.