Greetings, one and all! :D

I promised my distinguished readers that Part III would be put up soon and I kept my promise!

I will warn you now, this final part in the Home Is trilogy (its kinda fun calling it that) is gonna be the darkest of them all. I know that you all know why, if you've read the book or seen the third movie "Battle of the Five Armies". You know what all happens...or at least you think you do ;P Believe me, there are, as per usual, lots of twists and turns in this story that will surprise you. Or I hope they will anyway.

But until then, here is the first chapter of Home Is Part III! :D Enjoy!

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The night had already had its shares of trials, hardships and close calls, but now the greatest danger was on its way to Laketown.

After being attacked by a band of Orcs and being rescued by the Elves, Tauriel and Legolas, the Dwarves, Fili, Kili, Oin and Bofur, as well as the half-Dwarf woman, Maori, and Bard's three children, Sigrid, Bain and Tilda, had been trying to catch their breath and regain their strength after enduring such a feat. Not to mention that Kili had nearly died from his poisoned wound, but had been saved luckily thanks to some kingsfoil plant that Bofur had found and a little Elven healing from Tauriel, who had elected to stay after Legolas had gone chasing after the remainder of the Orcs.

Unfortunately, not long after Kili had been saved, a violent tremor shook the house, a terrible roar sounded harshly in the air and a malicious voice could be heard on the winds saying, "I…am…fire…! I…am…death…!"

There was not one doubt amongst any of them where that all came from. It was the dragon, Smaug. He had escaped from the Lonely Mountain.

Tauriel quickly stepped outside to see what was going on. Just as she had feared, the dragon was heading right their way towards the town. The terrified screams of the petrified townspeople rang in her ears, combined with the loud growls from the flying beast. She knew the town would soon be done for and, sadly, there was nothing that could be done to save everyone. Tauriel knew that the least she could do was get those she was already with to safety, especially the children.

She marched back into the house and stated while grabbing a coat for Tilda, "We have no time. We must leave!"

"Get on up. Come on, let's go," said Bofur as he gently helped up Maori who was clutching at her bandaged shoulder which had been wounded during the skirmish earlier.

"Come on, brother," said Fili, trying to pull Kili up from his chair.

Annoyed, Kili pulled away from Fili and complained, "I'm fine! I can walk."

While Tauriel was getting the girls in their coats, Bain went up to her and tried to tell her, "We're not leaving…not without our father."

"If we stay here, your sisters will die. Is that what your father would want?" Tauriel responded, which Bain had to admit was a good point.

"There's a boat tied up down in the lower level of the house," Maori explained. "We can escape with that." Then she let out a tiny grunt of pain and grabbed at her shoulder again.

Seeing this reaction gave Fili a cause for concern. "My love, are you sure you're all right?" he asked her.

She just waved off the question and replied, "Never you mind, worry about me later. Right now, we need to get out of here." Then she took Fili's hand and they led the others down the stairs towards the lower outside part of the house. Kili was the last to go, making sure that all the others made it out.

Bofur and Fili were the first to hop into the boat, followed by Tauriel, who got in the very front and held onto the banister to keep the boat from floating away.

"Give me your hand," Fili said to Maori, but she insisted that the three children get into the boat first, so Fili helped Sigrid in instead.

"Quickly now! Hurry!" Tauriel urged them as the other two children climbed in.

"Kili, come on!" Fili called to his brother, who was standing by and making sure everyone was in. Once Maori was in the boat, he jumped in. Tauriel loosened the knot that held the boat and pushed off into the icy water. Bofur and Fili picked up the oars in the boat and rowed on either side to help the boat along.

All around them on the wooden paths were people running and screaming in terror. Only seconds after they had started paddling, the Dwarves, children and Elf all heard a whoosh above them, saw a giant shadow and witnessed Smaug flying right above their heads, which elicited many more horrified cries from the people around them. They watched in fear as the dragon flew higher up into the sky and then dove down headfirst towards the town a little further way, his chest glowing bright yellow and orange. Then, with a roar, he released a wave of dragon fire upon Laketown and in one fell swoop set a section of the town ablaze. Swiftly, he came back around and breathed fire again, this time a lot closer to Tauriel, the Dwarves and children. A wall of blazing heat overcame them from the fire that within seconds had scorched and destroyed the many homes around them. Many people were jumping into the water, trying to escape or put out the flames that had engulfed them, or were trying to get away in their own boats. Cries of pain, terror and sorrow could be heard everywhere amongst the flaming carnage.

"Keep your heads down!" Tauriel told the children as parts of the fiery houses came falling down around them.

"Look out!" Bofur suddenly cried out.

Before anyone could react, they collided with another boat on their left side that was trying to pass in front of them. The force of the collision nearly toppled their own boat over and Fili almost lost his oar. Oin kept a good grip on the girls, who were sitting near the edge, and kept them from falling over.

Maori and Tauriel simultaneously both realized that the boat they had run into, which now had all manner of gold objects falling out of it into the water, was the Master's boat. It was completely filled with gold with the exception of the Master, his counselor, Alfrid, and a couple guards.

"Move it! Move it! Come on, faster!" the Master yelled out.

Maori already had no liking for the Master and Alfrid, but the display she was now seeing just disgusted her. "You cowards!" she screamed at them while they sailed by. "You bloody cowards!"

"Calm yourself, Maori," Fili told her as he and Bofur began rowing again. "Yelling will do you no good."

She groaned in annoyance. "If one or both of those two somehow make it out of this alive, they are going to get an earful from me," she spat.

They carefully steered the boat underneath a house built on a higher level, which shielded them from flaming parts of another building that came crashing down into the water. They rowed their way as quickly and cautiously as they could through the watery paths through the town.

Just then, Bain exclaimed, "Da!"

They looked up in the direction where Bain was looking, which was towards a tall bell tower. Up at the top, they could see a figure with a bow and arrow drawn firing at the dragon.

It was Bard!

Both Sigrid and Tilda gasped out loud at the sight of their father and Tilda cried, "Da!" as loud as she could. But he was too far away and could not hear them. All of them watched as Bard drew his bow back once more and released another fast arrow at Smaug who went soaring past him on the bell tower, releasing another blast of fire below him.

"He hit it! He hit the dragon!" Kili exclaimed eagerly.

"No…," Tauriel replied, a look of fear in her eyes.

"He did!" Kili countered. "He hit his mark! I saw!"

But Tauriel shook her head. "His arrows cannot pierce its hide…I fear nothing will."

"We have to get Bard!" said Maori, wrapping an arm around a shaking Tilda.

"How, lass?" asked Oin.

"He is far away and we would be heading back into the dragon's path, which will kill us all," Tauriel added.

"He is the children's father!" Maori said back. "We can't just leave him or he'll—Bain!"

The young boy had suddenly grabbed onto a chain that was suspended above them, which was a result of a fallen post, and, before anyone knew what he was doing, pushed off the boat and was swinging towards a nearby walkway.

"What are you doing?" Bofur called out as he and Fili both tried to reach out and grab him, but he was already too far out of reach.

"Come back!" shouted Fili.

They all called out his name, trying to get him to come back and wondering why he had left the boat, but he was already running away from down the walkway.

"Leave him. We cannot go back," Tauriel told them, feeling regret that she had to say those words.

"Bain…!" Tilda cried sadly as she and Sigrid watched their brother for what they feared would be the last time.

Maori pulled the girls close to try and comfort them and then cast a worried glance up at Fili, who returned it with equal worry in his own eyes. They both were afraid for Bard and hoped, especially for the children's sake, that he and Bain would be able get out of Laketown alive.

In the midst of the chaos and destruction, there were other eyes watching the attack from farther away. The rest of the company of Thorin Oakenshield had gotten themselves up to a higher lookout point after the dragon had left the mountain. To their dismay, that was all they could do was watch as the carnage ensued, knowing there was literally nothing they could do.

"Poor souls…," Balin lamented.

A majority of the Dwarves were all sitting around with their heads lung sow in sadness. They were sad, of course, for the people of Laketown, but moreover, they all feared and assumed the worst about their own companions that they had left behind: Fili, Kili, Oin, Bofur, even Maori, Bard and his three children. They didn't know if any of them were even still alive. As they watched the town continuing to rise up in flames, their hopes began to lessen.

Bilbo, who was behind everyone, finally had to just turn away for a moment. The destruction of Laketown was becoming too much. When he did, he noticed Thorin just down the way, who was facing the opposite direction and staring at the mountain. Bilbo couldn't recall him ever even coming all the way up on the lookout point and watching what was happening. He had been staring at the Lonely Mountain almost the whole time. Deep down, Bilbo felt afraid that something was indeed wrong with Thorin. He thought back to when Thorin had basically cornered him at sword-point in the treasure room, demanding the Arkenstone. There had definitely been something going on with him at that point, but once the dragon showed up, they ran and then battled the dragon, Thorin then seemed to return to normal. Now, he was back to not acting like himself again.

"Something is really not right at all…," he thought to himself.

Then his eyes drifted the other way to a lower ledge where he found Airaním Goldenheart, Thorin's adopted daughter and Bilbo's close friend, seated on the stony ground, hunched over and trembling.

Ever since Smaug had broken out of the mountain, Aira had not ceased her sobbing. She was certain that Kili, her One, was dead along with the others and, since they had gotten to the lookout, she had been mumbling as she rocked back and forth, "I've killed him…I've killed them…", which Bilbo did not quite understand. He didn't understand how she thought it was all her fault that Smaug had attacked Laketown and had possibly taken Kili and the others away. If anything, it was a collective effort and it was all their faults, because they as a team had angered the dragon and that was why he was exacting his revenge on them and attacking the town.

Despite that, it saddened Bilbo deeply to see Aira hurting so much. As much as he wanted to say he could, he couldn't understand what she was going through. Out of everyone in the company, she was the one suffering the most and he just had to do something.

He carefully made his way down to her. By this time, she was still crying, but was crying a bit softer and quieter now.

"Aira…," he said, tenderly placing a hand on her shoulder.

She let out a choked cry and responded, "Don't, Bilbo. Don't make me come up there. I cannot bear to watch…."

"No, no, that was not my intention," he said back, setting himself down next to her.

She sniffled. "If you have come to try and comfort me, don't even bother," she said grimly. "There are no words you can say that will bring Kili back and that is the only thing right now that could ever bring me comfort."

"We don't even know if they're really dead."

"You've been watching what Smaug is doing to that poor town, Bilbo…."

"Yes and there was a small period of time between when he broke free of the mountain and when he started actually burning the town. That should've been enough time for our friends to make a getaway, wherever they were down there. They are clever Dwarves, they would have figured something out, I'm sure."

"But Kili was wounded. He wouldn't have been able to walk."

"You know as well as I do that Fili would never let anything happen to him. You heard him before we left Laketown: he would carry Kili if he had to and I'm certain that didn't change when Smaug attacked."

Aira truly wanted to believe that Kili, Fili and the others were still alive, but she had seen the town on their way up there and how engulfed in smoke and fire it was. There was too much dread inside her to entertain that kind of hope.

Then, before she even realized what she was saying, she said, "It was my destiny to save them, Bilbo…."

Bilbo's expression turned confused. "What do you mean, Aira?" he asked her.

Aira was mentally kicking herself a little for letting her deep secret slide, but then again, she knew and trusted Bilbo with her life. She had entrusted him with secrets before, so she knew that he would surely keep this one. In her mind, she honestly thought that she should've told him a long time ago and it was a wonder that she hadn't yet.

She took a deep breath and said to him, "I am about to tell you something that only one other person in this company knows…or knew, I mean…."

"Who?" asked Bilbo.

"Bofur," Aira answered.

The Hobbit gave a nod in understanding.

"I also want you to promise me that you will not tell my father," she added.

That request seemed a little peculiar to him, knowing how close Aira was to Thorin, but nevertheless, he still answered, "I promise, I will not tell him."

Feeling a bit reassured, Aira once again took a deep breath and explained to him, "Back when we were in Rivendell, I was visited by a wise Elven woman, Galadriel, who told me that I was a special child of Mahal, sent to this world for a great purpose…one I now believe I failed."

"We do not know that yet," Bilbo told her a bit firmly, trying to get her to believe that. But then he moved on and asked her, "What purpose did this Elven woman tell you of?"

"She told me that I was destined to save the line of Durin and ensure that my father formally becomes King Under the Mountain."

"Then what have you to fear? We have taken the mountain back and we all know that Thorin will be King."

"No…Galadriel told me that she foresaw a very possible future that my father's cousin, Dain, of the Iron Hills will become King…and the only way that that would be possible is if my father, Fili and Kili all die."

Bilbo's eyes widened in shock. The thought of Thorin, Fili and Kili all dying was, to him, simply unfathomable. "And she thinks that you are the one who is going to stop that future from happening?"

Aira gave a shrug of her shoulders. "I suppose so…but I don't know how I can do it. And even so, I have already failed. Fili and Kili are both gone."

"Aira, you cannot give up on them. You can't believe that."

"Do you think I want to believe it?!" she nearly shouted at him. "I don't, Bilbo Baggins, but look at what is in front of us! The entire town is engulfed in smoke and flames and, even if there is a chance there are survivors, I doubt that—"

"Airaním, stop this right now!" he interrupted her, surprising her with his forwardness. "I am your friend and as your friend, I will not let you give up hope like this, not when it comes to our friends in Laketown and, more importantly, your One! You cannot despair now, not when this is the time when you and all of us need hope the most."

"How can you look at Laketown and believe even for a moment that anyone survived? The entire city is decimated!"

"He didn't destroy the town in a single strike! He had to go back and forth multiple times to set the entire place afire. There was a good amount of time for plenty of people to escape." Bilbo then turned himself more towards Aira and put his hands gently on either side of her face. When she wouldn't meet his gaze, he said to her, "Aira, look at me." Slowly, she lifted her eyes to his and he said, "I firmly believe that Kili, Fili, Bofur and Oin all made it out safely. Your fiancée has not been lost to you. You will see him again, I promise you."

Aira leaned into his hand, seeking that little bit of comfort from his touch, yet she remained silent.

Unsure of her silence, he added, "You must have faith, Aira. Have faith that our friends were able to escape. Have faith that you will be reunited with those you love. Have faith that you will be able to fulfill the great destiny that was bestowed upon you and save the line of Durin, even if that may prove…a little difficult."

His gaze wavered a little towards the direction of where Thorin was standing and Aira understood what he meant. She too had noticed the change in his behavior, starting back in the treasure room. She had a bad feeling of what it was and knew it was going to prove challenging.

He continued, "You did not kill the others, like you believed you did, because you feared you had failed your divine task. I may have only just learned of that from you, but I do already know this: you are Airaním Goldenheart and you will not fail. You are much more than you believe yourself to be. Your heart has been and will be your greatest ally."

Aira's eyes widened a little in surprise. "What did you say…?" she asked. She wanted to be sure that she heard him correctly…for she thought she had heard those words before.

Bilbo was a little confused at her reaction, but still he repeated, "You are much more than you believe yourself to be and your heart has been and will be your greatest ally."

She couldn't believe what she had indeed just heard and her head shook slightly in amazement. "Those were the exact words that Galadriel said to me," she explained to him.

A small but pleased grin crossed his face. "Then you will know that she is right…," he replied, "…and that your destiny isn't over."

Then his hands dropped down from her face and grabbed hers and he helped pull her up to her feet. Once they were both standing, Bilbo looked up to her and said, "Don't give up hope yet, Aira. There is much you have yet to do."

Aira mustered up a tiny smile for him. He always seemed to know just what to do or say to comfort her. He believed in her and in her divine destiny and he had hope when she did not. He had hope that Kili and the others left in Laketown were still alive. While a part of her still doubted that…there was another part of her deep down that wanted to side with Bilbo and believe that her love and her friends had made it out alive.

Right then, Bilbo's head turned and his eyes suddenly grew wide. Before Aira could ask what was wrong, there was then a giant boom that echoed in the silence…coming from the direction of Laketown. They both jumped up to the lookout point and joined the others.

"What was that? What happened?" asked Ori.

"It fell, I saw it," Bilbo told everyone in response as he moved closer to the edge.

"The dragon?" asked Aira. "Is it…?"

"It's dead," said Bilbo. He then turned back to the rest of the Dwarves and declared in relief, "Smaug is dead."

"By my beard, I think he's right," added Gloin. Then he looked up to the sky as the sound of a bird's call was then heard. "Look there!" he cried. All eyes turned upward and saw a large, black raven flying back towards the mountain. Soon it was followed by more ravens coming in from other directions.

"The ravens of Erebor are returning to the mountain!" Aira exclaimed.

"Aye, word will spread," Balin stated with a grin. "Before long, every soul in Middle-Earth will know…the dragon is dead!"

Cheers of triumph sounded from the rest of the Dwarves. What they had finally set out to do had been done: the dragon, Smaug, was now dead and the mountain was officially theirs once again.

Aira, while listening to the joyful cries of the others, kept her eyes on the town on the lake, now completely consumed in smoke and fire. She couldn't believe the dragon was now dead. She wanted to know how it had been killed, for one, but more importantly, she wanted to know if the other Dwarves there had escaped.

"Mahal, please let them all be alive," she prayed in her mind. "Not just Kili, Fili, Bofur and Oin, but Maori, Bard and his children, as well. Let them all have escaped to safety unharmed."

As her head then turned, she noticed that Thorin, who had been standing away from the lookout point, was now suddenly walking fast down the walkway towards the mountain. He had not said a single word to anyone, made no indication that he was glad of the dragon's death. He had simply left…which only increased her concern for him.

"And Mahal…," she added in her prayer, "…I am afraid that something is wrong with Father…and I am afraid that I know what it might be. Give him the strength to fight it…or give me the strength to help him how I can. In either case, just please give me strength to see this all through…I will need it now more than ever."

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Yay! Probably one of the only happy moments in most of the movie xP

So there you have it, things are already looking difficult for Aira. She is remembering her divine destiny that Galadriel told her about and she knows things are going to change, especially with Thorin. Well, she would be right, as much as I hate to say it :P

I hope you all enjoyed this! Please leave a review or PM me with your thoughts or questions! :)

Until next time, my lovelies! :)