'HELP! NO, KILI, NO! BROTHER! Fili clutched at his brothers chest, blood seeping from Kili's wounds onto his hands as the battle raged on around him, not a single friendly face anywhere near him.

Pain exploded in his chest as an arrow drove through his diaphragm. The dwarf gasped, his vision darkening. No, he was not going to die like this.

'... Fili...'

The dwarf looked at his little brother, tears welling in his eyes. He wavered, gritted his teeth, stood and attacked the nearest Orc, hacking its head off and slicing a second in half. If they were going to kill his little brother they would have to kill him first.

Another arrow made contact, just below his arm. He held back an agonized cry and struck down three more orcs in a rush of rage and pain, his left arm hanging uselessly at his side, the arrow remaining lodged painfully between his ribs.

His vision was growing dark around the edge yet he kept fighting, defending his little brother. Their uncle's body had been taken from the fray moments ago, Kili falling shortly after.

More pain exploded in his shoulder, fiery agony spreading from the wound to the rest of his body.

Fili sank to his knees, blood pouring from his wounds.

Kili.

He crawled over to his brother's side, stumbling over the terrain and the dead. When he came to Kili's side his heart sank.

'Don't leave me brother... Not yet...'

'... F...fili...' he rasped, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth and down his cheek.

The younger dwarf clutched his brother's hand, his fingers pale and cold, the dark red blood staining his skin creating a sharp contrast.

'Oh brother... Kili, I'm sorry...'

Fili chocked on blood as a sob caught painfully in his throat.

'It's... It's ok... Rest...'

Fili felt his heart break. Kili was too young, too young to die. So was he, if he thought about it, but that didn't matter. He felt hot tears trickle down his battle stained cheeks.

'Brother...'

Fili looked down and brushed a bloody strand of hair away from his brother's pain-writhen face.

'...sc...Scared...'

'Oh Kili...'

'...Hurts... But see da... Again...' Tears poured down Kili's face. '... But not… Not Mother... Broke… Broke promise... Won't return… to her…'

Another sob ripped through Fili's body, more pain lashing out from the arrow wounds. How could his brother be so calm? He felt like he was being torn apart.

'Kili...' It was a crackly rasp. His body sagged and Fili landed hard on his side next to his little brother.

'Kili? KILI!' The crown prince felt himself reaching for his brother. Kili could not be dead. Not yet. Not when he had had so much life and energy only moments before.

The young dwarf's eyes fluttered.

'Brother... Fili...'

'Don't go...'

Kili shook his head weakly and Fili felt his sink to the ground, blood, sweat and mud plastering his hair to his face, arrows bristling from his back.

'Together?'

Fili nodded, took his brother's hand.

And the two brothers, too young to die, passed together into the halls of Mahal, the world slowly fading into darkness as the battle raged on around them.