"Do you have it?" Thorin asked eagerly
Bilbo nodded; "Yes" he said matching Thorin's eagerness, "Here it is. The Arkenstone."
Bilbo pulled the stone from his pocket and presented it to Thorin, who upon seeing it wept tears of joy. The others were amazed, for they did not think that it could be done, let alone by a hobbit.
"The courage of hobbits" Balin exclaimed, "Never ceases to amaze me. You Bilbo Baggins are the bravest hobbit that the world has ever known."
Thorin laughed hysterically, for the thing that he had longed for, the thing which would make him great was finally his. He could now rebuild what he had lost.
"What about the dragon?" Thorin asked curiously
Bilbo laughed nervously, "What dragon?"
Thorin looked at Bilbo as if he were insane, blind and stupid.
"What dragon!" Thorin screamed, "Smaug you idiot, the one who's been guarding the gold for centuries. The one who lay waste to Dale, who killed thousands of dwarves, who struck terror in the hearts of men- That dragon, what happened to it?"
"Him" Bilbo corrected, "What happened to him. Not it. Him-"
Thorin raised his eyebrows curiously at Bilbo, for his phrasing was off, as if he were stalling.
"You're up to something aren't you?" Thorin said suspiciously, "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing" Bilbo answered confidently, "Grammar is very important to hobbits. It's kind of a thing with me. Smaug the dragon is a male and thus should be spoken as He, Him, His, or by his name. Never It. It's easy once you-"
Thorin drew his sword and brought it at Bilbo's neck, Bilbo did not flinch, instead he slowly reached for Sting, his hand rested on the hilt of the blade.
"I will not be made a fool of!" Thorin screamed, "What do you know? Did you speak with it?"
Bilbo nodded, for he would not lie, at least not yet. Sting was already out of its sheathe by this point.
"Well?" Thorin pressed as he drew the blade closer, "Speak damn you! While I still have my patience!"
"Thorin" Balin started to say
Thorin turned sharply towards Balin, cutting Bilbo's neck in the process. It was not deep enough to kill him, but it was enough to cause Bilbo to fall to the ground, drop Sting and scream in pain.
Balin immediately rushed to Bilbo's side, at the same time a deep bellow could be heard from inside the mountain. Thorin looked towards the entrance to the hall and motioned the others to follow him, they did so. Balin looked after them and tended to Bilbo's wounds.
"Smaug" Bilbo said weakly, "He's not who we think he is Balin."
Balin raised his eyebrows curiously, "What do you mean? You spoke with it?"
Bilbo nodded, he wanted to correct Balin's grammar, but decided against it.
"Aye" Bilbo answered as Balin put some light pressure on Bilbo's neck, "I did...He's lonely Balin, he's not looking to destroy and if he is it's only because he's angry...he misses his people, who he claims are dead."
Balin shook his head, he didn't know what to think, he said nothing allowing for Bilbo to continue.
"But I don't think so, some of them are still alive, I know it. For why would the Valar want anyone to walk this world alone?"
Balin had no answer to this, at least not a direct one. Balin then healed Bilbo's injury to the best of his ability and helped him stand.
"Bilbo" a voice called from inside the Mountain, "Bilbo!"
It was Smaug. Bilbo, without so much as a second thought, ran through the entryway, Balin followed close behind, bringing Sting with him.
Balin caught up with Bilbo as soon as the hobbit entered the hall. Balin threw Bilbo his sword, which Bilbo caught and ran down to the hall floor. Balin stayed where he was, watching the events unfold and recording them as they happened.
Smaug was cornered around the King's Throne. Thorin and the others had their weapons drawn and their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Come on now" Smaug said trying to reason with them, "Is there a need for such violence? I already gave you want you wanted, now please leave me alone!"
Thorin shook his head, "No" he sneered, "You're a monster, you've killed thousands of my people, terrorized our lands for too long. You think I'm just going to let you fly out of here? No. It's either you or me Smaug, this ends today!"
Bilbo rushed ahead and stood in the middle of the circle
"Stop you fools!" Bilbo cried, his sword swinging wildly, not knowing what it is he should do, "Are you so blind in your hatred that you cannot see? Smaug is not who we thought!"
"He's gotten to you hasn't he?" Thorin replied, "He's used his twisted words and his sliver tongue against you. Made you believe that he was the victim? Well what about us, what about Dale?"
Bilbo huffed scolding Thorin in the process, "That was ages ago Thorin! Ages! He wasn't taking it out on you anyway; he was taking it out on your people. The Dwarves, the Men, the Elves, killed his kind. If anything you are the ones to blame. You think yourselves noble? No, you are blinded by greed and fear, afraid to know that the true monsters, the true defilers of the Lonely Mountain, are yourselves."
Smaug sighed, for he was not about to let Bilbo take the fall for him, Bilbo was too good for that. Smaug stepped in.
"Mithrandir" Smaug exclaimed, "Gandalf. I know him Thorin, as do you. Let him decide who is worthy to be King of this Mountain."
In that moment Gandalf appeared, he was standing on a pile of gold, his staff was longer than usual, his beard, which was mostly grey with some white mixed in, was also long, it almost reached the floor. Gandalf, as he walked, leaned heavily on his staff for balance, Smaug, as a sign of helpfulness and to gain some extra points with the dwarves, moved his tail around to the other side of the room and gently pushed Gandalf down the pile. Gandalf nodded towards Smaug, who smiled back.
"Smaug" Gandalf said in greeting," So good to see you again. Still brooding the dark catacombs of this forsaken place I see."
Smaug laughed, "I'm trying to change that Mithrandir" he answered, "But first might you help me with something?"
Gandalf looked around and immediately fell upon Thorin and the dwarves, Balin, at this point was also on the main floor, for he wanted to see this up close and personal.
"Ah" Gandalf said aloud, "So it has come to this."
Thorin turned towards Gandalf, his sword pointing at Gandalf's neck, Gandalf nonchalantly moved Thorin's blade aside with his staff.
"Mind explaining a few things?" Thorin began, "Like why you know this dragon for instance?"
"It is none of your concern" Gandalf answered, "All you need to know is that Smaug is not who you believe him to be. He is a lover, not a fighter."
Thorin laughed in disbelief, "It's a dragon. Incapable of feelings, emotions and sensitivities-"
"He's" Bilbo corrected, "He's a dragon"
Thorin ignored Bilbo, but Gandalf laughed in agreement, "He is right you know" the wizard replied, "Smaug is a He, not an It."
Thorin growled annoyingly, Gandalf continued laughing
"Shut up you old fool" Thorin barked, "It's not funny."
Gandalf slowly composed himself. Smaug, during this, stepped into the conversation.
"I assure you dwarf" Smaug began, "I have emotion. I feel just as much as any of you. Believe it or not I was once in love, but it was not with gold or jewels. Those things can't love you back. That is your flaw Thorin, the flaw of all dwarves. You fail to see the beauty of the world, the beauty that other people can add to it."
Kili and Fili laughed in response.
"So says the dragon that's been asleep under a pile of gold for ages!" Kili exclaimed, "How ironic can you get?"
"Ironic it may be" Smaug answered defensively, "But it does not change the fact that it is true. You can believe me or not, I don't care. But please, listen to me when I tell you, this gold will be your ruin. The greed...almost consumed me."
Smaug turned towards Bilbo
"You saved me Bilbo Baggins. And for that I owe you my life. But instead of servitude, I ask that you accompany me. I am going to find the others-"
"You will do no such thing!" Thorin screamed as he moved towards Smaug, Gandalf stepped between him and the dragon, his staff in front of him as if he were Moses about to part the Red Sea.
"Out of my way Gandalf!" Thorin continued, "Before I cut you down!"
At this Bilbo rushed up to Thorin, raised his sword, gave his best jump and slashed Thorin's face, on the way down Bilbo grabbed the Arkenstone from Thorin's pocket and landed on the other side of the room.
Kili and Fili rushed towards Bilbo to get him a helping hand, but before they could Thorin pulled his bow and struck them down, one after the other. Bilbo, Balin, Smaug, Gandalf and the others looked on in horror.
"You're mad!" Gandalf exclaimed
"Mad?" Thorin replied, "No. You are mad, mad for not letting me kill this dragon."
"Who's stopping you?" Smaug asked daringly, "If you want to kill me, go ahead- kill me. Let's see how far you get without any legs you son of a bitch!"
Thorin ran towards Smaug, before he could even make a move towards him Gandalf slammed his staff on the ground, creating a blast that pushed everyone in a thirty foot radius, including Smaug, back fifty feet. Thorin tried again, but this time he was stopped by Bilbo, who landed near him and was holding on to his legs for dear life.
"Thorin!" Bilbo screamed, "You're not well! Stop this madness right now!"
Thorin laughed, it was hard and disgusting, "Never!" the dwarf screamed, "I will not rest until that dragon is dead."
"Then prepare to become an insomniac Thorin" Bilbo declared, "Because Smaug is under my protection and I'll be damned if I'm going to let him die!"
Bilbo put on the Ring and disappeared.
Gandalf, who at this point was already on Smaug's back, saw Bilbo disappear and knew immediately what had caused it. Smaug, who at first didn't want to believe that it was possible, now had his suspicions confirmed as well. Both of them silently agreed to convince Bilbo to destroy it, even if they had to force him to give it up.
Bilbo appeared next to Smaug, who leaned his head down just enough to wear Bilbo could mount him. Once that was done Smaug headed for the nearest exit, Thorin rushed forward for a final time, but was blindsided by Smaug's tail on the way, landing the dwarf on the other side of the hall in a pile of gold unconscious. Balin and the others only looked on in confusion and disbelief, for now they questioned everything that this journey stood for. After a few moments they turned to bury Fili and Kili, the Arkenstone all but forgotten and now in Bilbo's possession once more.
