Fili and Kili, though in foreign bodies, remained much the same as they had always been. They were curious, humorous and filled with the buoyance and courage of youth. They had gone back to Merry and Pippin's Hobbit holes, eager to explore the environment that had been so foreign to them so long ago. They had only entered the Shire once, and had never returned, but it was just the same as they remembered it, though the inhabitants were less judgmental, considering they returned as Hobbits.
But the question begged on both of their minds: had Thorin reincarnated too? And what was he to be? Surely because Fili and Kili had managed to reincarnate together, Thorin would be close by too.
And so, they searched the house high and low, and unlocked memories in the minds of their hosts to find Thorin Oakenshield.
Fili stopped short. "Hey, Kili," he muttered slowly. His gaze was on the hearth, and Kili turned to follow it. The brothers spied a small thing perched on top of the hearth. It seemed to glare at them.
Kili approached it with uncertainty. It looked so familiar, yet so different. As he moved closer, he saw that it was a rock. It emanated an aura of majesty and darkness. Kili saw that their hosts had drawn on it eyes and a mouth, its expression dark and stern. It had a long beard of black horsehair with thin braids trailing down from its moustache. A tiny metal crown sat atop what Kili assumed was the rock's head.
"Fili," he murmured softly, picking up the rock gently and bringing it up in his palm to level his face. It seemed to glare stubbornly at him. Fili came beside his brother and his mouth dropped as he spied the rock. "I think this is him…"
"Uncle," Fili ventured. Thorin could see that it was his nephews, not Hobbits, who addressed him. "Is that you?"
Thorin remained silent, but he did not relax his fierce glare. Being a rock, he was condemned to silence and stillness for as long as he lived, and it was terrible. When the Hobbit brothers had found him, they had dressed him up and given him his appearance as it was now, with an uncanny likeness to his old self. But they had played with him, called him 'Thorin Oakenrock, rightful king of all rocks!" It had been a name they had gathered from Bilbo's old stories of him. He had watched Bilbo grow old as a rock, his affection for the man never wavering. He remembered the courage and bravery he had shown on their mission, and had never forgotten it. But now, as he saw his nephews peering at him, he only wished he was not a rock.
"He's not answering," said Kili. Fili slapped him hard across the head. Sometimes they could be so very stupid, Thorin thought.
"He's a rock! Of course he can't reply. But it is he, I am sure. Can't you feel it?"
Thorin strengthened his glare, but was silent. Perhaps if he flung himself at Fili, that would be proof enough. And so, with all his might, he launched himself from Kili's grasp and hit Fili straight in the forehead. Fili reeled back in surprise, yelping as he let Thorin fall to the floor with a heavy thunk. But it did not go as Thorin had expected.
Fili turned to Kili – Merry to Pippin – and launched himself on him. He pinned Kili to the ground and growled at him.
"You did that on purpose!"
Thorin sighed, though it did not show. His expression was stone cold. Thorin Oakenrock, king of all rocks, cursed his bad luck.
Second Chapter~ I hope you like it :)