(A/N) Well, now it seems I have your attention. I hope you're all primed for...

Ere the Sun Rises

Part Four

It was nearly two months before Bilbo would allow his youngest son to set out on his dangerous quest…and as fate would have it, the day he was to set out was the day Thorin came out of his coma. By the time Bilbo, Kili, and the children were brought to him, he was already sitting up in bed. Bilbo went to him immediately, pressing a tender kiss to his lips.

"How are you feeling, my love?"

"Still a little fuzzy…but mostly in one piece. I do remember what happened, though," the king said, looking to Kili, "And Dwalin has told me what's happened since."

Kili looked away from his father's probing gaze, not really certain how to deal with the emotion he saw behind it.

"I'm sorry…for attacking Fili that night…but you didn't see what he'd done to you."

Kili shook his head. "No…it's all right," he said, even though they all knew it wasn't. "I just…I need to get him back."

"I know. I only wanted to give you my blessing before you set out…and assure you your children will be safe here. If Fili remembers…the things I said…he should know that his home is still with us."

"Of course."

"Papa?" Duri suddenly broke into the awkward conversation, tugging on Kili's hand. "I know you said we can't…go with you, but could we give you some stuff that might help?"

"Of course, my treasure," Kili said with a smile, kneeling down so he was at his son's height. "What have you got?"

The first thing Duri held up was a pair of wooden toy knives. He smiled proudly as he handed them to his papa.

"These are mine. Grandpa said if I practiced with them, I'd be a great warrior like my father…but I think you need them more."

"I accept them gladly," Kili said as he tucked the two toys into his belt. "I'll be sure to bring them back to you."

Duri hid a giggle as he pulled out the next gift: a stuffed white bear toy.

"This is Shiri's very favorite toy. He keeps her company when she can't be with Nuri. She says if you get lonely, you can share meals with him."

Kili smiled at his baby daughter, giggling quietly in Bilbo's arms along with her brother.

"Thank you for sharing, my little gem," he said, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

"And this," Duri said with a flourish as he pulled out a baby blanket, "this is Nuri's very first blanket. It kept him safe and he thinks it will keep you safe, too."

Kili also kissed his younger son's forehead. Then he tickled them both under the chin, eliciting even more giggling from the twin babies.

"Thank you both for thinking of your papa. I will most certainly keep your treasures safe and bring them back to you in one piece," he said before turning back to his firstborn and accepting the two gifts from him, tucking them into his pack. Then he knelt before Duri again, pulling him into a last hug.

"You're coming back soon, right?" Duri asked, weeping softly into his shoulder. Kili hugged him a little tighter.

"Just as soon as I can…and I'll bring Father home to us," he reassured him, leaving unsaid that he would either rescue Fili…or he would die trying. At least he knew his children would be well cared for if the worst should happen. "I love you," he whispered to Duri, pressing a last kiss to his cheek before standing to face his own parents.

"You should remember, Kili, that these gifts are tools, not toys. Their use will become more plain to you when the time is right. Gandalf told us before that we'd never be able to breach Thrain's fortress. I'm beginning to think this is why," Bilbo told him.

""Come home alive, my son, and bring your brother with you," said Thorin.

"I will," Kili said firmly, looking around at his family one last time…at his brave, long-suffering parents…at little Duri, bright and shining with the fire of youth…and the twins, his Nuri and Shiri, still so tiny and helpless. It pained him to know that, as with their brother, he would miss their first words and their first steps…but this was the only way to make their family whole again. At least, for now, he knew they were safe and loved. That would have to be enough. Finally, the young prince embraced his parents and departed their chamber, heading toward whatever his fate might be.

XxX

The journey through the northern wilderness was much harsher and longer on foot than it had been four years before astride the back of a white bear. The young prince also couldn't just subsist as he had before. With child as he was, he had to be certain he remained well fed and stayed warm, which made the going that much slower. It was another two months before he reached the ice fields of the far North, where nothing living could thrive. He carried as much food with him as he possibly could, but a time came when he began to run out.

XxX

Kili's food stores had lasted him two weeks and he was down to the last of them. It wasn't so much hunger that was getting to him as the thought of the child he carried. His son would perish long before he did; then he would starve slowly, dying with the knowledge that he'd failed in his task. So, at the close of another long day of hard travel, feeling desperate and despairing, he did the only thing he really could do: took out the last of his food and Shiri's stuffed bear and sat down to a last meal with it.

"Can you tell her I'm sorry?" he asked the bear as he munched on a strip of rabbit jerky, feeling ready to burst into tears, even though he knew that would only make things worse, as they would just freeze to his face. "Sorry I couldn't bring you back to her."

For several minutes, the floppy bear just smiled at him with its mouth of black yarn. Then it felt as if a gust of warm air swept through the tiny camp and a small feast suddenly appeared before him: a crock of hot seal stew, a warm loaf of bread, and a flask of some hot, spiced drink. For a moment, Kili just stared in awe, but it finally entered his head to snap up the offering before it froze over. He ate his fill of the good, hot food and then some, polishing off everything, knowing the baby needed every morsel.

Once he'd eaten, he picked up the stuffed bear and hugged it tight. He didn't know what sort of magic this was, but even across the vast distance, he could still somehow feel his daughter's love.

"Thank you," he whispered before tucking the stuffed toy snugly back into his pack.

XxX

It was only a few days after his near brush with disaster that Kili came up against the ice wall. It extended in all directions as far as the eye could see, to the sides and straight up, seemingly unendingly into the clouds. How in the world was he supposed to get through this?

Well…it seemed the only way forward was up. After all, who could say how far this sheer cliff extended on either side? At least going up, there was only one direction. Only…how to do it? This obstacle was not going to yield the way so easily.

Briefly, Kili thought of his three treasures. Though the bear's magic clearly wasn't going to be of any help here, the treasure had already granted him a miracle and seen him through an otherwise hopeless situation. Perhaps one of the others could help? The toy knives?

Absurd, he thought as he pulled the two toys from his belt. Whoever heard of a pair of flimsy wooden toys being used to scale an ice face? But then, who'd ever heard of a toy providing feasts from thin air? Shrugging, he drove the first toy blade into the ice.

Miraculously, the dagger held out against the ice, instead of snapping as it should have. It bit deep into the ice, just like an iron hook. Not stopping to question his good fortune, he quickly dug the other dagger in and began to scale the ice cliff.

"Duri, you're my savior," he murmured against the ice face; the rest of his breath was saved for the climb.

It was a horribly dangerous climb, especially without any kind of rope. No human could have managed it…but Kili was no human. He was a dwarf, and he had strength in his body a human man could only dream of, strength born of desperation and love. He forced himself to keep climbing long after even his own strength should have given out. An inch at a time, up the cliff, digging himself little hand and footholds from the sheer ice. He climbed higher and higher, up into the clouds, with no end in sight…kept going even after he had ceased to feel the pain and exhaustion that consumed his body.

He had no idea how long he'd been doing it when he found himself kneeling on mostly flat ice, digging another hold. He'd practically dug himself a little hollow out of the ice. Looking up, he vaguely noted some sort of structure in the distance. Only then did his body seem to realize it should be dead from exhaustion. He unloaded his pack from his back and collapsed beside it, digging feverishly within. Instead of the fur blanket he sought, though, he came up with Nuri's baby blanket, draping it unthinkingly over his shoulders before passing out cold.

XxX

Kili had no way of knowing how long he'd been unconscious when he finally came to, but it felt to him as if he'd slept for days. He felt amazingly well rested and only a little hungry. As he was pulling out the stuffed bear, though, yet another problem arose.

Sounds carried over from the fortress he'd noticed earlier and when he looked up, he could see a group of what looked to be goblins cresting the nearest rise, a group of five. There was nowhere to hide. Surely they could see him…

…and yet the sentry moved no faster in his direction. They just ambled along at a regular pace, seemingly out on patrol. In fact, they didn't notice anything until they came upon the hollow.

"Where did this come from?" one of the ugly creatures wondered, reaching down into the hollow to grab his pack. Kili remained absolutely still, not daring to even breathe. Still the goblins didn't seem to notice him.

"Looks like some blighter's been diggin' his way up," one observed, following the trail of handholds back over the edge.

"But where is he now?"

"Must've fallen back off again. Only an idiot would go stompin' around up here without his supplies."

"Maybe he's gone off somewhere. Maybe he'll be back."

"Gone off where? There's no place to hide. If he isn't dead, he's back at the castle, and there's no way he could've got in without us seein'."

"Maybe we should tell the master…bring the pack back to him…"

"Nothin' to eat in there, is there?" the goblin who seemed to be in charge asked the one who held the pack as he sniffed it.

"No, nothin'."

"We'll take it back to the master, then," the leader decided, rounding the goblins up and heading the way back to the fortress. Amazed that they hadn't seen him, Kili decided to press his luck and follow them.

Keeping close, but not too close, the young prince followed behind. If his luck held out, he might just be able to enter the fortress. How was it they couldn't see him?

When the goblins approached the fortress a drawbridge lowered to let them in and Kili followed, glancing down to see that the bridge spanned a chasm that fell down and away into empty air. It seemed that the fortress was floating on its own little island of ice, separate from the surrounding landscape. As if the environment wasn't already inhospitable enough…

No one saw Kili as he crept inside…and when he passed a large mirror in the main entry, he realized why. He had no reflection. Somehow…he was well and truly invisible. But…how? The last treasure? The blanket? Protection. It must be so. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kili drew the fabric up to his nose, breathing in the scent of his baby son.

"Thank you, my darlings. You have helped. You've given me exactly what I needed," he whispered in thanks. The rest, it seemed, was up to him.

XxX

Thrain was just nearing the end of things with Fili when the goblins interrupted them. The blond dwarf was rocking wildly atop his hips, coming with a loud snarl as the goblins clambered into their chamber.

"I believe…we've been through this," he said, not looking at his lackeys as he forced the blond dwarf to continue riding him, though he was badly over-stimulated. "You do not disturb me when I'm with my grandson."

"But Master…we thought you might like to know…there could be an intruder."

The unexpectedness of the statement caused the former king to let go his release with a grunt. Fili collapsed against him with a high whine, trembling as his body was filled. As he held Fili cradled against him, like a pet on his lap, he tangled his fingers in his golden hair, stroking him. Fili's gaze had long since gone completely black.

As Thrain cuddled his prize in possessive arms, he looked expectantly at the goblins.

"Well?"

Finally one of them came forward, laying a traveler's pack beside them on the bed.

"We found that this mornin', near the edge…only no sign of any owner. We thought maybe he'd fell off…or that…maybe…he'd gotten in somehow," the leader said nervously.

"But how could he…without being seen?" Thrain wondered aloud as he examined the pack.

"Just what we was thinkin' milord. Impossible, ain't it?"

"Even so…keep your eyes open," Thrain said, continuing to stroke his pet. "Now get out. We haven't quite finished yet."

Immediately, the gaggle of goblins scurried form the chamber, leaving their master and his doll alone. Thrain didn't really move to continue playing, though. He just went on staring at the pack, his suspicion hardening into certainty as he took in the details. After all, there was only one in all the world who had both the nerve and the determination to climb all the way up here.

"Kili," he said quietly….and when the two simple syllables pierced Fili's ears, briefly, his eyes flickered blue.

"Ki…li…" he repeated, and rage immediately flared up in Thrain's eyes. With a shout of anger, he struck Fili hard across the face, sending him sprawling across the bed.

Fili lay there for several moments, whimpering in pain, before picking himself back up and crawling back to Thrain's side, nuzzling his head against his shoulder and whining plaintively. Already his gaze had sunk back into the animal blackness. It was…troublesome…that mere mention of the name could so easily break his power over Fili. What might happen if he actually laid eyes on his former lover?

"I think, perhaps, you need some more potion, my little one…something stronger."

XxX

Once Kili had gotten himself fed, he took great care in exploring as much of the fortress as possible, wanting to know as much as he possibly could before confronting Thrain…before trying to find Fili. When he felt fairly certain of his feet, though, he came upon a stairway he hadn't noticed before. Hearing voices from above, Kili followed them. Maybe…this was where Thrain was keeping Fili?

The room he wound up in was nothing like a cell or a bedchamber or anywhere else one might keep a prisoner, though. It was more…like a kitchen. There were tables lined with boiling concoctions…with bottles and packets, oils and powders, all manner of ingredients…and in the middle of it all was Thrain, hard at work over a larger cauldron.

"You mustn't give it to him all at once," a voice that was not Thrain's sounded from somewhere in the room. "A brew that powerful would surely kill the poor boy. Three doses at the very most."

"I'm aware. It isn't my intent to kill him. Only to erase what he once was. He was awakened today…by his brother's name."

Kili felt his heart flutter as he listened. Fili still remembered him? Then there really was hope. He hadn't come all this way for nothing.

"Not a good sign. It would take a potion as potent as that to wipe out such a strong memory."

"I know. This will do its work well…and I'll no longer have to deal with that foolish dwarfling. I will make it so that Fili wouldn't know him even if he walked in here now and kissed him on the lips. Fili will be mine," he snarled, dipping a ladle into his cauldron and beginning to fill a bottle with the ominous-looking liquid. He filled three bottles in this way, setting them all on one of his workbenches.

"And what do you mean to do about the little one?"

"He's here somewhere. I know it. Kili will suffer a fate much worse than death for daring to defy me. He should have just left his brother to me."

Kili felt anger churning in his gut as he listened to Thrain talk…as if Fili were a piece of property…something he owned…the thought made him sick. He almost didn't hear the last of the conversation.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Master, there are several preparations to be made for the feast," the former king said, taking the first bottle from the workbench and tucking it into his cloak. Kili waited until he could no longer hear his grandfather's footsteps before moving himself into action.

If the potion was meant to erase Fili's memory for good, then the first thing to do was to get rid of it. So he carried the two bottles to the nearest window, uncorked them, and upended them, scattering the contents into the abyss far below. Then he took out the stuffed bear from where it was tucked in his cloak. As he set up, he prayed fervently for what he needed…something pure and clean…something that would help Fili fight the effects of the potion. When a large crystal goblet appeared between him and the bear, he was relieved to see that his faith was rewarded with spring water: cold, clear spring water. Smiling, the prince quickly poured the contents of the goblet into the two potion bottles. That taken care of, the next order of business…was Thrain.

Kili was nowhere near the master herb lore-ist Oin was, but he had learned enough to know how to spot danger among all the disparate ingredients. He knew how to make poison. So that was what he began to gather in the still smoking cauldron.

When Kili had enough of the vile brew, he gathered a bottle of it, also taking the time to paint one of his daggers with the deadly stuff. He used everything, making certain not to leave any evidence behind. Just as he was readying to leave, though, that same voice suddenly came to him.

"Just because I can't see you doesn't mean I don't know you're there."

Freezing in fear, Kili slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice…and found it to be coming from a mirror set up near the main work cauldron.

"A very powerful magic you've got there, little one…the baby dwarf, I'd wager. Don't think anything you can do here will be enough to change your brother's fate. No mere child is going to defeat my successor."

Saruman, Kili finally realized. A wizard long dead, consciousness reflected in an enchanted mirror…but he couldn't let himself listen to the old one. He couldn't just give up!

"You are nothing, dwarfling. He will crush you!" the voice from the mirror snarled. When Kili actually looked to the glass surface, he could almost swear he saw something swirling in its depths.

Shaking all over, Kili finally pulled himself away. He couldn't remain here any longer. He had to find Fili.

XxX

After his hours spent mapping out the fortress, it didn't even take Kili an hour to find the room where Fili was being kept.

When he entered, he found his brother sleeping alone in a very large bed. Sleeping like this, Fili actually looked…peaceful. Had…had Thrain somehow managed to take his pain from him? What if…Fili really was better off here…not having to remember what he'd been forced to do?

"I love you," Kili said softly as he stood beside the bed, watching his brother sleep. "I love you so much. I only…want what's best for you."

Quite suddenly, Kili felt the baby inside of him kick and he truly remembered where they were: in a cage…under a spell. There was nothing better about this.

Fili belongs with me…with me and the children, he reminded himself. Smiling weakly, he moved a little closer, reaching out to stroke Fili's hair. Fili moved a little closer in his sleep. Kneeling, he came even nearer, inhaling the familiar scent of his lover…still there, despite the rank scents of Thrain and his goblins.

"I will save you," he vowed, brushing his lips over Fili's cheek. "No matter what."

All of a sudden, Fili woke up. Kili tumbled back in shock, struck by the sight of his black gaze.

For a moment, he thought Fili could actually see him, but then that intense gaze began to wander as the blond dwarf gave several low, animalistic whines.

What's he done to you?

Kili tried desperately to find some trace of the dwarf he loved in those black eyes, but no matter how he tried, he could find nothing. What if he was too late? What if he had already lost Fili forever?

Except…Thrain had said he'd been brought back briefly by the sound of his name. What might happen if he actually saw him? The moment Kili was thinking of removing the blanket, though, was the moment the door to the chamber was thrown open.

"Ah, you're awake, my pretty one," Thrain said, smiling eagerly as he came to his pet. Kili quickly backed away, pressing himself up against the wall. He couldn't get out.

Fili got to his knees as Thrain approached the bed, revealing he'd been naked beneath the blankets he'd slept under. Thrain reached out to stroke his hair…just as Kili had done…and Kili was slightly horrified to see him lean into the touch, lowing contentedly.

"Mm, that's right. You know who you belong to, don't you. I've got something for you," he said, withdrawing the bottle of potion from his cloak. He held Fili's head back, fist clenched tightly in his gold tresses, and Fili automatically opened his mouth, allowing Thrain to pour the potion down his throat.

"Yes, that's it…drink up. Just a few more nights and you will lose your pain forever."

Kili couldn't stop himself from flinching at these words…this reminder that he had hurt Fili just as badly as Fili had hurt him. Either fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how one looked at the situation, he was soon drawn from these thoughts by the sight of what was happening on the bed.

Thrain had exposed himself…and drawn Fili's head down to his sex, which the younger dwarf was now working intently with his mouth. Fingers knotted in the luscious golden hair, Thrain's head was thrown back, jaw slack as he groaned in pleasure.

"Ooh, yes…just like that, little one," he urged, shuddering in delight as he held Fili against him. The sounds that came from his mouth were almost obscene and Kili felt anger boiling hot in his belly.

Just as it seemed that Thrain was about to spend himself, though, he harshly shoved Fili away from him, sending him sprawling across the blankets. Then Thrain pounced, straddling Fili, even though he was still fully clothed. It wasn't long before the old dwarf was pounding his grandson into the mattress, drawing loud, harsh animal noises from the young, willing body beneath him.

Kili looked away, fearing he would be sick if he watched anymore. He couldn't block out the sounds, though…Thrain's groans and growls of possession, Fili's whimpered and whined sounds of pleasure…the sound of their bodies moving together…of Thrain calling his brother his little whore…

Kili wanted so badly to do something, to step in and put a stop to this terrible perversion…to stop his brother being violated like this…but he also knew that if he made a move now and he wasn't fast enough, all would be lost. He would have to bear this…until the time was right.

So the prince crouched against the wall, huddled in on himself in misery, silent witness to the heinous act of depravity.

Fili…I'm so sorry…sorry I couldn't protect you from this…but I will put a stop to it. I swear. I swear on our babies' lives I will get you out of here.

XxX

The killing blow was struck only two nights later, before the fortress' entire complement of inhabitants.

The former king of the dwarves very much enjoyed holding feasts for the inhabitants of the stronghold, both to ensure continued loyalty and to remind them all who was in control. More recently, he had been using the opportunity to show off his prize. He would show them all how obedient and doting his little pet was and, if he was feeling particularly generous, he might even let the goblins have a little fun of their own with him. It would be the perfect opportunity to draw the young prince out into the open.

The young prince, of course, didn't understand the significance of the feasting, but certainly made use of the first opportunity he had to poison his grandfather's drink.

Of course, the former king had not come to take over from his old mentor by being easily deceived.

XxX

Kili had mostly been able to ignore the scent of the goblins over the last few days, but it was much harder with so many of them in close quarters like this, all drinking and feasting and engaged in a general sense of debauchery. It was a sight he wished he could forget, but didn't think he would ever be able to. He wasn't sure he'd be able to forget anything about this dreadful place after the things he'd seen his few days within its walls. Today might be the end of it…if only Thrain would take even just a tiny sip from his poisoned goblet. But the former king just didn't seem interested in the goblet of wine. He was more interested in showing Fili off to the denizens of his fortress…more interested in making Fili eat off his plate and petting him in places that made Kili want to castrate him. Sometimes he wasn't certain what was keeping him from tearing Thrain apart.

Kili somehow managed to wait at the perimeter of the great hall, watching intently and avoiding running into anyone, thinking that the moment would come soon…expecting the goblet to be raised at any moment. What he did not expect, though, was for Thrain to suddenly make an announcement to the hall at large.

"I know you're here, Kili," he said, his voice booming like thunder. "You may as well come out."

For a moment, Kili was too stunned to react, but then managed to steel himself. Thrain couldn't really know that for sure, after all. Perhaps he was only guessing. Well, the young prince had no intention of confirming it for him. At least, that was the original plan.

"No?" Thrain pressed, sounding disappointed. Then he shrugged and picked up his goblet. "Perhaps this might persuade you, then."

So saying, Thrain raised the goblet to Fili's lips, readying to tip some of the poisoned drink down his throat.

"No! STOP!" Kili screamed, finally throwing off the blanket and sprinting forward. Thrain sneered at him as he approached, then laughed as he tossed the goblet away, spilling the poisoned wine along the stone floor.

"Did you truly take me for that much of a fool? Did you really think I wouldn't find out you'd been messing around in my potions stores? Well, you'll pay for your foolishness, little boy…pay with your life."

"Wait!" Kili pleaded, dropping to his knees before Thrain's makeshift throne. "Please…Your Highness…let me speak to my brother…one last time."

Thrain's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why?"

"Please," he begged, eyes cast down. "If I am to die…just one last time…one last time…"

Thrain thought for several moments before nodding slowly. After all, he didn't trust the boy, but where was the harm in it? He had already given Fili the last two doses of potion. Fili belonged to him…forever…and nothing Kili did could ever call him back.

"You may have your last words…but when he fails to respond to you, I will let the goblins have you…you and his child. Are we understood?"

"Of course."

"Then approach."

Kili climbed slowly to his feet, unsteady for a moment. As he walked toward Thrain and Fili, he truly began to feel the weight of the little one he carried. Prior to this moment, he'd experienced fairly typical aspects of pregnancy, but he hadn't really felt his child…not as he had with the first three. It was almost like they were frozen in time, waiting for some undetermined moment when they would truly be parent and child. Only now…now that he walked toward what may well be his end…did he truly feel the heaviness in his body. If this last resort failed, they would both be lost and Fili would remain a prisoner forever.

I'm sorry, my little one…sorry to bring you into such danger…but I must save your father. If you knew him, you would understand.

Fili sat crouched at the foot of the throne, head leaning against Thrain's thigh, staring at nothing in particular. Coming straight to him, Kili knelt in front of him, placing a hand on the floor between them.

"Fili? It's me. It's your brother."

Fili just stared right through him, his gaze as black as ever.

"Fili…I've come to save you. Don't you recognize me?"

Still no reaction.

Kili felt his throat tightening and tears gathering in his eyes as he reached his hand toward Fili, laying it gently on his knee. He shuddered when Fili flinched at the touch.

"If you can hear me, Fili…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I brought you to this. I know I did. I turned from you when you needed me most. Maybe I should have fought…that night…but I didn't know what else to do. I was just…so tired of everything…but that's no excuse, is it," he said softly, reaching the hand up to Fili cheek. "Not for leaving you to suffer like this. I deserve this…I know…for letting you face what happened alone. I believe…you were hurt the worse that night…and for letting it happen, I don't deserve you. You deserve to be at peace…after everything you've been through…and if this is the way you can have it, then I'll let you go. I think I'm the one who needs forgiveness for that night. You were the one who really had no choice…but because I know you…and I know how you felt…I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you. I never blamed you. I love you, my Fili. I will always love you," he said, tears spilling down his cheeks as he leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss to his brother's lips. Then, not daring to look, he began to pull away, but that was when he felt a hand grip his.

Fili's eyes hadn't changed at all while he'd been talking and they hadn't now. Fili wasn't even looking at him…but he was gripping his hand like a lifeline, his body trembling.

"Ki…li…"

At first, Kili was too overcome to even react. He continued to weep as he gripped his brother's hand in return.

"Fili…you do remember me," he cried softly.

"No!" Thrain shouted, leaping to his feet. "It's impossible! It's nothing but a trick!" he raged, shoving Kili away from Fili. "Feast, my goblins, upon this deceiver, this son of deceivers. Let him know what it means to defy me!"

"Fili!" Kili cried out in horror as the wave of goblins descended on him, tearing at him. It wouldn't take them long to tear him to pieces.

Fili stared, eyes still black, before screaming, "KILI!" and throwing himself at the writhing mass.

As much as he hated them, Kili hadn't thought he would ever be relieved to see Fili's black eyes, but when he heard his brother call his name before leaping after him and saw those black eyes above him, he couldn't help but smile. Reaching for his belt, he drew out the poisoned blade, holding it up through the throng of grasping, tearing hands.

"Take it. Kill him. Finish it," he urged.

"But…what about you? Have to…get you out first," he insisted, grasping Kili wrist.

"No. You have to do it. Kill him now. Just end it. It's the only way."

Swallowing hard, Fili acknowledged that Kili was right, taking the dagger from him and slipping free of the mass.

"Fili, come away!" Thrain ordered harshly. As far as he could tell, Fili's eyes were still black. He was still his.

For a moment, Fili stood facing half away from Thrain, the blade concealed. Then, in a flash of movement, he was leaping at Thrain, burying the dagger in his heart.

"You won't…use me for this," he hissed, gaze as black as ever. "You won't use me…to hurt Kili…anymore."

Delivered directly into his blood by the dagger, the deadly poison did its work quickly. Thrain smiled eerily at Fili, reaching up to grasp his wrists as his blood painted the younger dwarf's front, hot and black.

"You are…no better," he whispered to him. "Your gaze…is as black…as your soul."

With that, the old dwarf slumped against his grandson and died. Fili slunk back, disgusted and horrified.

When the mass of dark creatures realized what had happened they fell still, then pulled back from Kili.

"The master is dead. The master is dead!" The cry arose throughout the hall. At last, the goblins began to run wild, completely ignoring the two brothers. Turning away from the sight of Thrain, Fili rushed directly to Kili.

"We've got to get out of here," he said as he helped his little brother to his feet. There were cuts and bruises, but Kili was blessedly in one piece.

"Proper…warm clothes for you first," Kili mumbled dazedly. He really didn't care for the black get up Thrain had him dressed in.

Picking their way back through the amok goblins to Thrain's quarters, they managed to locate some proper clothing for the freezing temperatures. Kili didn't know what had become of his gear, but he had Fili back and he had his three treasures. Nothing more was needed. As quickly as they could, the pair fled the fortress. Kili's trail up through the ice was still intact and they used it to return to the earth, the climb somehow seeming much shorter to Kili on the way down than it had on the way up.

Throughout all of this, Fili's eyes remained black.

XxX

Over the next several weeks, as the princes traveled south, the elder's eyes did not change, and he feared this. The younger prince constantly attempted to reassure him, but he was terrified that he would somehow be led to harm his brother again, so he kept his distance. When they were among other dwarves, he wore a blindfold, just as his brother had those seven long years…to keep people from seeing the truth of what he was.

As the young prince's pregnancy entered its final and most difficult months, their progress was slowed even further. They would have to stop for several days at a time to allow him to rest. Near the end, each village they stopped in urged them to remain until the birth, but they always refused. They wanted to reach home…even though they were growing less and less certain they would as the days flew by.

XxX

The two brothers were in the middle of a forest when Kili stopped Fili. The younger brother was riding a pony the last village had given to them while Fili walked in front.

"Fili…we…we need to stop."

"Are you well?" Fili asked, turning to look up at him.

"No, I…the baby's coming now."

"Now?" he repeated, black eyes going wide in mild horror. "But…but it's too soon. It's much too soon." Nearly a month too soon if he was keeping count correctly. A midwife in one of the previous villages had informed them the baby would arrive early in the summer and it was hardly the middle of spring yet.

"Doesn't – matter," Kili groaned, leaning forward in the saddle. "Babies will come when they want…not – hngh – when it's convenient."

"How long have you been laboring?"

"About three hours now would be my guess. I was hoping we might make the next town and I didn't want you to worry. But we aren't going to make it. There isn't enough time," he said, groaning even louder as another pain gripped his body.

"We've got to do this alone?" Fili asked as he helped Kili down from the pony.

"We're not alone," Kili reassured him as he carried him to a clearing away from the path. "We've got each other."

Fili said nothing to this. Instead, he nervously went about preparing for the delivery, making Kili comfortable and boiling water and other such things. He was on the verge of panic but Kili remained calm throughout. External circumstances not withstanding, this pregnancy had not been particularly difficult, especially considering the fact that he'd gotten pregnant again only five months after giving birth. Besides, he didn't imagine anything could be worse than giving birth to the twins. His body knew what to do

No one had ever made a proper medical study of the king consorts. All they knew was that the body somehow shifted to deliver naturally, as opposed to resorting to cutting into the womb, as was sometimes necessary when a birth was going badly. Kili didn't feel there would be a need for anything so drastic, though. It was all going well…save for the fact that the father was just about panicking.

As Kili lay against a tree, bearing down on his brother's hand while he pushed, his thoughts could really only go in one direction in order to distract himself from the pain.

"What are you afraid of?" Kili demanded, trying not to shout.

"What do you mean?"

"You hardly look at me. This is the first time you've touched me for any length of time."

"Now?" Fili hissed as Kili's grip tightened. "You want to talk about this now?"

"Thrain's gone. He can't hurt us anymore. What are you afraid of?!" he repeated, just on the verge of shouting.

"I'm afraid of myself!" the elder finally shouted, pounding a fist against the ground, echoing the words he'd spoken more than seven years ago…before this had all begun.

Silence reigned for several moments before a whispered "Why?" escaped Kili's lips.

"My eyes are still black. What does that mean? Thrain said…that I'm not any different from him. What if I go off crazy like he did? What if the eyes are just the beginning? What if…next time…I'm not forced to hurt you?"

"There won't be a next time," Kili insisted. "You are nothing like Thrain. Nothing. He just couldn't stand to see you go free, so he had to try to blacken our love. You can't let him drag you down like this. You can't let him win!"

"But what do I do?!"

"Fili…" Kili started, giving up on the argument and releasing Fili's hand. "Fili, this is it."

Also forgetting the shouting that had been happening only moments before, Fili moved down his brother's body. Whatever else was going on between them, in a true moment of crisis, they were of one mind. The baby had crowned already and unless Fili was much deceived, he thought he was seeing white hair.

Fili waited patiently while Kili pushed, arms outstretched. When the baby had come far enough, he gently took its head in his hands, guiding it the rest of the way out.

Fili took several moments to look over the little boy, for indeed, he was a boy and he did have an already thick mop of white hair atop his head. Unlike most babies, he wasn't crying, just gurgling softly, making the occasional face like he meant to cry, but then thought better of it. He was small, even smaller than Nuri had been, but he seemed healthy enough. Also, where most newborns had blue eyes, this child's eyes could only be described as silver. Fili couldn't quite stop staring as he took the baby to be washed. That taken care of, he wrapped the boy in Nuri's blanket and carried him to Kili, who smiled as he took their son in his arms.

"He's a little odd…that child," Fili said softly.

Kili nodded. "And so beautiful. He was conceived in sadness, but he will be loved…just as much as his brothers and sister."

"Had you…thought of any names?"

"I was thinking about…Kaz. Do you like it?"

"Kaz," Fili said aloud, trying it out, and finally nodding. "Yes. It's a strong name. Our Kaz will be strong…just like a white bear."

Kili looked up at his brother when he said these words, sensing the hesitancy in them. Shifting Kaz so that he held him in one arm, he reached a hand up to lay it on Fili's face, stroking his thumb gently across his cheek.

"I know they disturb you…the similarities…the white hair…the eyes…but they're nothing to be ashamed of. Kaz is beautiful. He is innocent and he is good…and he came from you. So there must be something good in you, too. There's something good in both of us…that we could create this precious child…despite the darkness…despite the hurt we have caused each other. I think…because the hurt is so great…Kaz is that much more beautiful…and I will praise Mahal everyday that he is mine…mine and yours."

As the words tumbled from Kili's mouth, Fili found that he couldn't help but smile. Leaning into his brother's touch, he closed his eyes, savoring the press of his skin. As tears of both joy and sorrow trickled down his cheeks, he turned his head slightly to kiss the palm of Kili's hand.

"I'm sorry," he finally allowed himself to say. "I'm sorry I left you…sorry I never talked to you. I was just…I hated myself so much…that I didn't want to see how much you still loved me. I don't…want Thrain to take our love away from us."

"He never will…because I will never stop loving you."

"Can you forgive me?" Fili asked, hands falling into Kili's lap like a suppliant. "Forgive me what I did to you that night…and for giving up…for leaving you?"

Kili smiled, tears shining in his own eyes as he nodded. "I told you I never blamed you, but if you ask it of me…then I forgive you."

"Thank you," Fili whispered, looking as if the light of heaven had shone down upon his face.

"Can you forgive me?" Kili asked. "For leaving you alone in your hour of need…for not fighting harder to stop what happened?"

"As you said…I didn't blame you for that, but I forgive you…and I love you all the better. You never gave up hope…even when the night was darkest. You came for me. You fought the shadows and you came for me."

"How could I do anything else? I love you."

"And I love you," Fili said softly, leaning in to tenderly kiss his brother's lips…and when they parted, a joyful smile lit Kili's face.

"What is it? What are you looking at?" Fili asked him.

"Your eyes. They…they aren't black anymore."

Briefly, the blond dwarf reached a hand to his face, wishing he could see. He felt relief spread through him like a healing balm.

"You can't imagine…how much I've missed seeing those eyes. When I was at my lowest…all I could think about was seeing your eyes again…and that thought kept me going…somehow."

"Well…you'll never have to do without them again. We'll never be apart…and soon the whole family will be together again," he said, leaning down to drop a kiss on Kaz's tiny head. The baby kicked out one little foot, burbling sweetly.

"Fili…let's go home."

XxX

It was a sunny day late in May when Thorin and Bilbo decided to take the children out for a picnic…to let them get away from the city and see where their parents' favorite picnic spot was. The two rulers were sitting on a blanket with their heads leaning together, watching Duri and the twins play tag when the two figures emerged from the forest. Thorin was about to call out a warning to the little ones, but Duri realized the truth before he did.

"Papa!" Duri shouted in delight, immediately forgetting the game and racing toward the two new figures. Nuri and Shiri were a little more hesitant, but they trusted their brother, so they followed after him.

The moment Duri reached them, Kili swept him up in his arms, spinning him around, though he was also careful of the baby strapped to his back.

"Oh, my little treasure, I've missed you so," Kili said quietly into his firstborn's dark hair.

"I missed you, too, Papa," Duri said, clinging tightly to him.

"And Duri…this is your father," Kili said, turning Duri to look at Fili, who smiled almost shyly. Duri eagerly reached out his arms for Fili, who hesitated only a moment before taking him from Kili.

"Hello, Duri."

"Hi," the little boy said, his face bright with excitement.

"Did you know you have a new baby brother?"

Duri shook his head, glancing around excitedly. "A new one? Where?"

"Right there," Fili said, turning him to Kili once more, so that he could see the baby strapped to his back. "His name is Kaz."

"Hi, Kaz!" Duri called out, waving at the baby. "Guess what. I'm your big brother."

"And these two strapping young dwarflings must be Nuri and Shiri," Kili said, dropping down to crouch before the twins. Briefly, he felt a pang of sadness at how much the twins had grown. They were little more than a year old…and already running around on their stubby little legs. Nuri had a flower tucked behind his ear and Shiri's face was covered with dirt. Despite the sadness, Kili found himself falling in love with them all over again.

"Nuri, Shiri, this is Papa," Duri explained. They both looked confused.

"Gan-pa?" Shiri asked, pointing back to the picnic blanket. Duri shook his head.

"No. Papa," he said slowly, deliberately. "Papa loves you."

Kili held his arms wide for the twins, offering them a small smile. "He's right, my little emeralds. I love you both…so much."

Shiri eyed him for several more minutes but, finally deciding it was okay, entered the circle of his arms, and Nuri, doing anything his twin did, quickly followed suit. Kili pulled them up into a tight hug.

"I've missed you more than words can say, my treasures," Kili said, kissing each of them, and once the children and Fili had all been introduced, the two princes carried their four babies back across the meadow to greet their own parents…finally home…finally free.

XxX

The two princes did not waste even one second of their new life. They loved each other every minute and they were loving, doting parents…and when the time came, they were wise and just rulers.

And of course, because you are wondering, they did indeed live happily ever after.

XxX

(A/N) Well, as always I hope my little tale was enjoyed. Next on the docket...Little Red Riding Hood!