Ok, 1000 views! This feels so amazing that so many people read my things.
I just wanted to let you all know. If this chapter feels a bit like a downer, you're a bit right. I write based on the way I feel. So lately I've been stressed, beaten (mentally), cursed at, yelled at, and everything in between. Plus I just had finals for school, and by the Valar that was stressful. So I hope you can forgive this chapter for being a bit of a downer. But, hopefully it gets better for you all.
Sorry if this was a long awaited update, I've just been so busy lately.
Love you all so much!
She barely spoke to anyone except Kili after that night. She hated questions, absolutely despised them, and Kili gave her the space she needed. But she still enjoyed his company, which made him feel much better about the situation, but he still felt a sting of guilt in his core.
Bilba felt different, happy, like something new had been awakened inside of her. She stayed at the front of the company with Thorin as they moved along in their adventure. But, she would look back at Ember who walked at the back of the company with an eerie silence and a paranoid look. She would look behind the company constantly, with one hand on her long curved knife. Bilba began to worry, a lot, for her best friend. It pained her to see her like that, and it all started one morning and then she wasn't the same afterward.
They had been walking for about two months and nothing rather eventful happened, Ember loosened up a little, but still kept many secrets inside. She began to talk much more to Kili, Bilba, and Fili, other than that she stayed mainly silent.
It was late one night, the stars were out and a fire was lit. Thorin was trying to get Gandalf to tell him what the plan was, but even Gandalf didn't know.
"You do not need to know everything, Master Dwarf. Plans change, or just create themselves."
"But it helps to know everything. And what do you mean plans create themselves? Do you have any idea what we are doing?"
"Not entirely." Gandalf admitted. Thorin groaned loudly. Ember sat with Kili, Fili, and Bilba near the fire. Bilba let out a soft sigh.
"Can this get any better?" Ember asked sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. Kili smiled at her which made her feel a little better inside. Thorin heard her rude remark and felt some anger well up inside of him.
"Kili, Fili," Thorin called and his nephews came over like called dogs.
"Take the first and second watch. And Kili?"
"Yes sir?"
"I want you to stay away from the Elemental." Thorin whispered to him, but Ember heard the whole thing.
"What? Why?"
"Because I'm dangerous? Is that why?" Ember retorted, the words flew out of her mouth and she knew would be unable to take them back.
"Yes, you are dangerous, and I don't want any of my company getting hurt." He trailed off, anger was prominent in his voice.
"Go ahead say it, I know you want to say one little word. Go ahead."
"I want you to stay away from her because she's a monster." Most of the company let out a gasp a the harsh word rolled off of Thorin's tongue, it was full of hate.
"Exactly. I'm a monster. I know you all think that." She turned around and rushed into the woods without looking back, out of sight from the dwarves. Kili began after her, but Thorin grabbed his arm.
"Let go of me."
"What did I just say to you? Stay away from the Elemental." Thorin was practically yelling at his young nephew.
"You told me to stay away from her, but I'm sorry. I can't do that. And her name is Emilia, not the Elemental." Kili shook off Thorin's strong grasp before running to find Ember. And he found her, she was laying in a clearing far away from the company. He just watched her as little butterflies, made of fire danced around and above her, he was completely amazed. But then the butterflies began to collide together creating a ball of fire, it wasn't big, but about the size of a small wheel.
It began to take a shape, Kili's eyes moved down from it to Ember's hands as they danced.
The fireball was no longer a ball but the silhouette of a girl. He was able to recognize her due to the detail she received. She stood alone in a crowd, people were pointing at her, yelling at her. He was able to hear the words like it were actually happening.
"Freak! Monster! Abomination! She'll kill us all! Get her before she gets us!" The crowd yelled at her. The silhouette cowered at the harsh words.
"Please I don't want to hurt you. Just let me go." The girl pleaded with them as they moved ever so closer.
"It's a little late for that lassie isn't it?" Someone called out. But then a tall figure appeared.
"Let her go, or you're going to suffer the consequences." Kili watched the crowd cower at the arrival of the man, he wore a long black robe with a hood. Then they all rushed away leaving the girl alone with the man.
"Who are you?" The girl asked.
"My name is Demisrie, and I have a gift similar to yours Emilia. I'm here to help you for I knew your mother." Kili felt some anger rise inside of him. Then with one swift move Ember moved her hands and the pictures were destroyed in a cloud of smoke. Kili just leaned against the tree as Ember covered her eyes and cried. He watched her sit up.
"Are you going to sit there gawking at what just happened, or are you going to come over and ask questions?"
"How did you know I was there?" Kili asked as he came out from behind the tree.
"Twigs snapping is a sound the I can hear easily." Kili sat in front of her, but she didn't look at him.
"You probably think I'm a monster too don't you?"
"I could never think you're a monster. I think what you can do is amazing, just like you are."
"But, I've hurt people. I never wanted this. Why can't it just be over?" Tears streamed down her face.
"Because there is still something inside you that want's to keep going." He wrapped his arms around her and she melted into him.
"I never wanted to be a monster. I was just a child, I was normal."
"But, you're still beautiful, still amazing." He kissed the top of her head.
"But I'm a monster. I'll always be dangerous."
"You're not dangerous. It's a gift and it makes you who you are."
"But I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt any of them."
"Emilia, look at me." Her dark eyes met his as his strong hands held her face. He wiped some of the tears away with his thumb. "You can never hurt me. You can never do anything to change the way I feel about you." Their lips met in a fiery kiss.
"I love you so much. I love everything about you, your gift, your past, and especially your future." Kili said as she smiled.
"Just as I love you. And nothing can ever change my mind." He kissed her again pulling her body close to him.
"You are not a monster. You are not a freak. You are not an abomination. You are not a mudblood. You are not crazy. You are perfect. You are mine, just as I am yours. And I wouldn't have you any other way." Kili squeezed her and heard her say two faint little words.
"Thank you."
"You know we're going to have to go back to the company soon right?"
"You can go. I still think I'm going to need a little more time."
"Whatever you need." Kili said as she laid on the grass again. He watched as little birds of flame flew from her fingertips, flapping their little wings.
"Don't touch them, or Thorin will have a real reason to hate me." She said as her fingers danced. The little birds flew in the air above them. Kili laid on the ground with his head next to Ember's.
"Demisrie was always strict to me, Caio and Aros were always rather kind to me. While Demisrie treated me like a weapon, fragile and like I needed to be protected. Caio and Aros treated me like a daughter, like their princess, not their bitch like Demisrie did. I always liked Caio and Aros more than Demisrie."
"So why did you leave?"
"Because Demisrie's bad far outweighed their good. I couldn't handle it anymore. Caio and Aros knew that, so they helped me escape. For their sake I almost regret leaving."
Kili leaned over her and planted a kiss on her lips. The flaming birds above them faded to nothing. She wrapped her arms around Kili's neck.
He watched a smile move across her perfect face. Nothing had ever felt more perfect than this moment. She sat up and looked straight into his eyes.
"What are you doing?" He asked. She moved closer to him, her gaze never leaving his. Her lips pressed against his.
They parted and Kili looked absolutely perplexed.
"What?" She asked with her head tilted.
"Perfection. Nothing less."
"Wow, you had me worried there for a moment." She said as she laid back on the grass looking up at the sky.
"What is it?" Kili asked her.
"Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered what they see, where they go when the sun comes up?"
"I find starlight a dead cold light without emotion. It is far away, out of the grasp of us."
"Logical answer, common for a dwarf."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Dwarves have a common logical sense. Most tend not to even have an imagination."
"I have one!" Kili retorted and Ember shot him a look of question.
"I just tend not to use it often." He admitted.
"There it is." She said and smiled.
"Dwarves may be a lot of fun, but they look for the logical answers and tend to think before they act. But then again I do the same thing upon occasion."
"Only upon occasion?" Kili asked with a hint of flirtatiousness in his voice. Ember rolled her eyes.
"I most of the time act then ask questions. Especially if the situation is a life or death kind of thing. Or someone I care about could get hurt."
"Such as when you pushed me out of the way during the battle of the stone giants?"
"You noticed that? Hm, I didn't think you would ever notice that."
"Yeah, I noticed and I felt like I owed you for that, you got hurt because of my lack of common sense. I should have moved."
"But I'm glad I got to push you, because that counts for the times I saved your life."
"You're counting?"
"Of course. I'll use it as leverage when this is all over."
"And what if I save you more times?"
"Not likely love, not likely." She pecked his lips before standing up.
"Where are you going?" He asked her as she held out her hands to him.
"Back to the company, where else?" He took her soft hands and he then stood up.
"Are you sure you're ready to go back to Thorin?"'
"I'm a big girl I can handle myself. Plus, I had my moment of peace. I'll be fine, trust me. It takes much more than being called a monster to push me over the edge."
"OK, whatever you say." Kili rolled his eyes.
"What? You don't trust that I'll be OK?"
"No I trust your judgement. I just worry about you, a lot."
"Well don't, please. I don't need you… getting hurt."
"What do you mean get hurt?" He asked as they walked through the woods. Ember stopped walking.
"I don't plan on sticking around after this is all over. Or is Demisrie shows up. If it means saving you, I'm gone. And I doubt something will be able to stop me." She turned leaving him behind.
"Why does she always have to be difficult?" Kili turned to follow her, but something stopped him, the air turned cold, cold enough where Kili could see his breath. He heard twigs snap around him, almost as if someone were walking on them.
"Who's there?" Kili asked as he took out a knife.
"There is no need for violence. I am a friend not an enemy." A man's voice spoke to Kili.
"If you're not here to hurt me show yourself." Two figures appeared from behind two trees, Kili was unable to see their faces.
"It's alright Kili, son of Dis. We are friends of the one you call Emilia. I am Aros." A woman pulled back her hood so Kili could see her blonde ringlets fall past her shoulders. She had bright blue eyes, brighter than Thorin's, and a smile.
"I am Caio." The other pulled back his hood revealing black hair that came to about his shoulders and dark green eyes. Ember spoke so highly of them and Kili felt it right to trust them.
"How can I serve thee, upon Emilia's behalf?"
"There is no need to serve us young master Dwarf, we are here to give you some… assistance. Demisrie was furious upon the hearing of the Great Goblin's death, and that Emilia was there. He has not quite figured out what we had done to aid Emilia, but I fear he is close to doing so. He wants only her, and nothing can stop him from getting her, trust me when we say this, we've already tried. He is set on having her power for his own." Aros spoke with kindness.
"How did you help her?"
"When we helped her escape we hid her from Demisrie's sight, strictly so he could not find her, ever. The spell we used was strong. But if Demisrie finds out what we did, his counter spell will be stronger. We fear for her life. If Demisrie finds her, you have to protect her, with your life. Because if Demisrie takes a grasp to her gift, Middle Earth will be beyond saving. You cannot let that happen." Caio said, and Kili nodded he felt so much pressure put on his shoulders.
"I know this will seem like a lot young dwarf, but for her sake and safety. If Demisrie gets her she will die then all of Middle Earth will die, do you understand?"
"Yes I understand."
"Good, now Demisrie has probably noticed our absence so we best be leaving. But if you ever need help in the darkest of situations take this." Aros placed a small turquoise gem in the palm of Kili's hand, it glowed in his palm.
"What is it?"
"Possibly the one thing that could save the girl you love." Aros said with a smile before disappearing in a flash of white light.
"Protect her, please. She is all we have left." Caio said before disappearing in a flash of blue.
Kili sunk to his knees as he held the small gem in his palm, he held it close to his chest. There were so many questions he wanted answered, such as what the little gem was. But all he was able to do was breathe, breathe and wonder.