Premonition

When he has awakened it was still early in the morning, the sun didn´t even rise yet. The only thing that was on his mind lately had been Bilbo. His own safety was second to him. Now this incident with The Dark Lord rising from the land of forgotten once again and taking over control over Bilbo´s body... That´s the last thing they needed.

Maybe this is some kind of a trial that should test their love. Thorin had faith in him. Somehow, they will make it through. He slowly got up to his feet, minding his healing injuries while he was putting on his royal garb. Someone knocked. " It´s open." He said. Gandalf came inside and gave the dwarf a meaningfull look, that one look epressing exactly how he felt. A little bit anxious and feeling rather sick inside.

"It´s time." Gandalf said. Thorin gazed at him. The Grey Wizard made a movement as if he wanted to reassure him, but his hand stopped in the midair and he pulled back. Thorin didn´t see that, because he was caught up in his own internal turmoil.

They went straight to the Elrond´s halls, where everyone was waiting. As soon as Thorin entered, he saw the gloomy looks on everyone´s faces. The most gloomiest was of course, the Old Took. His flesh and blood was in grave danger or right now, he was trying to break free.

Elrond, Galadriel, Thranduil, Dáin the Ironfoot and many others he didn´t know instantly changed their attention to him and Gandalf.

"Now that everyone´s present, we shall decide about the fate of Middle Earth. All of us had agreed on one thing: Sauron must be stopped once and for all. However, what should we do? This is where opinions differ. Some of us feel that one soul is worth the many, many innocent lifes in Middle Earth. On the other hand, some of us feel that a sacrifice, no matter how tragic is in order. So, I ask all of you, leaders of all free nations – what should we do with the hobbit?"

Elrond looked around the room. Everyone was silent. Thorin kinda knew what they were thinking about. He was strongly against it. He slammed his fist against the nearest wall. "I won´t allow anyone to kill Bilbo! Not now or ever! If you want to kill him, then you would have to kill me, too!" Gandalf closed his eyes. Galadriel smiled. Thranduil looked away. Dáin patted Thorin on his shoulder. "That´s what I´m talking about! No stopping you once you make up your mind. Thrór and your father would have been proud of you."

Arwen stood up from her chair. "You have made your choice. The fate of Middle Earth is unsure. However, if someone can stop Sauron, it´s you. My father, Galadriel and Gandalf will aid you. They will bind him with the power of Three Rings and you shall talk to Bilbo and bring him back. I.. we have faith in you."

Thorin felt like the lump in his throat disappeared. They just agreed on helping him and Bilbo, didn´t they? Shouldn´t he be happy? There was always a but in everything. "If by any chance I fail... what will you do then?"

"We´ll have no other choice but to kill him along with Sauron. That´s the last resort." Thranduil said. Thorin glanced at the Took. "You... agree with this?"

"I´m too old for this. To kill my own grandchild... but if there truly is no other way... if you won´t... can´t free my poor boy...I... agree."

Thorin sighed heavily. It is hard for him, let alone for the old hobbit. They are talking about his grandchild, for Mahal´s sake! This was it... The final confrontation.

" will proceed with your plan. If I fail, then we will have to kill Bilbo. If I fail... I have one condition or else I won´t go with your plan. "

"What is it?" Elrond asked. Thorin balled his fist.

"If I fail... I want to be the one to take his life. If I die in the process, then so be it. It´s the least I could do."

"Does anyone present have any objections?" Elrond asked them.

They shook their heads. Only the Old Took didn´t respond to that. Thorin approached him and looked straight into his eyes. "I don´t want to think negatively... but if by any misfortune I won´t succeed... grant me my wish. It´s my burden alone. If it wasn´t for me and my quest, he wouldn´t be possessed. Please, grant me my request."

Old Took gazed him in the eyes. "I think that he would want you to be the one to free him. Alright, I agree."

Thorin could feel it. This was the moment of truth. His eyes scanned the room and everyone present. "It´s time, my fellow leaders of all free nations! We must stand tall and face the enemy! Now it´s time to shape our fate!"

"We dwarves stand together no matter what!" Dáin said, holding up his axe, others joined him. "We can´t let them have all the fun, can we?" Thranduil said and Elrond, Galadriel and Gandalf rolled their eyes. Almost. That would be very un-kingly of them. Not that Gandalf was a king, though.

"When are we leaving?" Thorin asked. Galadriel stared in his eyes for a long time. "In a moment. You should prepare yourself, Thorin, son of Thráin. Time is running out and The Dark Lord gains more and more power over the hobbit."

Elrond and the rest of kings went outside the Great Hall on a big terrace where The Eagles have been waiting for them. Gandalf climbed on a back of Gwaihir, he pulled Galadriel along and Elrond shared an eagle with the Old Took. Thorin shared his eagle with Dáin and to his annoyance with Thranduil who was scared of heights. Dáin and the elf king were having an argument the whole time so, thinking has proven to be rather difficult for Thorin with them.

"Would you two just keep quiet for a moment? I need to think!"

They didn´t say anything to that and in an instant they stopped arguing.

"Sorry about that, Thorin. It must be hard for you." Dáin said. Thorin didn´t reply back. And there was no need. It´s hard for him? Then how about Bilbo? Struggling to break free, his only chance to escape is them?

Him.

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Meanwhile...

He had the impression that he has passed through the same passage yet again. Why was this labyrinth never ending? ? Why couldn´t he find that damned exit? He was kind of relieved that the flaming floating eye disappeared out of his sight, but this was driving him crazy. Bilbo wasn´t fond of being alone. Since he joined the dwarves of the quest, so much has happened... so much has changed. If only he would find the exit as soon as possible! He looked around, but he only saw the never –ending hedges surrounding him. He was gradually getting more and more afraid that he would wander here for all eternity. Alone. Not that he wished for someone else to be trapped here with him. He knew that Thorin wouldn´t come here and do any kind of foolish thing. At least he hoped. Bilbo made a few steps towards a random alley. Nothing here made sense to him. He hoped to encounter anyone soon, he would even welcome one of those visions he saw earlier. At least he would know what is happening in the real world. He stopped before a passage with three crossroads. Should he go right, left or straight?

He began to think so intesively, that he didn´t notice a little hobbit child standing a bit on the left before him.

"Follow your heart. You will see the truth soon enough." The young hobbit was observing Bilbo from toe to head. Bilbo couldn´t help but do the same. He would never dream to see another hobbit here... on top of that a child. But still... it was suspicious. It must be some kind of trap that foul Dark Lord or whatever orchestrated to toy with him. That must be the case. Bilbo wanted to make sure who was this child. He approached him and patted his head. He had hobbity features, alright. He had black curly hair and his eyes were so blue that he was lost in them.

Bilbo quickly got up and almost tripped on his own feet in the process. He backed away from the child. Either he is hallucinating him or he is real or both at the same time. "Who are you?" Bilbo blurted out, petrified on the spot. He was afraid of this child. Why was he even here? Did that bastard really send this child here or is he his hallucination after all? In the end, he was doomed to wander here? Never return and never again see Thorin and the rest of his friends?

The child acted as if it didn´t hear Bilbo´s words and took him by hand. Bilbo was shocked when the boy touched him. His mind was invaded by his thoughts...memories.

"Uncle! Look what I´ve found!" A small child ran towards a hobbit who was dressed in formal wear like he had last seen on his grandfather. Bilbo looked at himself. He couldn´t believe his eyes. It was him, there was no doubt about that. The child called him Uncle, didn´t he? Then...

His other self turned to face someone who came riding on a horse.

Bilbo´s eyes widened at the sight. It was the same Thorin he knew and yet not the same Thorin. He looked even better than before dressed in blue royal garments and it even added more to his eyes.

Thorin dismounted the horse and the other Bilbo swung his arms around Thorin´s wide shoulders. He returned the embrace and kissed the much eager other Bilbo on lips briefly. "How is my King today?" His other half asked while the child tucked at his sleeve. Bilbo let go of him and knelt down next to the child. "Now, now, Frodo. Me and Uncle Thorin haven´t seen each other one whole week. Wasn´t the trip to Mirkwood pleasant?"

The child smiled at him. "I have never seen so many elves in my life before! They are just as you said they would be, Uncle." Thorin scoffed in disgust. Bilbo raised his eyebrow and The King under the Mountain immediatelly changed his attitude. "Oh, your Uncle is right. They are truly... different. Maybe it´s because they have much, much longer , no matter. How about the three of us have our picnic?"

Little Frodo´s smile widened even more after Thorin´s last sentence. Bilbo spread a wide blanket on the grassy field and they all settled down and had a normal, but to the real Bilbo it was the brightest lunch brimming with feelings full of love and familiar warmness he didn´t feel since his parents died. It was the feeling of loving and being loved. He had a family. It brought tears to his eyes and they cascaded down his cheeks.

When a single tear drop made a contact with the grass, the whole vission started to blur and it disappeared in a blink of an eye.

He was alone, once again. This was too much for him to bear. He began to sob and shake uncontrollably. This was his breaking point.

"Why? Why is this happening?! All I ever wanted was to lead a normal, quiet life! You heartless scum, release me from this prison this instant!"

"He won´t. You have to find it."

The child was there, again. This time, Bilbo made a few steps backwards. "Who are you? Are you really that little child or another illusion?"

"Here, all is not what it seems. My name or origins are of no significance. I am here because you made me and I am your..."

Bilbo stared at the child. "You are..."

"Hope."

"My hope?" The child nodded. "I am here because you wish to escape and because you wanted to have someone beside you. And so, your mind made me. I won´t leave your side, however if you fall into despair, I will weaken and weaken until I... vanish. You alone have the ability to escape. However, you must find your heart."

Now Bilbo didn´t know what he said. "Find my heart? What do you mean?"

Frodo made a few steps and reached out to touch Bilbo. He backed away a bit. He didn´t like the illusion he made. It was too much heart – warming and it made him rather sad. "Oh... sorry. I... was that vision real?"

"It depends from you. You are the one who will shape your future... or destroy the world."

The child... er, his hope sure doesn´t sound too hopefully. "Destroy the world? I have the power to do that?"

"Yes. When The Dark Lord took you into himself, imprisoned you inside The Ring, he also made you a part of him as much as he is a part of you. Even when you separate from each other, you´ll never be really free of his dark magic. You will sooner or later become the next Dark Lord."

Now it all made sense. Why he couldn´t find the damn exit. Why he wandered around. Why no one came to his rescue. He was imprisoned in his own mind, not in The Ring. The Ring only served as a vessel to maintain his eternal prison. No one would come. Never. Not even Thorin. He was his enemy now as all of The Middle Earth.

He was cursed with dark magic and poisoned by Sauron´s evil mind. However, no one said he couldn´t use that filthy magic of his against him and destroy both himself and Sauron.

Bilbo made up his mind. If he saved everyone he loved, if he managed to do that, he would do that with no second doubts or regret.

"Can I break free and kill both of us?" He asked the child. No, his embodied hope. He smiled. " Soon, the Kind under The Mountain will speak to you. Heed his voice and return back to the world of the living. Then, you can do what want to do. I will stay with you... until the end. That, I promise."

Bilbo felt relieved when he said that. At least someone will be on his side. He hugged him and the little child returned the embrace and a few moments later, it vanished and returned back where it belonged to. To his heart.

Armed with nothing but a burning hope inside him, he closed his eyes and he clenched his fists. If he really can save the world by killing himself and The Dark Lord at the same time, then he has nothing to think about. He will secure a future for everyone he loves. For Thorin, who is on his way to save him and doesn´t know that Bilbo will save him and Middle Earth. He doesn´t wish to break Thorin´s heart, but he has no choice in this. Only follow down the path fate had ordained for him.

"Thorin. I´m waiting for you."