"Mum- stop! I don't want to wear make up!" Kili pushed Dis away as she approached him with her powdery traditional make-up.

"Kili! Stop squirming! You have to wear make-up or you'll look washed out under the spotlight!" Dis argued, trying once again to apply the powder to her son's face. Whilst Kili did like the idea of being in the spotlight, he did NOT want to wear make up. That just wasn't majestic at all.

Fili walked in, his face caked with the powder Dis was applying to Kili now. His lips had also been painted a more vibrant shade of pink. Kili stifled a laugh, but stopped when Fili said, "You look like this too."

Kili groaned. He didn't know why this show was such a big deal. It was only a tribute to Erebor. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the wall. He looked terribly pasty. Dis was now trying to run a brush through his unruly hair.

"Ouch!"

"Hold still, Kili!" Dis tugged at the brush harder until a clump of dark brown hair was dislodged and freed.

"OUCH!" Kili yelled and hopped off the chair, rubbing his head in pain. Fili walked to his side and gave him a nervous grin. Was he taking this seriously?

The music outside started. Someone placed a cardboard crown on Fili's head, and a poorly sewn red cape on Kili's shoulders. He saw the dwarfling who was supposed to be Smaug slip their shiny wings over their arms. The lights came on beyond the curtain that Fili and Kili were standing at. A pitchy voice that belonged to a young dwarf lass began to narrate the epic quest that was about to be reenacted before the audience.

"Us dwarves we live in Erebor,

The finest city you've ever saw,

We're happy with how our lives are spent

For it is mining that makes us content" recited a young dwarf, his voice soft and high. Kili knew this boy to be called Barli, and he was very small and very huggable.

"And then along came the dragon Smaug,

Worse than any orc or warg," the female narrator continued, and the boy dressed up as Smaug went onstage, his shining outfit provoking many oohs and ahs from the audience. Kili wondered how many were out there, watching the play intently, awaiting his grand entry.

"Against the great dragon we fought,

But it was our treasure he sought." Barli continued, a note of terror in his voice as he ran away from Smaug-boy, who was chasing the several actors around the stage.

"I'll fight for you, noble subjects!" Kili hadn't noticed Fili had slipped away from him. He could hear his voice through the curtain, pretending to be Thror, their grandfather. A few seconds later, a polite round of applause started. A few thuds of cardboard hitting cardboard later, there were a few gasps.

"Alas! Alack!" Cried Barli. That was Kili's cue.

"I'll save you!" He stepped out into the light in front of the curtain. It was bright- Kili almost felt glad Dis had painted him with make-up. He looked into the audience and saw many faces he recognised. There were a few people he liked, and some he didn't like at all, but in the middle, on a chair of honour, was Thorin, with Dis by his side. Dis smiled and waved at Kili, and Thorin gave an approving nod. Kili beamed. After all, he was pretending to be Thorin himself.

"Come at me, foul beast!" Kili turned to Smaug-boy, who was running at him. Kili drew out his cardboard sword and swung it at him, just missing him, which earned him a scowl from Smaug-boy.

More carefully this time, Kili swung another blow, and Smaug-boy took the cardboard sword from him.

"Oh no! Fall back men, fall back!

But don't be deceived, we'll come back!" Cried Kili, grabbing Fili by the arm and hoisting him out of the way as Smaug-boy started throwing balls of orange paper at them. Kili thought that Thorin could have easily defeated Smaug if his only defense was paper, but his teacher was adamant that it was fire.

"Oh look! How cute!" someone called out from the front row. Kili turned around. That wasn't in the script.

"Little baby Durin and his little brother working together." Kili scowled at whoever it was that was insulting Fili and him. He couldn't see properly, but he knew he had seen this kid's face before...

Fili looked up, and stopped pretending to be injured. Rasgar was leering at him from the front row. Oh dear. Fili straightened himself up. He expected someone to reprimand Rasgar, but no response came. They must think it's part of the play...

"Listen here, Rasgar, I-"

"Aren't you meant to be hurt, King Thror? Your majesty?" Rasgar mocked. "You're just a faker. Your whole family is." A few gasps arose from the audience. That was a controversial thing to say in front of the King under the mountain. Thorin stood up.

"Rasgar, there's no need to be rash." Fili, ever the diplomat, tried to reason with him. "Now please stop insulting my family and let us get on with the play, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Rasgar challenged. When Fili said nothing, Rasgar said, "That's what I thought. You'll never be a king- you're just a piece of-" But Fili never got to find out what he was a piece of, because something had just zoomed past him and flung itself off the stage at Rasgar.

"Kili!" Dis yelled as she saw him jump on top of Rasgar and knock him off balance. Rasgar, now lying on the floor, was screaming like a young girl and thrashing his legs about wildly as he tried to pull Kili off. He hadn't expected a small child to fling himself at him.

"Don't- be- mean- to- my- BROTHER!" Kili wrestled himself free of Rasgar's grip, and stood above him. "Now listen. I know Fili's not perfect. But you're less perfect than him. You've got a big nose and you talk too loudly." Began Kili. Fili groaned. Kili was just making the situation worse.

"But also," Kili added as an afterthought, "You're rude. And mean. You had no reason to be rude to Fili, or me, or Uncle. Or anyone. You know what? You're just jealous." decided Kili. "Jealous of me because I have such an amazing brother, or an amazing Uncle, or an amazing family. Jealous because you don't have what we have. But that is no reason to say such horrible things. You see, the things is, with the Durins, if you pick a fight with one of them, you get a fight with all of them." Thorin nodded in agreement, and Dis smiled proudly. Not many other adults looked so pleased with the situation. "So don't be mean to Fili, because even though he can be a wuss, I'll come after you, and you should be afraid of me."

"ha! You said he's a wuss." mumbled Rasgar.

"So? I'll admit that he has flaws, like he's a bit of a nerd, and he's not very strong," listed Kili. "But he'll admit my flaws too- like I'm loud, and today was the first time I brushed my hair in six months."

Rasgar looked momentarily impressed.

"But anyway- the point is it doesn't matter how many faults someone has, you shouldn't pick on them- especially not my brother." finished Kili triumphantly.

An unexpected round of applause arose from the audience. Kili beamed. He turned and saw Fili smiling at him and- were theres tears in his eyes? Kili ran onstage and gave him a huge hug. A few sighs of joy came from the audience. Thorin strode up to the stage, and scooped the two boys into his arms.

And there they stood- the heirs of Durin, the most majestic line of all dwarves, irrepressible smiles plastered on their faces, facing a cheering crowd- some say they were never as united again.

"Hey- Kili."

"Yeah?" Kili whispered back. He felt rebellious. They weren't meant to be talking- Dis had already put them to bed.

"Do you really think I'm a wuss?"

"Maybe just a little one. But that's ok."

"I'll tell you what- if you do target practice with me and teach me to shoot, I'll teach you how to write runes."

"Ok!"

Fili turned over and was about to drift into sleep, when something forced him back awake.

"Wait- six months?"

But Kili was already asleep.