A/N: Mentions of AC/DC, come on guys, they're an Aussie band, with two very apt songs...
Also, I don't know if I mentioned this back in the fic or not, but the videos that Bec shows the Company with the songs, like 'I See Fire', and all of that are real. There's an artist named Peter Hollens that has done acapella versions of most if not all of the Hobbit and LotR songs. He is awesome, and you should really check him out.
Enjoy.
Chapter 13 – The Very Expected Battle
Bec wasn't at all surprised when she woke up in the nothing space again, face to…well, chest to be honest with Mahal. She stepped back and peered up at him. He was grinning, and swooped in for a hug. She enjoyed being swung around in circles, but soon started to wheeze from the strength he was using.
"Not that I'm saying no to hugs, but you didn't make me that durable when you upgraded me!"
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, but you've destroyed a curse that has plagued my line for centuries, the One Ring and you're going to stay with my children! There is nothing to be sad about."
She smiled. "Well, it was all to my benefit as well. It wouldn't do to have my uncle-in-law go bat-shit crazy and try to kill his soulmate! I think you knew I would stay though." She glared at him slightly.
"Speaking of me staying, can you fix it, so that another version of me gets to live instead? You've already got me here, but I'm sure you can pull some godly mojo to fix it or something, right? I just don't want to put my original family through anymore grief, and I figured that another version of me might end up with a better life, or at least be better suited for that world."
Mahal looked very thoughtful, looking to a very quiet Yavanna, that had popped up beside him.
"I'm sure we can come up with something that will work. I brought you here to talk to you about the battle tomorrow. I know my children, and they are very stubborn. You have convinced the company, but the rest will probably need some sort of sign from their god that you have my favour. I'm sure you've got a plan percolating in your head, will you share?"
Bec nodded. "Well, I was thinking that some sort of divine light beaming down, and then you and Yavanna appearing beside me would work fairly well, we could do that once everyone is ready, but before the orcs appear. Also, about the dead warriors, can you bring them back around me in wraith forms, like the dead that Aragorn used, and then after the battle is over if they wish to stay, grant them life?"
Yavanna hmmed, and then nodded. "That would work much easier than our original plan, darling, what do you think?"
Mahal stroked his chin, looking at the ground. "It can be done, but why do you want them to appear around you? Wouldn't it be better for them to appear in front of the orcs?"
Bec smirked. "Why, my dear Mahal, I'll be in the middle of the army, striking the fear of Mahal in their black little hearts. Your children have quickly duplicated the bombs they made, and it seems rude to keep all of those presents to myself. I did have one favour to ask you though, I need a minor upgrade to my bike for my plan to fully work. Is that possible? Pleeease?" Once Bec turned the puppy eyes on him, he caved.
"Fine, but you can't teach that look to any of my dwarrow!"
"That's alright, Bilbo already has."
They continued discussing their plans for tomorrow, laughing and joking, until the two Valar sent Bec back to the waking world.
When Bec opened her eyes, she grinned, her smile full of teeth. This would be the day that she would wipe out orcs and goblins, well, with the help of Mahal and Yavanna, anyway.
She looked at Fili, sleeping peacefully beside her, and knew that she would do anything to keep him alive, as well as the rest of the company. His eyes slowly opened, and he stretched with a groan. When he saw her watching him he smiled.
"See something nice, khalthûna?"
Bec glared. "Yeah, you have drool all over your face. Dreaming about me?" She laughed, and got up.
Fili pouted, but quickly cheered up once Bec started changing. After the third time he tried to cop a feel, she slapped his hands away and turned around.
"I need to talk to your uncle before the battle, Mahal has a message."
Fili sobered quickly at the reminder of the looming skirmish, and joined her, dressing as quickly as he could.
Shockingly, Thorin and Bilbo were still asleep. Bec and Fili shared a look, before banging the door hard to wake Thorin up, and then jumping on their bed. Bilbo jerked awake once Fili's knee hit his stomach.
"Ooof! Wassat?" He looked around blearily. "Fili, Bec, what are you doing in here?"
Bec smiled at the adorable hobbit. "I have news. Mahal and Yavanna wish to address the armies before the orcs and goblins arrive. Can we get everyone up and ready in the next 2 hours?"
Thorin looked gobsmacked, and then became determined. "For a personal address from our Father, we can be ready in one. Sound the waking bell, and we'll get the early risers to wake the elves and men.
Bec looked back at the army. That was a lot of people, and she was never very good at public speaking. Hopefully, her luck would hold out. Once Thorin introduced her as Mahal's champion, that was her cue.
Thorin was in his element, making a grand speech, until Bilbo elbowed him, and muttered at him to 'hurry up'. He swallowed.
"I know many of you don't believe the tales you have heard about the defeat of Smaug the wyrm. They are true. Mahal, our Father, sent us a champion from another world, who knew how our quest was to end. She defeated Azog, along with my husband and soulmate. She destroyed the One Ring, the last vestige of Sauron's power, and killed the dragon that had plagued us. She wishes to speak to you of a message from Mahal. Will you listen?"
The mass of dwarrow roared, men and elves swept along in their enthusiasm. Bec took a deep breath, and allowed Thorin to pull her up onto the rock he was using as a platform.
"Um, hi. I know I don't look like much, but Mahal and his lady wife have sent me to help your race, and I think I've done fairly well so far. I just keep shocking the Company, my adopted family. They've banned me from going after any more dragons now! The last big problem that I was tasked with was this battle. It couldn't be prevented, so it is our duty to wipe out as many orcs and goblins as we can today. With Sauron gone, they are the last that will ever grace Middle Earth!"
The armies cheered. Bec swallowed, this was the hard part.
"I realise even now, some of you doubt that Mahal actually called me. You think me a witch or demon. There is only one thing that I can do in the face of these rumours." A light beamed down from the heavens, causing the crowd to gasp.
"I present to you, Mahal and Yavanna, to speak for themselves."
Mahal appeared, around 4 metres tall. He looked every inch the dwarrow god, from his armour, complete with axes and war hammer, to his long beard and braided hair. Yavanna was beside him, slightly shorter, in a long green dress, ad flowers in her curly hair.
"My children! You have grown so much and come so far from when I first carved your fore-fathers from the stone. My champion has done many great things since I pulled her from her world, but the greatest you have yet to hear. When she first awoke to Yavanna and myself, we told her that as payment for her services, she would receive three boons from each of us. Only two of the four boons that she used immediately could be considered purely selfish. The other two were for the benefit of the company that she would be travelling with, and one will keep my children from starving. As we took her when she was camping, she had a considerable food supply. Her request was to make all of her food and drink unperishable and never-ending. These food supplies can only be accessed by a member of the original company or one of their descendants, but you will never need to fear famine again!"
Everyone was shocked. That was a large boon to ask of a god, especially for a people you had never met before. Mahal cleared his throat to continue.
"Yavanna and I have one request to grant during this battle. All dwarrow who have died either directly or indirectly due to the fall of Erebor will be returned to fight in this battle. One of my champions requests was to give those dwarrow a choice at the end of this battle, the choice to stay and live out their natural life, or return to my halls. This request shocked both myself and my lady wife, and we were so impressed with her selflessness, we have decided to combine our power to gift this to you, my children. Any who die here today will have the same choice, a gift from Eru for her bravery and devotion to a world not her own."
Mahal and Yavanna then blessed the assembled armies, who were still stunned from the revelations of earlier. Mahal looked to the mountains.
"Form up, and be ready, their army is nearly upon you. Look to my champion, she will guide you. Fight at her signal." The two Valar disappeared, and Bec got their attention once again.
"Ok, this is going to sound silly, but everyone find a partner, and stick with them the whole time. Two people are harder to take down than one alone."
She jumped down, while Thorin started getting the dwarrow pumped.
"Ori, how good are you with larger objects in your slingshot?"
The scribe looked thoughtful. "How much larger?"
Bec laughed. "How about Bofur and Gloin's bombs?"
He smiled, a very good attempt at Bec's croc smile. "They're easy, I was practicing with some hollow ones earlier."
"Good. Here's my lighter, you flick your thumb to produce a flame. I need you on the back of my bike, lighting and throwing them. Can you do that? I need to clear a nice big space at the centre of the opposing army."
Ori looked determined, and nodded.
Gandalf had spelled the traps to be invisible until tripped, so they were going to hold their army back until they had started to breach the traps. Bec planned to head out once they got stuck between the two rows of traps, and have some orc flambé. She got her bike out, and smiled at the changes Mahal had made. She scrolled to a very specific playlist on her phone, and sat on the bike, Ori behind her. She told Thorin to keep everyone back until after she had summoned the dead. Hopefully, they could take care of the majority of the enemy. When she saw the orcs approaching, Bolg at their head, she took a breath and looked at Ori.
"Aim for the ugly white one first; he's Azog's son, and wants to finish what his father started." Ori glared at the oncoming army, and growled.
Once they had broken the first trap, losing at least 1/16th of their force in the process, Bec pressed play, and started her bike. Some very familiar guitar and drums started, playing very loudly through the megaphones Mahal had placed on her bike. The dwarrow around her looked shocked, but some started banging their weapons to the beat, and repeating the 'oy'.
As Bec rocketed out toward the army, the song started, and Bec smiled as the chorus came on. 'T.N.T. indeed. Those ugly pricks will never know what hit them.'
The confused orcs let Bec get right through, and Ori lobbed at bomb right at Bolg's face, having waited until the last moment to launch it. She laughed as the giant beast exploded, and Ori kept firing, like a machine. When she got to the centre, she did a couple of donuts to keep the orcs and goblins away, Ori now just throwing the bombs. When a space was cleared she stopped the music and raised her hands to the sky.
"Lord Mahal, Lady Yavanna, please send back the glorious dead to avenge themselves and their families."
What looked to be a lightening bolt hit a large ring she was wearing, with a giant diamond on it. Within the light reflected from the ring, hundreds, no, thousands of dwarrow warriors appeared, ready for battle. The four closest to her looked very familiar, and were more solid looking than the rest of their brethren.
"Thror, Thrain, Frerin and Fundin, at your service, highness."
Bec gaped, and behind her, Ori squeaked.
The youngest, also a blond smirked. "My nephew made an excellent choice." He shouted when his father slapped him upside the head.
"Focus, dashat. We have a battle to win first. Do you have a weapon, nâtha?"
Bec showed them her staff, and Ori gripped the sword he took from the treasury.
"Good. Let us fight then." He turned to the Dwarrow standing around them, and raised his axe.
"BARUK KHAZAD! KHAZAD AI MENU!"
The dwarrow roared in response, and turned as one to swarm their enemy. Bec roared along with Ori, and pressed play again, this time it was 'War Machine' that came out of her souped up megaphones. It was as loud as it could go, and had the added bonus of making the orcs and goblins try to cover their ears. Bec flicked the blades out and held her staff like a lance, running orcs through as she drove past. The really unfortunate ones were dragged along for the ride. Ori still had some bombs he was tossing out, decimating the remaining army, about ¼ now of what they started with. The elves and men were picking off any that managed to get through, with the dwarrow being a front line in front of the elven and human archers. Once Ori was finished with the bombs, he tapped Bec's shoulder. She gestured to his sword and held her hand to head height. He nodded, and held his sword out on her other side, beheading any that came past.
It didn't take much longer before the army was decimated. The dead warriors let out a deafening cheer. Bec lead them back past the traps, and they dispersed, many finding friends and family to celebrate with. Bec and Ori zoomed over last, as Gandalf walked past them, setting fire to the remains of the army as he went.
When they pulled to a stop, a grinning Frerin grabbed Bec off the bike, and spun her around gleefully.
"Hey, get your hands off my sister!" Kili had come and grabbed Ori, and upon realising that the blond dwarrow was not his brother, stormed over to protect his new family member. He gasped when Frerin turned around.
"You look like my amad! Who are you?!"
Frerin chuckled. "I am your uncle Frerin, little gem, and the last time I saw you, you were still inside your mother's womb." He cackled at Kili's frozen body, before he was tackled by his older brother. Thorin's crown fell off, and he was laughing and crying at the same time, squeezing his little brother as hard as he could. Fili stepped up behind him, looking very angry.
"Please promise me khalthûna, that this was the last obstacle you had to fix. My heart can't take you being in much more danger." Bec grinned wryly.
"Well, kundel, this was the last sure thing I had. I have no idea what happens after this, except for my last two boons. I promise you, this is my last battle, as long as it is also your last. Any fight of yours, will be a fight of mine, dear one."
Fili took a deep breath, and nodded, before kissing her passionately. She could feel him shuddering, as if he was finally releasing all of his worry and fear about what could happen. A voice drew them apart.
"Look at my little warrior, all grown up with a wife of his own!" Another blond dwarrow, who looked very similar to Fili and Kili had come up. Fili's eyes widened in shock.
"ADAD!" He threw himself at the new figure, dragging a protesting Kili away from Ori in the process.
Thorin was actually smiling again, looking between Thror, Thrain and Frerin, touching them all every few seconds. Bilbo was curled under his arm, having been quickly approved of. Dwalin and Balin were approaching with Fundin, and pulled Bec away.
"Daughter, I would like to introduce you to your grandfather, Fundin. He says that he has been watching over us for the whole quest at one of your requests, and he wanted to officially meet you."
The elder dwarrow looked very much like Dwalin, but with white hair – and more of it!
"My dear granddaughter. I could not be any prouder of you if you had been born to my line rather than adopted. You have saved my family more times than I can count, and selflessly sacrificed your own home in order to give my sons back theirs."
Bec shrugged, looking shy. "Even if I was going back, I still would have done everything the same. It wasn't fair what happened to the dwarrow, and if I could fix it, I would. I just got lucky in that the company I landed in chose to keep me as family."
Dwalin and Balin both looked suspiciously glassy-eyed, and sniffled.
The dwarrow spent the rest of the day catching up, although in the end, most of the older dwarrow chose to return to Mahal's halls, either having grown up children or not enough time left anyway. The ones who chose to stay remained at the same age they had died at, which would end up causing some confusion when the rest of the Ereborian dwarrow finally came home. Thror and Thrain, as well as Fundin both elected to go, saying that their sons and families had things well in hand. Once the clean-up was complete, the dwarrow, as well as the elves and men, now firm friends, all turned their attention to cleaning up Erebor. Surprisingly, as Smaug had been rather large when he arrived, he had really only wrecked the path from the entrance to the treasury, so the clean-up only took 4 days.