Chapter 30

All rights go to Tolkien and Peter Jackson respectively, I only own my OCs.

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW**

"You're not making a very splendid figure as king under the mountain, are you Thorin son of Thrain?" Gandalf decided boldly, noticing how Bilbo shuddered in fear beside him. He stood beside the hobbit, and behind him was the entire Elven army, their king all too eager to fight the stubborn dwarf in the mountain before them.

"Never again will I have dealings with wizards…" Thorin growled in a low voice, causing everyone to have to lean in to hear him properly. "Or Shire-rats!" He bellowed. Bilbo's heart broke a little at the insult, but he tried his best to hide it. It wouldn't do to let the dwarves to see his emotions now. There was a battle about to begin, and he didn't think it was quite appropriate. He couldn't help but think about Thorin thanking him on the Carrock so long ago, and how their unique friendship had begun. He looked down at himself and saw yet another piece of evidence of their friendship. The mithril vest around him.

"This vest is made of silver steel—Mithril, it was called, by my ancestors." The dwarf King held it up proudly to shimmer in the light. "No blade can pierce it," He gave a gentle smile as he motioned for Bilbo to put it on. He did, shrugging his shoulders to get comfortable. He shook his head.

"I look absurd. I'm not a warrior, I'm a Hobbit." Bilbo frowned up at him. Thorin shook his head in determination.

"It is a gift, Master Baggins. A token of our friendship. True friends are hard to come by," He smiled at the Hobbit.

Bilbo shifted his feet and sniffed, trying his best to act casual as he kept himself from tearing up. It had been a long journey, with many perils, and now it seemed to be ending with him losing a friend and the world erupting into war. He hated this. He stole a glance up at Thorin and saw just what he had expected to see. The twisted figure was half-bent over, possessively protecting his mountain of treasure. He was seething over the apparent betrayal of Bilbo and Gandalf, the two Durin princes at his side looked positively horrified at their King's behavior. Bilbo could hardly blame them. He sighed. There would be war, and his hopes of surviving it seemed to be dwindling by the second.

"Are we resolved?" Bard, the leader of the men, shouted. His voice brought Bilbo back to the present, and he remembered why the Elven and Laketown armies were there in the first place. Bard subtly pulled the Arkenstone partially out from his coat again, trying to further tempt Thorin. The deal offered was that Bard would give Thorin the Arkenstone, which he had obtained from Bilbo, if Thorin in return gave them some gold to rebuild their lives. Bilbo held his breath, hoping beyond hope Thorin would agree, even if it was only for his Arkenstone. "The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised." Bard pushed. Thorin growled like a wolf preparing to fight before looking over at a ridge to the right of the armies.

"Give us your answer!" Bard cried, trying to hide his desperation. Bilbo somewhat pitied the man who had slayed the dragon Smaug. He simply wanted to keep his people alive. When a raven flew over to Thorin and perched on the wall, Bilbo's heart sank. He remembered Thorin using the raven to send word to other dwarves. "Will you have peace or war?" Bilbo already knew the answer. Thorin grinned.

"I will have war!"

Before anyone could reply, and before Thorin's company could object to war, the ridge to the right of the armies started rumbling as if it were coming alive. Gandalf groaned under his breath so only Bilbo could hear.

"Ironfoot." He sighed. The dwarves in Erebor began to leap and cheer wildly as the new army marched in, led by a rather strange looking dwarf riding a war pig. Fili and Kili celebrated in excitement at the sight of Dain and the other dwarves they knew and found, with the rest of the company, a renewed hope regarding their odds in the coming battle. Balin, however, could only manage one cheer. He knew in his gut something was wrong, and he did not think the help of Dain would fix it.

In Bilbo's eyes, chaos ensued after Dain's arrival. The Elven King Thranduil wheeled his elk around and barked orders at his men, causing the whole collective army to turn and face Dain. Bilbo made sure to stay with Gandalf.

"Who is that?" Bilbo peeped from beside the wizard. He squinted as he took a closer look at Dain, noticing the dwarf's fierce expression. "He doesn't look very happy."

"That is Dain, lord of the Iron Hills—Thorin's cousin." Gandalf sighed like an exasperated father.

"Are they alike?"

"I always found Thorin the more reasonable of the two…" The wizard trailed off, trying to form a way to calm Dain before war ensued. Before he could do anything though, Dain trotted his pig closer to the Elves and flashed his signature brilliant smile.

"Good morning! How are we all?" He gestured politely. The Laketowners looked uncertain, however the Elves looked as if they had dealt with the dwarf before. "I have a wee proposition, if you wouldn't mind giving me a few moments of your time. Would you consider…JUST SODDING OFF?" He roared, the smile melting away and revealing a very, very angry dwarf. The Laketowners jumped back fearfully at the outburst, while the Elves brandished their weapons and moved forward to meet his challenge. Bilbo just wanted to leave.

"Steady!" Bard shouted from his horse to the men around him. Gandalf looked around, predicted nothing but disaster, and stepped forward to meet Dain.

"Come now, lord Dain!" He tried to reason. Dain looked to him and his gaze softened only slightly.

"Gandalf the Grey, tell this rabble to leave or I'll water the ground with their blood!" Dain roared, the dwarven army behind him cheering.

In the mountain, Kili couldn't bring himself to cheer. He looked down at the Laketown army, if they could even be called an army, and saw scared men. He glanced over to Dale, and imagined the terrified women and children waiting there, possibly watching them all now. He imagined little Clara and wondered if she found her grandmother. Both would no doubt be killed if war erupted now. Then he thought about Tauriel, the kind elven woman that had spared Nina's life in Laketown and was caring for Clara. He didn't want these people dead. He didn't want any of it. He looked back at the dwarven army before him.

"There is no need for war between dwarves, men and elves! A legion of orcs is marching on this mountain as we speak, stand your army down!" Gandalf shouted to Dain. Kili mentally begged the other dwarf to listen. He had been initially ecstatic to see the dwarven army, since it saved the company from being outnumbered and killed, but now he saw the danger. His hopes were dashed by Dain's reply.

"I will not stand down before any elf! Not least this faithless woodland sprite!" He pointed his massive battle axe at Thranduil, who gave him a wicked grin in return. "He wishes nothing but ill upon my people! If he chooses to stand between me and my kin, I'll split his pretty head open! See if he's still smirking then!" Thranduil's grin never faltered.

"He's clearly mad, like his cousin!" He spat. Dain gave a hearty laugh at the insult.

"You hear that, lads?" He called to his army. "We're on!" He trotted back to his army, preparing them to march on the elves. The dwarves cheered and bellowed battle cries as the shield-bearing dwarves created the front rows of the army. They began to march when the ground rumbled once again. Giant earth eating worms burst forth from the ground, startling both sides of the battlefield as orcs began to pour out of the caves created by the worms.

"Oh, come on!" Dain groaned as he directed his army to face the orcs. Then he realized that the orcs kept on coming. There were far too many of them. "The hordes of hell are upon us! To battle, sons of Durin!" He cried, urging his war pig forward with his dwarf army. Back in the mountain, Fili came to a decision.

"I'm going over the wall to fight, who's coming with me?" He grabbed the rope Bilbo had used and prepared to leave. He couldn't abandon his kin to die at the hands of anyone. The others cheered and moved to follow him, but Thorin stopped them all.

"Stand down!" He barked.

"What?" Dwalin asked, shocked by the cowardly attitude Thorin was displaying.

"Are we to do nothing?" Fili challenged. Thorin glowered at him.

"I said STAND DOWN!" He roared, looking around the mountain frantically before moving off the wall and back to his treasure hoard. The company looked on in disbelief as their king walked away from the fight.

Back on the battlefield, Bilbo was more terrified than he had ever been. There were far more orcs than he ever wanted to see running straight for them and a dwarven army rushing to meet it. Bilbo was no warrior, but even he could see by the numbers that the dwarves would be slaughtered within the hour. Gandalf rushed around the elven army practically screaming at Thranduil to order his men to help, and Bard sat on his horse looking to the Elven King with the same look as Gandalf. Bilbo watched in horror as the dwarves stopped and built a shield wall with themselves, spears pointed out and ready as the orcs sprinted toward them. In another moment, the armies would meet. Bilbo closed his eyes. He didn't want to see the dwarves butchered so callously. But it was not the horrid screams of death that came to his ears, it was the sound of Gandalf laughing.

"Excuse—" Bilbo was immediately cut off when he opened his eyes and saw. The elves had jumped up above the dwarves and were helping to fight off the orcs. Elves and dwarves were working together to fight a common enemy, and that was something Bilbo realized was truly rare to see. As the remaining elves around him marched on for battle, Bilbo realized he was standing in the middle of the battlefield. "Um, Gandalf, is this a good place to stand?" He shifted awkwardly.

On the top of Ravenhill overlooking the battlefield stood Azog the Defiler and an ally of his, Erich Arvandor. The two stood side by side watching the bloodshed below them. No one else occupied Ravenhill except these two and each one's personal guard of ten orcs. Erich knew that once the Erebor dwarves came out to fight he would need to bring in a larger number of orcs to Ravenhill, but he was not worried. Those orcs were on standby. He let go a wicked grin as he focused his sight on the entrance into Erebor. Finally, it was time to destroy the dwarves and anyone else who tried to take control of Erebor. As long as Erich could control Erebor, he could control the whole east. Then, he thought, his master would give him the power he wanted. He turned his gaze to Dale, wondering disinterestedly if the women and children were able to see the battle raging near them. He grinned. It was time to change things up, and keep the men of Dale on their toes.

"Attack the city."

Before another word could be said, a booming horn was heard. Bilbo looked around to find the source but saw nothing. The horn had meant something though, since a portion of the orcs swerved around and headed for the city of Dale. Bilbo shivered. The women and children of Laketown were no doubt in the city, and now about to be killed. He was about to tell Gandalf this when he realized the Laketown army was already running for the city.

"To the city Bilbo! This way!" Gandalf shouted over his shoulder as he began to run. Bilbo was not so sure the city was the best place to be just then, but nevertheless he followed the wizard into battle.

"Hey Dad, how are you feeling?" Nina greeted awkwardly. It was once again very early morning, and just Nina and her father were in the kitchen. He looked up at her with a grave expression, and the gray bags under his eyes told her that hadn't slept much. He kept his gaze fixed on his coffee cup

"How am I supposed to be?" He sighed, running a hand over his tired face. Nina sat down across the table from him and took his other hand in hers'.

"You don't have to do anything, Dad, just…please don't shut me out," She pleaded. He looked up from his cup and mustered up a half smile.

"It's a lot to process, Nina," He admitted. "I'm not angry with you, I'm just...I don't really know what I am," He dropped his head into his hands again. Nina chuckled.

"You sound exactly like I did when I was on Thorin's quest. I wasn't angry with the dwarves themselves, but I just, I wanted to be home, but I also wanted to help them," She explained. "They did so much to keep me safe and I wanted to repay them by helping if I could, and that meant using the new powers I had."

"What happened?" He eyed her almost with suspicion. She frowned.

"I told you guys before, I saved them from Azog and I healed Kili."

"No, I mean what happened to you?" He rose an eyebrow at her. Nina squirmed under his gaze. "Every time you say that dwarf's name you get a certain look on your face. What happened?"

"I…" Her voice came out as a whisper. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

"I…We…Kili was the kindest to me in the beginning other than Dwalin. Dwalin took me in and brought me to the Shire. He saw that I was blind and he…he made me feel safe. And then when I got to Bilbo's house and met all the dwarves, they made it seem like I would be a burden, because of my blindness. Kili never made me feel that way. He helped me to fight, he helped me to stay alive, and then…" She trailed off, not wanting to tell her father about their kiss.

"And then?"

"And then he kissed me," She mumbled. James shifted in his seat, trying not to discourage her from opening up to him despite the awkward subject. "And I've been pushing him away ever since. I know how their story ends and I know that he…" Her voice faltered. "I didn't want to get attached to someone when I know for a fact that nothing can ever come of it." She almost got into how she once again saved Kili, this time because of Erich Arvandor, but then she thought better of it. Erich was a nightmare that she longed to forget and talking about him wasn't going to help her in that endeavor.

"I see," James nodded. A thought crossed his mind. "So, do you need…like…closure?" He offered. Nina opened her mouth to reply and then closed it again, thinking about his question. He brought up a good point.

"Morning guys," Madison strolled into the kitchen a moment later. She grabbed an apple off the counter before sitting at the table with them. "What were you talking about?" She glanced back and forth between the two. Both James and Nina squirmed, a nervous habit they never realized they had in common, before deciding to answer an expectant-looking Madison.

"We were talking about your sister's time in Middle Earth," James shrugged, laughing a bit at how normal that statement seemed. Madison nodded and subtly took her sister's hand over the table.

"And you're doing okay?" She asked Nina quietly. Nina nodded before turning back to her father.

"To answer your question, it would be nice to have some closure," She shrugged. "That's never going to happen though, considering I'm in a completely different world than him."

"Well…" James shrugged. Nina and Madison both frowned in confusion at him. "I have the movies." Nina was quiet, thinking over the idea he was implying.

"That would be a little painful for her though, don't you think?" Madison rose her eyebrows at her father. Nina shook her head.

"It's worth a try," She sighed. James nodded and got up from the table, leading them into the living room to watch Nina's dwarves. The girls plopped onto the couch as their father rifled through his DVD case on the wall.

"If it becomes too much just say the word, we can always turn it off," Madison assured her little sister. Nina gave her smile and nodded.

"I know," She sat up as James held up the three Hobbit movies to her with a questioning look. "I'm not sure which one to watch," She sighed. "The third one will be the most painful."

"But it might also be the one to help you face your feelings and gain closure," James gave her a gentle smile. Madison took her sister's hand and said nothing. Nina looked at her, trying to read her expression to know what to do, but she got nothing from her sister's face. Madison always was good at that.

"I trust you, I'm sure you're right. Let's try it."

Erich stood on the edge of Ravenhill with his hands clasped behind him. He watched the battle below him with his eyes skeptically but refrained from turning his head, not wanting to seem too interested or concerned. He was quite excited on the inside to be finally gaining control of the east, but a part did find it to be a shame that he did not have his Nina sharing this moment beside him. Instead, he inwardly sighed, he had the sight of a disgusting pale orc beside him.

"They cannot hold the city," Azog observed gruffly. Erich nodded. Why must he always point out the painfully obvious? "The dwarves are almost spent."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Erich smirked. "They need a king to unite them in battle, but their king is too busy hiding behind the walls of Erebor," He scoffed at the mountain. Azog nodded, looking pleased with himself.

"Let these lands run with blood! Slaughter them all!" He roared to the orc army below them and around them on Ravenhill. Erich remained silent, allowing the orcs to boost each other's morale. He knew their army was required for him to reach his goals.

In Erebor, Thorin sat on his mighty throne, doing just what Erich had accused him of. He was hiding in the walls of his mountain, ignoring the screams of his brothers dying just outside.

"Since when do we forsake our own people?" Dwalin broke the painful silence. He stood with Fili and Kili behind him on each side, having agreed to support him in talking to Thorin. The King said nothing. He couldn't even muster a concerned expression. "Thorin, they are dying out there."

"There are halls beneath halls within this mountain," Thorin started, speaking almost to himself as he looked around his mountain kingdom. The three dwarves in front of him held their breath, hoping he would somehow come to a sensible conclusion. "Places we can fortify. Shore up, make safe, yes…we must move the gold further underground to safety!" He looked desperate as he commanded the dwarves. He nodded to himself, satisfied he had solved the issue, and began to leave the stunned men in front of him. Kili moved to call out after him, but Fili stopped him. Dwalin surprised everyone in the room, including himself, when he cried out:

"Did you not hear me?! Dain is surrounded! They are being slaughtered, Thorin!"

"Many die in war," Thorin spat as he turned around like a snake to face Dwalin. His face was stone cold. There was no resemblance of sorrow or pity for the dead dwarves in it. "Life is cheap. But a treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost. It is worth all the blood we can spend!" He pressed his fist to his chest as he spoke with passion. It was devastating, Fili thought, because Thorin truly believed that he was speaking like a hero among dwarves. He truly thought he was right.

"You sit here in these vast halls, with a crown upon your head, and yet you are lesser now than you have ever been," Dwalin stepped forward with new confidence. Pain and vulnerability flashed through his eyes for a moment. "Nina was right in everything she said about you. You're not a hero now, Thorin." Kili head snapped up to attention at the mention of the girl's name as Dwalin's words forced him to think of her again, screaming at Thorin like the stubborn woman she was.

"Do not speak to me as if I was some lowly dwarf," Thorin growled as he stomped toward Dwalin. The three dwarves took a half-step backward, unsure of what Thorin would do. He suddenly staggered back, his face contorting in pain. "As-as if were still…Thorin…Oakenshield…" His words shocked them. This new dwarf was admitting that he was not Thorin anymore. They had no idea how to react.

"I AM YOUR KING!" He roared before they could say anything and pulled out his sword. He was no threat, however, since in his current state he was wobbling like a drunkard. Dwalin bowed his head, almost nodding in defeat.

"You cannot see what you have become."

"Go! Get out…before I kill you."

Thorin's words hit Dwalin hard in the chest, like jumping into freezing, icy water. He felt like he could faint right there in the throne room from the shock he felt of having his best friend in the world besides his brother threaten to kill him. He had nothing left to say to the twisted creature in front of him, so he turned, shakily, and walked away. Fili and Kili staggered back as well, utterly crushed to see their uncle, someone akin to a father for them, acting this way. He truly was a different man now.

Now left alone, Thorin growled to himself and sheathed his sword, regaining his bearings and leaving the room as well. He made for the treasure hoard, where he knew he could find peace, but was stopped on his way. He stood on a floor of gold, the gold he had used to cover Smaug. He felt like he couldn't move his feet, they were planted firmly into the gold as it melted and attempted to swallow him whole several times before the voices started flooding in. That was when he panicked.

"You sit here…with a crown upon your head…you are lesser now than you have ever been…" Dwalin's head shook in disgust at him.

"But a treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost…" He reminded himself, arguing back against the phantom Dwalin. He moaned as the gold shifted under him again, creating a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"A sickness lies upon that treasure," Balin retorted.

"The blind ambition of a mountain-king…" Bard the Bowman spat, scoffing at Thorin.

"AM I NOT THE KING?!" Thorin roared angrily at him. How dare he challenge his right to rule! "The gold is ours, and ours alone!"

"He cannot see beyond his own desire!" Bard cried to the townspeople around him. They all looked to Thorin with scorn. He shook his head, willing them to understand how long he had dreamt of taking back his home, for his people.

"A sickness that drove your grandfather mad…" Balin continued relentlessly. Thorin tried to block him out, but to no avail. The treasure pile he saw in his mind started to fall into a black abyss, and his company started to cry out to him, standing on the other side of the abyss.

"Uncle, come with us!" Fili and Kili cried, reaching their arms out encouragingly to him.

"I will not part with a single coin…" Another voice dominated his mind. This one, though, gave him true fear. It was half his own voice, and half the voice of Smaug.

"You are the heir to the throne of Durin…take back…Erebor…" Gandalf encouraged.

"They are dying out there!" Dwalin cried.

"But the treasure!" Thorin cried, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

"You don't honestly think I've been travelling with this company because of the gold, do you?" The bright-eyed and golden-haired girl shook her head pitifully at him. Thorin was surprised to see her.

"Take back your homeland…" Gandalf persisted.

"Is it beautiful?" Nina asked, looking out at Rivendell. Thorin looked at it too. It was all the same as it had been, but the floor was still swirling with gold.

"They are dying out there…Dain is surrounded…" Dwalin's voice returned, taking Thorin from the peaceful scene of Rivendell. The gold beneath him dropped and he plunged into its depths, unable to breathe. He screamed, clawing desperately for anything to save him.

"Your pride will get them killed, Thorin!" Nina accused, no longer the quiet girl in the serene Elven fortress.

"You are changed, Thorin," Bilbo joined in, sounding crushed. Thorin didn't want to hurt the hobbit.

"I am not my grandfather…"

"Is this treasure truly worth more than your honor?" Bilbo's question hung in the air.

"I am not my grandfather…"

"This treasure will be your death…" Gandalf warned. The gold swallows Thorin whole.

"I am not my grandfather." Thorin stood on the golden floor, catching his breath and looking around. He felt like he had been gone for days, just now returning to Erebor. He threw his crown onto the ground, the clattering sound echoing through the halls. He took a breath. He knew what he needed to do.

On Ravenhill, Erich stood calmly above the battlefield as Azog paced excitedly beside him.

"Now comes their end, they are being slaughtered. Prepare for the final assault," He narrated. Erich inwardly rolled his eyes. The pleasure he felt from watching the dwarves die was being challenged by the irritation he felt from Azog's comments. It also was no help that the dwarves of Erebor were still alive and well, to his knowledge. He wanted them dead more than any other creature there.

In Erebor, the dwarves sat in despair as they listened to the helpless cries of their dying brothers in anguish. They were conflicted; they wanted to be loyal soldiers obeying their king, but they also knew their King was wrong. They wanted to help their people, and die trying if they had to. Interrupting their silent struggle was Thorin Oakenshield as he approached. They could tell something was different. He strode in wearing a simple leather outfit, with no crown or jewels or robes. He held his sword readily. They stood to meet him. His face was stoic, but something in it felt familiar to them. Kili, however, was only concerned with the speech he had mentally rehearsed for Thorin. He stormed over to meet his Uncle face-to-face, ready to challenge him. He had thought it over. He could not obey his King when his King was wrong. In his heart he felt that he must fight with his kin, and that doing so would have made Nina proud of him.

"I will not hide behind a wall of stone, while others fight our battles for us!" He snarled, neither dwarf hesitant as they kept walking toward each other. Kili set a hand on his chest. "It is not in my blood, Thorin." His voice wavered as tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't want to live if others were dying on his behalf. Thorin stopped in front of him.

"No, it is not," He nodded. Kili looked up at him in surprise. The voice was warm, soothing like it always had been before they had come. "We are sons of Durin, and Durinsfolk do not flee from a fight." He gave a wide smile, setting a hand on Kili's shoulder. Kili didn't bother to stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks as Thorin gently set his forehead on Kili's. He had his uncle again.

Nina sat on the edge of the couch, tears in her eyes as she hung onto every word. Kili had stood up to Thorin, fighting for what was right instead of following orders blindly. He had been courageous. She loved him for that. Her eyes stayed glued to the TV.

"I have no right to ask this of any of you," Thorin sighed as he moved past Kili to address the company. She quickly wiped tears from her eyes as he continued to speak. "But will you follow me, one last time?" She let out the breath she had been holding with relief. She cried and laughed and cried some more as she realized that Thorin had cured himself of the gold sickness. He had not been lost, after all. The dwarves stood, unsheathing their weapons and tearing off their fancy armor. They didn't need it. They looked just as they had the day they had left the Shire to just anyone, but to Nina, they looked so much more resolved. They were her dwarves, and they were going into battle.

"I have to go back." She blurted. Her family had been kind enough not to show any reactions when she cried throughout the movie, but her outburst had certainly gotten their attention now.

"What?" James asked incredulously. Madison was quick to lay a calming hand on her sister's knee.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" She asked quietly. Nina met her gaze, and saw that it was taking everything Madison had in her not to beg Nina to reconsider. Madison saw the look in Nina's eyes. She was resolved.

"I was there in the beginning of this journey, and I have to see it through. I owe them my life, I cannot let them die now without helping if I can."

"Nina, just stay here where it's safe," James spoke a little frantically as he grabbed her hands and knelt in front of her. He couldn't lose his little girl again.

"I can't Dad, I can't just leave them to die," She covered his hands with her own and smiled sadly. "You know I have powers when I'm there, I can help the dwarves. Erich is attacking them because of me, I can't let them die for me."

"I can't lose you again, sweetheart," He began to cry. She hated to see him like this, and she racked her brain for a way to ensure that he wouldn't lose her. She knew she couldn't promise to return because she couldn't guarantee it. She didn't even know if she would be able to get to Middle Earth again.

"Look Dad," Madison got up and grabbed the DVD cases to the other Hobbit movies and sat back down. The other two looked at her in confusion. Madison held up the cover of the first movie, reading him the summary on the back. It listed the company, and in it included Nina's name. "That guy Erich showed me a trailer for the Battle of the Five Armies when he first came, and Nina was in it. If she goes back, she'll be in these movies for us. We can still see her, Dad," Madison assured him. Nina smiled.

"I'm really in those?" She chuckled. Madison nodded eagerly.

"I had almost forgotten about it," She laughed. "If we had watched the other two movies just now, I bet we would've seen you."

"That's so weird," Nina shook her head. James sighed.

"I don't want you to go, Nina. I won't lie about that. But if you are dead-set on it, then I know I can't stop you," He conceded. Nina kissed his forehead gently and hugged them both.

"I love you both more than you will ever know," She sniffed, burying her head in their shoulders and taking in everything about them that she could. Madison gently pulled away with a knowing smile.

"And you love Kili too," She smiled, James looking a little uncomfortable at the idea. Nina couldn't fight her smile. "Go save him, and then tell him how you feel."

"But I can't—"

"If you don't tell him, I will find my way to Middle Earth and tell him for you," Madison warned sternly. Nina laughed and hugged her sister again.

"I believe it too," She agreed. They all looked at each other, relishing in being together for just a little longer. "I have to go now," She broke the silence reluctantly after a moment. She got up and ran up the steps to her room, quickly changing into her Middle Earth clothes and checking to make sure Kili's runestone was still safe around her neck. She looked in the mirror and nodded to herself, looking around her room one last time. When she went back downstairs into the kitchen, her family was there waiting for her.

"I want you to take this with you," James struggled to say as he wiped away tears. Madison laid a hand on his arm to comfort him. He held out a small piece of pure white cloth to her, adorned with little blue flowers. It was beautiful to her. "It's part of the shawl your mother wore on our wedding day." He explained.

"I couldn't—"

"You have to take it. I know it's just a small piece, but it can remind you of us. Another part of it was buried with her and the third part I've kept for Madison," He smiled at them both. Then his smile darkened as he thought of what Nina told him about his wife being alive in Middle Earth. He supposed, then, that there was no body in that grave after all. He didn't voice his thoughts though, not wanting to tell Madison about that whole issue.

"I'll never lose it then," Nina smiled through her tears, tucking the handkerchief-sized cloth into an inside pocket of her shirt. She gave them both a tight hug again, before leaving the house for the last time. She ran as fast as she could, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't be too late, finally reaching the clearing where she had been returned to her world.

"Galadriel!" She called out into the air, vaguely realizing she probably looked very crazy to her neighbors. She had no clue what to do, or if it was even possible to get anyone to hear her. "Galadriel, please, I made a mistake!" She stood there waiting another minute before realizing that her attempts were not successful. She racked her brain for another way to get to the Elf.

"I know you made a mistake," The calm voice interrupted her thoughts. Nina looked up at the elegant-looking Elf dumbfounded.

"You heard me?"

"I am your mother, Nina, of course I did," She replied, but her voice was distant and a little cold.

"I offended you when I left," Nina stated more than asked, already knowing the answer. Galadriel's calm demeanor faltered for only moment before she regained it.

"You made a choice, and you must accept the consequences of that choice: good or bad," She insisted. Nina shook her head and stepped closer to the Elf.

"I know I made a choice but in my defense you didn't exactly prepare me for it, did you?" She rose her eyebrows, waiting for Galadriel's excuse. The Elf merely gave a shrug and turned to leave. "No, no wait," She reached out, grabbing Galadriel's arm to stop her. The Elf turned back to face her, sending her a surprised frown at the contact. "My father raised me and my sister to always give people a second chance, can't you do that for me?"

"Perhaps," Galadriel replied at long last, gently pushing Nina's hand off her arm. Her eyes had softened a little at the mention of Nina's father and sister. "You have angered powers higher than me, though. Why should they let you return?"

"Because you have a war on your hands last time I checked," Nina sighed. "And I can try to help the dwarves, elves, and men win it. That man Erich Arvandor is killing innocent people, and I'm the reason he's there."

"What makes you say that?" Galadriel stopped her.

"Well, I'm not originally in the Hobbit stories, and neither is he, so I thought he was one of the changes made by my presence in the story," Nina reasoned, suddenly aware that this had never been confirmed for her. Galadriel nodded.

"You could be right, this could be the work of darker powers, trying to create a force that could challenge yours."

"Then what are we waiting for? Get me to Erebor, please!" She gestured frantically. Galadriel held up a hand to stop her shouting.

"You cannot go back if your plan is to save those who are meant to die," She insisted. Nina knew she meant Thorin, Fili, and Kili. She swallowed nervously. That was exactly her plan. She looked Galadriel in the eyes and maintained the most serious expression she could muster.

"I won't try to save them, I'll let things happen as they're supposed to," She promised. Her heart broke just a little, knowing that Galadriel would never trust her again once she saw that Nina was lying to her. But she had to do it. She had to save her dwarves. Galadriel held her gaze a little longer, considering her words, before nodding.

"Then we should go."

"Thorin!" Bilbo cried, sprinting to the edge of a ruined balcony in Dale. He didn't have to strain his eyesight to see the entrance of the mountain, since he had impressive eyes. He laughed a little in relief to himself when he saw the company, led by Thorin Oakenshield, burst valiantly through the stone wall and into the battle. Gandalf rushed to Bilbo's side to see the commotion. "The dwarves, they're rallying!" Bilbo explained as he watched the entire dwarven army reform to follow Thorin.

"They're rallying to their king," Gandalf smiled warmly, with tears in his eyes that Bilbo dared not point out. He knew that Gandalf had been hurt by Thorin's words at the wall as well, and they both felt relief in seeing him join the battle.

The mountain, however, was not completely empty. Neither the dwarves nor Bilbo and his keen eyesight could see the two women that had just appeared inside the mountain. Nina looked around and down at herself. She checked to see that the runestone and the handkerchief were still with her, found that they were, and then noticed the sword strapped to her side.

"Macilril," She smiled a little as she ran her hand over the hilt. "I didn't think I'd see you again." She looked around the mountain, noticing that a giant golden bell had crashed through the stone wall they had made. She frowned, searching for the dwarves.

"They must have done this themselves," Galadriel sounded mildly impressed as she looked around. "To join the battle."

"And now I'll join it too," Nina eagerly headed for the entrance.

"Nina," Galadriel stopped her. "You have never been in a war. It is not like the movies you watched at home. It is horrible, and you very well may not make it out alive," She shook her head. "There is nothing I can say that will prepare you for it. My place is not here, so now I must leave you. I wish you nothing but victory, daughter," She let go one of her rare smiles. Nina returned it.

"Thank you, Galadriel. For everything."

She turned around to enter the battle, knowing that Galadriel would have already disappeared from behind her by now. She stood on top of the remnants of the wall, looking out to see if she could spot the dwarves. She had no idea how hard that was until she tried. As soon as she had view of the battle, it all hit her, hard.

Blood. The metallic smell of crimson blood consumed the air as she overlooked the land below from the mountain fortress she stood in. She looked down at herself through tear filled eyes, briefly registering the new clothes she wore. The symbol she bore on her chest meant something, but she did not know what it was yet. Her golden hair blew away from her face in the slight breeze and she realized if the situation was different it would be a nice day. She moved to leave her spot, but the indescribable smell of blood and feces and the deafening roar of cries in anguish made her hesitate. She shook her mind of those thoughts. This was not the time for being a coward, this was the time to be a protector.

Sorry for such a long wait, but I wanted this chapter to be reaally good. We have one, possibly two, more chapters in this story, and at the end of the last chapter I will announce the title of the sequel to this story! Yes, there will be a sequel!

thank you for all the support and reviews, and please keep it up! Until next chapter...