Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any rights to the characters or their movie counterparts nor do I make any money from this. I am just borrowing them for this story. I just recently saw the Battle of Five Armies about four days ago with a friend and the first thing I thought was damn "what if Thorin hadn't taken so long to snap out of the gold sickness or better yet what if Smaug had been proven wrong and the gold sickness never had a chance to take at all". So I decided to write this story as a sort of different outcome had that very thing happened. Edited for grammar.

The gold sickness was something that Thorin knew about all too well. He had seen it happening slowly to his grandfather turning him into something far from dwarfish. He had seen it lacing his grandfather's mind with evil crazed paranoia. That had lead to the reopen of old grudges and wounds with the elves. It had to be said that there had always been a slight animosity between elves and dwarfs since the beginning of time is some form or another. But for all the nay sayers both dwarf and elf the blame laid at the feet of the late king of Erebor. Thorin was a much younger dwarf lad in those day's but he remembered it well enough.

Flashback

Thorin had been there when the Elven King had visited and asked to fixed a necklace of his. It was his grandfather and fathers opinion that he take part in things such as these so when he ascended to the throne he knew what to do. It is said that time such as a few or even one month is a mere blink in the life span of an elf, so it wasn't any surprise that when his grandfather had agreed to fixed the necklace that it would be finished in a reasonable amount of time.

Thorin had watched his grandfather before the gold sickness had worsened design the new setting for the refurbished necklace and even craft some of the sterling silver metal settings the would hold the diamonds the Elvenking had supplied. It turned out a beautiful thing with diamonds as bright as the evening starlight. It was half a year before the Elvenking visited with his royal party again to pick up his necklace.

Thorin watched as the king approached graceful and cool indifference set upon his ethereal features. Inclining his head in a respectable manner to his grandfather. The treasurer was summoned to bring a box out that held what Thorin new to be the most beautiful diamonds they could find in the mountain with the necklace gently laying upon them on silk and satin. He had seen the follow months how the more gold they found in the heart of the mountain the more crazed with greed for it his grandfather had become. So with a weary heart he watch as the Elven King blue eyes lite up in wonder at the repaired necklace and just as he reach for it Thorin saw the disappointment and more strongly the trace of shock on the king face as his grandfather order them to take the necklace away.

Thorin was just as shock though he keep his face clear as the Elvenking strolled away in a swirl of silver and blonde anger radiating his every step. The young dwarf prince knew this wasn't the last he would be hearing or seeing of the Elvenking of Mirkwood.

Flashback End

Thorin remembered that moment as being one in which he lost respect for his grandfather. He tried confronting his grandfather about how he did not keep his word to the elves and how this would tarnish their honor as good dwarf men. It had fallen on deaf ears as his poor fool of a grandfather was too far gone to even begin to hear any words his grandson was trying to tell him. Thorin didn't have much time after that to pay much attention to his grandfather because of other pressing matters in the mountain and the rumors of a dragon not far in the surrounding areas. It was well know what happened after that. Smaug coming, the destruction of Erebor and Dale, several if not millions of deaths both dwarfs and humans alike.

Thorin couldn't find it in himself to be mad any more as he held the necklace in his hand. They had taken back the mountain, the dragon was died and he had more gold then he knew what to do with. It was almost overwhelming until he reminded himself he was not his grandfather and he would not make the same mistakes as his father and grandfather did before him. He quickly left the treasury room and made his way to the main gate. The town upon the lake burned and the smoke danced in the wind. The ruin of Dale sparkled as the fires cast shadows upon the walls of the once prosperous city.

The wind carried the chill of winter that was not far off as the people of Laketown settled in for the night under the watchful eyes of the newly crowned King of Erebor. His gazed like a hawks looking over Dale.

Elsewhere

Thranduil rode his elk in at a good pace he would soon be at Erebor"s door with his thousand elf warriors marching in time behind him. The Elvenking smirked he was looking forward to seeing Thorin, after all it had been a few months since their escape from his dungeons. The Elvenking of Mirkwood was riding high on pride and ignoring the small fact that he locked the company of dwarfs in his dungeons to rot not even six months before. Thranduil was sure after taking back the mountain Thorin would be in a giving mood and that the dwarf would give what was owed to him. He wasn't really giving Thorin a choice otherwise there would be war.

Afternote: Thanks for your patience and my loyal readers whom are following and have fav this story. I am working on the next couple of chapters and hope to have them up soon. However I a student with midterms so life happens. Please R&R and continue too let me know you guys are out there and reading my stories.