Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise, sadly.

A/N: And here it is the awaited battle :) Apologies for any spelling mistakes.

Contained in this chapter is: Wings, Dragons, Sassy Elves, Dead Orcs, Partial Love Confessions and Sadness.

Chapter 23

Thranduil POV

I shifted atop Rían, who in turn moved uneasily, it had been centuries, probably almost a millennia since I had had to wear the gleaming silver armour that I was adorned in, Legolas had only been but a child when I had. Rían snorted and I looked down to my left and found that Ariana had come to stand next to me, her armour gleaming a burnished copper. The armour was clearly dwarvish in make, but looked to be lighter than any of the armour I had seen the other dwarves wear, it had also clearly been lovingly made and was amazingly detailed. I stared down at her, never had I seen something as beautiful as I had then. "Baneth lín síla celair." I whispered and she looked up at me, allowing the light to glint off the beautiful circlet that rested on her brow, her high tail showcasing her pointed ears and the jewels in them. "Aranamin." I looked down at her, she had called me her king, that was new.

My gaze followed her as she walked out of the front line and onto the battle field as the army of Orcs and Goblins came streaming out from under ground as the were worms tunnelled their way out from under the hills surrounding the mountain. "Ariana, what in Mahal's name do you think yer doin'?" I heard one of the company shout and she turned back with a smile, "Thinning out their numbers." I started and blinked, clearly she was crazy to think she could even try to thin out the forces that seemed to keep pouring out of the holes in the hills. I sighed the wizard was going to be insufferable now he had been right about the army that was coming.

I stared at her, tilting my head when I heard a snort, I watched from the corner of my eye as Elrond shook his head from where he was sat on his horse next to me, "You surely cannot be that obtuse Thranduil." He muttered to me and I tore my gaze away from Ariana as she climbed the small hill in front of us. "Speak plainly or not at all." I snapped out, he and Galadriel had a way of speaking in riddles and it annoyed me beyond reason, just because they could see what was coming didn't give them the right to act all high and mighty. "That woman is your one. Surely you are not so blind that you cannot see that. She completes you Thranduil. The most obvious sign is what your son calls her." He snapped back and my gaze flew immediately to Ariana, the bond that I had ignored when she was a child came sparking brightly to life again. I shook my head, surely the fates would not be so cruel as to bless me with a one, only to give me one who was mortal. I had barely survived my best friends death, I did not know if I could survive the death of my one, I thought as I watched Ariana come to a stop.

She stood out on the brow of the hill and held her hands out to her sides, the palms facing down and slightly back towards us. The army in front of us cheered and screamed thinking this was all we had to offer. "Arise and stand with me." I heard her mutter, the palms of her hands glowing a golden green. The army in front of us began to advance and I turned to find every archer at our disposal ready to fire. I swung back around as the ground began to shake under our feet, every being on the battlefield freezing as mounds grew underneath the ash covered ground. Soon the ground was breaking and great boar like beasts were rising from the ground, ridden by tall riders with huge antlers spanning out from the side of their heads, followed by huge troll sized beasts. Each of the creatures seemed to be made up entirely of vines, roots and branches all wound together, they looked fearsome from the back so what they looked like from the front I could only imagine.

I started as the ground bulged and shook beneath Ariana's feet, surely that was a bad thing, yet her stance stayed strong. As the ground broke a huge serpentine head emerged just below her feet, she braced and let it grow beneath her feet. It towered over us with Ariana atop it, a roar like sound issuing from it's mouth, yet it was made up of the same vines, roots and branches of the others. Two other serpentine creatures rose at either end of the line of creatures, a great roar going up from amongst Ariana's line of soldiers, before they surged forward. I stared as she managed to stay balanced atop the creature leaping from one of the serpentine beasts to the other as they crossed the plain to meet the orcs.

The creatures clashed with the orcs and goblins, the blows from them sending many of our enemy flying. It seemed that while they were animated they were indeed made of plants, they didn't have weak spots, they had no blood to spill and that made them harder to kill. I realised as I watched Ariana leap from one serpentine beast to another, that she was the only thing keeping them moving, keeping them fighting. The spark of magic she had used to create them still lingered on the battlefield and I could almost taste it on my tongue, like the feeling that arose in the air before a lightning strike, it was sent a tingle rushing down my spine the amount of power she could wield.

I focused back in on her as Legolas gasped beside me, she had lost her stance atop the creature and was falling to the floor. Rían shifted beneath me, reacting to my motion, ready to race forward at the slightest twitch. There was no sign of her from where we were stationed, the clouds of ash-dirt that were rising from the battle obscuring our view. We all froze, however when a figure twisted underneath the serpentine creatures swerving in and out of their arcing forms, speeding towards us as troll mounted catapults launched huge boulders towards our ranks. The figure shot up in front of us, it's huge feathered wings splayed out to brace it in the air as it raised it's hands causing the boulders to freeze in mid air, before launching them back towards the orcs with a cry, striking down the trolls and their catapults. The figure turned and I saw Ariana grinning down at us, "I told you. I am not an Elf!" She shouted back before her wings beat strongly and carried her up into the sky, dodging the arrows and spears that were thrown up into the sky to try and hit her.

I exhaled as the beauty of the sight of Ariana overcame and Gandalf chuckled from beside me, "She's a Fae and to think that her old family called her wings ugly, freakish and disgusting. I have never seen a finer, nor more beautiful pair of wings." He shook his head and I could see what he meant, in the winter sunlight they shone with hints of gold and red, the feathers a beautiful copper colour that matched her armour perfectly. How any being could call them ugly I didn't know. Maybe the fates hadn't been as cruel as I had first thought, Fae were known for their long life span. I watched as she dove towards the ground, pulling up at the last second to drop down amongst the horde of orcs with her swords raised and wings retracted. "Maybe we should help her instead of sitting here gawping." I suggested dryly and I heard the dwarves cheer out behind me at the suggestion. We surged forward just as the first orcs began to break through the line of Ariana's creatures.

Soon the rush of the battle had over taken us and I had lost sight of Legolas, Elrond and a blow from the club of a rather enthusiastic orc had caused me to fall from Rían at some point, not that the creature lived much longer afterwards, although I could see Rían being led back inside the mountain with a few injured elves around him. I spun around at a presence behind me, only to clash one of my swords against Ariana's as her other behead an orc that had been aiming for my back. "Getting slow in your old age there my lord?" She teased as she span around quickly, her swords flashing silver as she cleared back the orcs that had tried to surround us. I chuckled, "I am still young yet, my queen." I shot back, enjoying the freedom of speech. She laughed and I stared at her as her wings emerged from beneath her armour, almost hiding her from view they were so large.

They fascinated me and, despite being in the middle of a battle I had to touch them. I ran a finger down the edge of her feathers, causing her to spin to face me, shock on her face. "I apologise I have never seen a Fae in all my years of life." She shook her head, "No it's fine. It's just that they are ugly, not many people would willingly touch them." I shook my head clearly she was not aware of how beautiful they were, although she was clearly aware of how deadly they were as she snapped one out at the orc approaching her from the side and it flew backwards, cracking against the ground. She grinned at me, crouching slightly and in a gust of wind surged up into the air with a great flap of her wings, gliding over towards the mountain, I could not hear what she said to the archers, but they seemed to answer positively. I looked up as I heard the screech of bats, grimacing as the disgusting creatures filled the air.

I watched distractedly as Ariana flew in between the bats, scouting out the battlefield and darting down to help where she could, a flap of her wings blowing orcs over enough for whichever race she was helping to get back up. The screeches from the bats were soon drowned out by a familiar roar, every figure on the battlefield freezing as four dragons soared across the sky, one black, one ruby, one sapphire and one pure white. Ariana soared in amongst them, landing on the back of the white creature and sliding a hand down it's neck, each of them crying out to her. Clearly they obeyed her as the blasted fire worm had when she had cleared Laketown. She spoke softly and they all split off, chasing after the bats and the larger of the orcs assembled below. I watched as Ariana jumped off and darted towards the top of the waterfall nearby, Ravenhill I think they had called it. Clearly there was something up there that had held her attention enough that she would abandon the battlefield for another area of the mountain.

I lost sight of her as she disappeared over the top of the waterfall, the white dragon following her. The fight kept me busy for a little while longer until a roar shook the plain, I turned towards the waterfall as the orcs shouted their support when the Defiler appeared at the top of the waterfall, Ariana standing in front of him, her sword raised and her wings missing, I assume folded back as they were before. Clearly he had been what had distracted her from the battlefield, the faint roar of a dragon telling me there was more than just him at the top of the cliff. I blinked at a flicker of familiar blond hair darting amongst the ruins, my breath catching as Legolas leaped out of the window and onto a walkway that crossed underneath where Ariana was facing off against the Defiler, a larger orc chasing after him.

I span around as Elrond ran up to me, "How in the Valar's name did Legolas get up there? Where did these dragons come from?" He asked me and I rolled my eyes, decapitating an orc that walked too close. "How am I suppose to know? I lost sight of Legolas after the battle began and you're the seer you tell me." I snapped out and he chuckled, fighting back to back with me. A great cry went up from the mountain and we turned to see Legolas kicking his orc off the side of the cliff, "That is my son." I said smugly and Elrond rolled his eyes, obviously choosing to ignore me as we watched Legolas run up the crumbling steps at the side of the mountain to try and reach the frozen river and Ariana.

I studied the edge of the waterfall, not seeing Ariana or the Defiler anywhere. I frowned, viciously slicing at the orcs around me, the sooner I got rid of them the quicker I could find my son and my one. The battlefield fell silent again as the white dragon burst out from the waterfall with a roar, water suddenly flowing again and chunks of ice falling over the top as the river began to flow again. There was cry's of outrage from the orc forces still left as Ariana appeared at the top of the waterfall, the Defiler's head in her hands and his body falling over the edge as she threw the head over.

We soon managed to subdue or chase off the remaining orc forces down on the plain, Gandalf had walked past inquiring about the hobbit, Bilbo who had apparently wandered off when Gandalf had told him there was a second army coming from the north. I shook my head, the hobbit was brave, but foolish if he thought he could fight an entire army of orcs on his own. Although that was clearly what the white dragon had been fighting. I span as an arrow slid past the left side of my face into an orc that had slowly been limping it's way towards me, looking up to find the young dwarf prince Tauriel was enamoured with, Kíli. He raised his bow and ran off, presumably to try and find his brother, Fíli if I remembered right. He was not what I would have chosen for my foster daughter, but from what I had seen he would be good for her, hopefully balance her out a little.

I tensed as one of the dragons landed near to me, Legolas sliding down it's side, gesturing up to the Halfling and the other rider. The hobbit slid down and ran over to us, "Fetch the boys I know they are out here somewhere. This is urgent. In fact fetch the company." He snapped out at one of the elves who nodded and ran, not far as the company were running towards us, I raised an eyebrow in surprise to see Thorin amongst their numbers, I thought he had been too busy with his gold to assist us, but now his eyes were clear of madness, but they were filled with sorrow. I smirked inwardly, I hoped he felt awful for what he had put his sister through all over that pile of gold. My attention snapped back to the scene behind me as Legolas' voice reached me, "Ada you need to help her, please!" The pain in his voice had me turning and kneeling down to join him on the ground, Elrond arriving just behind us.

I froze as he laid out the third rider on the ground, expecting to see an unknown elf, only to be faced with Ariana's bloodied face, the wound Thorin had cause had clearly been reopened at some time within the battle atop the waterfall, but now it was deeper and swept up towards her hairline. I watched as Legolas struggled with her armour as I kept a finger on the faint pulse within her neck. "I can't undo it ada." He whispered only to have Kíli kneel down on her other side, sweep away his hands and begin to undo it, talking to her as he did so. "Aunty? Aunty look at me. You promised me, remember? You can't break that promise to me Aunty. I won't let you." There were tears in his eyes as she groaned and blinked her eyes trying to look up at him, "Kíli?" She managed to rasp out and he nodded, grasping her hand as Legolas pulled back the sides of her armour.

I looked at the wound in her chest, the bindings she wore around her breasts under her armour completely stained with red, then turned to look up at Elrond, who pale faced shook his head, this wound looked to be beyond what we could heal. "One of those bats got her back, I think as we were flying down from the ridge." The hobbit remarked and I gently turned her over, grimacing at the sight of her back, her left shoulder almost stripped to the bone by the bats claws. "Aunty, we're here. Fíli and I, we're safe just like you wanted. Aunty?" Kíli continued to try and talk to her as she was rolled back over, her head ending up resting on my knees. The two princes were grasping her left hand tightly in their own and when I looked up Legolas had her right hand clasped tightly in both of his. "Nana, you need to stay. You can't do this, there are too many of us here that need you to guide us." Legolas told her and she turned to him, a faint smile gracing her bloody lips.

It struck me then that I could lose the one person who seemed to have begun breaking through my walls to reach my heart where I had long ago locked it away. I bowed my head forward, curtaining her face with my hair. "Gerog I cun nin mi I chaim gin, Aier. Would you leave me now?" I whispered to her, knowing that Legolas and Elrond could hear the words but not caring, watching as she blinked her eyes open to look up at me, "Why is it people always say the right things when you die?" She whispered back and I pulled my head back, "You are not dying. I forbid it." I told her sharply causing her to chuckle wetly, coughing and then spitting blood off to the side, "Forbid it my lord? I did not realise you had the power to control life and death." I frowned, looking down at her, I did not but how I wished that I did. The hobbit shuffled beside Legolas and she tilted her head slightly to look at him, "My dear Bilbo, why is everyone frowning so?"

He started as she addressed him, before falling to his knees. "Oh you silly thing, we're frowning because you are hurt. We are frowning because we are losing you before we are ready." She shook her head weakly against my knees, "No, no, no that just won't do. I am dying yes, but I am dying here in Middle Earth. I have finally come home. I am not dying in a world surrounded by those who hate me and want me to dead. I finally have peace." She coughed more violently and it was only then, as she spat off to the side that I realised the pool of blood had grown dangerously large beneath her, despite all the pressure being applied to her wounds by the boys spare hands. "No Aunty, you are not dying. You are not leaving us." Fíli cried from beside her and she turned to them, "I am surrounded by those I care about, there is no greater way to die." She said and the two boys were clearly uncaring about who saw them cry, I glanced over and found Legolas and the hobbit crying as well.

It wasn't until she blinked up at me that I realised I was crying as well, my tears falling on to her temple. She looked around at us, "Please don't cry, I would rather die a meaningful death, than to live a meaningless life. I am just glad that I am home." She coughed again, her breath wheezing now. I watched as each of the three boys leant forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, as I lowered my head to place my own I felt her last breath sigh out across my forehead. I snapped my head up and immediately tried looking for a pulse in her neck, before looking up at the three boys and the hobbit, shaking my head. "She is gone." The words left my mouth as a whisper, but they seemed like they had been shouted.

All round me there were cries of shock, the three boys and Bilbo breaking down into tears as I tried to swallow mine back, quickly trying to supress the emotions behind the ice again as my heart started to crack. I gazed at the fledgling bond that had started to form between us even after years of dormancy, only to find it a fading light tangled around my heart, that and the bond to Legolas seemed to be the only things holding the pieces of my heart together. I tensed as Elrond rested a hand on my shoulder, I knew he meant it as a comfort, but it was the furthest thing from it.

Bilbo shakily reached into the pocket of his breeches and brought out the wrapped bundle that was the Arkenstone. "Give to Aunty. It can be laid to rest with her." Kíli muttered through his tears and Bilbo nodded, his hands shaking as he unwrapped it and picked it up, placing it in Ariana's hand and resting it atop her chest, where one would rest her sword. We all started as Thorin moved around, each of us reaching for a weapon as he gazed down at her, aware that he could be simply be looking at the Arkenstone. "I agree with Kíli. That blasted rock will never be seen by another of our line." He muttered, before collapsing to his knees at Ariana's feet, his shoulder's shaking. "Thorin?" Bilbo's voice was timid, as was the hand he placed on Thorin's arm. "I killed her. She is dead because of me." He muttered out and we all looked at him.

Daín came to stand behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Thorin, ye cannae blame yerself for that bastard orc." I had to agree with him, as much as I wanted to blame Thorin, he himself had not stabbed Ariana. Thorin shook his head, tears in his eyes. "She came to see me before the battle, she had seen it, she had seen her death. She knew that she was going to die by Azog's blade. She told me that despite all that, there would be no pain with these wounds as I had killed her already. In behaving as I did, I broke her heart and killed her before she had even set foot on the battlefield. This is my fault." He told us and I felt my temper flare slightly ready to rip him apart for taking her from this earth, until I heard Legolas mutter, "Where is the Arkenstone?" Every gaze shot to Ariana's corpse and in the space of Thorin's confession, the jewel had vanished.

Kíli's voice snapped out, "Who stole it? Who dared take it from her?" Fíli who had not moved his gaze from Ariana, shook his head, "It melted." We all looked over at him, "It melted into her blood, I watched it do it. The jewel sparked to life, the fire burning brighter than it had when Bilbo placed in her hands and it began to melt, leaking right into her wounds." I studied him, looking for signs of madness, when on a whim I pressed my fingers back against her neck and froze. I could feel her heartbeat, it was faint but I could feel it. I leant forward and rested my cheek above her mouth, feeling a faint puff of air as she breathed out. "She's alive. We need to get her in to Galadriel now." I snapped out, already cradling her body in my arms and rising from the ground.

I strode across the battlefield and into the mountain, not a single being daring to get in my way. I could hear the conversation that was happening behind me as I walked, "No one outside of us must know she died, she was injured. I will act in her stead until she is well enough again to do it herself." Kíli's voice said and if I hadn't been so worried for the woman in my arms I would have smirked. As I entered the cavern it was clear that someone had already run ahead to inform the healers and there was a tent set up ready for her. Galadriel beckoned us inside, stopping everyone but myself and Elrond. As we worked on cleansing her wounds and then as we worked around her wings as they reappeared amongst the shredded mess of her shoulder, I prayed for the first time in millennia that I could have this one thing, that I could have her given back to me.

A/N:So there we go then thats the battle done with. I apologise if it's not to everyone liking or if it confuses the hell out of people at the mo, everything will be explained I promise.

Translations:

Baneth lín síla celair - your beauty shines brightly.

Aranamin - My king

Gerog I cun nin mi I chaim gin, Aier. - You hold my heart in your hands, little one.

The next chapter will be Durin centred and they may slow down in frequency after that as I start back at work again tomorrow :(