Galadriel stood in the tower, her husband Celeborn pacing.
"If what you've seen is true, we must be prepared."
"But what I've seen may yet need to come to pass. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."
"Very well," sighed Celeborn. "But we must have a watch, if it is to pass."
With that, the Elf Lord ordered all soldiers to look and listen for any attack.
Some were late in noticing the shadow pass over Lothlórien, and that shadow crashed outside the Elven City.
Out of the small pod emerged the Outriders, who ran into the City. Some were shot down. Some of them leapt at the Elves. A battle under the trees had begun.
Outside of Erebor, a few pods crashed into the ground, just outside of Dale.
King Dain was alerted by some guards at the Front Gate.
Outriders emerged from the pods and ran at the kingdom, trying to scale the Gate. Some Dwarven archers shot them down, others were swift and leapt over to attack.
"Do not let them over!" shouted Dain as he hacked the beasts down with his red axe.
Out of one pod emerged two figures. Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight.
"Give us the Stone, and you'll all be spared!" shouted Glaive. But King Dain was no fool. He saw that they were bluffing. In response, he ordered two Dwarves to shoot them down. Their spears averted the attacks, and more Dwarven soldiers ran to the Gate.
Galadriel was down near her Mirror. She saw more things that may come to pass, and she prepared. The Elven Queen reached into the Mirror, and out of it she pulled the Space Stone.
Celeborn and the others defended their City with life and limb, a few Elves being slain here and there.
Out of the latest pod emerged Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw.
"The Stone-Keeper is here. Treat with the soldiers," said Maw.
Cull ran at the City, throwing his hammer and causing much ruin.
Proxima and Corvus had leapt over the Gate and were slaying several Dwarves.
Dain wept in his heart but he knew he couldn't let the Stone fall into their hands. He ran to the treasure room, and under heaps of gold he took out the Reality Stone. With reluctance, the Dwarven King slammed the Stone into a small slit at the tip of his axe. He groaned for a moment before adjusting himself to the power.
He saw Corvus entering the throne room, sneering at the king.
"A king shouldn't hide from a threat to his kingdom."
"And an ugly thief does not assault a king. Nor is he so sure of himself."
Dain used the Stone to turn the ceiling above Corvus into melted gold, and it fell around him. But the glaive spun, directing the melted substance away.
"Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!"
At Dain's shout, the two leapt at each other, ready to give all they had.
Ebony Maw stood behind Galadriel. She turned and saw him, and they seemed to communicate without words.
"Thanos will have the Stone. And when he does, the survival of the universe will be undeniable. You will give me the Stone."
"You have pride higher than the mightiest of walls. But every wall crumbles sooner than late."
Ebony Maw used his telekinesis to lift the Stone and levitate it to him, but Galadriel held her phial, and the Light of Eärendil illuminated, blinding Maw and causing him to drop his hold on the Stone.
Galadriel picked up the Stone, and with Elven magic she created a blast that struck Maw backwards.
"Fall back! Fall back now!" shouted Celeborn as the Elves attempted a new strategy.
Cull threw his hammer, crushing several Elves and structures.
Celeborn and several others their arrows against the brute, but he was too thick and dense of skin.
A figure hovered towards Cull, but in his hand was the Space Stone.
Before anyone could shoot at Maw, the Children of Thanos and the few remaining Outriders fled into their paws, which hovered away.
A weakened Galadriel walked near the others.
"My Queen," muttered Celeborn in a solemn tone.
"They were indeed too strong. We will have company soon. But unto them we must bare ill tidings."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Bofur.
"Of course I am! Company! Lift!" shouted Dwalin.
Several Dwarves had managed to stuff Bombur into a large barrel, and they rolled him down to the gate.
Several Dwarves distracted Proxima, but as she turned it was too late. The weight of Bombur in his barrel crushed her before she could use her spear.
Some Dwarves shouted in victory, but it was short. Hundreds of Dwarves lay dead at their feet.
Dain and Corvus fought on, both growing wearisome of the other's power.
"You are formidable, Dwarf. But you're growing weary," taunted Corvus. "You'll die as the mortal you are."
"Ahdrahâl! Bifur!"
At their king's shout, the two Dwarves ran in and helped fend off the attacker.
Before Dain could strike down the enemy, the glaive spun. Bifur was stabbed in the shoulder and Dain's hand had been sliced off.
As the king shouted out, Corvus grabbed the axe and fled, averting his enemies. He dodged the archers, and he escaped in his pod with the outriders.
The Dwarves ran to help their king.
"We must... get help," said Dain weakly. "Call upon King Brand. Call upon the Beornings! We must... not let the last Stone be achieved."