Chp1

He was unknowing, unseeing. He was, and yet, was not, for an innumerable amount of time. He was slow to come back to remembrance, struggling to take in all that may have happened. He lay still for a moment, but then, grim realization slowly came to him.

Small piercings of thought and feelings wracked his mind and body. And, he had an awareness of a strange sensation. Pain. Pain - not something he or his kin was accustomed to. Of course he had had many wounds over his long years. Young though he may be in reckoning of the others, but he had seen much, and experienced too much during those years.

Most recently, the wound in his leg barely felt as a sting- it was the horrible poison that crippled him. It left him with an absolute sensation of no control, all fear and creeping darkness. Then...there was light. A light that spoke of things foreign to him-birdsong, whistling wind, trickling waters and the ancient power that recalled him from the darkness. For some reason to him, he needed to remember that light, but at the moment, he couldn't understand why.

His thoughts seemingly returned to the present. And in all his years, he never experienced such a piercing, white hot pain. The moment he felt the blade it brought tears to his eyes, and again, he couldn't understand why he was so sad- he had never been afraid to die in battle. Many of his kin rejoice and wantonly choose that path, and he welcomed it as his fate too, because he knew the way he lived, reckless, was surely what was laid out for him. He struggled, struggled to remain, now that it had happened...but, why? This time, a different and all-encompassing overwhelming power... the pull of nothingness overtook him.

Chp2

She could not see anything. Everything was blinding white light. She was was taken to the zenith of every emotion she had ever experienced in her long, long life all at once. When her parents were gone, she had known loss and with it came sorrow; but nothing could prepare her to feel so powerless and overwhelmingly sad at this moment.

She had watched as the foul being who had thrown her to the ground fought with him and strong proud warrior though he may be, the orc gained the upper hand, raised the jagged blade and savagely plunged it into his chest. He looked at her, pleadingly, the promise of so much...gone, gone in an instant. She watched his hot life's blood spill all over the snow and with his last moment of strength his eyes sought to find her and he did. Then she saw him fall to the ground, his last tear dripping from his eye and his eyes saw her no more.

Also, there was pain. Never before had she had been so wounded, had felt so frail. Every fiber ached such as she had never experienced before. All of her battle wounds of late of course, but the pain of loss was so acute, every one of her senses seemed on fire. Intense anger swelled in her and she furiously attacked the great beast, caring not if she lived or died. Determined to make him suffer, she used every last bit of strength in her to pull herself and the Orc off the cliff. They fell, and she felt no more.

Chp3

She awoke a short time later to a great crashing sound. She struggled herself up. Just in time she saw Legolas with the Orc on some sort of fallen bridge. She knew Legolas to be the greatest fighter she had ever known and trained under him for many a long year. However the foul beast seemed every bit as strong and powerful, but with a deadly and clear purpose- to eradicate the line of Durin from existence. She was not sure the fate of Thorin and Kili's brother, but knew they were also up here on this accursed hill.

Legolas finally seemed to get the better of the great beast, jumping on his shoulders then plunging the sword deep into the creatures head. Then she saw him fall into the chasm. Tauriel let out a long sigh and from where she was at, she gave Legolas a grateful gesture of her hand to her heart and a nod of her head. She allowed herself a few moments to rest. Exhaustion almost had overtaken her, when her breath stopped and her blood froze instantly. She remembered. And she needed to find him.

She ran swiftly up the stone pathway, grief carrying her to a place she did not want to go, but must. As she ascended, his form came slowly into view. She rushed to be at his side. When she got next to him, grief overtook her and she collapsed over his prone figure. For an uncounted amount of time, every emotion poured out of her as she lay over him. Finally, she slowly rose up so she could view him. She caressed his hair and studied his rugged features. Different than the elves she had known her long life, but more beautiful to her, as she remembered his endearingly sweet and playful manner and this brought out fresh sobs in her. Also, she noticed how his princely countenance shone through as he lay there peacefully her knowing all of his valiant deeds in life, and truly she felt he did have the blood of kings in him, if only he had been given the chance. Saddened by this thought, she knew now that nothing else, anywhere in Middle Earth, mattered to her - she would remain by his side ever after.

Chp4

Tauriel's whole being and life essence was locked on Kili's prone form, and she did not hear the faint sounds of someone approaching in the distance.

He watched her from a short ways away, under cover of the edge of a tunnel. He was sad, as he watched her from the shadows. He knew now that her feelings for him were true, as he saw her spend every bit of her life's energy, grieving for him, outpouring it over the lifeless form. He wanted to go comfort her, but something held him back. He knew he had always had feelings for her, in the many many years they spent together, but was not sure if she was his one. But these feelings confused him now, ever since that damn accursed band of dwarves had entered their forest, and she had become taken with him.

He had looked after her and protected her, taught her skills for battle, since that is what she thirsted for after her parents were killed. But after she started spending more time with that...that dwarf...his creeping suspicions now brought to full fruition as he watched her now. He knew his feelings could never come close to what she was professing for the figure laying on the ground.

He slowly turned to give her and the dwarf their peace, when his father, his king came upon him in the tunnel. After all that had happened, he told his father he could not stay. Now that Tauriel was lost to him, he had nothing left. With instructions from his father to go North, Legolas made his slow trek back down the mountain.

Chp5

His long flowing robes and glittering armor stained with much black blood, he slowly glided over the snow. He had felt bad for his son, knowing that he had feelings for Tauriel, not sure completely of the depths of them, but, what did it matter now. He could see her ahead, laying on the ground next to the dead dwarf. She looked like a pitiful creature, mourning for him in that way. Death had visited him so much already in the ancient reckoning of his years, but he thought he was immune to those feelings now.

So long it had been since he had known loss, but silently observing her, he knew. Knew that there was nothing he could do to comfort her. After all, he did help to raise her after she lost her parents, and did feel something of a closeness to her, despite her recent transgressions. Listening to her grieve and her begging to take the pain away, he knew he had to try to do something for her. She said, If this is what to be human, the frailty of life and love, she did not want it. He paused and thought, and that all he could tell her was, that yes, what she had for the dwarf was real. For him, that was an acknowledgement that her feelings were valid, and he thought, hopefully she would understand he had finally accepted and understood what she had for the dwarf.

Tauriel seemed momentarily comforted, enough to compose herself, and sit up and look at the dwarf. Gazing down at the prone, broken figure, Thranduil noted his features also. He knew that though a dwarf he may be, he was also part of an ancient line of kings...and something about him did seem familiar...

Chp6

He was aware.

The awareness made him sit bolt upright. All around him was white. He wasn't sure if he even existed. Blinking, he realized the reason he had trouble seeing was the blinding snowstorm that was raging around him.

He arose carefully and attempted to take in his situation. Craggy mountain peaks jutted out above him...and stumbling a little forward and around a short bend of rock, below him- foul orcs, damned orc carcasses littered the landscape. Never had he such a hatred for anything, obviously his kin's feud with these abominations lasted long through the ages; but now, another reason was causing the blind rage to build inside him. Seeing their rough armor, twisted and blunt features - he was glad so many of them lay slain around him. Again, slow realization came to him...and he remembered.

I was here...many of these I slew, he thought. Looking around, he noticed a familiar point or place. He looked at the snow covered ground, there were many footprints, weapons scattered around and black blood everywhere sprinkled the snow in stark contrast to the white. He recognized where he was at, when fear and an overwhelming sadness struck him so powerfully that he fell and could not contain his anguished cry and scream of "no" could not be heard echoing through the mountains.

Staggering up from where he fell, scrabbling at the rocks near him, he pulled himself to standing and began to run. Around one bend, down some rough hewn snow-covered steps; the horror he felt inside him building. Past more dead orcs on a promontory, he stopped at once. Sounds that were so unbearable to hear were present in the wind and then amplified through the peaks. He knew he had to find that sound, he belonged there and that was all that mattered to him now.

After a few turns, the closer he came to it his breath seemingly hitched and fear almost paralyzed him. The sound continued to echo all around and pounded in his heart and head. But another few steps up and he would be there. He finally knew what lay ahead.

Chp7

Kili finally slowed the frantic pace he had since remembrance had struck him. Slowly he ascended the last few steps, and he finally saw what his heart knew to be true. He knew why those anguished cries were echoing in the air.

Looking down he saw his own form, broken, collapsed in a heap and so much blood...staining the snow red. Shocked, he collapsed to his knees. Obscuring much of his body was a heaving form, the green tunic she wore also stained with blood; though Ufrom wounds of her own, he could not tell. It was Tauriel, his beautiful elf-maiden and savior (on more than one occasion) who was laying across him, begging him to not leave her, and crying out to the Valar with every punctuated breath and sob.

He ached to be able comfort her. To hold her and touch her, how he longed to like that day, not so long ago, on the shore when he shared his "promise" and finally professed his love to her; but he knew he cannot. He knew that last intense sear of pain he felt was Bolg's sword piercing his chest, silencing his beating heart. The heart that finally awoke when he realized his love for Tauriel.

How is it that he exists? Why is he here to witness every unending retch and scream by Tauriel? Each one even worse than when Bolg stabbed him. He could not stand it. "Mahal, why?" He screamed.

Chp8

As much as he could not endure her pain for his death any longer, he would not abandon her. He knew not what lay ahead, but just wished he could do something for her to ease her suffering.

She lay there refusing to leave his body, heedless of the battle still raging far below. He watched as she gently caressed his hair, her tears spilling onto his face where his own last tear had streaked down his cheek. Even when her king, Thranduil had come and confirmed that her love for Kili was real, she still did not leave his side.

Time seemed frozen as he sat there watching her grieve for him. Then she bent down and lightly kissed him, and he could not believe that what he wished not so long ago had come true. He just could not, nor would NOT let this be the end, now that he knew Tauriel loved him too.

Chp9

The sky slowly started to darken but still he heard screams of war and death, telling him there was still fighting going on somewhere. Some of these seemed close by, and by tone, something he recognized gave him a start. Looking down at Tauriel, she was not moving. Softly breathing he noticed, so it appeared that she was alive, but absolute exhaustion and grief had overtaken her and she cradled Kili in her arms, protecting him from further harm.

Satisfied that Tauriel was okay, the mounting apprehension from those sounds pushed him to go and find their source. It took him awhile to locate their origin as he had to retrace his steps from the battle, plus, he suddenly remembered that not only Tauriel came to Ravenhill with him.

This last memory is what pressed him, heedlessly on. Suddenly, as he approached a tunnel, a fear, such as he had never experienced in his life, seized him. He ran through the tunnel and when got to the end he saw what broke his heart, and he remembered. This is where Bolg had mercilessly stabbed Fili, his brother, and threw him down from the cliff above. Just like Tauriel had done, Kili cradled Fili's lifeless body and screamed and sobbed until he no longer felt or cared about anything.

Much time later, Kili softly laid his brother's body on the earth, closed his eyes and put his forehead against Fili's and gave one last shuddering sob. He got up and resolutely forced himself on, hoping beyond hope that Thorin & Dwalin did also not meet the same fate.

Chp10

Kili approached the banks of the frozen lake, where those familiar sounds he heard earlier had come from, and saw the devastation that a fierce battle had rent on the surrounding landscape. There, laying on the ice, even from a great distance, Kili could see the large pale figure. His heart leapt, because he knew the great evil Azog had perished and only one warrior Kili knew could have been the reason. At first, only Azog's body was there, until searching around the ice, Kili noticed a trail of blood that led away and to the edge of the cliff. He set off once again.

There, where the blood seemed to indicate, in the distance was a form Kili knew very well. Large and imposing, but now unmoving and not like anything in life, was the body of Thorin Oakenshield. Kili dropped to his knees, shaking, and begged Mahal to take away his unending pain. And somewhere, over many mountains and seas, even across the mortal places of the world and into a vast glittering golden and silver mansion, Aule wept.