Hello! It's my first time in this fandom so it's nice to see you :) Having seen the Hobbit for the second time last night I felt I had to write this- young Kíli and Fíli have just been begging me to write this! So I did...

I've been a Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan since I was about six (my dad read my lotr at bedtimes) so I'm happy to be into this fandom. I really enjoyed the Hobbit (both times) and can't get over the brotherly bond between my two favourite dwarves!

The ages of Kíli and Fíli are below. I'm thinking they would be quite small as they are little dwarf children. There's not that much info to go on, so I hope it's ok!

Enjoy!

The Young Adventures of Kíli and Fíli

(Kíli: 7, Fíli: 13)

"Fíli….Fíli…Fíli!"

Young FÍli, son of DÍs, sighed heavily, his head dropping onto his hands resting on the table. He had been left in charge of his younger brother who was currently driving him up the wall.

"Fíli! I'm bored…" Kíli moaned, kicking his little booted feet against the leg of the chair he was sitting on, barely able to look over the table.

"Go play with your stone figures," Fíli muttered. He was currently drawing a new design for a new axe he was hoping that his uncle would gift him for his birthday.

"They're boring," Kíli grumbled. "Can't we go explore?" His little brown eyes looked up at his older brother hopefully and with a glint of mischief.

"Mother and uncle wouldn't like that," Fíli frowned, looking at his sketch critically, turning it round to look at it from all angles. Nope, the axe needed to be bigger.

"Please?" Kíli wheedled. "We won't go far- just to the tunnels nearby. I wanna see the miners. Maybe some of the axes!"

Fíli groaned. He was never going to hear the end of this. Once an idea had settled in his brother's mind it would not be so easily let go of. Kíli would beg and beg until he got his way.

"Fíli please…"

"Ok! Ok, we'll go," Fíli caved, running a hand through his blonde hair. He was growing it out, just like his uncle's. "But not far, alright?" He knew that their mother Dís would be back to check on them soon.

"Yes! Ok, we'll be quick I promise!" Kíli agreed. He slipped off the chair, straightening his little tunic and tugging his fur lined coat around his small body.

Rolling his eyes, Fíli opened the door to their room and out into the halls of the Blue Mountains. This is where they were now living, since…Fíli paused. Neither his uncle, nor his mother liked talking about that day. So Fíli didn't ask. He had been too young at the time to know what was going on. Now they lived in the Blue Mountains.

There was no one else around as the two small dwarf children moved through the tunnels lit with burning braziers on the rock walls. Eagerly looking around and relishing in his freedom, Kíli skipped ahead of his brother, peeping around corners and waiting impatiently for Fíli to catch up.

Fíli's sharp ears pricked as they suddenly picked up on a noise ahead. Darting forwards, he grabbed his brother's hood to stop him, placing his other hand lightly over his brother's mouth to keep him from crying out. Quickly he dragged Kíli backwards and down a smaller tunnel behind him as a group of miners stomped past, laughing heartily and heading off to the deeper mines.

Fíli peered around the edge of the tunnel, watching as the dwarves disappeared. He heaved a sigh of relief. That had been too close. "Alright, it's clear. We should head back- Kíli? Kíli!" Fíli whirled around and just caught a glimpse of his brother's dark head disappearing down another passage.

"Kíli!"

Fíli could hear his younger brother's giggles as the young dwarf turned round to wave to him. "C'mon Fíliiii," he called, cupping his hands to his mouth to make his voice echo. "I've never been down here before!"

"Kíli we should head back. Mother will be back soon, if she finds we're gone…" Fíli left the threat hanging. Their mother Dís, sister of Thorin, daughter of Thrain could be menacing in her own way if her sons misbehaved.

Kíli pouted a little, little hands on his hips, looking scarily like his determined uncle, with his dark hair and little frown, only very much smaller. "Just a little further? There's something ahead."

"Kíli! Come back here right now!" Fíli demanded. "We can go ask Uncle if we can see some of the axes in the armoury?"

"Fine," Kíli muttered, trudging back towards his brother.

Relieved that he wouldn't have to carry his younger brother back kicking and screaming, Fíli glanced at the floor, scrapping it with his boots as he waited. There were small pieces of rock, jittering around by his boots. Fíli frowned as he picked up a faint rumbling noise… that wasn't right…

"Kíli hurry up!" Fíli called, nervously looking around. Something was wrong…He could see his little brother's eyes widening in fear as he too realised there was something wrong and his little legs picked up speed as he hurried back down the passage. Anxiety rising in his chest, Fíli lurched forwards to catch him.

The rumbling grew louder and suddenly it felt like the entire mountain was shaking. What was going on? It was as if the mountain itself was trying to tear itself apart. Fissures were opening up in the rocks and Fíli could hear things crashing behind him as the floor shook and the walls trembled. In front of him a large chunk of the ceiling fell, sending Fíli sprawling backwards with the impact.

"Kíli!"

When the rumbling stopped and the world stopped shaking, Fíli slowly uncoiled from where he had been thrown to the floor when the large chunk of rock had fallen. There was a fine layer of pulverised rock over everything and all was quiet.

"Kíli?" Fíli whispered. There was no sign of his adventurous younger brother. "Kíli, where are you? Kíli!"

Scrambling to his feet, the young dwarf ran towards the collapsed ceiling, running his hands over it. "Kíli! Kíli can you hear me?" Shudders wracked his slight frame as the horror of the situation began to creep over him.

"NO!" he yelled, throwing his whole weight at the rocks, pushing with all his might at the boulders. His palms were bloody as he heaved and pushed. What if Kíli was underneath them? What if…what if he was…a sob choked him and suddenly Fíli felt very alone and very afraid.

"You're so stupid Fíli, you should have been faster, you should have helped him!" he berated himself. It was all his fault. Kíli was gone and it was all his fault. He would never see his little brother again. Fíli suddenly took back every bad thought he had ever had about the younger dwarf.

"Kíli…"

A sudden tap-tap made Fíli jump. It was rock upon rock but there was no one behind him. It was echoing through the rock pile he was kneeling in front of.

"Kíli? Kíli can you hear me?" Fíli smashed a smaller piece of rock against the rubble pile and then waited very quietly, hoping against hope…

There it was again! Tap-tap, tap-tap. It was music to Fíli's ears.

"Kíli- if it's you- tap three times for yes," Fíli called through the fallen stone. Heart in his mouth, Fíli waited for a response.

Tap-tap…tap-tap…tap-tap.

Fíli nearly collapsed as relief flooded through him. Kíli was alive, he was alive. Ok, Kíli was alive. Was he hurt? A frisson of panic flared in him again, Kíli was trapped behind the boulders- how would they get him out? And if he was hurt…

"Kíli are you… are you hurt? Tap three times for…for yes. Twice for no."

Tap-tap…tap-tap…Fíli's heart was in his throat…

Tap-tap…

Fíli felt the tears springing in his eyes. Gods he felt useless! His aching hands squeezed shut into clenched fists as he pounded the rocks in his frustration and fear.

"F-Fíli?" it was a whisper but Fíli's ears were sharp for a dwarf's and he caught the sound of his brother calling his name through the rocks.

"Kíli! Kíli it's going to be ok, I'm here. I can't, I can't shift the rocks. I need to get help. Can you wait a little longer? I'll be back really quick I promise!" There was no response through the stone and Fíli began to panic again. He had limited time but he couldn't move the rocks by himself and time was running out.

"I'll be right back Kíli- hang on little brother, I'll be back with help." With that Fíli pushed himself up, heedless of his own pains as he hurried back down the tunnel.

Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror overlooked the work to shift rubble and fallen stone after the earthquake. Fortunately few had been hurt and the clean-up was efficient as the dwarves began mining away at the chunks that had fallen from the ceiling.

"Get the wounded to the infirmary and clear the entrance way," Thorin directed as the dwarves scurried around, carting the chiselled blocks away and helping those who had been hit by falling stone to the dwarf healers.

The damage luckily in the main caverns had been minimal, Thorin noted as he surveyed the damage. The earthquake had not been very powerful but reports were still coming in from the lower tunnels and living quarters.

Thorin turned away to look up into the cavernous ceiling above. Could the dwarves never have peace? Never be safe in their own home? Why driven from one did the other have to fall down around them? Could they never have peace?

Without warning, something impacted his lower body, making the dwarf leader stumble forwards. Turning to berate the clumsy dwarf, Thorin turned to see his eldest nephew, who came about waist height stumbling backwards as well.

"Fíli! What are you doing out of the living quarters?" Thorin demanded. His dark brow furrowed as he looked more closely at the dirty-blonde haired dwarf. His small face was smeared with dust and grime and there was blood on his forehead as though he had been struck. His hands were shaking and they too were bloody and raw.

"Fíli! Send for the healers- he is injured!" Thorin yelled to a nearby dawrf as he knelt by his shaking nephew, checking him for any further injuries. "Fíli- where else are you hurt? Are the living quarters damaged?" he placed two hands on the small shoulders, looking into the fear filled eyes.

Thorin watched as Fíli mutely shook his head, staring into his uncle's eyes. Quickly, Thorin clasped the boy to his chest. Thank goodness he wasn't gravely hurt. He could feel the boy shaking against him. He drew back.

"Fíli, what's the matter?" Thorin asked, hands tightening on the shoulders. A terrible thought ran through the older dwarf and he froze. "Where's Kíli?" Where was his youngest nephew? Usually the two brothers were inseparable…

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Fíli gulped, becoming the young child he was. Tears began to track down his grimy cheeks. "Uncle, he's trapped. We didn't mean to…we were…exploring…the mountain was shaking…the ceiling," Fíli gasped. "It fell and…Kíli…he's behind it. I tried…Uncle…I tried. He's hurt…please, you have to help him!"

Thorin's face went slack as he realised what had happened. He pulled Fíli into him again, more for comfort this time. "It will be alright Fíli," he said, voice gruff. Then he rose.

"Dwalin, Balin- you're with me," his voice thundered over the noise in the hall. "You three also," he pointed to three stout dwarves standing nearby who immediately responded to their leader's calls. "Fíli- wait here until your mother arrives."

"No!" Fíli protested immediately. "I know where Kíli is- I can lead you to him," he argued, swiping his tears away. "I need to know if…if he's…"

Thorin growled but knew that the young dwarf was right. "Fine. Let's go." Knowing little legs could not keep up with the older, faster dwarves, Thorin picked up his nephew, tucking the boy against his shoulder as Fíli guided them back down the tunnels.

Kíli sat in complete darkness, huddled up on himself. It was dark and he was alone. Where was Fíli? Where was his older brother? Was he hurt too? His throat was full of dust and he choked on the grit. He was scared and alone and he hurt. The young dwarf felt tears building and he sniffed, brushing them away with one arm. His brother and his uncle would not cry…

His other arm had been hurt in the fall, as the very ground had shook and tumbled down around him. He had seen the fright on Fíli's face ahead of him as he had run towards his brother. Then rocks had fallen from above and Fíli had disappeared and the lights had gone out.

Now sitting in the dark, Kíli stifled his sobs of pain and fright as the fingers on his good arm tentatively worked their way over the stone wall in front of him. He tried pushing it, with all his little might he tried but to no avail. He could not move it. He was stuck and all alone in the dark.

Then a terrifying thought hit the young dwarf child. Was Fíli hurt? What if…what if Fíli was under the rocks? He had to help his brother but he couldn't move the rocks…now the tears, frustrated and frightened began to fall.

"Kíli? Where are you? Can you hear me?"

Kíli's ears pricked as the thin voice came through the rocks. It was Fíli! His brother was alright. A hiccup rattled through him as he sagged in relief. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out as he gagged on more dust. Groaning in irritation, Kíli flung a small stone at the pile, watching with childish anger as it bounced off. Tap-tap.

"Kíli? Kíli can you hear me?" a crash of rock accompanied his brother's voice.

Kíli started and sat up straighter, moaning at the pain that moved through his arm as he did so. Had Fíli heard him? Fingers closing around another stone he lifted it and struck it as hard as he could on the rocks. He did it again just in case Fíli had not heard.

Kíli waited a few moments, straining to hear his brother's reply. He picked up the stone again but stopped as the voice filtered through again.

"Kíli- if it's you- tap three times for yes,"

Kíli nearly rolled his eyes. Who was it going to be? Sometimes his brother needed to think a little more. He took the stone and carefully tapped out three times. Somehow he felt happier now he knew his brother was alive.

"Kíli are you… are you hurt? Tap three times for…for yes. Twice for no."

Kíli grimaced. Yes he was definitely hurt. Was Fíli hurt? He remembered when Fíli had broken his leg falling down some stone steps a few years back. While he had been too young to remember the details, Kíli remembered the scream of pain and his mother and uncle's panicked faces.

He tapped three times.

"F-Fíli?" he whispered, coughing out his brother's name. He had to ask, had to see if his brother was alright.

"Kíli! Kíli it's going to be ok, I'm here. I can't, I can't shift the rocks. I need to get help. Can you wait a little longer? I'll be back really quick I promise!"

There was a shuffling on the other side of the wall and then was silence.

"Fíli? Fíli!" Kíli called for his brother. There was no reply. He was on his own. In the dark. Kíli shuddered as everything seemed to close in around him. He just wanted his brother. And his mother, but he was not going to admit that to anyone. He wanted to see his uncle, see the strong dwarf he could stand proudly beside.

"Please come back…" Kíli whispered into the darkness. "I'm scared…"

Even in a new fandom I still have cliffhangers...really. The next chapter should be up in a couple of days. Have a lovely Christmas :)

AldabaranFox