Allie

~~~

I am acutely aware of the pain radiating from my wings but even more aware of the death and destruction at Laketown.

I can hear it.

The Valor are punishing me for letting Smaug escape me.

I can hear every whimper and cry.

Every scream and shout.

Every single yell and plead.

I can hear everything.

~~~

Sam

~~~

As soon as the initial shock turns into terror Bilbo dashes out of the mountain. Jacob helps me to follow him to the tallest hill where an outpost was built ages ago. From there we watch the town burn from a huge dragons fire while a smaller dragon tries to put it out.

I don't know what to make of it.

"Poor souls," Balin murmurs. The other dwarves followed us out. Thorin however stands away staring with a blank face. No sympathy on his face. No regret. Nothing.

~~~

Natalie

~~~

"Alright everyone into the boat below. We need to stay close to water and get out," Tauriel states gently guiding Sigrid and Tilda down the stairs. She clutches Lacy's hand while ushering everyone down. I step down after Alex and Kili are helped. Lacy and Tauriel take the rear.

Lacy eyes me and I know she can see. She can see who my bond is.

We let Tauriel take leadership and guide the boat after everyone is settled in. The dragon is upon the town now. I can see rooftops burning and hear screeching. The boat slowly floats down the water and we are forced to watch.

Tilda and Sigrid have wide eyes and open mouths. Their town is burning and their neighbors dying.

Every time I see the dragon fly over I flinch. With every breath he kills more. I cannot believe fate right now.

"Watch out!" Sigrid suddenly yells just as he swoops down and pours fire over us. Screwing my eyes shut I freeze up. But no fire touches me.

"EMILY!" Fili cries and my eyes fly open. A small dragon like creature flies above us blocking the flames. It is Emily! She's changed! She's transformed.

"Fili! You're okay thank goodness!" Emily exclaims, turning around, once the danger passes. Her entire body is covered in scales, wings protrude from her back, her eyes are orange with slits, her nails have grown long into claws, and her mouth is full of sharp teeth.

"You've changed," Fili gasps, shocked. Emily looks down at herself then back up. Her face seems to crumple.

"Yes I have." Then she's gone flying away quickly to chase down Smaug once again.

"You look gorgeous!" Fili yells into the sky.

"I can see it," Lacy whispers and Tauriel whips to face her. "I can see all the bonds breaking."

"This is worse than what my father has done," Alex murmurs.

Their words echo in my head loudly.

Making a split second decision I leap from the boat into the wood pathways.

"I'm going to stop this," I announce and sprint towards the bell tower. I need to get to high ground.

"Natalie!" Alex yells.

"Get back in the boat! You can't stop this!" Tauriel snaps.

"But I can I promise!" I call back.

The ground is hot under my feet and the air smoke filled. I'm stopped in my tracks by a falling chunk of flaming wood. Taking a second to observe my surroundings I choose a different path.

That's when I see a bowman scaling the bell tower. He stops and shoots a few arrows at Smaug. Dread fills me.

"Stop! Do not shoot at him!" I scream despite my conflicting thoughts.

"Da!" Bain yells and I turn back to see the boat following me. The bowmen must be Bard then.

"Da!" Tilda's voice cries. The bowmen keeps shooting and many arrows hit Smaug. The boat paddled by Tauriel comes up next to me.

"He hit it! He hit the dragon!" Kili exclaims naively.

"No," Tauriel says shaking her head.

"He did, he hit its mark, I saw!" Kili insists and I gulp. I feel regretfully glad it did not affect him.

"These arrows cannot pierce its hide. I fear nothing will," Tauriel explains. Bain looks around frantically and suddenly pulls a huge black arrow from under a fish net in the boat. My blood runs cold. Bain jumps from the paddle boat and dashes to the bell tower. Making up my mind I chase after.

"What are you doing?" Bofur asks.

"Come back! Bain! Natalie! Come back!" Fili orders.

"Bain! Natalie!"

"Come back here!"

"Bain!"

"NATALIE! BAIN!" Alex screeches. We both ignore her.

"Leave them! We cannot go back," Tauriel demands. Later I'll commend her leadership. Now I have to stop someone from killing a dragon.

"Bain!" Tilda sobs. I see Bard shoot his last arrow and hit Smaug, but it does nothing.

Finally I arrive at the bell tower. Bain and I use the adrenaline rush caused by imminent death to climb it within seconds.

The town is one fire and almost completely and utterly destroyed.

"Dad!" Bain says catching Bards attention.

"Bain! What are you doing? Why didn't you leave? You were supposed to leave!" Bard scolds and grabs Bain into a solid hug.

"I came to help you," Bain replies.

"No! Nothing can stop it now," Bard sighs in despair.

"This might," Bain offers holding up the black arrow.

"And if that fails I definitely can," I interject.

"Bain, you go back. You get out of here now. Advisor Natalie I suppose if you think you have a last resort you can stay."

"Da!" Bain screeches just as Smaug swoops in an knocks the top of the tower off. I'm barely fazed I stand stoic. I need to be strong. Bain however falls off the tower. He manages to grab the side and hang on.

"Bain!" Bard calls. I bend down and grab his arm next to Bard to help him up. A loud crash makes me look. Smaug has landed some ways in front f the bell tower. His eyes are fixed on Bard and the black arrow. My eyes are fixed on his. My mouth goes dry as I'm faced with my destiny. Bard takes the black arrow from Bain and stands to confront Smaug. I stand as tall as I can next to him.

"Who are you that would stand against me?" Smaug hisses. Bard grabs his bow only to see its broken. A stab of relief mixed with guilt goes across my brain. Bard and I don't respond.

"Now that is a pity. What will you do now, bowman? You are forsaken. No help will come," Smaug growls. I take a deep breath and clench my hands into fists. "Hmm. Is that your child? You cannot save him from the fire. He will burn!" Bard looks at Bain then quickly balances his arrow on Bains should pulling it back with the rope.

"Stay still, son. Stay still," Bard gently guides and I watch.

"Tell me, wretch, how now shall you challenge me?" Smaug inquires with an evil smirk.

"Bard please don't shoot him. Let me-"

"Let you what? If I do not kill him he will kill us all!" Bard snaps then zeroes his eyes on the unguarded path of skin. There's no scale on his heart.

"We stand against you Smaug! I the Dragon Daughter, Bard the bowmen, Bain the brave, and Natalie advisor of Greenwood!" Emily proclaims, flying up next to us. Smaug's eyes widen and I know he recognizes the name.

"Smaug! I your soulmate Natalie Hellsing of the Shire release you from this curse! Return back to the light!"

The words fall out of my mouth even though I know nothing of a curse or my last name. Smaug stops in his tracks with a gaping mouth.

The arrow is let loose and it hits its mark.

"NOOO!" I scream my pitch matching Smaugs as we both feel the pain of the arrow. I fall to my knees and things slow down. I watch the light leave Smaug's eyes and his body crash into the ground.

"Please no," I wail when a void of emptiness fills me.

"He was your soulmate?" Emily whispers. I don't need to look up to see the shock and awe on their faces.

"Yes." A long shuddering eternity of silence falls over us.

"DA! LOOK!" Bain suddenly exclaims. Glancing up I watch as Smaug's body shrinks into that of a large drake-like elf.

"Oh my Valor! Natalie he may yet be alive!" Emily cheers.

"But what if he is still set on killing us all!? He still destroyed this town!" Bard argues.

"He was cursed," I point out. I'm not even sure how I know that. Emily grabs my arms and lifts me up.

"Hang on we're gonna check it out," Emily tells Bard and Bain before taking to the sky. She flys me to the body. Gently she sets me down next to it.

Shakily I touch the flesh face. His skin is warm against my touch. He has horns, red tinted skin, a tail, and red wings. His ears are pointed like an elf but obviously he is not one.

He's magnificent. Absolutely gorgeous.

"Wake up please," I beg and cup his face.

The closed eyes open and land on mine.

My whole world goes black.