Day 1 Birthday Plot Bunnies 2
If you want this to become my next WIP, be sure to shower it with lots of love!! 🥰 💖 All the story starters will be linked back to this masterpost.
Title: Heart of the Mountain
Summary: What if Thror wasn’t mad like everyone thought? What if the Arkenstone was truly at fault? Questions Bilbo and Thorin will have to answer together after Bilbo is swallowed by the gem. Bilbo and Thorin must work together to conquer the magic of the Arkenstone while Bilbo is invisible and forgotten by the others without making Thorin look as insane as his grandfather. Also, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to maybe work out why exactly the Arkenstone considered Bilbo, Thorin’s heart as well.
He did it. By the skin of his teeth and the hair on his feet, if Smaug had anything to say about it. Still, Bilbo did it. He had successfully burgled the Arkenstone from a fire-breathing dragon. Returning it to its rightful owner would be another matter entirely. For one thing, said fire-breathing dragon was nipping at their heels. For another, Bilbo feared for the true King Under the Mountain. What if Smaug was right, and the stone really did possess some sort of adverse effect on Thorin?
It was quite a while later before Bilbo was able to truly stew on these thoughts. After their escape through the mountain failing in ending Smaug’s life. After he fled to exact revenge on a human town that did not deserve such burning fury. After the dragon fell into the lake never to rise again. Bilbo turned back to gauge Thorin’s reaction, only for the dwarf to be retreating back into the mountain.
Lord Elrond spoke of a madness that existed in Thorin’s family. Gandalf seemed confident it would not take the dwarf as it had his grandfather. Bilbo supposed he had to hope for the same. Yet, unease took him at Thorin’s callousness. Before he could talk himself out of it, he found he was chasing after the King. The dwarf’s path straight to the treasure hall was not encouraging.
“Thorin!” Bilbo called.
He paused and slowly turned back to the hobbit with an unreadable expression that gave him pause.
“Master Baggins.” He nodded in return.
“The dragon is dead. I saw it.” Bilbo pointed out.
“One enemy defeated in a sea of others that will come to steal from us. We must make ready.”
Unease prickled the back of Bilbo’s neck. Something wasn’t right. He wasn’t going to jump to assumptions though. He wasn’t going to immediately doubt his friend for a paranoia that was fairly justifiable if you considered their quest thus far.
“I agree, yes, wholeheartedly we need to protect that which is yours, but Thorin...surely, there are more pressing matters at hand?”
“Pressing?” Thorin questioned with his chin raised high.
“Where are we going to sleep? After the food runs out from our packs, what will fill our bellies? The survivors of Laketown will need refuge.”
It was the last point that earned a growl from the dwarf king.
“Do not speak to me of refugees when we know not who or what survived!”
Bilbo was taken aback by his ire, and found himself to be rather tight-lipped suddenly. Thorin shook his head in disgust before retreating back to the treasure hoard of Thror. The burglar did not give up the shining gem in his pocket that night.
The next morning found the company of dwarves and lone hobbit sharing a hearty albeit plain meal of jerky and cram. They had rations to last them a few more weeks, but most of the others agreed with Bilbo’s earlier assessment. They needed supplies. Only, their king was not there to bring such tidings.
“Bilbo, I thought you were with him last night. Did he say anything to you, lad?” Balin questioned.
The hobbit swallowed down the hard tack with a little water from his skin before answering.
“Uh, yes. He said we must be ready for...enemies.”
The dwarves all exchanged confused looks at this. Dwalin and Balin’s eyes met with more desperation and warning.
“I don’t blame him.” Bilbo immediately defended. “We’ve had enemies breathing down our necks the whole quest. Why should it be any different at the end?”
“Aye, the hobbit speaks sense.” Gloin agreed. “Clearly, there are several matters we need to take care of. The hard work is not over yet, lads.”
“And where is he now?” Dwalin rumbled. “Where was the last place you saw him, Bilbo?”
Bilbo opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. He knew the sons of Fundin shared his fears. They were close to Thorin, and Balin lived through the days of Thror’s madness himself. He didn’t want to offer doubts to Thorin’s sanity. Not yet.
“I’m...not exactly sure. I may have a guess though. I’ll just...go see if I can find him and be right back.”
Dwalin didn’t look satisfied with his answer. Balin was a little more understanding.
“Aye, that would be mighty fine, Master Hobbit. Meanwhile, we’ll start talking about defense and reinforcements so as to have an idea to present our king.”
Bilbo nodded gratefully as he hopped to his feet. He really hoped he was long as he meandered down the tunnel that would bring him back into the treasury. The endless waves of gold and gems were just as boundless as they were when Bilbo was last in here. He couldn’t believe so much of it could exist in the entire world! Much less this single, lonely mountain. It would probably be more of a monumental task to find Thorin than Bilbo first suspected. And honestly, he hoped he would not find the dwarf in such a place. It wouldn’t mean anything good, of that he was certain.
He carefully picked his way down the stairs and around the first golden hill calling for the king as he went. He didn’t really expect an answer so it nearly had him jumping out of his skin when the dwarf revealed himself to be right behind him.
“Am I not allowed my peace?” Thorin growled.
Bilbo spun around to see him leaning against one of the pillars broken by Smaug’s mighty forepaws. The dwarf looked terrible. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his skin looked pale and waxy in the glow of the gold.
“Thorin!” Bilbo shouted unnecessarily, still trying to recover from his fight. “We missed you...at breakfast.”
“The dawn is already upon us.” Thorin groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Yeah.” Bilbo nodded slowly. “We’ve been discussing...options for what we should do from here.”
“There is but one option for us.” Thorin snapped. “We have to find the Arkenstone.”
Cold robbed Bilbo’s feet of any feeling, and his coat felt unnaturally heavy.
“Last night.” He began gruffly, clearing his throat before continuing. “Last night, you said we had to prepare for enemies. Now some...shiny gem must be our first priority?”
Thorin’s head snapped to pierce Bilbo with an icy look. “What are you insinuating, Halfling?”
“Me?” Bilbo grinned without humor. “Nothing, nothing at all. I’m just trying to understand. How does a rock matter more in this moment than food and supplies?”
“It’s not a rock.” Thorin scoffed.
“It is!” He argued. “An unusual one, but a rock nonetheless.”
“What would you know?!” Thorin exploded, throwing his hands in the air. “If you had done your job in the first place, none of this would have happened!”
“Excuse you! What would you have me do? Run through flame and death!”
“How about not wake up a dragon?”
“How about there wasn’t supposed to be a live dragon to wake?!”
“Yet there was!”
“Yes, there was. And now he’s dead. Along with half a village of fisherman.”
“A VILLAGE WITH MY NEPHEWS IN IT!”
Bilbo froze. Any anger, resentment, or cynicism he had left just seemed to ebb out as he watched the mighty dwarf king clench his fists and look away.
“I promised Dis...I was supposed to look after them. I thought I was doing right...I made them stay.”
Bilbo never felt so relieved to be washed in the waves of one’s grief. It all made sense. There was nothing sinister about Thorin’s action. He was an uncle worried sick. In fact, it seemed rather obvious in retrospect. Thorin tended to lash out worse when his heart was heavy if his how he described his behavior on the side of the Misty Mountains later to Bilbo was any indicator. Slowly, he made his way to the dwarf’s side and placed his hand on his arm.
“Thorin...I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I was short with you.”
The king tore himself away, still refusing to look at Bilbo.
“It does not matter.”
“No, it does! It really does, only...why the Arkenstone? Why come down here and search for it all night in your worry?”
Thorin heaved a large sigh, but the tension in his body relaxed none.
“I guess I shouldn’t expect a hobbit to understand such things.”
Bilbo tried really hard for the sake of his friend’s hurting not to take terrible offense.
“Do you remember at the beginning of the quest back in your home when I spoke of the meeting with my kin?” He asked, finally turning to stare at Bilbo.
The hobbit almost smirked. My! Didn’t that feel like a decade ago? However, he did remember the night. Vividly, in fact and nodded his assent.
“They would not join our quest. They thought it was folly. I was told I was only going to my death, and without the Arkenstone they would not join me in my suicide.”
Bilbo’s eyebrows came together as he tilted his head slightly. “I’m afraid I still don’t understand. What does the stone have to do with anything?”
“It’s the King’s Jewel. It is a symbol of power to people. One that can command any of the dwarven lords to honor their pledge to Erebor.”
Understanding took hold at that point. “If you had the Arkenstone, you would be able to call on their aid now.”
The king nodded which in turn caused the hobbit to scoff.
“How ridiculous! To be bound so by a…”
“By Mahal, Bilbo, do not call it a rock again.” Thorin swore.
Bilbo held the king’s glare before they both burst into snickers. Perhaps not the best time or place, but a welcome reprieve nonetheless.
“Well, let me start by saying, don’t worry so. If your nephews are even half as stubborn as you, they wouldn’t dare let a dragon kill them.”
Thorin ducked his head with a sad smile. “Let us hope you are correct.”
“And turning our thoughts to food and bedding and clothing wouldn’t be remiss before we start holing ourselves in.”
Thorin rolled his eyes. “Anything else?”
“Yeah.” Bilbo grinned. “If ruling is really going to be so much easier with a shiny rock...then I have just the thing.”
The dwarf looked to be losing his patience again at the word ‘rock’, but the sight of the Arkenstone Bilbo pulled from his pocket had him at a loss for words that the hobbit rather enjoyed.
“Not so bad at my job now, am I?”
Thorin barked out a laugh while his eyes glittered in wonder. “Bilbo, how did you…? Just when exactly were you planning to give this to me?”
“When I was ready.” The hobbit shrugged under the dwarf’s glare. “None of that! You can’t expect me to make good decisions on an empty stomach and blisters fresh on my feet. Just what kind of hobbit do you take me for?”
“The thieving kind?” Thorin raised an eyebrow.
Bilbo lifted his nose and gave a rather pretentious sniff. “Well, if that’s the case, perhaps I will take this rather important rock and put it back where I found it.”
Thorin laughed as he moved to place his hand over the Arkenstone. “Peace, Master Baggins. I meant no…”
The dwarf never finished his sentence. As soon as his hand touched the Arkenstone, both he and Bilbo were blasted backwards by a surge of power. Thorin hit the stone pillar hard, slumping to the ground before it. Colors danced before him and in it, a rather insidious voice he couldn’t place.
“Dig deeper. In the gold your heart will finally be free. After uniting the lock with the Arkenstone as key.”
Thorin shook his head to clear it as his ears still rang from the impact. He staggered to his feet as he looked around for where the hobbit could have possibly landed.
“Master Baggins?” He questioned.
He waited for a response, but none came. Thorin swore as he spun, checking against every stone and wall for an unconscious body.
“BILBO!” He hollered.
“Thorin?” A quiet and unsure voice returned.
The dwarf sighed in visible relief as he turned to where Bilbo’s voice came from. Only, there was no one there. There was nothing at all save for the Arkenstone.
“Bilbo?” Thorin tried again, creeping forward.
“Here!”
Thorin’s brows furrowed together, and his steps became more cautious. How odd. He could almost swear he was hearing Bilbo’s voice come straight from the Arkenstone. He paused as he reached out for it, his fingertips just ghosting the surface. What if this was how the madness started?
“Thorin!” Bilbo called to him, his voice pleading.
A different type of siren’s song than what he imagined it to be. This had to be the madness that took Thror. His hand flinched back as he recoiled from the tempting stone.
“Master Baggins...Bilbo. The stone is leading down a dark path. I beg you to reveal yourself before I follow in the footsteps of my grandfather.”
The stone released a bright array of colors that had Thorin staggering as he shielded his eyes from the onslaught. The lights burned stars behind his eyelids that had him blinking rapidly as he adjusted back to the returning dimness of the treasury. Only, he was no longer alone. Master Baggins was standing before him. A sight that would have given him joy, if it wasn’t for the fact that Thorin could see straight through him as if he were a ghostly entity. Thorin stared, closed his eyes, rubbed his heels into them, and blinked them back open. He was still treated to the same sight. A spector hobbit trapped in the glow of the Arkenstone with a rather alarmed expression.
“Thorin, it would seem, we have a bit of a problem with your rock.”