Chapter Text
"Give that back this very instant!" Gandalf warned.
Kíli simply grinned in response, holding the wooden staff tightly. Fíli sighed, shaking his golden-blonde head at him. "Kíli, give him back his staff before you hurt yourself."
Kíli was too busy waving it around, making the poor wizard twitch terribly. "Hocus pocus," the brunette chanted, eyes wide as though truly casting enchantments. "Abracadabra..."
"For heaven's sakes!" Gandalf muttered, grabbing for it. "Those are not proper enchantments, young man..."
Kíli, knowing the wizard's quick reflexes, moved it quickly, but the wizard's fingertips knocked it from his hands, causing it to fall. There was a shockingly loud bang as it hit the ground and a soft, slow glow began to emanate from the wooden object. In a swift motion, Fíli grabbed his brother, shielding him from any harm, an action that was copied by the other elder siblings of the Company. There was a a tense silence and the light grew wider and brighter, blinding all to everything.
In later years, nobody would quite know the truth, but Kíli vowed he was the first to open his eyes. It is entirely possible he was, but that is not the point. When Kíli opened his eyes, it was to see a pair of wide, curious blue eyes staring up at him. Familiar brown clothing was trying to remain on the beardling's shoulders and a pair of comically large and familiar-looking boots were covering the little dwarfling's feet. Blonde hair was covering the little one's shoulders, and his face was covered in the soft fluff that would soon grow into a proper beard..or mustache as his brother had owned. The youngest (or was it now eldest?) heir of Durin cautiously crouched down and looked closely at the beardling and then at the wizard who sighed and shook his head.
"Well done, Kíli!"
Looking around, Kíli gulped nervously. Everyone had a little big brother now. Dwalin was looking suspiciously at a little brunette who was giving him the most astonished look a child could give, but he, too, had knelt beside his sibling and was letting Balin hold onto one of his fingers. Ori was staring down, in fear and horror, at two little dwarflings, one with copper-auburn hair, looking distrustfully at the scribe, while holding onto the wrist of the other child who had a red-brown mop of slightly shorter hair on his head. Bombur was trembling as he held one brunette, a large hat covering his face, in one arm, and a black-haired child with a blade protruding from his poor head.
Everyone was so horrified by this recent turn of events that Kíli was surprised indeed to see Glóin was quite happily holding his brother who seemed to quite like him, if the way the little one clung to his sleeve and stared up at him was any indication.
"What...what's happened?" Ori asked after a staring competition between him and his now very small, very adorable brothers. "When will they be old again?"
"I don't know if I like this," Dwalin muttered, eyeing his brother uncertainly. "It looks unnatural."
"How could you say that?" Glóin demanded. "Look at his little face, Dwalin."
"Only you could find this sweet!" Dwalin accused. "And don't get too attached. He'll grow up sooner or later."
"It shouldn't take too long," Gandalf said. "Be grateful that Balin isn't a babe, Dwalin! They'll grow up in no time, you'll see."
"How are we going to tell Uncle?" Kíli asked, looking back at Fíli in slight fear.
Gandalf must have taken pity on him, for he smiled kindly. "I shall tell him," he said. "You'll need your strength for your, ahem, little brother!"