*Author's note*

Alright here's where things get a bit tense between our characters and where Hela seems to be turning to the Dark Side. And we also see how some of the people in Laketown view Hela as a witch (for not all people respect or view Hela and the Celestials as deities or gods). So enjoy this chapter and the next one will soon be up momentarily.

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"Wake up! Hela wake up!" I was roughly shaken awake and I let out a groan. I opened my eyes to see Bard standing over me, his eyes burning with anger.

"What is it Bard?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were guiding the King under the Mountain back to his homeland!?" Bollocks! I slowly raised myself up and said.

"Because everywhere we have turned, we've gotten run down by enemies, imprisoned by the Elves or nearly killed by orcs."

"Hela this—this goes beyond anything you've ever done before." My head snapped up at him and I snarled at him.

"Do not lecture me on what is my business or not! I choose to be their guide and I am bound by blood to see to it that they all reach the Mountain in one piece!"

"And if they should awaken that beast that sleeps among the treasure, when Dragon fire and ruin falls upon this city. What will you do then?"

"I'll protect you, just as I have done before."

"Protect us? Hela you can barely stand much less fight a dragon!" Bard snapped at me. My eyes narrowed at him.

"Do you see me as weak Bard?" he sighed heavily and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I see you as my friend. My children's godmother. But I cannot see you being so reckless and foolish like those dwarves."

"Then I guess they've rubbed off on me in some way." I got up from the bed and walked out of my room. "Hela. Hela! Hela where are you going?"

"I know that they have left for the city armory. Trust me I could hear your argument earlier about the weapons you had for them."

"Hela please don't throw your life away like this!" he gripped my arm tightly stopping me from walking out the door. I turned to him, his eyes pleading at me to not leave.

"I am not bound to one family Bard. It is the duty of the Celestials to protect all of Middle Earth."

"And look where it got them." He sneered lowly. My blood boiled with rage as I took back my arm and left the house in a huff. I snuck around the town searching for my Company. When I came across Hilda's clothing shop, she spotted me and wordlessly left a cloak for me to use to walk around the town.

I walked over to her and grabbed it before giving her a grateful touch to her back and walked through with my hood over my face and the cloak shielding as much of my Celestial uniform as possible.

When night fell, I was just about to reach the city armory when I heard the sound of the guards calling out and rounding towards the building.

"Damnit!" I raced on ahead and I saw at the armory Bifur, Fili, Bombur, Dwalin, Balin, Dori, Ori, Glóin and Oin all fighting against the guards outside. As I watched them, something snapped inside of me.

'Your power can end their lives with a single snap. Use it!' A voice whispered in my head. My hands glowed black and I shot up like an eagle before landing down before them, my pupils glowing black and silver with rage.

"Touch another hair on them, and you'll have to deal with me."

"It's her. The Witch! Arrest her!" one of the guards proclaimed. A tilt of my head and a dark smirk came across my face as I said mockingly.

"How cute." I then slowly lifted myself up and alongside me I raised some large crates and barrels with my magic. I slammed one large load onto one of the guards sending him into the freezing water, then I rained the second load onto the other. However unlike his fellow guard mate, I made sure to increase the weight he would feel when the load dropped onto him which killed him instantly.

The last few remaining guards stood there in horror and were about to retreat but I caught them with my magic. Pure black Celestial magic surrounded them as they began to choke on their very bodies.

"Witch of Laketown!" Braga's voice exclaimed. I turned to see more guards holding the rest of the company that had gotten inside the armory at sword point. "Stand down or we shall slaughter these intruders where they stand."

Another tilt of my head as I lifted my left arm and merely flicked my finger and all the swords were dropped to the ground. I then motioned my left hand into a digging motion before twisting it back up and the rest of the guards joined in with the others. The same dark Celestial magic surrounding them.

"Now—you shall be slaughtered where you stand." I spoke in a low growl. The hint of another voice joining alongside mine as I took pleasure in seeing these guards squirm in my grip.

"HELA STOP!!" I turned to see Fili and Kili standing before the rest of the company. Their eyes pleading at me to stop and I let out a gasp as I realized what I was doing.

I can't kill these guards whether they call me a witch or threaten my Company. A Celestial never kills for the pleasure of killing. I released the guards and they all began coughing and gasping for air. I turned to the Company to see all of them were staring at me in horror. That's when I was knocked over the head and collapsed to the ground.

"Arrest them all! Put her in the witch chains!" Braga's voice growled. The Company tried to fight back but the guards held strong and I was now being chained in heavy shackles and forced to walk towards the Master's manor.

A crowd began to surround the manor as the dwarves were forced to stand in a semi-circle before the manor and I was forced onto my knees as the doors opened and trudging out was the Master of Laketown himself.

A fat slob of a man with thin, greasy, licked over ginger hair, a failed attempt at a goatee beard, and clothes of riches and his pockets filled with gold.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded as he shrugged on his coat.

"We got them stealing weapons sire. And the Witch of Laketown nearly had us all killed." The blunt end of his sword slammed in the back of my head, he was trying to get a rouse out of me but I refused to budge.

"Ahh, enemies of the state, eh?" the Master hummed.

"A desperate much of mercenaries, if ever there was, sire. No doubt the witch herself seduced the lot of them to do her dirty work." Alfrid said. "I had my rising suspicion that she had returned, although she was disguised as an Elf of the Woodland realm when she first entered this town."

"You're sure of this Alfrid?" the Master asked him.

"Oh sire, if ever there was witchcraft involved, there's no doubt in me mind that she would conjure up such dark arts." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Hold your tongue!" Dwalin snarled. "You do not know to whom you speak. This is no common criminal. And she is no conjuror of Black Magic. This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror! And she is the Last of the Celestials Hela! Protector of Middle Earth!" I looked to Dwalin.

Even after what they had seen, after what I had almost done, he above all the other dwarves would go out of his way to defend not only his King but a Celestial.

"We are the Dwarves of Erebor. We have come to reclaim our homeland." Thorin said as he now stood alongside me. "The Celestial herself is our guide to the Mountain and apart of this Company. An insult upon her is an insult upon my home." As the crowd murmured Thorin and I locked eyes and he gave me a soft nod.

He then walked away from my side and paced around before the crowd of people.

"I remember this town un the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at the harbor filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake. This was the center of all trade in the North!" the crowd all began to agree with Thorin's statement, some even cheering. "I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the Dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the Halls of Erebor!"

The people cheered louder as they dreamed of once again living in the glory days of old Laketown. However one voice rose above all others.

"DEATH!" Bard soon came out from the crowd as he spoke again. "That is what you will bring upon us! Dragon fire and ruin. If you waken that beast, it will destroy us all."

"You can listen to this naysayer but I promise you this: If we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain." Thorin argued against Bard's statement. The people seemed to side with Thorin's promise rather than Bard's. "You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth 10 times over!!" the crowd cheered once again.

I could see some of the dwarves nodding along to confirm Thorin's statement and even the Master had a gleam in his eye.

"Why should we take you at your word?" Alfrid asked. Ever the suspicious snake Alfrid Lickspittle. "We know nothing about you. Who here can vouch for your character?" at that the crowd went dead silent. Not one soul spoke up so I figured I might as well. However before I could open my mouth, Bilbo's voice spoke up.

"Me. I'll vouch for him." Thorin turned to Bilbo. "I have traveled far with these Dwarves and the Lady Celestial through Great danger and if Thorin Oakenshield gives his word....then he will keep it." Even with one voice from the smallest of all creatures on Middle Earth, it got the people's attention. Thorin nodded to Bilbo in gratitude as the crowd once again let up with a cheer.

"All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?" Bard's voice tried to reason with the crowd. At hearing that reminder, the crowd went quiet. "Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm?!" some of the crowd now began to side with Bard as they shook their heads and solemnly muttered in agreement. "And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a Mountain King, so riven by green, he could not see beyond his own desire!!"

"Now, now. We must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame." The Master spoke up. "Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor....Who failed to kill the beast!" The Master spoke up pointing to Bard.

I lowered my head solemnly remembering my old friend Girion. When I first met Bard, I swore it was like I had seen a ghost because he looked so much like Girion when he came of age. And when he told me of his family tree and had told me himself that Girion was his ancestorial grandfather, I almost couldn't believe that fate gave me a second chance to protect his bloodline.

Bilbo and the Company looked at Bard in shock at finding out the truth and Alfrid just had to make things worse as he backed up the Master's story.

"It's true, sire. We all know the story. Arrow after arrow he shot. Each one missing its mark. And the Lady Celestial before us, she knew of Girion back then. But no story was ever written of a Celestial helping out the poor souls of Dale, for she was nowhere to be seen."

"Something far more dangerous than a dragon needed my attention! Had I known about Smaug then I would've tried to stop him! Please you all must understand!"

"Had it been your brothers and sisters they could've easily been able to handle both threats. But our world just got stuck with you. The weakest of all the Celestials. The Celestial of Death, is nothing more than a witch of black magic." The Master then spoke to me.

Tears forged in my eyes as I turned my head away but I refused to cry before these two cowards.

"You have no right. No right to enter that mountain." Bard said to Thorin.

"I have the only right." Was Thorin's only response. I looked up to see them both standing before each other before Thorin turned to the Master and said. "I speak to the Master of the Men of the Lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled?" Thorin walked up the stairs slowly as he continued, "Will you share in the great wealth of our people? What say you?"

"I say unto you....." the Master started off. "Welcome!" the crowd then roared in a cheer. "Welcome! And thrice welcome King under the Mountain!" Bard walked away from the crowd, I saw the tears glistening in his eyes and I sighed solemnly as he disappeared into the crowd.

"I first ask that before we're given any supplies that you free our guide from her chains." Thorin said. The Master immediately granted it however Braga was not so keen as to let me free. But another command from the Master and like a good lapdog, Braga freed me from my chains.

I rubbed my wrists to easy up any potential bruising and the Master declared that a celebration was to be held inside the manor. Myself, Bilbo and the company were welcomed inside and a grand feast was prepared with all the meat and ale the dwarves could ever dream of.

However I wasn't in the mood for celebrating. I was sitting along the roof wanting to be by myself for a moment. Not just to think about what would come next come morning but also what I had done. I looked down at my hands and saw them shaking and I folded them over my chest.

"Mother......I'm lost. As the Celestial of Death, I never knew my full potential. And what I've done I—are you sure you chose the right one to protect Middle Earth while you're gone?" I choked out as tears filled my eyes.

"If not you, then who else has such a kind and loyal heart such as yours." I turned around to see Bilbo standing at the window.

"Bilbo!" I wiped my tears away. "I didn't even hear you come up."

"Guess that's why Gandalf chose me to be the company's burglar." He came out onto the roof alongside me, walking carefully along the side till he came up to me.

"Maybe you should go back inside."

"Needed the fresh air, and drunk dwarves are even more rowdy and aggressive as they are sober did you know that?" I chuckled.

"I'll bet but—I meant that you shouldn't be out here......with me." His head tilted and he asked.

"Wh-why would I....."

"Come off it Bilbo I know you saw. What I—the guards I.....my own Celestial magic. Or whatever it was. It felt like it but at the same time—just please Bilbo. Go back inside and leave me be." I turned away from him.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that." He said.

"And why not?"

"If there's anything that I've obtained from traveling with the dwarves, it's their stubbornness. Now I know what I saw was.....was....well horrifying to say the least. No offense. But I know that that's not who you really are." I felt his hand place itself on top of mine. "The Hela I know is fiercely loyal, kind, brave, stubborn and a mighty warrior. Not just with Celestial magic that isn't her own but also in weapons too. But I also know that she is lonely, and has been alone for far too long. Those that you try to push away when you claim you want to be alone, they follow through. Except for maybe two dwarf princes but.....I also want to prove that you have someone else who is willing to give you comfort."

I looked down at this little Hobbit. The one who just months ago I had met in the Shire who was a bit stiff and fidgety, had now grown into a great fighter and kept his loyal heart on his sleeve.

"Bilbo Baggins. I can never thank you enough for such kind words to me." He softly smiled.

"Is it—alright to hug you?"

"Of course it is you sweet Halfling. I consent to any embrace you wish to give me." I brought him close to me and the two of us hugged each other before huddling close to each other to look up at the moon and stars for the rest of the night.