The Lord of the Ponies: The Friendship of Equestria

Ch.20 Zecora's Hut

Wakyumwa katambanga

Musumbi na muka na kana koo kanini

Mookie kwitu tukethanie namo-ka

Methia ndekw'o kana kanini kasya

"Ethiwa ndekw'o tukoonana ingi uni"

Apple Bloom heard these words during her unconscious episode. She couldn't understand the language, but the voice of the speaker was obvious enough: Zecora. Maybe she had made it to Zecora's in time. Maybe she would wake up cleansed of the Morgul poison. Thousands of possibilities coursed through the young mind of the little Earth pony in seconds. But her vitiated form was unable to process such a vast quantity of mental activity. So again, Apple Bloom retreated into her subconscious, the emptiness pervaded by no dreams or nightmares.

***

Dappled sunlight played on carved timber; the sound of nearby nearby Meadowlarks drifted through the vista of trees into Apple Bloom's ears. Apple Bloom became roused from her recuperation, but her eyes remained shut. The sheets which she rested upon were unfamiliar to her, neither the cotton of her bed, or rough like the Earth.

"Where am I?" Apple Bloom asked, hoping somepony was in earshot of her question.

"You are in Zecora's Hut. And it is ten-in-the-morning on October twenty-fourth, if you want to know." Apple Bloom recognized the speaker's voice, but couldn't believe it. She opened her eyes, to find...

"Twilight!" Apple Bloom was ecstatic about meeting her friend again, but it didn't show on her features. Instead, confusion clouded her complexion, which Twilight discerned with her keen intellect.

"Yes, I'm here," assured Twilight, hoping to convince Apple Bloom she wasn't a figment of her imagination. "And you're lucky to be here too. A few more hours, and you would've been beyond our aid," added Twilight, a grim expression distorting her face.

The lavender Unicorn dropped the austerity of her countenance, which was quickly replaced with an encouraging smile.

"But you have some strength in you, my little pony." affirmed Twilight.

Apple Bloom sat up in the bed, but her shoulder ached. Her hoof reached towards the distressed joint, and felt the bandage which encapsulated it. Apple Bloom again turned toward Twilight, curious as to the nature of her friend's delay. Apple Bloom also noticed that the Unicorn's horn wasn't whole. The tip was a flat stump, but the majority of the horn's shaft was present.

"What happened, Twilight? Why didn't you meet us?" asked Apple Bloom, confusion playing on the filly's features.

Twilight's complexion was consumed by the utmost sincerity.

"I am so sorry, Apple Bloom. I was delayed," responded Twilight.

Twilight would never tell Apple Bloom what had happened on the spire of Orthanc. The memories relating to that unfortunate impediment intruded into the Unicorn's conscious, and consumed her mindset.

***

Twilight was thrown back onto the cold obsidian of Orthanc's roof. The ebony Alicorn known as Nightmare Moon stood over her, berating her for her poor choice, "A friendship with Nightmare Moon is not lightly thrown away." Twilight was powerless to protect herself, as her horn was still only half of what it was only a few short days ago. The horn was growing back, but without it being at full stature, she was still unable to conduct magic.

Nightmare Moon yelled, and magically flipped Twilight towards the other end of the tower roof. Twilight's body slid over the edge, but Nightmare Moon's magic kept her from falling to a messy death below.

"One ill turn deserves another," Nightmare Moon crept close to Twilight, and met her face to face; Nightmare Moon's magic keeping Twilight suspended.

"It is over!" proclaimed Nightmare Moon, before retreating onto the obsidian surface of Isengard's spire.

Twilight saw the moth flutter before her, and heard the soft whispers of the insect as it passed by. A smile appeared on her face; her situation wasn't completely hopeless.

"Embrace the power of The Ring...or embrace your own destruction!"  Nightmare Moon delivered her ultimatum, then flipped Twilght back onto the roof, smashing her face against the hard rock ceiling.

Twilight looked up at her old friend, her earlier smile still apparent on her complexion.

"There is only one Lord of the Ring. Only one who can bend it to his will," Twilight noticed the moth hovering behind Nightmare Moon. The moth moved, and the silhouette of a great bird passed by the moon.

"And he does not share power." Twilight's last words were delivered with conviction, and accompanied by the screech of her savior. Twilight leapt off the roof, and the Phoenix, Philomena, caught her along her decent.

Nightmare Moon raced over to the edge, and saw Twilight fly off with the gigantic form of her sister's pet Phoenix.

"So you have chosen death." said Nightmare Moon, before teleporting to the great crevasse which lined the grounds of Isengard.

There was still much work to do.