The Lord of the Ponies: The Friendship of Equestria

Ch.30 A Journey Through Darkness

Darkness encompassed the Fellowship, now trapped in the mines of Moria. The silence invoked deafening thoughts of terror in the minds of everypony, Dragon and Diamond Dog, except Twilight.

"We now have but one choice," A blinding light emanated from Twilight's horn, illuminating the rockbound setting and the corpses of many killed Diamond Dogs which lay on the stone floor, "We must face the long dark of Moria."

Twilight moved away from the entrance, her horn illuminating another pathway which led deeper into the mine.

"Be on your guard. There are older, and fouler things than Changelings in the deep places of the world." The Fellowship fell in behind Twilight, tracing her steps as if they were the key to their survival.

Rainbow Dash decided to keep her hooves on the ground; who knows what could be waiting to snatch a poor flying Pegasus. Rainbow turned around to find the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Fluttershy, all of which were shivering from a combination of their soaked clothing and fear.

"Don't worry, my little ponies. Rainbow Dash is here to protect you!" announced the proud Pegasus, her encouragement subsiding the fear within the frightened ponies mind.

The troop reached yet another door, which squeaked as Twilight's magic forced the rusted metal door open.

"Quietly now. It's a day journey to the other side. Let us hope our presence may go unnoticed." cautioned Twilight; the lavender mare's discretion centered the Fellowship's thoughts on the dead Diamond Dog bodies which they passed.

"Let us hope we are more lucky than my brothers." commented Rover.

The mine itself was a honeycomb of stone pathways and scaffolding, many tools and dead bodies strewn aside like papers in a breeze. The Fellowship followed a rather complex path, passing by many other doors and pathways to unknown areas of the mine. The Fellowship made sure to stay on the central path. The group was eventually led to another gateway, double in size and magnificence than the glowing door which led into Moria.

"Diamond Dogs: the greatest miners and crafters within the history of Equestria." imposed Rover, as he appreciated the craftsmanship of the stately gateway.

"I have to admit the jewels here are stunning!" Rarity eyed a diamond the size of Tom which lay buried in the stone wall.

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels, Rarity," remarked Twilight, brushing her hoof around a deposit of a sparkling white ore.

"But Mithril." finished Twilight, her horn brightening to an even more blinding degree.

The Mithril veins reflected the light from Twilight's horn in a soft radiance, to which all members of the Fellowship could admire, except Rarity, who just kept staring at the sparkling diamond which was sealed off by a border of rock.

"Granny Smith had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him." noted Twilight. Apple Bloom looked down at her chest, her CMC cape just barely covering the Mithril vest which Granny had given to her before her departure.

"Oh, that was a kingly gift!" exclaimed Rover, imaging the magnificence of an item of such wealth and fortitude.

"Yes. I never told her, but its worth was greater than the value of Ponyville." finished Twilight, the realization surprising the Ponyvillian residents within their Fellowship.

"With something like that, I bet we could afford to fix that saggy old barn!" announced Applejack, imagining the possibilities which the Apple family could afford with a shirt greater than the wealth of Ponyville.

The Fellowship continued on deeper into Moria, until the diverse group of companions came to a steep stairway. Twilight led the troop up the stone staircase, which was riddled with the rotting corpses of murdered Diamond Dogs. Twilight eventually reached the top, the others following close behind her. Before the Fellowship lay three paths, each equal in size, but leading in completely different directions. Twilight scanned each option, but no memory came to mind regarding which route to take.

"I have no memory of this place." announced Twilight.

***

Even more hours were wasted as the Fellowship rested and Twilight tried to solve yet another confusing conundrum. Shining had started a fire, which the soaked members of the Fellowship warmed themselves around.

"Are we lost?" asked Scootaloo, unable to stand the uncertainty of their possibly hopeless situation.

"No." answered Sweetie Belle, hoping to put Scootaloo's fears at rest.

"I think we are." remarked Scootaloo, trying to continue their conversation in lack of something better to do.

"Twilight's thinking." continued Sweetie Belle.

A short silence pervaded the mine as Scootaloo thought of something else to say.

"Sweetie Belle?" asked Scootaloo.

"What!" responded the agitated Unicorn filly; Sweetie Belle's reply encumbered Scootaloo's final statement.

"...I'm hungry." finished Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom sat away from the group, and more specifically Shining Armor. While Apple Bloom may not be the smartest filly, she knew to heed Twilight's warnings, and Shining Armor was a Pony to avoid in Twilight's books. Being Twilight's brother, this made the thought of how dangerous Shining could be even more dramatic in the overactive imagination of the tiny Earth Pony.

Apple Bloom looked off into the mine, away from the contemplative Twilight. Out of the corner of her eye, the filly noticed some movement. She reacted to the strange motion, and tried to follow the creature, catching a quick glimpse of the alien being's deformed frame. Apple Bloom scurried over to Twilight, frightened by the prospect that they were being followed by a spy of Sauron's.

"There's something down there." stated Apple Bloom.

"It's Gollum." the mention of their stalker's name forced Applebloom to reminisce on her and Twilight's earlier discussion at the Apple family farm.

"Gollum?" questioned Apple Bloom, wondering as to how long Twilight had known of the creature's presence, and failed to alert her friends.

"He's been following us for three days." answered Twilight.

"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dur?" the filly's statement was more of an announcement than a question. Apple Bloom wondered how such a weak and pitiful creature could've escaped a prison as well guarded as Barad-dur?

"Escaped..." Twilight turned to Apple Bloom, prepared to unveil a new possibility in Gollum's survival, "Or was set loose. And now The Ring has brought him here."

Apple Bloom turned to see if the creature was still following them, and to her relief, she didn't see the twisted form of the grotesque mutant called Gollum.

"He will never be rid of his need for it." continued Twilight.

"He hates and loves The Ring, as he hates and loves himself." Twilight once again turned to the three pathways she had the annoyance to chose from.

"Smeagol's life is a sad story." Twilight again turned to the filly Apple Bloom, finding the Earth Pony's expression to be clouded in confusion.

"Yes, Smeagol he was once called. Before The Ring found him. Before it drove him mad." a certain selfless sadness could be discerned in Twilight's tone, as she sympathized for the pony Smeagol, who was above all a victim of Fate's cruel design.

"It's a pity Granny Smith didn't kill him when she had the chance." Apple Bloom's tone was saturated with malice, which greatly surprised Twilight.

"Pity? It was pity that stayed Granny's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life.  Can you give it to them, Apple Bloom?" Twilight's question caused Apple Bloom to think about Big Mac, who, like Smeagol, was just another victim of Fate's cruel plans.

"Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of your Granny Smith may rule the fate of many." remarked Twilight.

Apple Bloom sat down beside Twilight, her fragile frame wracked with exhausting grief and despair, which caused tears to rain from the sides of Apple Bloom's eyes.

"I wish The Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened. I wish Big Mac was sill alive." cried Apple Bloom; the thought of Big Mac's death caused Twilight's own tears to fall.

"So do all who live in such times. But that is not for them to decide." The strength in Twilight's resolution ceased the flow of tears from both Ponies, and Apple Bloom looked upon the wise Unicorn once more.

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Apple Bloom, besides the will of evil. Granny was meant to find The Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it." a smile appeared on Twilight's face, which brightened the previously grim expression which inhabited Apple Bloom's countenance.

"And that is an encouraging thought." finished Twilight. The lavender Unicorn's last bit of monologue brought a smile to Apple Bloom's complexion.

"Ah!" exclaimed Twilight, finally enlightened to the path they should take.

Twilight gestured a hoof to the left path.

"It's that way." Twilight's announcement echoed off the stone walls, alerting her companions of her discovery.

Scootaloo leapt to her feet, wings buzzing with excitement.

"She's remembered!" exclaimed the tiny Pegasus.

"No. But the air doesn't smell so foul down here." responded Twilight, "If in doubt, always follow your nose."

Twilight marched down the brushed stone staircase, with her friends and companions following close behind. The stairs led to another gateway, barely high enough for Rover to fit through. Going through the doorway, the Fellowship was greeted to a massive hall with hundreds of pillars, all thicker, taller, and more magnificently formed than the most majestic spire of Cantelot Castle. Simply breathtaking was the scene before the Fellowship.

"Behold: the great realm and Diamond-Dog city of Doggendelf." announced Twilight, her voice reverberating in the empty space of the monumental city.

"There's an eye opener, and no mistake." stated Spike.