The Lord of the Ponies: The Friendship of Equestria

           Ch.39 Down the River Isen

The Fellowship's journey downriver went smooth and unopposed; no Changelings that Swift Justice warned against were seen or heard from on either bank as the waterborne group passed the Foal Mountain. But little did anypony in the Fellowship suspect, they were being hunted.

***

South of the Fellowship's position, the Dovakniik, led by their grotesque leader, Vring, travelled north, opposite of the Fellowship's direction of travel. The draconian Changelings sought to flank the Fellowship by way of bridge and railroad, and attack from the rear as the Fellowship made camp in the forests west of Baltimare's nearest mountain.

Vring raised a closed fist beside his head, a silent order for his followers to stop. The other Doavkniik complied, and soon silence replaced the once encompassing cacophony of sprinting solders. Vring listened closely, and sniffed the air; the alpha Dovakniik could smell the ponies not too far off.

"What is it, Vring? What do you smell?" asked Rkane, Vring's lieutenant.

Vring sniffed the air again. Yes, he was sure the ponies were nearby.

"Ponies..." answered Vring, before the great warrior released a thunderous roar, like that of a Manticore. The deafening shout echoed throughout the entire plane of Equestria, heard from Los Pegasus to Filly Delphia.

***

A thunderous boom surprised the Fellowship, and sent any nearby fowl aflight. The mysterious noise was so loud, Rarity could've sworn the waves shifted slightly, upsetting the smooth current of the river Isen.

"What was that?" asked Apple Bloom. She, like her many compatriots, cautiously searched the surrounding area, trying to determine the owner of such a voluminous roar.

"It's probably just thunder cloud. We should make for the nearest beach. I'd hate to get stuck in a rainstorm on a river," answered Rainbow Dash.

However, Shining Armor knew better. The sky was free of clouds, and if the weather were to change so drastically, other Pegasi would've been seen moving storm clouds into position. No, the more plausible answer would be that the roar belonged to whatever new enemy Swift Justice had warned him about at Neighagra Falls. Despite this, the Royal Guard failed to notify his companions of his suspicions; the Sun sank slowly into the horizon, and nightfall was upon them. Rainbow Dash was right, the Fellowship should make camp at the most recent opportunity.

***

The Fellowship anchored their boats just south of the Foal Mountain, on the eastern shore beside Canterlot Mountain. The rock-strewn bank was a perfect location to make camp, as the light forest surrounding the Fellowship kept hostile eyes from discerning their location.

On the beach, behind a massive boulder, Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash waited. Slowly, along the water, a single log floated by. Shining, gazing beyond the rock, noticed the slightest tufts of hair protruding from the head of whatever creature attached itself to the floating wood.

"Gollum. Rover picked up his scent three days ago. It seems he's been following us since we left Moria," Rainbow Dash explained. Shining Armor had no idea what a 'Gollum' was, but he sure didn't wish to find out.

The log gravitated to the other bank of the River Isen, and eventually became stuck in the weed-infested bank. A slight tussle in the weeds, observed by Shining Armor, informed him of Gollum's departure.

"I had hoped we could lose him, and the Changelings, on the river. But it seems Gollum is a clever waterpony," finished Rainbow Dash.

"If Gollum alerts the enemy to our whereabouts, it will make the crossing even more dangerous," clarified Shining Armor.

Apple Bloom heard Shining and Rainbow's conversation from the campfire. Now, after all the abounded misery their group had faced, it turned out Gollum was still following the Fellowship: another miserable turn-of-events for the downcast filly Apple Bloom.

"Have some food, Apple Bloom," encouraged Spike; the dragon handed a small stack of hay fries to Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom denied Spike her attention, and continued to stare off towards the far shore, spying for any sign of the stalking Gollum.

"Have some food, Apple Bloom," repeated Spike; the dragon, more assertive this time, encouraged Apple Bloom to take the fries.

"No, Spike," declined Apple Bloom, pushing the dragon, and the hay fries, away from her person.

"Just take the fries. You haven't eaten anything all day. And you haven't slept either. Don't think I haven't noticed," lectured the denied dragon. Spike placed himself beside Apple Bloom, but the pony wouldn't give him her attention.

"Apple Bloom..." said Spike.

"I'm alright," interjected Apple Bloom most rudely.

"But you're not." Spike's patience for Apple Bloom's denial surprised the filly's constitution. No wonder the dragon had stayed Twilight's number one assistant for so long.

"I'm here to help you. I promised Twilight that I would," pleaded Spike; the mention of Twilight sent a ping of shame through Apple Bloom's emotions, and the vision of the lavender Unicorn falling into the pit of Khazad-dum encompassed her thoughts.

"Twilight's dead, Spike," burst Apple Bloom, suddenly turning on the dragon, "It's time to stop holding onto the past."

Spike was left speechless by the filly's heartless remark, and if Apple Bloom had looked upon the kind dragon, she would've noticed the slightest hint of tears pooling in the sides of his eyes. Spike retreated to his tent; crying soon emanated from the opaque shelter. Apple Bloom continued to sit by the fire, and slowly, her thoughts returned to Applejack once again.

***

"We should head for Canterlot. It's the safest place to be right now," stated Shining Armor, hoping Rainbow Dash would hear his reason, "You know that. From there we can regroup. Strike out for the Unicorn Range from a place of strength."

"There is no strength in Canterlot that can help us. Have you forgotten how successful the Changeling invasion was on your city?" asserted Rainbow Dash. She would hear none of Shining's patriotic nonsense.

"Have you so little faith in your own city?" questioned Shining Armor, seeking to put Rainbow Dash at fault.

"Ponyville is my home, not Canterlot," responded Rainbow.

"Not so. You are the supposed future queen of Equestria, and Canterlot is the seat of power in Equestria," challenged Shining Armor.

Rainbow wouldn't listen to the stallion's nonsense any longer; the cyan Pegasus turned her back on the zealous pony, and began to trot toward camp.

"You are afraid!" Shining grabbed Rainbow's rainbow cloak in an inescapable grip, and pulled the Pegasus towards him, slightly choking the mare, "All your life, you have hidden in the shadows of a dull life. Scared of who you are, and your destiny."

Shining's anger left him, and he noticed the effects of his rage. Rainbow lay at his hooves, the cyan Pegasus petrified in fear as he still gripped her cloak. Shining let go of the cyan Pegasus, and Rainbow Dash hurriedly retreated to her tent: a place of solitude and safety for the recently assaulted pony. But what scared Rainbow Dash the most, wasn't that the attacker was a hostile outsider, but a pony from within her own Fellowship.

Shining, realizing what he had done, kneeled on the uncomfortable rocks of the beach, and cried himself to sleep.

***

The morning came a little late, on account of a certain alabaster mare's 'beauty sleep', and by midday, the Fellowship was back on the river Isen, paddling downstream towards the Smoke Mountain.

Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash separated themselves as far as the river would allow them. Rainbow wouldn't look anywhere but forward, careful to keep Shining from her peripheral vision. However, if Rainbow was to look back, she would have noticed Shining's gaze constantly twitch in her direction.

Not too far down from their previous campsite, the river Isen expanded drastically, and two massive stone crags protruded along the river banks. Along each bank, two massive stone ponies stood as steadfast as the rock they were carved from. The statues wore crowns, and a sword lay strapped to the waists of the grael monoliths. With both effigies, a hoof was raised, acting as a ward to warn all evil about trespassing in the once harmonious land of Equestria.

"The Argonath," recited Rainbow Dash; the cyan Pegasus' voice drew Apple Bloom from her stupor, and the little filly followed her friends gaze to find the elaborate statues.

"Long have I wanted to come here, and see my ancestors in their full glory," finished Rainbow Dash; a smile crept on her face as she looked in awe upon the Pony-Kings of old.

The Fellowship continued down the river Isen, but for what time it lasted, their gaze never left the marvelous reminders of a time in which Equestria wasn't plagued with the ills that beset it now.