The Lord of the Ponies: The Friendship of Equestria

Ch.43 The Road Goes Ever On...

Apple Bloom stood alone on the beach, staring out into the empty river. The boats stood ready: the supplies necessary for the trip to the Smokey Mountain already available. What irony it was that Apple Bloom, arguably the weakest member of the Fellowship, would escape unscathed from the recent battle, while everypony else would most likely suffer death and injury at the hands of Sauron's forces. Such was the fate of Applejack, the first pony to die protecting the weak, and it was all Apple Bloom's fault. The Earth filly knew this, after all, if she hadn't been so weak, Applejack would've been able to concentrate on her own survival, while Apple Bloom did the same.

But such was Fate's cruelty: the irony of the strong protecting the weak, which confounds the process of Natural Selection. But no more; Apple Bloom had decided to travel to the Smoky Mountain herself, thereby eliminating the need for any more of her companions to die protecting the near-helpless filly.

***

Spike ran through the forest, distraught not from Apple Bloom's deception, but that he had literally fallen asleep on the job, allowing Apple Bloom the opportunity to escape from his ever-watchful eyes.

"Apple Bloom!" called Spike. The dragon hoped above all else that Apple Bloom was safe, lest he break his promise to the late Twilight Sparkle.

***

The Ring sat motionless in Apple Bloom's hoof, and still the filly stared out towards the flowing river. All it would take to rid her of The Ring forever, would be a quick toss. But the filly remained fixed on the beach; while it would be easy to rid herself of The Ring, Apple Bloom couldn't bear the thought of betraying the trust of Rainbow Dash and the late Twilight Sparkle. The Earth filly had made a promise to send the cursed Ring back to the fiery pit from whence it came, and as Celestia was her witness, she wouldn't break that promise.

A single tear flowed down Apple Bloom's cheek, but not even the salty sting of sadness manifested could stop the Earth filly now. Apple Bloom marched towards a boat, and heaved her equine body against the stout, wooden frame of the raft. Not even the boat would impede Apple Bloom's quest, as the watertight barge slid effortlessly into the water. Once floating, Apple Bloom jumped into the craft, and began paddling down the river, creating an impassable distance from the wooded beach in short time.

Spike emerged from the forest, and spotted Apple Bloom paddling away. The desperate dragon ran to the edge of the beach, calling out to the escaping filly, "Apple Bloom, no! Apple Bloom!"

Apple Bloom didn't afford her draconian caretaker a glance, she just continued to paddle away, hoping her silence would dissuade the dragon. However, as the late Twilight Sparkle realized long ago, once Spike set himself to a task, he would never stop till his task was completed. The purple dragon slowly marched into the river, and with each step, the water slowly encroached up the dragon's body.

The sound of splashing tore Apple Bloom from her paddling, and the Earth filly turned to see Spike trudging through the water, which was now past his waist.

"Go away, Spike. I'm going to the Smokey Mountain alone!" proclaimed Apple Bloom, still paddling away.

"Of course you are. And I'm coming with you!" responded Spike, still trudging further into the river; the water was now past his shoulders.

"You can't swim!" screamed Apple Bloom. Except for his head, Spike's entire body was now underwater.

Ignoring Apple Bloom's warning, Spike continued marching towards the boat, which paused in the center of the river's width. However, Apple Bloom was right: Spike couldn't swim. The dragon's heavy scales forced him towards the bottom of the river, but Spike continued to defy his natural inhibitions with desperate paddling. But even his determination couldn't deny what was natural to his species, and Spike began to sink towards the bottom of the river.

"Spike!" called Apple Bloom, as the dragon's head finally submerged beneath the flowing waves of the River Isen.

Now underwater, Spike still struggled to reach Apple Bloom, but his efforts were in vain. His heavy scales acted as an anchor, slowly pulling him down into the airless depths of the River Isen, where he would never be seen again. Spike held his breath as long as he could, but the need for oxygen forced him to open his mouth, and accept the torrent of water which infiltrated his lungs. The dragon became still, the lack oxygen causing his body to slowly shut down. A pity this would be the end for Spike, instead of being killed protecting Apple Bloom, or even dying of old age, with his wife, Rarity, at his side. The dragon pushed against the emptiness of death, but slowly, the darkness overtook him, as he was helpless to escape the watery grave which he inhabited.

Spike sunk to the bottom of the river, his claws suspended uselessly in the liquid depths. But suddenly, a hoof wrapped around his claw. The dragon, with what little sense remained, grasped the helping hoof, which swiftly pulled his draconian frame towards the surface. Spike breached the water, and was pulled into the boat by Apple Bloom, both equally wet from their dip into the River Isen. The dragon coughed and sputtered as his now conscious mind forced the water from his lungs. Spike recovered, and his gaze met Apple Bloom's; unnoticeable tears of joy fell from the filly's eyes, as she was overjoyed that another of her friends hadn't died for her.

"I made a promise, Apple Bloom. A promise: "Don't you leave her, Spike." And I'm not gong to break that promise." With that said, the two friends embraced each other, crying happily.

The embrace eventually ended, and once again the two friends locked their gazes.

"Come on, Spike," ordered Apple Bloom, before she and her draconian companion grabbed the oars and continued to paddle downriver.

***

Shining Armor's body lay in a boat which lowly travelled downriver. The late stallion's forehooves were laid on his chest, holding his weapon. Rarity had taken respectable care of Shining's corpse for its final send-off. Shining Armor's body was dressed in clean garbs, which covered the wounds which were once filled with arrows. The free remnants of the Fellowship, namely: Rainbow Dash, Rover, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, watched as Shining's corpse slowly drifted downriver, in the same direction as the escaped filly, Apple Bloom, and her draconian companion, Spike.

Rover, with what strength remained with him after the consuming battle within the nearby forest, pushed the last boat into the water, ready to give chase to the other waterborne members of the Fellowship.

"I can still smell Apple Bloom. If we leave now, we could regroup with them by nightfall," announced Rover.

The Diamond Dog, hearing no reply from his companions, turned to see Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie is sitting idly, while Rarity marched off into the forest, in the same direction as the Dovakniik.

"Where are you going?" asked Rover. The Diamond Dog departed his boat, and began to trail Rarity.

"I'm going to save my sister. I'm not going to leave her to be tormented by those ghastly beasts," responded the determined Unicorn.

"What about Apple Bloom? We can't let her go off on her own. She's only a filly," stated the Diamond Dog. Rover looked amongst his silent companions, hoping that one of them would agree with his logic.

"Apple Bloom's fate is no longer in our hooves," quipped Rainbow Dash.

"So you mean not to follow them?" questioned Rover.

"Apple Bloom's a tough filly; she can take care of herself. Plus she has Spike. If you want to go after them, fine, but I will not leave Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to torment and death at the hands of Nightmare Moon's minions," continued Rainbow Dash.

"Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed, and on top of that, with the death of Twilight and Applejack, the Elements of Harmony have been broken," stated Pinkie Pie, her hair now flat from the realization of their failure.

Rainbow Dash approached her depressed comrade, and placed a hoof on the pink mare's shoulder.

"Don't be sad, Pinkie Pie. We still have each other, and so we have not failed. We can still do some good by saving Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle from a gruesome fate." Rainbow Dash retreated from her embrace with Pinkie Pie, and began to collect essentials from the last boat.

"Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light." Fully collected, Rainbow Dash looked amongst her remaining companions.

"Let's hunt some Dovakniik," finished the cyan Pegasus, before she too, like Rarity, marched into the forest after the Dovakniik.

Rover matched Pinkie Pie's gaze, and with an inspired bark, the Diamond Dog followed Rainbow Dash into the forest. Behind Rover, Pinkie's hair inflated, and an encompassing smile once again took hold of the jubilant pony's countenance.

"Can I bring my party cannon?" joked Pinkie Pie, before she too followed Rainbow Dash into the forest after the Dovakniik.

***

Spike and Apple Bloom, after many days floating along the River Isen, finally reached their objective: the Rambling Rock Ridge, the first step on their path towards the Unicorn Range. Elevated by the mountainous structures which populated the ridge, the pair could discern the raging volcano called the Smokey Mountain, slightly hidden by the foul fumes which collected like clouds around the destructive furnace.

"The Unicorn Range," announced Apple Bloom, breaking the natural silence of the surrounding ridge, "I hope the others find a safer way."

Spike placed a claw on Apple Bloom's shoulder, an assuring gesture for the worrisome pony.

"Rainbow Dash will look after them," assured Spike.

"I don't suppose we'll ever see them again,"  continued Apple Bloom.

"We may yet, Apple Bloom. We may yet." Spike's claw didn't leave Apple Bloom's shoulder, just like he wouldn't leave the filly alone to complete this arduous journey .

Apple Bloom smiled; Spike's optimism was palpable. The Earth filly turned to match her friend's gaze.

"Spike... I'm glad you're with me," remarked Apple Bloom. The filly looked upon the dragon with great affection, and even though the situation was grim, Spike remained undeterred

And so the two friends, one a pony, and the other a dragon, continued towards the Unicorn Range.