//------------------------------// // Chapters Twelve and Thirteen // Story: Lord of the Rings: Ponies of the Fellowship // by Massager 32 //------------------------------// Chapter Twelve: The Prancing Horse They made it across the river and followed the east road when it started to rain and a few miles down was the front gate of Bree, they reached the gate knocked on the wall. The Gatekeeper first opened the top hatch to see who it was but didn't see anyone so his pony tries the Hobbit sized one and sees who it was. " What do you want?" He asked to which Frodo said, " We're heading for the Prancing Horse." And was then greeted by the tall man and his pony who they saw as a Pegasus mare , the man looked at them and said, " Why look here Sunshower Hobbits, four Hobbits." then asks, " What business brings you to Bree?" To which Frodo says, "We wish to stay at the inn. Our business is our own." And Sunshower replied, " Alright young sir we meant no offence. It's just our job to ask questions after nightfall especially with these talk of strange folk traveling around." and lets them in. The town of Big folk was strange and a bit unwelcoming to the four Hobbits and Ponies of the Shire, but they reached the inn and made it in to call upon the Innkeeper who saw them and says, " Well good even little masters and to you too pony mistresses. If you're seeking accommodation we got some nice cozy Hobbit sized rooms available, and you are Mr.?" asking for Frodo's name. But remembering what Gandalf said he said the first name he could think of, " Underhill. My name is Underhill and this is Applejack." then continues, " We're friends of Gandalf the Gray and Twilight Sparkle. Could you tell them we've arrived." The man though on those names and then says, " Oh Gandalf and Twilight! A elder chap with a big gray beard, pointed hat and an purple Unicorn with six stars for an cutie mark. I'm afraid I haven't seen them for six months now." Which send chills down the Hobbits spin but they decided to stay and the Innkeeper says, " Good, good I'll have my pony escort you to your room." then calls, " Cherry Jubilee show our guest to their rooms please." When an Earth pony filly came by and says " Why certainly Tom. Please follow me up stairs." before finally taking them up stairs. Merry looked at the pony and says to her, " Excuse my Ms. Jubilee but you're an Earth pony and I just remembered that man at the gate having a Pegasus pony. I was always told that Men had Unicorns for companions." Which made her laugh before saying, " Well you see sir, while it is true that the majority of Men have Unicorns that is placed highly on the warriors among us however there are some warriors with Earth and Pegasi ponies too. It is mostly to do with the personality." then leaves them to get settled in. Chapter Thirteen: Strider and Shield The Hobbits and their ponies stayed at that inn for days and days but neither Gandalf or Twilight showed up and it was starting to worry them except Merry and Rainbow Dash who was having a good time drinking to biggest pint of brew and made both Pippin and Pinkie Pie go and get one too. Sam sat next to Frodo and says in a sort of annoyed tone, " You know those two have done nothing put stare at you sense we've arrived." Which made him look to the corner by the fireplace where there sat a cloaked man and a white coat blue mane Unicorn stallion, he then saw Tom the Innkeeper and asked, " Excuse me. Those two at the corner , who are they?" To which the man looks and said terrified, " They are members of the Dunedain Rangers. Very dangerous folk they are running around the wild, what their real names are I don't know but around here they're know as Strider and Shield." After hearing those names Frodo took the ring out and began to twiddle it around as the name Baggins began to fill his head like someone or something was trying to tell him to say his true name when he heard a familiar voice do it for him, Pippin said talking to Tom and a few others, " Baggins? Sure we know a Baggins, he's over there Frodo Baggins and that his pony Applejack." then waves at them before continuing, " Applejack is my pony Pinkie Pies fourth cousin three times removed by a fifth cousin while he himself is my second cousin once removed on his mothers side and my third cousin twice removed on his fathers side." Applejack now worried and angry said, " What the hay does he think he's doing?" then with Frodo runs to Pippin to stop him form talking anymore but when they got their Pippin pushes Frodo down making him send the ring flying and landing straight onto his finger which as it did to Bilbo and Granny Smith made both him and Applejack turn invisible but what it also did was let four of the Black Riders know where to find them." The two found themselves in a void where everything was grey and gushing like wind and everyone was black like shadows when a deep voice came behind them, " You can not hide. I SEE YOU!" they turned around and was greeted by a giant eye of fire who continued to say as it got closer and closer, " There is no life in the void. ONLY DEATH." But then Frodo took off the ring and found things back to normal except he and Applejack were under a table when a hand grabbed them. It belonged to that ranger Strider who said looking down on the Hobbit, " Now you have really drawn far to much attention to yourself Mr. UNDERHILL! and then takes them to their room upstairs. Applejack asked the man, " What do you want from us?" To which the pony Shield answered," Nothing but a little more caution form your companion here, after all that is no ordinary trinket he's carrying." Frodo tried to say in defense that he wasn't carrying anything but it didn't work as the man said, " Indeed, Shield and I could easily avoid being seen if we wished but to disappear completely now that's a rare gift." then takes off his hood. Frodo then asked the Ranger who he was but was answered by the question, " Are you frightened?" to which they nod in reply and he said, "Well your not nearly frightened enough We know what's haunting you." He then was about to say more but suddenly pulls out his sword and faced the door where Sam and the others burst in. Now seeing no threat Strider puts down his sword then tell them that it was no longer safe to wait for Gandalf or Twilight because ' They' as he put it were coming and sure enough it was true because hours later the black Riders returned braking through the gate thus killing both the Gatekeeper and Sunshower who disappeared into thin air then proceeded to the Prancing Horse, they went into the Hobbits room and tried to kill them in their sleep but luckily Strider and Shield moved them to the neighboring inn. The screams of the Riders began to hollow out waking up the Hobbits and Ponies and made Frodo asked, " What are they?" To which Strider answered, " They were once Men, Kings of Men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave them the Nine Rings of Power and blinded by greed they took them without questioning till one by one fell into darkness now they're slaves to his will. They're the Nazguil, the Ringwraights neither living nor died." Following by Pinkie who asked, "And what about their ponies, where are they?" And Shield who answered, " Dead! Both here and in Equestria, when Sauron found that Ponies like Elves couldn't be controlled he had them kill their ponies at the very first sign of weakness, but their souls were poisoned so they couldn't return to Equestria." then tells them to go back to sleep.