//------------------------------// // Confrontation at Isengard // Story: Fellowship is Magic // by Mr-War //------------------------------// Confrontation at Isengard Rainbow Dash sat down, woozy, eyes shut as she waited for the world to quit spinning in three different directions at the same time. All the while she groaned, and silently cursed her loyalty to her friends motivating her to go along with this crazy idea. When she'd confronted Twilight back in Rivendell, and extracted a confession from her as to what she was doing, she knew that it was an utterly crazy idea. Going all the way to Isengard to see Saruman face to face? As far as she was concerned, Twilight had absolutely flipped her lid, that was the only way to actually describe it right now. In the back of her mind, she knew that she should've tried to stop her, and gotten someone who could help her. But she also knew that if she'd tried that, she would've risked Twilight simply teleporting away during her absence, and then they'd never find her. The only option she really had was to tag along with her, in hopes of talking some sense into her friend's thick skull. And with a journey of nearly 700 miles ahead of them -at least according to what she remembered of Bilbo's maps back at the Shire- she figured there would be plenty of time to do just that. What she hadn't anticipated, however, was the long-range teleportation that Twilight was utilizing. When she thought long range, she was thinking two to three miles at a time, like back when Twilight was a Unicorn. But instead, she was knocking out an estimated 50 miles at a time! The sheer amount of increased performance they were talking about was almost impossible to believe. Unfortunately the increased distance was disorienting to experience. While Twilight needed to stop in between and catch a breather, Rainbow Dash had to wait for her equilibrium to restore, or risk being violently sick all over anyone and anything in the area; totally the uncool thing to do. She was thankful for the rest breaks. While her stomach settled, and Twilight rested, it gave her opportunity to think over their situation. It gave her the time that she needed to consider her available options, and figure out what to do about getting a handle on Twilight. This was hardly the first harebrained scheme that'd ever come up. But it was by far the most dangerous that she could remember. Walking right into the enemy's base? That was... that was... She didn't want to think about it. Thinking about it made her brain hurt. "Okay, I'm rested up," Twilight stated, "are you ready to go, Rainbow Dash?" "I will be in a minute," Rainbow Dash said as she sat up a little straighter and opened her eyes to look at her friend. "I just need to say, that this is officially the dumbest idea you've ever had in your life!" "Rainbow Dash, we've been over this before," Twilight replied, not even flinching as her friend yelled in her face. "Saruman aiding Sauron is simply an unacceptable turn of events. His being compromised in such a way drastically weakens whatever strength the people of Middle Earth have. We can't simply leave him in that state, writing him off as a lost cause. If we rescue him, Sauron's strength will be drastically weakened, and whatever knowledge Saruman has gained from this unholy alliance will be ours. Think of the tactical advantage Gandalf and the others would have, if they knew what he knew," she stated. "He's not gonna give us anything, he's a traitor, Twilight! He went over to Sauron willingly. You can't just beat the snot out of him, and rag him back over to the other side. He made his decision, now everyone has to live with it!" Rainbow Dash shot back. "I refuse to believe that," Twilight stated sternly and frowned. "Saruman is a fellow intellectual, and I refuse to even consider that he could come to the conclusion of his own volition, that serving Sauron was the best decision, because it isn't. Saruman had to be tricked, brainwashed into his actions, just like what Discord did to us when he was first freed. That's the only logical conclusion available." "Oh don't give me that! Just because he's smart, doesn't mean he's above making stupid decisions. Even you aren't above making stupid decisions; remember that time you tried to drill a hole through your head?" Rainbow Dash asked. "That would've worked if you hadn't stopped me," Twilight replied and frowned. "Rainbow Dash, I'm doing this, and that's all there is to it. Nopony forced you to tag along with this. If you don't like it, then just go back to Rivendell. I'll be fine on my own." "Oh sure, that's a brilliant idea. I'll just trek back 500 miles over unfamiliar terrain all by myself, and leave you to face off against a wizard stronger than Gandalf all by yourself! Totally genius idea! I wish I could've thought of something that great on my own!" Rainbow Dash replied sarcastically. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. I said I was coming along for this wild ride, and I'm not about to just leave you all by your lonesome in the heart of enemy territory. You're either coming back with me, or neither of us is going back to Rivendell. That's just how it's gonna be." "Rainbow Dash-" "What'm I supposed to tell the others, huh? You tell me, what'm I supposed to tell them? What do I tell Spike on why you're not there? What do I tell your parents when we get back to Equestria, and you're not there? Do you have something in mind for each of them, or should I just give them a generic 'Twilight's dead, sorry I don't have the details for you' sort of message to let them know that they're never going to see you again?" she asked, her voice hard and ragged as she spoke. "Rainbow Dash-" "No! I'm not going to do that! Please, I'm begging you, as a friend, please don't put me in that kind of position!" Rainbow Dash yelled, unable to maintain her composure any longer. She couldn't keep up the anger, or the hostility, or anything else that would let her get through this without breaking down in a tearful mess. Twilight's whole plan amounted to little more than a suicide mission, and there was nothing she could do to talk her out of it. She knew full well that if she let her proceed with her plan, this was going to be the last time they ever saw each other and it was going to be under less than pleasant circumstances. But try as she might, no matter how many times she spoke up, trying to convince her friend to not do this, she remained convinced that it was the best course of action available to them, and would hear nothing else. It was all far too much for Rainbow Dash to bear any further. "I don't want you to die..." The next thing Rainbow Dash knew, Twilight had pulled her into a firm hug, both forelegs and wings, and held her close, catching her completely off guard. "Shh, shh, it's alright, Rainbow Dash, it's alright," Twilight stated in a gentle tone as she hugged the distraught pegasus close to her. "Nopony's going to die, I promise. We're not marching into a battle, we're only going to talk with Saruman, and convince him to end his alliance with Sauron, that's all." "We'll leave at the first sign of trouble?" Rainbow Dash asked, voice muffled by the close proximity to Twilight's body. "If I feel we can't handle the situation, we'll leave," Twilight reassured her. "Swear it," Rainbow Dash said as she straightened herself up. "What?" Twilight asked. "Put up your hoof and swear to me, on your honor as the Princess of Friendship, that we'll get the buck out of there at the very first sign that we're in over our heads. That's the only way I'm letting you go a step further," Rainbow Dash stated, doing her best to muster as much conviction and dedication in her voice as possible. "Rainbow Dash-" "No!" Rainbow Dash yelled in interruption. "Do it, Twilight, swear it! You're my friend, Twilight, that's the only way I'm letting you go another step forward. Because if you don't, then I swear that I'll knock you unconscious, and drag your flank all the way back to Rivendell by myself!" she stated as she held Twilight as hard as she could to hinder her movement. Twilight wheezed, unaccustomed to being handled so roughly by one of her friends. She didn't know just what had gotten Rainbow Dash so worked up, but it was unlikely that talking reason into her was going to be a possibility. "A-alright, Rainbow, alright," She relented. As she did, Rainbow Dash relented in loosening her grasp, just enough for her to withdraw her foreleg, and hold it up. "On my honor, as the Princess of Friendship, I swear that if the situation gets out of control, we'll blow through Tartarus to get out of Isengard, and back to the safety of Rivendell." "Good," Rainbow Dash sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "Now let's go find Saruman, kick Sauron out of his head, and get back to Rivendell so we can get in a few hours of sleep." "Whoa..." Several more long-range teleportations, followed by several more -and much needed- rest periods to recover from the extended exertion. Rainbow Dash was glad for that, because at the time of the last teleportation, even the rest breaks weren't being sufficient to help settle her stomach completely. At that point, however, it was more of a moot point than anything. Isengard -or rather the tallest tower in the area that they assumed to be the center of Isengard- was clearly visible from several miles away, indicating that they were going in the right direction. And that short distance could easily be crossed by flying the rest of the way. That is, it could've been easily crossed, if not for the fact that Twilight still couldn't properly move her wing, and keep herself aloft. That left her needing to be carried by Rainbow Dash; not always the best method of transport, but certainly better than trying to walk the distance. Especially with the vantage point it provided them of what was below. All down below them, all around the tower, were large caverns lit by fire, with a great deal of activity going on below, as well as above ground. Huge, billowing clouds of noxious smoke arose high into the air, making the two of them very glad that they weren't flying directly overhead. "What is all this mess?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I don't know. It looks like some primitive refinery, or factory, carved right into the earth itself. It's all very primitive, but its extent is utterly impressive. Something like this should have taken months to set up, yet it was done in just days," Twilight replied as she scanned everything, both visually, and magically. "Yeah, really impressive," Rainbow Dash replied, her tone indicating that she didn't share Twilight's sentiments. "And what're those things all over the place down there? They don't look like men. Could they be trolls?" "I don't know. They're a lot smaller than the petrified trolls we saw. Maybe they're something new," Twilight replied uncertainly. "Whatever they are, we should probably set down and approach on hoof. We might not be well received if we just flew directly to the tower." The two set down just beyond the clearing, under cover of the forest. From there they began the slow walk to the tower of Isengard, keeping a wary eye out for anything that might constitute a sign of danger. As much as the area was cleared of any debris or underbrush, there were still blind spots to either hide behind, or for something else to hide within as they approached. "I really don't like this," Rainbow Dash whispered as she kept close to Twilight's side, eyes darting back and forth as they walked along. "I've got a bad feeling about this. Like really bad; atmospheric changes before an unplanned storm type of bad," she explained. "I'll be alright," Twilight whispered back. That wasn't to say she too wasn't experiencing a sense of dread. But right now there were more important things to tend to. She'd worry later, when the situation had calmed down some. "Well, well. What 'ave we 'ere?" The deep, guttural voice them caused both ponies to jump in surprise, and look behind them, each of them nearly screaming at the tall, muscular, menacing bipedal individual in a loincloth that stood just a few paces away, a large cleaver-like sword resting over its shoulder as it looked at them. "We are so dead," Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she looked at those teeth displayed in a snarl. Whatever these things were, they were a lot more muscly than any man she'd ever seen. He could probably fold Strider right in half like it was nothing. "Hello," Twilight replied in greeting, seemingly undisturbed by the intimidating visage before them, "I'm afraid we're a bit lost. Could you tell us where we could find Isengard?" she asked. "You're in Isengard," it stated in a tone that nearly made Rainbow Dash flinch, as if it was snapping at them out of annoyance with their presence. "Oh. Good then," Twilight replied, undisturbed by the harsh tone. "We've come to see about an audience with Saruman the White. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is my friend, Rainbow Dash. Who might you be, good, er, sir?" she asked, hoping she wasn't getting gender confused in who -or what- she was addressing. "Quite 'ungry," the biped responded, giving a lick of the lips while eyeing them intently. Rainbow Dash gulped nervously at that. "Hungry?" Twilight asked, before sitting down and undoing her pack, before fishing around until she found what she was looking for. "Apple?" she asked as she held up the fresh fruit for consideration. The look given at the gesture suggested bewilderment; like this was the first time something of this nature had ever happened. "No meats?" it asked in response. "Sorry, fresh out," Twilight replied as she looked back in her pack, "I'm afraid all we've got are apples, some carrots and... potatoes. But those don't really taste good without being cooked." Much to Rainbow Dash's surprise, the thing shrugged, and actually took the apple and proceeded to devour it, rather than try and fillet them in its place. "They're quite good this year," Twilight commented. "Now then, about our audience with Saruman the White." "Lord Saruman said 'e does not wish ta be disturbed for anything," came the gruff reply. "Oh? Is that so?" Twilight asked as she proceeded to fish around in her pack again, before pulling out two more apples, one in each of her hooves. "Are you sure you couldn't possibly make an exception for us? We've traveled quite a long distance just to see him. It would be such a shame if we had to return home, and report that Saruman the White has no interest in discussing an alliance," she explained calmly. Rainbow Dash didn't know just what Twilight was up to, or what she was doing. But whatever she was doing, it was apparently enough to talk this thing out of eating them. It was even looking like it was mentally going over everything it had to consider, between its orders, and Twilight trying to talk her way past it. She honestly didn't know what to make of it all. Finally, the guard -she was assuming it was a guard- seemingly shrugged, and took both of the apples being offered up to it. "Stay close," it instructed and walked past them. "Thank you," Twilight replied as she readjusted her pack and fell in line behind, with Rainbow Dash bringing up the rear close behind. "By the way, could you tell me your name? I'd like to know who to compliment Saruman for employing." "Raglax," he spoke in between bites. "Good to meet you, Mr. Raglax." Sauron was pleased with how things were progressing in Isengard. Saruman could see as much through the Palantír. The progress on the creation of the army pleased the dark lord quite well. Uruk-Hai were being forged round the clock, with the best orc smiths working tirelessly at creating ample arms for every soldier. It would be a force of reckoning, the likes of which Middle Earth had never seen before. And then, when the time was right- A loud knocking at the doors to his study disrupted Saruman's thoughts, breaking contact with the Palantír. "I said that I do not wish to be disturbed for any reason," he spoke firmly. "Apologies, Lord Saruman, but you 'ave a couple o' travelers out 'ere claiming to have an appointment with you," came a gruff voice from the other side of the door. Now Saruman was curious. Still furious, but nonetheless curious. One did not simply walk into Isengard. Nor did one claim to have an appointment with him. On his command the doors opened, revealing the Uruk-Hai that had addressed him, and not one, but two strange visitors. Perhaps Gandalf's age wasn't playing the tricks on him that he'd first assumed. "I recall no such appointment," he stated as he calmly approached, regarding the both of them closely. Out of the two, the blue one seemed the most nervous in response to his words; almost as if it was aware of the meaning of his words, and the implications that went along with them. If there was no appointment, then they were trespassing. "Shall I escort 'em to the butcher then, Lord Saruman? The boys are gettin' quite 'ungry for meats," the uruk stated as he licked his chops. If the blue pony had been nervous before, then it was absolutely terrified now. Most interesting. "Not just yet. I wish to question our guests," Saruman stated. He would get whatever information he could from them first. And then he would consider what other uses they might serve to their operation. "Step forward. We have much to discuss." "Indeed we do," Twilight stated as she entered the room, Rainbow Dash trailing behind to her left. "I-" "You presume too much," Saruman spoke slowly as he raised his staff. The next thing Twilight and Rainbow Dash knew, they were both subjected to something unlike anything they'd ever experienced before. It was an overwhelming, paralyzing pressure that enveloped their bodies, leaving them unable to move. But that was only the first part of what they were subjected to; there was also a similar pressure being applied to their minds. "Tell me. For what purpose did you travel to Isengard?" Saruman asked, focusing on Twilight first. He could tell that of the two, she was the most intelligent, and most likely to be in charge of whatever operation was in play. Twilight tried to respond, but found it impossible to do such in a way she'd intended. The pressure on her mind was growing more intense with every second, making her wince as she tried to shut her eyes, but found them unable to respond to the basic command. It was like every impulse in her body was being overridden by Saruman, leaving her unable to do anything of her own free will. It was like trying to tell instinct to shut up. "To... to see about forming an alliance with Saruman the White," she finally said in response. She couldn't be certain as to what they were being subjected to, but she had reason to suspect that it was some method of extracting the truth from someone; possibly forcefully compelling them to speak, even if they didn't want to. "Is this true?" Saruman asked as he turned his attention to Rainbow Dash, seeking corroboration. "No. No it isn't," Rainbow Dash admitted, "I came along so she wouldn't have to travel alone." "You cannot lie to me. If you attempt to, it will only hurt you all the worse," Saruman stated as he raised his staff to increase the pressure, causing Rainbow Dash to wince painfully. "Why did you come to Isengard?" "For my friend, so she wouldn't have to travel alone," Rainbow Dash repeated. "Noble," Saruman commented, before turning back to Twilight. "For what purpose did you travel to Isengard?" "To see about forming an alliance with Saruman the White," Twilight repeated, unable to say anything else in the face of the overwhelming pressure she was being subjected to. "For what purpose?" Saruman asked as he pressed harder. "Because survival without such an alliance wouldn't be possible!" Twilight stated. Saruman considered the answer he was given, before pulling his staff back. Just as it had come on, the pressure was released and both Twilight and Rainbow Dash collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, and feeling like they'd experienced the most intense workout of their entire lives. "A wise decision on your part," Saruman commented as he leaned against his staff while observing them. "Come. We have much to discuss." Rainbow Dash didn't have a clue what spacious room they were currently sitting in, but she'd assume it was Saruman's study in the tower of Orthanc; a fact he was all too willing to share. Apparently Isengard was the territory around the tower. Not that she really cared. Saruman and Twilight had been talking in what struck her in a semi-amiable manner for what felt like an hour, all the while she just listened, not having much to add to the conversation. Standing guard by the door behind them was Raglax, an Uruk-Hai according to Saruman; a subtype of the group known as "orcs" and something of an elite type from what she understood. Built large, strong, and resilient to sunlight. Listening to Saruman talk, she could tell that he was quite proud of the quality of these orcs that he was apparently manufacturing in the underground factory. She didn't know what disturbed her worse about the entire conversation the two were sharing. That Saruman was manufacturing them like artificial goods, or that Twilight was actually complimenting him on the quality of his work, and pointing out potential shortcomings of his design that could stand to be improved; like how the musculature of the neck undoubtedly provided reinforcement for the spinal column and cord, but could potentially inhibit the full range of movement of the head. Why would she ever bring something like that up so freely? Something like that should've been kept to themselves so Saruman couldn't improve the design. The conversations unfolding in front of her were difficult to follow. Despite her best efforts, she just kept zoning in and out, picking up random fragments here and there. In truth what all they were talking about was starting to make her head spin. But then a specific piece of discussion caught her attention, and held it. Saruman wasn't opposed to the idea of an alliance, but he wanted proof of loyalty first. Specifically, he wanted them to bring him the One Ring to show that they were true to their word. Rainbow Dash bristled at this idea, growling under her breath. She knew that the ring was evil, and filled with unspeakable wickedness, but that didn't stop her from wanting to claim it as her own. It was alluring, and calling to her in ways she'd never felt before. And he wanted it for himself? That was certainly not happening! She wasn't about to beat the tar out of Frodo and take the ring, just to hand it off to someone else. "I'm afraid that's not an option right now," Twilight spoke up, snapping Rainbow Dash out of her less than noble thoughts. "We lost track of the ring some days ago. I honestly have no idea of where it currently is. And even if I did, the journey is quite long; too long to be made in any reasonable length of time, so fulfillment of the requirements would take days to complete, during which we would both have to be gone. That's assuming your troops don't eat us on sight, as they apparently have ravenous appetites. And all of this based upon nothing but your word, that you would align with us, if we give you what so many seem to want," she explained, before concluding with a sigh. "In short, no sell." "Yeah. That's not going to be happening anytime soon," Rainbow Dash replied. "It looks like we made the whole trip for nothing. I don't think there's anything left to say with words," Twilight added. "But you said-" Saruman started. "A helpful bit of advice," Twilight interrupted, "it's not so much what's said, as it is how it gets phrased. I was telling the truth the whole time about the alliance. I just never elaborated that the goal was to bring you into alliance with the rest of us against Sauron." "So. You have chosen death then..." Saruman spoke slowly. The next thing Twilight knew, she had been sent flying backwards across the room with a wave of Saruman's staff, where she crashed into the wall with a heavy thud. "Bastard!" Rainbow Dash came flying across the room, swinging her hind leg forward hard enough to take Saruman's head right off his shoulders for what he'd done to Twilight. Unfortunately her swing stopped short upon contact with a shimmering barrier materializing before her, protecting Saruman from any injury. "You have spirit. But spirit alone does not win victories," he commented, before swinging his staff, and hurling her back in the same way he had Twilight. What he didn't expect was Rainbow Dash getting right back up, and preparing to attack again as quickly as she did. The only thing that stopped her was Raglax stepping between them, and bringing his sword to bear. "Get out of my way!" Rainbow Dash yelled angrily. "Who's gonna make me?" Raglax asked. What followed the question -from Saruman's point of view anyway- looked like an exchange of good old fisticuffs, the two trading blows against one another. Or at least it should've been such. Raglax was undeniably the stronger of the two, and should've been able to end the fight in short order. But Rainbow Dash was much quicker, more flexible, and far more able to avoid whatever crude, slow attacks were launched at her, before following up with a quick jab to the face or chest. Even the presence of his scimitar was proving to be little benefit, when his quarry could simply use his momentum against him, and pick an opening to exploit by following up with a sideways kick to the head. "Cute trick." Saruman's plans to intervene were interrupted at the voice, bringing his attention to Twilight as she picked herself up off the floor. "Back when I was a Unicorn, that would've hurt me quite a bit. But now that I'm an Alicorn, and can shake off being hit with a mountain, not so much," she commented. "Then let us see what can be done about that..." Saruman commented. Before he could do anything, however, his staff was yanked from his hands with enough force, he was nearly thrown to the ground in the process. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that," Twilight said as she cast the staff aside behind her and approached. "We came here for the purpose of freeing you from Sauron's influence, not to fight you. Fighting under these circumstances would be rather rude." The next thing Saruman knew, he found himself being hurled across the room, landing against the wall with a thud, and falling into a sitting position one the far end. "See? Rude," Twilight stated before teleporting directly in front of Saruman, stopping him from getting up. "Now just hold still, this won't hurt a bit," she said as she touched her horn to his forehead. In truth she wasn't sure if this spell was going to work. It had been the same spell she'd used to banish Discord's influence from her friends after he'd escaped the first time, and it had worked wonders in all five cases. But Saruman was no pony, and she knew very little about him otherwise, so it would be difficult to say for certain whether or not it would be a success. The visage of an eye made entire of fire flashing over Saruman's face suggested that success wasn't an option under these circumstances. Saruman's laugh also did little to suggest otherwise. "You could not possibly comprehend the might of Sauron, little pony," he stated as he moved to get up, only for Twilight to push him back down with her hoof. "Then I'll simply have to try something else," she stated as her horn started glowing brighter. "I'll just have to flood your mind with my influence, until there's no more room left for Sauron to occupy!" she declared as she pressed harder. Sauron couldn't possibly control what he couldn't possibly occupy. Twilight blinked as she looked around at her surroundings, knowing not where she was, except that it certainly wasn't Orthanc. Being drawn into the mindscape wasn't the intended purpose of her efforts, but it was a possibility when a battle of wills was triggered. Usually it was a sign of the targeted will being remarkably strong, and able to resist efforts at removing it. And if that was the case, then it meant that Sauron wasn't going to leave without a fight. But in order to expel Sauron, she first had to find where he was hiding in here. But looking around at what was before her, she knew that was going to be hard to do. The whole area was so... bland, and vacant, other than a rocky outcropping that jutted jaggedly up out of the ground. "You can't hide from me, Saruon, I know you're here; I wouldn't be here if you weren't. Just show yourself already so we can..." Twilight's words died in her throat as the rocky structure in the middle of the vacant area started to move on its own accord. It was only then that she realized it wasn't a rocky outcropping that she was looking at, but rather someone who was easily three times her height, and wearing the spikiest armor she'd ever seen before in her life. Seriously, there were more spikes and sharp points than a porcupine had! "Ho-ly butts!" she exclaimed in surprise and jumped back. That would have to be Sauron, of course, knowing the type of luck that she had. Focus! She had to focus on the mission. She was here to chase Sauron out of Saruman's head, not be intimidated by him, simply because he had a firmer hoofhold on the territory by default. Saruman had to be rescued, and that duty befell her, and her alone. "Begone Sauron! Saruman isn't yours to command!" she stated with a renewed resolve, knowing that this wouldn't be a battle of magic, but a battle of wills. The one with the strongest will would win the engagement, and she was no slouch in that department. She didn't expect Sauron to just comply with her order, that would be asking far too much. She also didn't expect him to start talking in some dark, menacing tone, in a dialect she couldn't possibly understand. Yet apparently that was the game plan for him. "I'm sorry, did I stutter? Did I use some phrasing that led you to believe that was a request? That this was up for debate? Because it's not!" she shouted as she angrily flared her wings, her horn glowing brightly in the process. "Leave now!" The dialect, she didn't understand, whatever it was. But she didn't have to understand Sauron's words to know that he intended to fight her on this. He was going to flex the might of his will against her own in an effort to assert dominance; something that the engulfment of his right fist in a sheathing of fire conveyed quite well. "If you want to do it the hard way, then fine. Let's see just what you've got," Twilight stated as she let loose with everything she had. Duking things out with an Uruk-Hai really wasn't as easy as Rainbow Dash had thought it might be. Their faces were like stone, and their heads were as hard as an anvil. Ragnarok -or whatever his name was, she really didn't care- was built tough, and could take an unbelievable amount of abuse without being significantly staggered. All in all, it was kind of respectable. Or at least it would've been if he wasn't trying to kill her. That was what necessitated a knockout uppercut punch that sent the orc toppling over onto the ground, all sprawled out and whatnot. She knew her hooves were going to be aching something fierce in the morning. But at least she'd be alive so that they could ache. "Okay," she panted, "now that old ugly is taken care of." With her opponent taken care of, her focus was now on Twilight and Saruman. But the lack of noises consistent with magic being hurled about made it confusing as to just what was going on. Looking around the room, now that she wasn't focused exclusively on the orc, she quickly found them on the far side. Saruman was sitting on the floor against the wall, with Twilight standing over them, her horn pressed against his head and glowing. Neither one of them was either moving or speaking. Wait, she took that back. Saruman was moving, but it didn't look right. It looked like he was spasming or convulsing every couple of seconds. She didn't know if that was a normal part of the process that Twilight was putting him through. But she was fairly certain that it wasn't normal to be bleeding from the eyes, nose, and ears. "Twilight!" she shouted to get her attention, only to be ignored. Whatever Twilight was doing, she couldn't hear her. Undaunted she flew over to her, and touched her on the wither to get her attention. There was a sudden flash, so sudden she didn't have the time to understand what she'd just seen before pulling her hoof away as if she'd just been burnt. Curiously, she did it again, longer this time. What she saw was Twilight facing off against some dark giant in a clash of magical energies, neither side willing to stand down. On the outside it was all tranquil and whatnot, but on the inside the ground around them was shaking violently, Twilight was shouting orders in what seemed like the Royal Canterlot Voice, and whatever she was facing was shouting back in some language she couldn't recognize. As she pulled her hoof away again, she could see that Saruman's convulsions were getting worse. Maybe the two were connected. Regardless of whatever the answer was, she wrapped her forelegs around Twilight to pull her away, fearing that if she hesitated, that something really bad was going to happen. Not knowing how much effort it would take, she pulled hard. The excited squawk that came from Twilight as they both toppled to the ground told Rainbow Dash that she might've used just a bit too much effort to pull her away. "Rainbow Dash! What're you doing!?" Twilight shrieked as she struggled back onto her hooves, clearly upset with this turn of developments. "Do you have any idea just how dangerous something like that was?" she asked. She'd been holding Sauron's influence at bay, only to be suddenly snapped out of her efforts. There was no telling what kind of damage something like that could've potentially caused. Not only was it dangerous, it was downright stupid. "Actually, yeah. I think I do," Rainbow Dash replied as she gestured in Saruman's direction. "He was like that while you were in there. Is that supposed to be normal?" "Oh no!" Twilight gasped as she looked at Saruman. "No that's not normal at all! I don't know what happened, it's like he suddenly experienced a dramatic increase in inter-cranial pressure." "Meaning what exactly?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Meaning that a lot of pressure was put on his brain while I was trying to remove Sauron. I-it's like his mind couldn't withstand the strain that was being put on it," Twilight stated shakily as she stepped closer to examine him. "You mean that he... that he might actually be..." "No," Twilight replied and shook her head, "he's not dead. Not yet anyway. He's still breathing, but I don't know if that's going to continue," she stated. "We need to get out of here," Rainbow Dash stated quickly, "like right now. We've gotta blow!" "Rainbow Dash-" "No, Twilight, you swore we were gonna leave if we lost control of the situation. Well we lost control. There's nothing more we can do here, let's go! We need to get back to Rivendell, quickly. This is way out of our league!" Rainbow Dash stated frantically. "We gotta go before more orcs come by to see what's going on. Come on already!" Twilight didn't want to leave. The notion that she'd just about killed Saruman in her efforts of freeing him from Sauron's control, and then suddenly abandoning him while he was so weak and vulnerable, simply weren't sitting with her right. But Rainbow Dash was right in her evaluation that they'd lost control of the situation. If they stayed here, there was no telling what could happen. She could do little more than reluctantly nod, and move close to Rainbow Dash to teleport them of Orthanc. They had a long journey ahead of them to get back to Rivendell, and they weren't going to get any closer by standing around and waiting.