Lothlorien
After spending three days underground in the mines of Moria, the sun that greeted them as they exited onto the eastern side of the Misty Mountains was unbelievably bright; nearly blinding even at this time of day. Standing on a smooth rocky slope, the Fellowship paused to catch their breaths. Twilight brushed the bangs of her mane from her face, as they had become uncomfortable and sticky due to her perspiration. As her bangs were moved, she felt a cool breeze come across her forehead, prompting a small sigh to escape her lips.
Gandalf's demise was the first time that Twilight had seen a close friend literally fall to their deaths. It wasn't the first time one of her friends had fallen to what would amount to a grisly demise, but it was the first time she was in the position to do something to stop it, but still failed to actually stop it from happening; she was still furious at Rainbow Dash for being responsible for that.
But furious or not, there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do right now was see how other members of the Fellowship were coping with Gandalf's death.
Aragorn glumly began wiping goblin blood off his sword. Sam sat on a rock crying. Frodo had his back turned and appeared to be staring towards the southern horizon. Legolas' gaze was one of disbelief and dismay. Merry lay on his side trying to comfort Pippin, who was next to him flat on his back weeping. Spike hugged a sobbing Fluttershy while tears streamed silently down his own cheeks. Rainbow Dash was silent, staring off into space. Rarity was crying, and wiping her hoof across her face to get rid of her tears. Both Boromir and Applejack had to restrain a frothing Gimli from charging back into Moria - the dwarf wanted to return there and kill more goblins in revenge for Balin and Gandalf's deaths. She heard Applejack saying something about threatening to sit on Gimli if he didn't settle down.
However, Twilight's attention was most grabbed by Pinkie Pie, who had sat down and was staring at the ground with a guilty look on her face. She walked over and sat before her.
"Talk to me Pinkie," she stated simply.
Pinkie raised her head and Twilight noticed a tear streaming down her right cheek. Pinkie Pie swallowed before speaking up.
"This is all my fault. Me and my sneezes. It was my sneeze that made the mirror bring us here, and then it was my sneeze that made everything go wrong back in the mines. If it weren't for me, Gandalf would still be alive and-"
"Stop there Pinkie," Twilight interrupted her in a courteous manner. She drew on what Princess Celestia would most likely say in this kind of situation. "Gandalf was pretty clear that he was the only one that could fight that thing. He knew what he might have to do for the rest of us to get away. Allow Gandalf the dignity of his choice - he obviously thought we were worth it."
Twilight thought the look now on Pinkie's face indicated acceptance of her wisdom, but she didn't know for certain.
Despite the gap Gandalf had created in the Bridge, Aragorn knew the Fellowship should not gamble on the goblins taking too long to repair it. After he had finished wiping his sword he evenly spoke to the Fellowship's Elf. "Legolas. Get them up."
By 'them' Legolas knew that Aragorn was referring to the hobbits and ponies.
Boromir was incensed by Aragorn's apparent insensitivity to the grief many in the Fellowship still felt.
"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" the Gondorian angrily pleaded.
Aragorn waved his sword at the hills surrounding the Fellowship to emphasis the danger its members still faced. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs!" he responded to Boromir with a raised voice.
Twilight voiced her agreement with Aragorn. "We're all grieving for Gandalf. But he clearly wanted us to escape from this place with haste. There's nothing more that can be done here; not now. We'll grieve when we're safe. Otherwise he died for nothing..."
Aragorn gave Twilight a quick nod of appreciation before calmly continuing. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come Boromir, Twilight, Legolas get them up."
Twilight approached Rainbow Dash, who appeared to be lost in deep thought.
"Rainbow Dash," she called out to her, but Rainbow Dash just continued staring at the Mines.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight yelled out. Rainbow Dash snapped out of it, and went with the Fellowship without a word. When Aragorn, Twilight and Legolas had roused the others, the Fellowship, now short of one member, continued on for Lothlorien. But not before Twilight was sure to leave an update burned into the stone, just in case Princess Celestia were to come this way.
The Fellowship eventually left the slopes of the Misty Mountains and reached a meadow by late afternoon. The meadow separated them from the forest known as Lothlorien that was to the east by a few hundred yards. At Aragorn's urging, the Fellowship ran across the meadow.
Aragorn knew that many of the Fellowship were already near exhaustion but it was imperative they reached the safety of Lothlorien before nightfall. Although 'safety' was a relative term in this sense. The Elves that ruled Lothlorien, or otherwise called Galadhrim, were not evil. But they jealously guarded their borders, treating with suspicion to any other of the Free Peoples that entered their realm without their leave. Servants of Sauron they simply killed on sight. Aragorn hoped the Fellowship would encounter a group of Galadhrim sentries that would allow them to stay in the woods at least for tonight.
The Fellowship stopped running as soon as they crossed Lothlorien's borders. Twilight remembered that Legolas called the forest they were now in as the 'Golden Wood'. Looking at the trees around her, she couldn't help but think this was an apt description. The majority of Lothlorien's forest population appeared to be tall trees with silver-grey trunks, and branches on which grew bright gold leaves. These trees reminded her of birch trees and that, given the color of their leaves, it was autumn in Middle-Earth. As she ran her hoof over one of the tree's trunks she was surprised at how smooth it felt.
Legolas, who had noticed Twilight's action, and the tremor that ran through her frame, interrupted her thoughts. "They are called Mallorn-trees Twilight."
Twilight looked at Legolas, who was holding a green colored cloak towards her. "You wear my cloak as I do not currently need it," Legolas said, referring to the cloak that Twilight accepted with gratitude. As Twilight put it on, the Prince of Mirkwood turned his eyes to the forest surrounding the Fellowship. "The leaves of Mallorn-trees remain on them during winter, only falling to the ground in spring when new leaves sprout."
'What sort of photosynthesis do these 'Mallorn' trees have that allows them to do that?' Twilight thought in response.
For Gimli, now was not the time to gaze at trees. As he had lived underground most of his life, to him trees were just that - trees. 'Lothlorien' was a name that made even the stoutest of dwarven warriors' exchange nervous glances. Lothlorien was well known to be an elven realm that dwarves should avoid, given the animosity that existed between their two races. Lothlorien was rumored to be ruled by the most powerful Elven Queen in existence. Remembering what his forebears had said about the magic that she could supposedly wield, Gimli doubted even his trusted battle-axes would give him much protection from her.
"Stay close, young hobbits. The same goes for yourself, Spike," Gimli said as he hurriedly waved those respective Fellowship members to him. When the dragon and hobbits were close by him, he began to quietly recall to them the stories he had heard of Lothlorien. "They say there's a great sorceress that lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again."
Spike thought that if Gimli was simply trying to make them nervous, he was doing a pretty good job of it. He thought the reason that Frodo had suddenly halted with his eyes darting around was because of the threat this 'Elf-witch' appeared to present.
"Yeah? Well, we don't exactly have a witch or a sorceress or anything like that, but we've got an Alicorn. That's pretty much the royal flush of the whole magical hierarchy thing," Rainbow Dash commented, unimpressed with Gimli's warning.
Twilight wanted to comment on Rainbow Dash's statement, but suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"Beware of the Ring, Twilight Sparkle - it still seeks to unleash Rainbow Dash's dark side."
She hadn't heard the statement with her ears, but rather in her mind. For a moment, she wondered if the Ring had re-commenced its temptation of her but quickly dismissed it. Given the Ring's nature, she doubted it would now warn her away from itself. Besides, the voice she had just heard was distinctly feminine, that was both authoritative and caring.
Assuming it was a lady who projected this voice, she could obviously read minds also, as none of the others in the Fellowship could apparently hear her voice. That she communicated in a way that Twilight did not seem to find threatening also indicated she was very wise. Twilight gasped as an image of one of the most beautiful but probing pair of blue eyes she had ever seen popped in her mind as the lady spoke again.
"She resists valiantly against its dark influence, but it is only a matter of time before it overcomes her. Should the Ring succeed, there shall be no going back for her."
Given his elven hearing, Legolas was not oblivious of Gimli's comments to other members of the Fellowship. Although the initial hostility between him and Gimli had greatly lessened, he could not stand for the Dwarf's defamation of the Lady of Lothlorien. The Lady was revered among all the Eldar in Middle-earth.
"I think I just heard her voice in my head," a slightly nervous Twilight Sparkle advised the Fellowship.
"So did I," Frodo quickly added.
Feeling that his forebears' suspicions had been justified, Gimli proudly proclaimed to the rest of the Fellowship, "Well here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!"
Gimli suddenly halted as soon as he said these words. He had not halted because he heard the same voice in his head that Frodo and Twilight had. It was because he was taken by surprise by three bows, each with arrows, aimed only inches away from his face.
Each Fellowship member now had at least one arrow pointed at them by one of the company of two dozen Galadhrim sentries that had surrounded them. A number of the Fellowship's warriors cursed themselves for being taken so unaware. Aragorn looked over his shoulder to see Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were about to do battle with the company in their own fashion.
"Hold!" he shouted at the trio somewhat in panic. Fortunately, all three ponies heard and obeyed the Ranger before they could actually attack. The last thing Aragorn wanted was any provocation from the Fellowship that would justify the sentries releasing their arrows.
Seeing that Aragorn had taken over leadership of the Fellowship since Gandalf's fall, Twilight had no hesitation obeying him. Especially as Aragorn was similar to her in the sense that he had royal blood in his veins. Nonetheless, she still kept her horn aglow. If any of these elves so much as thought of releasing their arrows, she would have no hesitation in responding with force. Ensnaring their arrows to keep them in place would be the first course of action, possibly followed up with sending all of them to this world's moon. Assuming she could get the mechanics of the process right.
And then her mind wondered if the grey cloaks worn by the elves before her allowed them to remain hidden until the moment they wanted to be seen, as they had come out of practically nowhere.
The leader of these sentries, a tall blond male elf, not unlike Legolas, stepped forward and remarked to Aragorn, "The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark."
Gimli growled at the leader's reference to him. Inwardly, Aragorn breathed a sigh of relief because he immediately recognized the leader as Haldir, the Marchwarden of Lorien. He had met Haldir years before during his travels through Middle-earth. Aragorn gave the high ranking Galadhrim a short, respectful bow before conversing with him in Sindarin.
Twilight's ears twitched at the conversation unfolding before her. She could tell that these two had at least some mutual respect for one another, which helped put her tensions at ease. However she'd feel a lot better once those arrows were no longer aimed at her and her friends.
Gimli did not like how Haldir had spoken to him, and liked the Galadhrim arrows being pointed at him even less. As a dwarf he did not want to be at the enigmatic mercies of powerful and well-armed elves. At least he knew where he stood with the goblins.
"Aragorn," he blurted out, "These woods are perilous! We should go back!"
"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood," Haldir responded to Gimli in a tone that would brook no argument. "You cannot go back."
"Sure we can! We know the way we came, we can just turn around like none of this ever happened," Pinkie stated.
Twilight noticed that Haldir next looked at Frodo -completely ignoring Pinkie in the process- before saying to the whole Fellowship, "Come. She is waiting."
The Fellowship had to spend the night on a platform that the Galadhrim had built high on a Mallorn-tree. Legolas told the Equestrians that Galadhrim settlements were based around these platforms or 'Telains' on which they built all types of dwellings. Aragorn introduced the members of the original fellowship, while he allowed Twilight to introduce her friends. Aside from an insult from Gimli to Haldir that nearly caused hostilities to resume between the Galadhrim and the Fellowship, along with a few less than polite words from Rainbow Dash, the night on the Telain passed uneventfully.
Haldir and the Galadhrim woke the Fellowship at dawn so they could reach their destination in Lothlorien by sunset. They reached a high ridge by late afternoon where they were met by two other Galadhrim sentries. Looking east from the ridge, the Fellowship could see a misty valley that led to a great rising glade of trees. Applejack thought it might be a trick of the dying daylight reflecting off the mist, but she was sure that rays of light appeared to radiate from the glade.
"Behold Caras Galadhon," Haldir announced to the Fellowship. "The heart of Elvendom in Middle-earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and Galadriel, Lady of Light."
Haldir spoke with the two sentries while the rest of the Fellowship members quickly conversed amongst themselves. Since joining the Fellowship, Spike and the others had found that Pippin and Pinkie Pie were always willing to have a friendly chat, and their light heartedness kept the spirits of the Fellowship high. However, since leaving Moria they had become quite sullen and withdrawn. Of course Gandalf's death was the main reason, but Applejack and Fluttershy suspected another was still at play, based on what they had heard spoken earlier on.
Applejack walked over to where Pinkie Pie was. The strongest member of the Fellowship crouched down and spoke to the happiest member.
"Ah heard wha' ya were sayin' ta Twilight earlier, 'bout yer sneezin' bringin' the goblins down on u," she commented, "ah don't think that' right though."
"Why not?" Pinkie asked.
"Because those mines must have one hay of an echo to 'em. That commotion probably sounded fer miles aroun' in every direction. So if the goblins found us as quick as they did, somethin' tells me they knew right where we were the whole time; like they were trackin' us fer those three days. Hay, they might've even been plannin' on ambushin' us later on, we don' know fer sure," Applejack pointed out. It was way too coincidental that a whole army could find them so easily in just a couple of minutes, in such a cavernous and echo-prone location as Moria. "Yeah, maybe yer sneeze did alert 'em. But it also made 'em come outta hidin' ta where we could see 'em an' deal with 'em."
"You... you think so?" Pinkie asked. "But what about the Balrog? Isn't that my fault?"
Applejack shook her head. "Considerin' the ruckus the goblins were raisin' in tryin' ta get us, Ah think the Balrog was gonna get woke up one way er another, no matter what we did. They were rattlin' somethin' fierce in all their armor. An' their yellin' didn't help either," she stated, before adding, "not the brightest o' folks, that's fer sure."
"But-" Pinkie started.
"Butts are fer sittin' on," Applejack interrupted.
Despite herself, Pinkie couldn't help but giggle in response. That was funny. Applejack smiled in response, glad to see even a moment of something like happiness on her friends' face again.
While that was going on, Fluttershy was having a similar conversation with another member of the Fellowship that could stand having access to a supportive wither.
"Hello Pippin," she greeted softly with a smile.
"Oh, hullo Fluttershy," Pippin replied, but he did it without his usual enthusiasm and happiness.
"What's wrong?" she asked, knowing full well that something was, but not wanting to make presumptions that might be wrong. All she knew for certain was that he was very, very upset.
Pippin shook his head at first, but at Fluttershy's encouraging look, at last revealed his heart to her. "I should have stayed in the Shire."
"Why do you say that, Pippin?" she asked, shocked by the revelation.
"I've been nothing but trouble on this trip," he mourned. "First in Bree, and then in Moria."
"What do you think you did to say such a thing?"
"In Bree I drank too much, and told everyone in the inn that Frodo was a Baggins, and when he ran over to me he tripped and became invisible. I stupidly endangered Frodo's life because of it! And I could do nothing for Gandalf when he was in need!" He sniffled and hastily wiped his eyes. "Gandalf was right, calling me a fool of a Took. That is what I am."
"Oh, no, Pippin," the yellow Pegasus said sympathetically. "No, no, you can't think that way!" She gently held him as he wept and waited for him to calm down. After his tears had lessened, she continued. "What happened in Bree was unfortunate, but it did lead us to meeting Aragorn, at least. Who knows how he would've met Frodo otherwise? Things could've turned out worse for us, considering the Nazgul showed up at the inn. As for Gandalf-" Her voice hitched slightly as she thought about the deceased wizard. "As for Gandalf, he wouldn't have you feel guilty about his death. You were the only one who raced out there to get him, with no regard for the goblins shooting at us. No one else can say they even did that much," she pointed out.
The hobbit sniffled, but nodded slowly. "I suppose you have a point, but that does not change the fact that I am only baggage."
"Baggage doesn't risk its life to help others. You and Merry fought the goblins with the rest of us, at least you did something. I... all I did was hide, until I thought that Frodo was dead. You did a lot more than I did. Than I could," Fluttershy pointed out. "If the bridge hadn't collapsed beneath the both of you, I'm sure Gandalf would still be alive and with us right now."
Pippin nodded, but still looked solemn and uncertain, so Fluttershy spent the rest of the afternoon distracting the hobbit with other subjects, and for a while their cares were forgotten.
The Fellowship finally entered Caras Galadhon by early evening. Haldir led them up a wooden staircase that wound around the tallest and largest of Mallorn-trees within the glade. They finally reached the bottom of a large Telain that at the top of a flight of stairs, rested a grand wooden house that was illuminated by silvery lights. Haldir stood to the right of the Fellowship as Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel began descending the stairs. At first the Lord and Lady's features were hard to discern due to the light cast around the pair. But the Equestrians were just as opened mouthed as Pippin and Merry when the pair were finally revealed in their full splendor.
The couple appeared to be of equal height, each being about six feet. Seemingly like all male Galadhrim, Celeborn had long blond hair and wore a robe of silver and grey. He possessed a regal look, and demeanor fitting for his position as the Lord of Lothlorien. But it was Galadriel that truly captured the attention of the ponies and dragon. She wore a long, white dress that reached her ankles and a golden, circlet was on her head. Her long golden tresses that fell all the way to her lower back complemented her flawless white-skinned complexion. Seeing Galadriel's blue eyes confirmed to Twilight that it was indeed her who telepathically spoke to her yesterday. Twilight was simply staggered that Galadriel was over 8,000 years old like Legolas and Aragorn had told the rest of the Fellowship, making her officially the oldest being she had ever had the honor of meeting; even Princess Celestia was but a filly compared to her.
"Fifteen there are here, yet sixteen there were, set out from Rivendell," Celeborn observed to the Fellowship. "Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak to him."
As he spoke, Galadriel turned and looked to Aragorn. She didn't turn, really- just moved her eyes a little. But with that one glance, she seemed to understand. "Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into shadow." Celeborn looked to her in slight surprise.
"The Balrog in Moria got him," Rainbow Dash stated abruptly.
Applejack nodded at this. "We tried stoppin' it ourselves. Gave it all we had an' even then some. Didn' do any good though. Gandalf had ta rise ta the occasion and do it himself."
"We tried to save him. But between the goblins and the Balrog and everything else, we were too exhausted to actually do anything We were... we were useless!" Rainbow Dash snapped, furious as the memories of their failure came back to her. "It's our fault he's dead. He died needlessly in those mines because we couldn't do anything!"
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life." Galadriel said, her tone a stark contrast to Rainbow Dash's. "We do not yet know his full purpose." She then turned her gaze to Gimli who was staring face downward. "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli, son of Gloin. For the world has grown full of peril."
Gimli looked up, aghast that the first words the Elf Queen chose to speak to a dwarf were those offering comfort.
"What now becomes of this Fellowship?" Celeborn asked as a result of his consort's revelation. "Without Gandalf, hope is lost."
"Mithrandir's loss is a grievous one Milord," Galadriel confirmed before looking at each of Equestrians. "But we are indeed fortunate that seven strangers from worlds unheard have come to the aid of the Free Peoples."
Twilight locked eyes with Galadriel, and heard her voice in her head yet again.
"Your greatest service to the Free Peoples will not come through any of your magic Princess Twilight."
Twilight was puzzled by what Galadriel had just told her, but she still respectfully acknowledged her advice with a subtle nod.
Galadriel then spoke to the whole Fellowship, "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all." Applejack noticed that Galadriel appeared to be exchanging glances with Boromir and Rainbow Dash who stood to the left of her. After a short while, Boromir quietly gasped and turned his gaze away while Rainbow Dash just looked down at her hooves, refusing to look at Galadriel in the eye. Galadriel returned her focus to the whole Fellowship by qualifying her previous remark, "But hope remains while the company is true."
After a pause, the Lady of the Golden Wood gently advised the Fellowship, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace."
That night, they slept on the ground under the shelter of a tent, and some very large roots. While unpacking, Legolas had tilted his head up, listening. The elves were singing something in their own tongue.
"A lament for Gandalf," he commented. Merry listened for a moment.
"What do they say about him?" He asked quietly. Legolas paused.
"I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near." he said.
"Join the club," Spike grunted, already flopped into his bedroll with his back to the others. Gimli was asleep by now, having unpacked before the others. Aragorn was sharpening his sword, while the hobbits unrolled their blankets.
"I could translate," Twilight spoke up, "but I know that if I did, I'd wind up crying before long."
"I bet they don't mention his fireworks," Sam said. "There should be a verse about them." He paused, and then stood up.
"The finest rockets ever seen,
They burst in stars of blue and green,"
Spike, who was sitting next to Frodo, smiled. "Gold and red, too. Remember the dragon, Frodo? Did I tell you what happened? When it flew down, Gandalf and I fell over, and his mug overturned on his head." He chuckled. "He looked so funny." Frodo cracked what was probably the smallest smile known to any race.
"Or after thunder, silver showers,
Came falling like a rain of flowers,"
At the third line, Gimli had given a particularly loud snore, and Aragorn whacked him. Rarity and Pinkie Pie giggled. Sam sighed and sat down again.
"That doesn't do them justice by a long road," he muttered.
"No. It really doesn't," Rarity agreed and sighed. "No matter the words, or the gestures, nothing ever seems to do justice to someone that's been taken away."
"That's because no justice can be done in situations like this," Twilight stated firmly from where she sat. "Gandalf's death is inexcusable and unforgivable. Sauron's dark wickedness is at fault here; if not for the existence of that accursed ring, he'd still be alive now. We refuse to tolerate this! We're going to destroy that ring, and anyone who dares to oppose us will wish dearly that they hadn't!"
It was difficult to tell if Twilight was talking to herself, or talking to them, but none dared interrupt her speaking to ask for clarification. Beyond the hostile tone in her words, there was also a heavy, oppressive sense in the area that just seemed to magnify in intensiveness as she spoke.
And just as easily as it had come, the oppressive sense had vanished as she visibly relaxed, as if nothing had ever happened.
"I know that she's your friend, but there are times she scares me," Sam commented to Fluttershy who currently stood next to him.
"To be honest... there are times she scares me too," Fluttershy admitted. She knew that Twilight was hurting greatly over the loss of their friend, but she didn't have a clue what to do about it. "She means well though."
"I would hope so. I'd hate to have her as an enemy," Sam replied, shuddering at the prospect of that thought. If what they'd experienced just a moment ago was what they felt of her fury towards Sauron, he dreaded the idea of being the recipient of that fury; he'd likely be turned to dust if that were the case.
Fluttershy wanted to say something to put Sam's mind at ease, but unfortunately couldn't come up with any words of comfort. So instead she did the next best thing, and simply opted to hug him.