Down the Anduin and Fellowship Broken (Part 2)
Down the Anduin and Fellowship Broken (Part 2)
Twilight and Aragorn charged up the summit, driven by the sounds of battle raging on as they sought to intervene and save their friends from whatever trouble had come their way.
Unfortunately that trouble turned out to be a mess of orcs. Even more unfortunately was the fact that it wasn't regular orcs charging them...
"Uruk-Hai!" Twilight yelled at recognizing the forces they were up against. This was so not going to end well.
Aragorn was caught off guard by Twilight's surprised yell. These monsters were the Uruk-Hai she'd briefed them on back in Rivendell? Seeing them up close and personal was so much different from simply being informed and shown pictures.
They had been prepared for the frontal assault that was coming. But not the sneak attack from one of the orcs ambushing them from the side, hidden by the underbrush. Twilight didn't even have time to react before she was tackled, the two of them going over the edge of the summit, leaving Aragorn behind to fend for himself.
The impact of the fall was cushioned -somewhat- from the Uruk-Hai being the first to hit the ground, but it was still jarring to Twilight to experience on her end. Made all the worse was that the fall didn't seem to take any fight out of the orc, as they were both now struggling for dominance against each other, with her quickly being pinned underneath.
She yelped at catching the crude hilt of an equally crude sword against the side of her skull, possibly in some foolish attempt at knocking her unconscious. Unfortunately for her all it did was hurt and make her head bleed! Unfortunately for the Uruki-Hai all it did was make her angrier! A fact that became quite clear as she ensnared him in her magic, and sent him flying at a considerable velocity, having little care for just where he landed, or who/what he landed on once gravity reasserted itself.
"I really didn't need this right now," she grumbled as she got back to her hooves. Now that she was no longer preoccupied, she remembered Aragorn's plight back on the summit.
Gimli, Legolas, and Pinkie, much like the others in their group, had unfortunately happened upon their own fair -or unfair- share of Uruk-Hai. And much like the others in their group, they had been forced to take part in combat; Gimli at close range, Pinkie and Legolas further back, laying down cover fire for their dwarven companion.
Legolas' arrows flew true, hitting their intended marks, and keeping too much heat off of Gimli. Pinkie's sling-accelerated rocks... not quite so much. While she managed to avoid hitting Gimli, her contacts were more hit or miss, and worked more as a distraction than anything significant.
"These are seriously the worst party crashers I've ever seen," Pinkie commented as she slung another rock forward, catching one of the Uruk-Hai right in the mouth gap of its helmet. "I hope the others are alright!"
"We shall be with them as soon as it is possible!" Legolas stated.
Despite easily outnumbering her, the Uruk-Hai that were facing Applejack were faring quite poorly. To say that they were outclassed would be a drastic understatement. Despite their evaluation that apprehending her should've been a cake walk, it was as far from that as could be imagined. Applejack was surprisingly lithely on her hooves, able to duck and dodge and swerve with ease compared to their overly built frames, allowing her to weave in and out as she galloped past them, leading many to fall and crash into one another as they tried to chase after her.
The matter only become more complicated for them when she got the bright idea to roll herself around in the mud from head to tail, coating her entire body in the slick substance, making it even more difficult for them to hold onto her when they actually managed to latch onto her.
Right now the more intelligent orcs in the group were standing back and observing as their brethren were falling victim to their own ineptitude, and inability to capture even a single pony; a fact that resulted in fists being delivered against one another when they would crash into each other, or go slipping into the mud. It would be amusing if it weren't so pitiful. How could they, the pride of Saruman's forces, be so easily outwitted by a single pony with a hat?
"I'm beginning to see what Saruman wants with these ponies," one of them grumbled, before facepalming at the sight of one of his brethren falling face first in the mud as he lunged to grab their quarry. And then it became all the worse when another one of them fell on top of the first one.
"Is this even the right pony?" another one of them asked. "I mean, do any of you know what color purple is?"
That made their part of the group stop and think, and scratch their heads in confusion. They had heard Saruman speak of particular interest about a purple pony. But he'd neglected to show them what the color purple looked like. And they'd neglected to ask questions during the heat of the moment.
One of them simply waved his hand dismissively. "How many colors can there really be to pick from? One's as good as any other," he stated. The others slowly nodded and grunted in agreement.
Finally it looked like one of their dumber comrades was doing something right when he managed to grab the pony's tail and hold on for dear life. But that quickly fell apart as she proceeded to drag him along as she galloped, before veering hard left and send him tumbling into the others, knocking them back down once again.
Saruman hadn't lied to them that badly, had he? They couldn't be this incompetent by design, right?
"Are ya mangy varmints 'bout ready ta give up? Or do Ah have ta start gettin' rough with ya?" Applejack asked them.
"She's mocking us," one of them grumbled to anyone around that would listen to him. "Let's just kill her already. Saruman will never know the difference."
"Saruman knows all!" another of them roared, daring not to go against the master's orders, no matter how badly they were being mocked by one so small. It would be nothing compared to what Saruman would do to them.
"Well then he knows of the troubles we face with this one!" another yelled, utterly disgusted with their lack of results; to the point he chucked his falchion right at the pony.
Despite how nimble Applejack had been through all of this, this move proved to be something she couldn't simply overcome with flexibility. She'd seen the blade coming at her, but she simply couldn't avoid it in time. She'd moved to dodge it, but she simply hadn't been fast enough to escape it completely. It slammed into her back leg, hitting with enough force to guarantee a nasty and painful bruise would be developing, along with leaving a nasty gash in the skin that resulted in fresh blood being spilled, and her crumpling in pain as she yelled, clutching her injured appendage.
"Finally, something goes right!" one of the orcs yelled triumphantly. It was about time something went their way, and bagging this pony was just the start of it. With a sneer he approached to apprehend their quarry for transport back to Saruman... provided she didn't die on the way. If that happened, they'd just have to eat her.
Before he could successfully apprehend their quarry, he was treated to the experience of seeing his hand lopped right off at the wrist, which was immediately followed by the feeling of the act. He roared in pain and surprise as he stumbled back, clutching the stump in utter confusion of just what had happened.
"Consider that a warning, you foul beast!"
Applejack recognized that voice as clear as day. Turning her head she saw Rarity come charging out of the underbrush, her bow at the ready as her curved sword came into view. No words were shared between them as she stepped forward to obstruct them.
"Rarity? What're ya doin' here?" she asked, dumbfounded.
"Saving a friend, darling, obviously," Rarity replied before turning her attention back forward. "I should warn you, the very next one of you that attempts to even touch my friend, I swear that I'll kill you," she warned as she drew back on the bowstring to ready an arrow. She then reached out with her magic and picked up the dropped falchion to add to her arsenal to strengthen the front she was presenting for them to see.
Despite the firmness in her voice as she delivered the threat, the Uruk-Hai weren't impressed. Some even laughed in response at the thought that a mere pony could kill them.
"Bold words from a stupid pony!" one of them yelled.
"Why don't you ask your companion over there if you think I'm bluffing?" Rarity suggested as she used one of her swords to gesture to the orc with the missing hand. "But if you think that you have what it takes, then by all means, feel free to try and prove me wrong," she stated, daring them to even try and get between her and her friend. And just to help sell the point that she wasn't to be trifled with, she added a spin to each of her blades for the sake of presentation.
Applejack didn't know where this sudden protective streak had come from in Rarity. But she wasn't about to question it. She was very thankful for the rescue and assistance she was getting. She knew that Rarity could be fierce when it came to looking after her own kin, but she never thought that she'd be on the protecting end.
Of course she wasn't just going to lay down and let somepony else fight her battles, injured or not. She wasn't out of this yet, and she wasn't about to slack off. With that resolve she pushed herself back up onto her hooves to prepare for what came next.
"Don't be countin' me out jus' yet, Sugarcube. Shoot this looks worse than it really is," she stated.
"I couldn't keep you down even if I tried, could I?" Rarity asked without taking her focus off the orcs in front of them.
"Well ya might if ya said please and asked real nice. But not under these circumstances," Applejack retorted with a smirk. "Now let's show these sidewinders how we rumble."
Fluttershy hadn't meant to be eavesdropping at the time, she honestly hadn't. But regardless, she had still managed to hear Legolas asking Twilight if it was wise for her to go with Merry and Pippin in search of Frodo, considering the fact that none of them were warriors.
Unfortunately she hadn't had the option of hearing Twilight's response to the question, before they were too far out of earshot, and paused in the clearing to see if they could find any trace of Frodo or Boromir. Fluttershy compared the clearing to a shallow natural amphitheater as tree-dotted ridges surrounded the clearing to its north, west and south.
"It's not like Frodo to just run off without telling any one," Merry remarked to Fluttershy and Pippin as well as himself.
"He was always very sensible. Even though he is a Baggins," Pippin concurred.
Fluttershy knew nothing of Hobbit bloodlines to judge the veracity of what Pippin had just said. She did know enough about ecology though, that forests usually echoed with the sound of bird songs. But the woods in her and the two hobbits' close vicinity were eerily quiet. Most birds only stopped singing to hide from nearby predat...
Before she had a chance to worry about the implications of her conclusion, from the west the sound of battle echoed down the slopes of Amon Hen. The three friends looked in the direction of the sound.
"Would Aragorn and Twilight want us to help?" Merry asked Fluttershy.
Out of the corner of her eye, Fluttershy could see something moving towards them over the ridge to the north. "Guys, it's too late for that," she squeaked in terror.
Following Fluttershy's gaze, Merry and Pippin saw half a dozen Uruk-hai streaming in their direction. Lurtz had gambled by dividing his force of Uruk-hai to attack the Fellowship from different directions. Given that the Fellowship had split up into small search parties, his gamble looked like it was to be well rewarded.
Fluttershy was panicking at this point, the presence of the orcs serving to remind her of Moria and the goblins, and all they'd been forced to do to get out of there. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about what she'd been forced to do to the cave troll when she thought Frodo had died, and she was flashing back to that, feeling her heart pounding harder, and her blood pumping in her ears. She was sure that Merry and Pippin were saying something, but for the life of her she couldn't make it out. Right now the only thing she could focus on was the orc with a large, two-handed axe coming right for her, and swinging it right for her head.
And it would've been successful too, were its movements not suddenly halted due to the blade of a sword across its handle.
"Boromir!" Pippin cried in relief as Gondor's Captain-General had come to the trio's rescue.
Boromir quickly looped his sword out of the axe, before using it to split the Uruk's unprotected skull open. He then threw a dagger at the exposed neck of another Uruk that killed it instantly.
Fluttershy, in response to the sudden and much welcomed rescue, snapped out of her own thoughts, and quickly came to her senses. Seeing more orcs coming at them, she immediately used her Stare to help Boromir kill the last remaining Uruks by stunning them into place before Boromir uses his sword to cut them down.
"T-Thanks," Fluttershy said to Boromir in her normal, quiet voice.
Boromir did not seem to give even a second thought to Fluttershy's quiet voice or stuttering as he bitterly replied, "I don't deserve anyone's thanks for anything ever again!"
Before Fluttershy could ask Boromir what he meant, at least some twenty more Uruk-hai came over the northern ridge and into view.
"Fall back!" Merry, Pippin and Fluttershy immediately obeyed Boromir's command to them, wanting to get as far away from there as possible.
At the summit of Amon Hen, Aragorn fought a desperate solo battle against a multitude of Uruk-hai. He was standing atop a small ruined monument that was some twelve feet high called the 'Seat of Seeing' to give himself the high ground. He sought to draw the Uruks attention so as to allow Frodo to get away unhindered, which had worked so far. He was too busy fighting for his own life now, to decide if respecting Frodo's choice to go to Mordor alone was the right thing to have done.
Saruman had created the Uruk-hai to be more intelligent than the average orc. They realized only some needed to stay and fight Aragorn, and keep him preoccupied, while the rest carried out Lurtz's orders to "Find the Halfings and Ponies!" Aragorn noticed a number of the Uruks running towards the eastern slopes of Amon Hen. Narrowly avoiding being stabbed by the Uruk he was currently dueling, he ran to the edge of the Seat of Seeing, and launched himself at the Uruks running below. Aragorn cried out the name of his great ancestor Elendil as he crashed into three Uruks, knocking them to the ground.
"For Equestria! For Princess Celestia!"
At Twilight's loud war cry, Aragorn realized he was now not alone. Twilight had returned to the summit and attacked the uruks' northern flank with great ferocity, her magical sword being swung fiercely, and dispatching three or the orcs in as many seconds. She smiled predatorly at the Uruks, and taunted them.
"Saruman is nothing but a whiny little bitch who couldn't stop even one little pony on his own!" she declared, before taking a page from Rainbow Dash's book and blowing a raspberry at them.
As Twilight hoped, her insult angered the Uruks and more turned their attention away from Aragorn to her.
Aragorn thought the Valar must be in a generous mood, as more reinforcements for the Fellowship arrived in the form of Legolas, Gimli, Pinkie Pie, and Spike who rode atop her back, before leaping into action with fire; lots of fire. Lots of fire that the Uruk-Hai had absolutely no desire to be burnt by, motivating them to fall back.
Legolas quickly killed two Uruks with an arrow each, while Gimli killed another with a throwing axe, before engaging in melee with his two-handed battle axe. Pinkie, meanwhile, was demonstrating incredible accuracy with her sling, catching one of the Uruks right between the eyes with a rock.
Between the six of them, Aragorn thought they could contain the Uruks on the summit from pursuing Frodo. Unfortunately, this left all the other Uruk-hai that had earlier gotten away when he faced them alone.
Twilight cleared a path through the Uruks to get to the other four Fellowship member. Her initial impression of the Uruk-Hai after encountering for herself, was that while they were stronger and better equipped than the goblins they had previously fought, they still had a long way to go to be a serious threat against the type of assault they could launch. Iron armaments, despite being thick and heavy, was no match for steel and magic.
Inferiority aside, however, their numbers were still significant, and still had to be dealt with.
Eventually, through their combined efforts there were no longer any Uruks at the summit that needed to be immediately fought. Noting this, Aragorn turned to his comrades to address them. "We must stop them before they reach the others!"
"Just where are the others?" Twilight asked.
"I last saw Applejack heading towards the western slopes of Amon Hen," Aragorn replied. He then slightly fudged the truth, "Where the others are currently, I know not."
As if in response to Aragorn's statement the sound of a loud horn came from the east. It appeared to be centered somewhere in the woods west of the slopes of Amon Hen. Twilight knew only one member of the Fellowship carried a war horn.
"The Horn of Gondor," Legolas calmly identified the sound.
"Boromir must be in need of help!" Twilight observed urgently, before the five of them began to run in the direction of the sound.
All the Uruk-hai in the vicinity had heard Boromir's horn as well, and began heading in its direction. A strange foot/hoof race had developed between the two different groups to get to the source of the horn first. A number of Uruks reversed course and sought to at least hinder the members of the Fellowship.
Twilight, wanting to waste no time with needless distractions, charged ahead. Her sword was dropped in favor of a magical barrier, and slammed into them much in the same manner she'd tried to cut a path through the snow up on the mountain prior to Moria. The resulting impact sent them flying and scattering like bugs, leaving them free to proceed on to find Boromir before it was too late.
"The lass knows how to make an entrance!" Gimli commented.
"You don't know the half of it," Spike stated.
A loud commotion behind them broke their focus. Turning around, they saw a large group of Uruk-hai currently falling down a narrow stairway, their heavy armor clanging on the ground and against each other.
"Cool, it worked!" Pinkie stated with a huge grin. Exactly what had happened, they didn't know. All they knew was that somehow, Pinkie had been involved.
"Should we ask?" Legolas asked uncertainly.
"I dare not," Aragorn replied.
"Smart," Spike commented. The less asked about Pinkie, the safer they were.
"Go on, Aragorn!" Pinkie Pie shouted at him. "We can keep them busy, you go ahead and help Twilight and Boromir!"
The point was emphasized as they saw Pinkie utilize her swing, hurling a rock at one of the Uruk that was currently getting up. The impact produced a loud ringing sound as it knocked his head back at an extreme angle, and took his helmet clean off in the process.
Aragorn turned back towards the direction of Boromir's horn, leaving the three to fight the Uruks. He couldn't help but think that he now understood how Frodo felt when he told the Hobbit to flee the summit of Amon Hen.
Frodo ran as fast as his legs could carry him, desperate to escape this place; to escape any place really. Nothing good would ever come of this accursed ring being allowed to continue existing. It had successfully the Fellowship, tearing them apart, and putting them at odds with one another. Boromir had become insane with lust towards it, and Rainbow Dash wasn't far behind him in that department.
He had to get away not only from here, but from everyone else, as that was the only safe course of action he could imagine right now. If no one else was around him, then no one else would be tempted and fall because of the ring. It was his burden, and his alone to shoulder. It hadn't been right for the others to come along on this journey, as they were simply putting themselves in danger. The sooner he was away from them, the better off they'd all be.
"C'mere you!"
Unfortunately that plan didn't survive first contact, as he quickly found himself snatched up by a large orc, easily hoisted off the ground by his leg, and held upside down like a slab of meat at a butcher's shop; not a pleasant thought at all.
"Lord Saruman will reward me well for capturing you, halfling," the orc sneered with delight.
"Over my dead body he will!"
By the time Frodo realized he recognized that voice, it was already too late to be worried, as he had more pressing matters to concern himself with; like landing on his back and knocking the air out of his lungs as he was dropped to the hard ground beneath him.
"I gotcha."
As he worked to breathe again, he became aware of the fact that he was being picked up off the ground, and set down on his feet. And then he became aware of the fact that it was Rainbow Dash who'd come to his rescue. That fact almost made him wish the orc still had hold of him.
"You-" he breathed.
"Look, I'm sorry about back there," she said as she released him and set back down. "I wasn't myself. But I'm better now. Honest."
A groan from behind alerted them both to the fact that the floored orc was getting back up again, and was very displeased with the fact that he'd just been punched in the face with enough force to knock him back several paces.
"Stay behind me," Rainbow Dash instructed as she took up a position to the front. This Uruk-Hai wasn't getting to Frodo without going through her first.
"Well now, two for the price of one. Today's my lucky day," the orc cackled, before charging forward at them.
Rainbow Dash reared up on her hind legs, thrusting her hoof forward as the orc swung its sword at her, a metallic clang sounding at it came into contact with her shoe, which was actually making a very good shield at this point; mithril beat iron.
"More like your unlucky day!" Rainbow Dash stated, before pushing back, leaping up, and kicking him in the face with both hind legs, sending him toppling over again. Although considering the loud crack that had sounded from the impact, she doubted he was getting back up again; not anytime soon anyway.
"Do you know where the others are?" Frodo asked cautiously.
"Scattered all over the place," Rainbow Dash replied as she looked to see if anymore orcs were approaching their current position. "We need to regroup."
"Why? So that you can take the ring at your leisure? So that Boromir can make another attempt at claiming it for himself!?" Frodo asked, seeing no reason to trust Rainbow Dash's motives.
Rainbow Dash didn't like the insinuations one bit. "Now listen here, you sawed-off jerk," she growled as she glared at him, ready to give him an earful.
Before she could do that, however, she heard the sound of a horn being blown. And having heard it before, she knew what it was.
"Ugh, speaking of Boromir," she groaned, reasoning that he just couldn't stay out of trouble if he tried. "Look. Get to the river and wait there. If more orcs come, paddle out on one of the boats; with all that heavy armor on, I doubt they can swim all that well. You'll be about as safe there as anywhere," she told him. Right now it was the best she could do in keeping him safe.
Frodo stared at her in disbelief, but nodded and took off running again.
"Now to go and make sure Boromir didn't get his butt handed to him," she muttered to herself. He'd saved her from the goblins, the least she could do was save him from the orcs.
But first...
Boromir sounded the Horn of Gondor once again as he, Merry, Pippin, and Fluttershy kept falling further back southwards. Unlike what Rainbow Dash thought when she first saw it, the Horn was crafted from a wild ox horn. It had been an heirloom of the Stewards of Gondor for generations, and legend had it that if it were blown within the bounds of Gondor its call for aid would not go unheeded. Boromir hoped the legend was true, because right now all the Horn seemed to be attracting is more Uruk-Hai to their position. His tactic, for the moment, was to fight enough of a delaying action before the rest of the Fellowship arrived to their aid, as the four of them faced being overrun by the Uruk-hai's ever increasing numbers.
His companions were doing their best to aid in the battle, but there was only so much that two hobbits and an easily frightened pony could do against a force like this. Even he, with all his training and skill, knew that the overwhelming numbers were going to be the death of him if something didn't happen soon.
And then he felt his chest pierced by a large arrow.
The world seemed to become much smaller around him as he fell to his knees, too shocked at what had happened to actually pay proper attention to his surroundings. His mind was still trying to process and determine whether or not he'd really been hit.
"Run!" he yelled to the others, having enough clarity to know that they were still in danger.
Another arrow, this time piercing his left arm through the bicep, making it immediately drop to his side, completely useless. Even if he could make a fist without excruciating pain, he certainly couldn't lift it.
With blurred vision, he saw the Uruks beginning to run away to the left of him. He could only assume that meant they were disregarding him in favor of the others. He frantically crawled towards his sword, but as he gripped its hilt he was prevented from lifting it by a heavy leather boot that stood on the flat of the blade. Despite his daze, part of him had been wondering why the Uruks had not killed him yet. As he looked up at the boot's wearer, he easily understood why.
Lurtz sneered at him, who was on his hands and knees in front of him. He had ordered his Uruks to apprehend Saruman's desired captives and to leave the twisted pleasure of killing the Man with the horn to him. He sneered wider, drawing an arrow with his bow and pointed it at Boromir's face.
As he waited for his end, Boromir felt that he had never failed so many people so badly. He had failed to protect Fluttershy, Merry and Pippin from these fiends. He failed Frodo when he tried to take the Ring from him in a fit of unreasoned anger. He failed his father and brother that he would not be able to help them defend his and their beloved Gondor ever again. Most importantly, he felt he had failed himself. Even if Mordor emerged triumphant, Boromir felt he would at least die with his honor intact. But seeing he had broken his oath to the Council of Elrond by his actions towards Frodo, he did not even have that small comfort.
As he waited for the arrow to penetrate his skull, Boromir inwardly pleaded for mercy, but his plea wasn't towards the Uruk. Even if there was a slight chance the Uruk would relent, Boromir still had enough pride that he would never beg to an orc for anything. Rather his plea was to Eru Iluvatar, that his soul be judged mercifully in the Halls of Mandos, where he would be arriving very shortly. Lurtz gave him an evil, triumphant grin as he prepared to release his arrow.
"HEY UGLY!"
That yell. Boromir looked up, recognizing the voice. Whereas he'd prayed for mercy, instead he'd been supplied with a miracle.
Lurtz also looked skyward at hearing the yell, wondering just where it had come from.
"EAT THIS!"
The where quickly became a what, as a swift-moving prismatic blur approached, and two metal horseshoes were slammed right into his face, completely lifting him up off the ground and sending him flying backwards, before crashing against his back as he landed again.
Just what had he been hit by!?
"Can you move?"
It took Boromir a moment to realize that Rainbow Dash was addressing him as she faced forward while landing.
"I... I believe so," he responded as he climbed back up onto his feet; not a simple process, considering just how wounded he was.
Before Rainbow Dash could tell him to head for the river, the orc she'd slugged had already gotten back to his feet, his face bloody from the impact, and he didn't look the least bit happy. Already he was reaching for another arrow in his quiver. Although as big as they were, they could easily be called harpoons.
"Oh no you don't!" she yelled as she shot forward, swinging her hind leg for his head. Unfortunately he blocked with his bow to keep the blow from connecting. Although such a move had the unintended effect of shattering said bow, taking away the primary advantage he had over the others, rendering him nothing but a close-ranged threat now.
What she hadn't anticipated, was just how fast the brute would be in retaliation, and how easily he latched onto her leg; far quicker than she'd counted on. Apparently that double punch to the face hadn't taken any fight out of him. So she quickly followed up with a kick to the side of his head.
The fact he didn't seem fazed had her worried.
"You're gonna regret that!" she yelled in an effort to maintain her bravado, rather than letting it slip away. Although that was easier said than done when the orc abandoned the broken bow in order to withdraw his sword from his belt. "Uh oh..."
If she thought fighting Raglax had been bad when she had full range of movement on her side, it was quickly shaping up to be nothing compared to trying to fight in this type of restrained manner, as escape was proving to be impossible. Dodging proved to be more theory than anything else, forcing her to use her horseshoes to block to avoid getting sliced up.
That wasn't to say she didn't counterattack, as she did whenever the opportunity presented itself, kicking at him wherever she could land her hoof.
It was more luck than skill that found her able to latch onto the orc's sword arm during one particular, and pin it between her forelegs, enabling her to give it a mighty twist, which produced a mighty snap as she forcefully wrenched the shoulder out of joint. She honestly hadn't expected that to happen, but she would take what she could get. The Uruk-Hai might've been overbuilt, but they were far from invincible.
"How do you like that?" she asked cockily.
Her answer came as the orc relinquished his hold on her leg, and quick as a whip crack has his good hand around her throat now, and was squeezing her neck even harder than he had her leg. Out of the frying pan, and into the fire. Now the situation was worse, as she could feel it quickly becoming hard to breathe as he neck was constrained. Now she was panicking as she fought for air, and was getting nowhere fast. She could feel her mind getting foggy, and her limbs felt heavy like lead under water. Try as she might she just couldn't work up the speed needed for her blows to have the force that they should've had.
There were no two ways to it as far as she could see. She wasn't getting out of this one.
And then she caught sight of a glint of steel shimmering in the sun. The next thing she knew she felt air rushing back into her lungs with new found freedom. She quickly flew back as she found herself free, and scanned her surroundings as she frantically sucked down ragged breaths.
What she saw was Boromir standing there, wielding his sword with his good arm, and the orc standing with both arms at its sides, one hanging much lower than normal, and the other bleeding profusely from a deep cut to its bicep, damage to the tendon quite apparent.
"It would appear you have been disarmed," Boromir stated matter-of-factly.
The orc sneered in response, bearing his sharp teeth in annoyance. "Lord Saruman will do far worse to your little friends, once he has what he wants from them."
Boromir frowned, not liking the sound of that one bit. Rather than ask the orc what that would entail, or engage in a battle of wits, he chose to simply raise his sword, using the shoulder of his injured arm to support its heft, before swinging outward and simply decapitating the beast entirely. Even if he'd chosen to spare their captive, he doubted any information would've been gathered, either willingly or otherwise. And now with the headless corpse of Lurtz in a heap on the ground, he turned his attention to Rainbow Dash.
"Are you alright?"
Before Rainbow Dash had to opportunity to respond, or even process everything she'd seen happen, her ears perked up at the sound of movement around her. Instantly she assumed others were approaching their position in preparation of continuing what had been started.
A sense of relief came over her as she saw that their friends rather than foes; in this case it was Applejack and Rarity, both of whom were looking worse for wear. Applejack was covered in mud, and walking with a bad limp as she favored her hind leg. Rarity was an absolute mess, her white coat stained with mud, bloodstains, and a good portion of her long mane now was ragged and short. In short they looked like she felt.
"What in the Hay happened to you?" she asked abruptly.
"Uruk-Hai," Applejack panted as she leaned against Rarity for support, "lots of 'em. Twilight really wasn' kiddin'. Ah woulda been a goner if Rares hadn' come along when she did."
Rarity nodded in agreement, far too tired to offer her own elaboration. "As beastly as they were, I'm surprised either of us made it out of there as unscathed as we did."
And then she took note of Rainbow Dash and Boromir, and was positively aghast at their wounded predicament. She and Applejack might've taken a beating, but at least they hadn't been violated be arrows of all things! If her face hadn't been white underneath all of the grime they'd accumulated, she would've been positively pale.
"That ain't good," Applejack noted bluntly, "we're gonna need ta get those out if yer gonna have any chance at gettin' better."
"Under present circumstances, that would be unadvised!"
Everyone turned to look in the direction the voice had come, and saw Aragorn and Twilight currently approaching, the latter nursing a nasty looking head wound if the amount of blood on the side of her face was any indication. Behind them were Gimli, Legolas, Pinkie, and Spike bringing up the rear, each of them looking tired.
"Well it sure took you two long enough!" Rainbow Dash stated, annoyed by the lateness of their arrival. "We could've used some help like five minutes ago, where were you?" she asked.
"Tied up with a mess of Uruk-Hai of our own. We got here as soon as we could," Twilight elaborated as they approached. "Aragorn's right about the arrows, though. Right now they're acting like a cork, because Boromir's wound has closed around them. If we tried pulling them out just like that, especially the one in his chest, he could easily bleed to death, if not outright drown in his own blood before we could get it under control. Leaving it in won't do anymore damage than has already been done; this isn't a Morgul blade we're dealing with."
Aragorn nodded. "Back at the campsite, in my pack is a black pouch of medical supplies. They may be of use to us," he stated.
"No offense to ya, Aragorn, ya bein' a king's kin an' all, but Ah saw the level of yer medical expertise when tended ta Fluttershy's head wound. Ah don't really think yer doctor material," Applejack stated. Based on what she'd seen, Aragorn was hardly a jack of all trades, and his level of medical knowledge was downright primitive to what she'd seen back in Equestria. Personally she had no idea how Boromir was going to survive whatever surgery he was going to be subjected to.
"Well whatever are we to do? We can't leave poor Boromir in this condition!" Rarity pointed out.
"And we won't," Twilight assured her. Before she continued, she turned her attention to the aforementioned arrows. The ends became enveloped in her magical aura, and in a flash they were gone, leaving but a scant few inches of wooden shaft behind. That would reduce the weight Boromir's injuries would be subjected to, while still allowing them to be grasped and removed under the right conditions. "Can you move, Boromir? Do we need to carry you?"
"I can move," Boromir wheezed and nodded, "just do not ask me to sprint anywhere, anytime soon."
"Good," Twilight replied and nodded. "I have an idea that might work. But first we need to find everyone and make sure they're safe. Meanwhile we need to get Boromir somewhere comfortable so he can rest; too much physical activity would be very bad right now," she explained, more addressing the group that any particular member of it.
Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity had all seen Twilight get like she was currently; fixated on a specific end goal. And they knew from experience that when she got like this, asking questions for clarification tended to slow things down more than just going along and seeing for themselves whatever she had in mind.
The look they gave Aragorn seemed to convey this fact just fine, as he didn't look particularly motivated to ask any questions afterward. Instead it was just a muttering to Boromir to lean on him for support, to which the injured man offered up no argument, as they made their way back to the camp.
"What of the little ones? Merry and Pippin? And Fluttershy? Are they safe?" Boromir asked as they engaged in the arduous task of getting back to what served as their campsite. "They we with me until just a short while ago. I lost track of them after that."
"I cannot say, for I do not know," Aragorn replied as he did his best not to aggravate Boromir's injuries anymore than they already were. "But I suspect we will find out the answer shortly."
With Rainbow Dash present and able to provide a literal bird's eye view of the surrounding territory, he had no doubt that the missing Fellowship members would soon be found.
Okay, I've decided that the ponies should have a little bit of impact on the Lord of the Rings story a bit. Boromir being alive is one of those changes. I figured it would be pretty boring if this story just follows the Lord of the Rings storyline with the Mane Six doing nothing but just be there. 
Part 3 and the final chapter of the Fellowship arc (then we move on to the Two Towers arc) will be coming out soon. 
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I like the change in the story line so far and can't wait to see what new twist/changes happen next.
I agree wholeheartedly.
Yay so good
Well, this is going to be interesting. Will Frodo and Sam have a companion like so many LotR fanfics do? Will the rest of the Fellowship be able to change things in Rohan and Gondor for the better? We'll just have to wait and see.
What will Boromir's impact be, I wonder?
7306434 The BIGGEST impact will be when they get to Gondor.
Wouldn't that be "predatorially"?
7306463 Yes. Maybe Denethor won't decide to suicide now. Of course, Sauron has already been messing with his head, so who knows?
7306477 you make Fluttershy angry Fluttershy Smash puny wizard
Great chapter! I welcome Boromir's survival. It's indeed good to have the Equestrians have effects on the story. I sure hope one Equestrian will go with Frodo and Sam, so that certain things might go better on their own side of the adventure too. I can't wait for the next chapter!
On a sidenote, looks like Twilight is taking the leadership of the Fellowship... for all we know, SHE will end up becoming the new Queen of Gondor!
... just kidding there
7306477
"RAWR!"
If this happens : Treebeard couldn't guess from the start Merry and Pippin aren't orcs ; let's hope he won't mistake Fluttershy for a Warg (a little, cute one at best?)...
Pinkie must have leveled up during the battle. Her shots went from "hit and miss" to "incredibly accurate" really quickly.
Boromir lives? ONE OF SEAN BEAN'S CHARACTERS LIVES?! CUE THE MUSIC!
HE LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7306468 In my defense, I've never came across that word before. So I have no idea how to spell it properly. :P
7306862 Aragorn and Twilight are both Co-Leaders of the Fellowship. So neither of them is the only Leader of the group.
7307516 i guess it's sort of like when RLYoshi apologized for pronouncing alleles like "alley-lays" instead of "al-eels". He said, to paraphrase
Good move breaking away from the story line by having Boromir live
especially since his presence will change how other characters react such as at Rohan or Gondor. Wouldn't be any fun if the Ponies could't change any of the events for the better after all, even if they don't know it.
The inclusion of the ponies is now heavily going to effect the story. With Boromir surviving (for now) the encounter with the Uruk-Hai, and the Uruk-Hai being wiped out by the fellowship instead of breaking it things are going to get complicated. Mainly cause now the break up of the fellowship will be a slow metal trauma rather then the sudden painful "cut" oif Boromir's death. How can Frodo trust Bormir or Dash? how can Bormir or Dash trust themselves around the ring? Maybe the Fellowship will choose to split up to avoid Bormir or Dash losing it? What happens when the division is decided on instead of forced? Who goes on the Mt Doom team and who goes on the Gondor team? Will they avoid Rohan or purposely go though it?
This was a great chapter, i loved the fight scene with Applejack in the beginning, a very Benny Hill feel over it if you will, i actully laughed when i read it.
Isn't anyone feeling a funny "WTF" moment when the Girly Show Horse Twilight called Sarumon a Whiney Little Bitch (finally something done right)
7311845
The very same Girly Show Horse who hacks through Uruk Hai with a levitated magic sword?
7311876 Another example of what I'm saying
BOROMIR LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.................For now.
Having Boromir alive for the rest of the adventure is not going to be easy to write well. But I am sure you can do fine, Mr War!
7307536 Will the fellowship still split up
? If so I see Twilight Rarity and Pinkie going with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli; Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, going with Frodo and Sam; And fluttershy with Mary and Pippin. And Spike going with Twilight and the others format what i've read so far.
Still it's a fantastic story overall keep up the good work!
7307536 I just came up with an idea on how the fellowship will split
!! Boromir suggests the fellowship splits up fearing he'll succumb to the ring's power again. So the fellowship part ways like how I mentioned before (Twilight, Rares, and Pinkie with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli; while Dash, AJ, and Sam go after Frodo who ran out of (maybe?) paranoia) (I'd also like to see rainbow dash interactions with gollum who sort of represents what she could become) with Boromir going takes it upon himself to rescue Mary, Pippin, and Fluttershy as penance for trying to attack Frodo
; I was also thinking of spike going with Boromir do to being a wild card like Boromir
/provide morale support for Boromir who probably feels horrible for trying to take the ring
/ wanting see how the ents would react to a dragon
. Anyway good read so far good luck with the rest of story
!
7331500
With Fluttershy captured, I would prefer Twilight and Spike to be the ones going with Frodo and Sam. I think Rainbow and AJ would fit better with Aragorn and co, in the main battles. Plus, it would be 2/2 and 4/4. Just my opinion though.
You really want to use "wounded" or "pierced" rather than "violated" regarding the Uruk-Hai arrows on Boromir etc. Connotations of the latter word are sexual.
7348514 Perhaps, and yet the wording is appropriate, in the end.
That's one HELL of a change. Still reading though.
I'm glad that Boromir lives but why does a part of me feels like he still should have died?
It's always a fun question when writing a crossover: How far to twist the path? I often find crossovers that insert characters into another 'verses story can become quite dull. They never move far from the pre-written path despite the fact that A-character can easily change things involving B-plotpoint with the help of C-ability/power. At that point you might as well have inserted an OC to pretend you're them having a merry time reliving the events you read/watched once and enjoyed.
Of course, there's also the other side of the coin. Inserting A, B, and C things and horribly breaking the entire thing. When it's more a crack crossover or a pure 'for fun' tale that hardly matters. It's to give the readers satisfaction over the good guys kicking butt without all the woes we might've hated/wished they didn't have to suffer. But if trying to be serious, then it just becomes dull like the first type, if not even more annoying. Cuz then it's not so much OC insertion, it's Mary/Gary Sue insertion.
I say all this, cuz I just wanna say that I am thoroughly enjoying your work on this. So far (as of this chapter I'm commenting on) I've really enjoyed watching the shifts and similarities in the plot of LotR. You've done a great job of writing all the ponies, as well as explaining/talking/reasoning why some things change and others don't. I also like the added effects of book versus movie canon and story plot points, such as adding Tom, or actually expanding on why Sarumon is who/how he is. I saw a lot of folks a while back commented heavily on how the Balrog was 'one-shotted' and then reading the next chapter, I really do like how it was explained off/undone by the sheer fact that it's magic of two different worlds. Even if things ended the same way overall, it doesn't feel like that at all. That's the most important thing really, the feeling and emotions. Now having seen how you handled the splitting of the Fellowship, I can definitely say that this is one really top crossover.
Applejack was surprisingly lithely on her hooves
and dispatching three or the orcs in
It had successfully the Fellowship, tearing them apart
but at least they hadn't been violated be arrows of all things
They we with me until just a short while ago
1. Lithe.
2. Of.
3. It had successfully splintered the Fellowship.
4. By.
5. We're.
FINALLY!
Up until this point, you have been following the book VERY rigidly. If you had taken this story and removed all the pony references... it would have been just as if you had watched a slightly extended/special version of the movie. There would have been essentially no change to the canon story. And that's BAD. It has been making me wonder what the point of even having the ponies there was all this time, with so little change. Chaos Theory/Butterfly effect should have had some rather dramatic changes to things by now, but it hasn't yet.
Now that Boromir is alive, we finally see a significant change to the canon story. And I want to see MORE of those. By their mere presence, Spike and the Mane Six are affecting things and the ripples over time should lead to larger and larger possible changes to things. I really do hope to see more changes to the canon story. If I wanted the canon story, I would have read the novels or watched the movies. I came here to see how ponies would spice things up and this change refreshes my hope for this story.
YAY, TWO TOWERS!
Heh, I would have given you quite a lot of extra reference points if you used "Escaping goblins to be caught by wolves!"
That's a phrase that apparently became a proverb in Middle Earth when Bilbo said it in the chapter "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire" in The Hobbit, used exactly the same way as the frying pan one. Just a bit of extra Tolkien knowledge.