Somewhere down the river the hats of both Applejack and Sam floated down the stream until Applejack picked hers up and put it back on, and Sam did the same with her own hat. The heroes survived the waterfall, but were recuperating and drying off.

"Everyone ok?" Frodo asked.

"I think my bottom's on backward." Rarity panted.

"I can't even feel my bottom." Pippin groaned.

Merry kicked him in the butt, "How about now?"

"Much better." Pippin smiled.

"You ok, Master?" Sam asked Frodo.

"Yes I'm fine."Frodo answered.

"We just got our cupcakes handed to us by the worst party crasher ever!" Pinkie complained.

"No kidding." Pippin agreed.

"We got to go back there and fight!" Rainbows aid eagerly.

"Too dangerous, Rainbow." Merry replied.

"Yeah, you saw the size of those goons." Spike reminded them.

"Going back now, we have a army of Orcs, Trolls, Nazgals and The Dark Lord Sauron now, and they will do anything to get me, us and the ring!" Frodo added.

"But we can't hide here forever, Frodo." Pippin noted.

"And let's be honest, we can't go back." Applejack said.

"A.J's right," Merry agreed, "You saw what happened to Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. Cures you, Cures you Tempest! I will avenge my friends!."

"We go back now and we're only going to get the same fate and we die." Pippin put in.

"Our best chance for now is to keep them from Twilight and me," Frodo said, before noticing Twilight looking down at the river dismally, "Twilight?" they all looked concerned.

"The Queen." she said.

"Yeah, the Queen!" Pinkie beamed, before asking, "Uh, what Queen?"

Twilight looked up seeing Canterlot still surrounded by smoke clouds and airships, "Celestia told Luna to find the Queen of the... "Hippos". Luna can't, so I have to."

"Hippos? Are you serious?" Merry asked in confusion.

"You don't think maybe she was cut off with her order?" Frodo asked.

"What good can hippos do in a situation like this?" Spike asked.

"I've heard they're surprisingly graceful for their size. Huh, but they're always hungry." Pinkie explained.

"Hungry?" Pippin began.

"Hippos?" Sam asked, as everyone else looked at each other awkwardly.

"Any idea where to even find them?" Frodo wondered.

Twilight explained, "They're somewhere south, past the Badlands."

Fluttershy suddenly dawned her worried face, "That means we'll have to... leave Equestria. Oh!"

"I'm not even packed!" Rarity cried.

"Seriously, that's your big issue?" Sam asked rhetorically.

"We have to do this fast, I got a feeling that Tempest and the rest of theses' Guards and Nazguls and Orcs will follwing us and capture us! What if we get turn into stone as well, like Tempest did!" Pippin said in fear.

"Oh, I hate you Tempest!" Merry said in anger.

"I understand you're scared, and nopony else has to go. But I have to find this queen. She might be our only hope." Twilight started walking off, as the group smiled knowing what to do.

Frodo blocked her, "Hold on, Twilight. There's no way I'm not letting you do this alone. I'm coming with you"

"We've done enough solo hero suicide missions and they never work out well. And Mister Frodo not going anywhere with out me." Sam added.

"Yeah, you're not getting all the glory." Rainbow put in.

"And just what are we supposed to even do, go into hiding?" Merry asked rhetorically.

"You know you can't stop us." Pippin added.

"We're all in it together." Frodo said.

"We always got your back." Applejack assured.

"Indeedy!" Pinkie smiled.

"I am ready to save Equestria!" Rarity said proudly.

"And Middle Earth!" Pippin said.

"We all are." Frodo took a stand.

"Yay." Fluttershy said softly.

"We're all behind you, Twilight." Spike confirmed.

"So what're we waiting for?" Pippin asked the group.

"Let's go find this hippo!" Pinkie started bouncing off.

"Wait for me!" Pippin followed her.

"Guy's, we need to go South." Spike reminded them.

"Sorry." Pippin said, as he and Pinkie headed south followed by the rest of them.

"Whee! Boingy-boingy-boingy-boingy-boingy! Anypony up for a game of "I Spy"?" Pinkie asked, as everyone groaned except Pippin, "No, really! Come on! I spy with my little eye something that is orange. No takers? It's you, Applejack!"

"And I thought it was a orange flower." Pippin said.

"Does she have an off switch?" Merry groaned.

"I highly doubt that, Merry." Sam replied.

The scene cut back to Canterlot, where ponies were in chains and shackles as the guards were keeping them in line. One guard cut the strings of some balloons that floated up. Tempest who was on the balcony watched them float by in disgust, "All this power wasted on parties when there are far greater uses." she went inside the throne room, where she looked at the statues of the three trapped alicorns.

Two guards entered while carrying a glass beaker containing a glowing liquid that was giving off a ringtone, "Well? Answer it!" she ordered.

One guard poured it into a cauldron that emitted blue flames and smoke and for some reason a dial-up modem noise. Appearing in it was the Storm King and the Dark Lord Sauron as shown on the tapesty, but the being was looking around in confusion, "Where am I supposed to be looking? I never understand how this spell works. Tempest!"

"Over here, Your Excellency." she answered in boredom.

"Where?"

"Over here," The king tried looking around, "No. No, right. Look right."

"My right?"

"Yep."

The Storm King finally got things straight and could see Tempest, "Oh. There you are. Here's the deal. I'm in the middle of a big re-brand here. "The Storm King" is tracking well as "intensely intimidating", but you know what? I need to back it up. You know what I need to back it up with?" he pounded his fist and spoke angrily, "A STORM AND THE DARKNESS! That would be great! You promised us magic that could control the elements and get the ring, and right now, I'm holding a what?" he held up a black staff, "A branch. A twig. Bleh!"

"Uh, that would be the Staff of Sacanas, Your Excellencys, and it will..." Tempest began explaining, "...channel the magic of the four rulers of this land and get the one ring from the ring bearer. You'll soon have the power of a hundred armies."

"So that would be a yes on your locking down the four Alicorn, and that hobbit?" Sauron asked.

"Give me three days. I'll have everything ready for your arrivals," She promised, "But I should warn you two, that Baggins is not alone, he has friends on his side and do anything to stop us from taking the ring from him.

"Baggins?" The Storm King and the dark lord Sauron gasped in shock, "So a Ring bearer and his friends is here. Like the dark lord says!"

"I know, but I assure you. We will capture him and his friends as well and reclaim the ring for our master." She promised.

The Storm King spoke ominously to her, "Remember, Tempest. Only I have the power to make you whole. Make this twig work, and you'll get your reward. Fail me, and your horn won't be the only thing that's broken."

"It won't be a problem." she assured him.

Suddenly the Storm King cheered, "Great!" suddenly the transmission was warbling, "I'm ready to power up, crash and bash, and be the biggest, baddest bugaloooooo..." the call ended.

Grubber who had arrived spoke to her, "Sorry, bad spell service. Want me to call him back?"

"Do you have the Princess and the ring bearer?" Tempest inquired.

Grubber started pushing his index fingers together, "Well, uh, funny story. It kinda seems like they... they might've like, you know, got away... a bit," Tempest's eyes squinted at him, "I know you're disappointed, but I got one word for you: Spongecake!" he presented her a spongecake slice. This in turn resulted in Tempest zapping Grubber who screamed.

"I need all four for the staff to work and that halfling." Tempest reminded Grubber.

"Hey, I know! I want the Storm King to fix that crazy horn as badly as you do. It looks like a crackly chipped tooth on the top of your head. And you know you don't look good in hats."

Tempest went up to him with her cracked horn sparking, "That Princess and that hobbit is not gonna keep me from getting my horn back! Prepare my ship!" Grubber took off. Tempest calmed herself, and spoke to herself, "Please. How far could one little pony and a little Halfling get on there own?" she walked around while recalling to get Frodo Baggins, "Frodo Baggins, once I get you, I'm gonna show you what happens when you mess with the dark lord." she snickered.