As the sun filtered in through the windows of Bag End, Bilbo shifted in his bed. It felt like he had been asleep for days. Ever since the party.

Who had he been entertaining? Bilbo racked his half-asleep brain for answers. Gandalf. That's right, the strange old man Gandalf. There were also… ponies? That couldn't be right… no, no, he definitely remembered ponies. Then there were the…

Bilbo's eyes shot open. If there was one thing about last night he remembered, it was that the house hadn't been silent for a long time. Not like it was now.

Getting up and throwing on some clothes, Bilbo looked around the house for any sign of dwarves, wizards, or brightly-colored ponies. His spirits lifted when he saw none. Finally, he was alone again.

Alone.

Glancing back at the dining room table, Bilbo saw a note next to a leather bag. Picking it up, he began to read:

Master Baggins,

Our deepest thanks for your hospitality last night. I know we might have upset you by dropping by unannounced, and you have our apologies for any inconvenience we may have caused you. It is my understanding that this was a jest on the part of Gandalf, but he wishes to assure you that he meant no harm. We have tided up as best we could, and have left payment for you to refill your larder. You can also rest assured that we do not hold your reluctance to accompany us on our journey against you. We understand that such a long and perilous journey is not something that you would want forced on you.

We have the honor to remain

Yours truly,

Thorin & Co.

Looking inside the pouch, Bilbo found it filled with golden coins. He sighed. It was true that the party last night had been inconvenient, but he had misjudged the dwarves. It seemed they were gentlemen after all.

And yet, he had never felt so… alive before last night. They may have been loud, filthy, and more than a little rude, but the stories they told, the songs they sung, it was unlike anything he had experienced in the Shire. Gandalf was right. Reading about grand adventures by his fireplace was one thing, but to actually meet and talk to people who had lived those experiences was quite another. He only regretted the fact that it had to end.

The silence of Bag End was suddenly broken by the sound of voices in Bilbo's parlor.

"You heard them last night! You saw what happened to them! We've got to do something to help them get their home back!"

"Believe me, I wish we could, but we don't know anything about this place. Who knows what else beside the dragon is out there?"

Bilbo recognized the voices. It was the ponies. Hurrying to his parlor, he saw that the blue winged one was holding the contract that Balin had given him last night.

And she had signed her name at the bottom.

"We could take anything this world throws at us if we work together!" Rainbow frowned. "You're an alicorn, for Pete's sake!"

"Maybe, but that doesn't help us if we don't have any food," Twilight responded. "Or shelter, or supplies. We don't have anything with us, Rainbow. And how are we supposed to get any? How would we even know where we're going?"

"They know! We'd be going with them!"

"They didn't seem too interested in us last night," Applejack interjected. "They think it's their business and theirs alone."

"But no one else is helping them! Don't you remember? They asked, and no one else is going to help them." Rainbow turned to Twilight. "Twi, please. We've got to do something to help. They're our friends."

"I'll help."

All eyes turned to the doorway, where the small figure of Bilbo was standing.

"You're absolutely right, Rainbow. If you want to go with them… I'll go, too."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Really, now? Without your doilies?"

Bilbo smirked. "Without my doilies."

Starlight stepped forward. "No one's making you go if you don't want to."

Bilbo shook his head. "I know. I want to go. What kind of hobbit would I be if I just let them go and didn't try to help them?" He held out his hand to Rainbow. After a short pause, she handed him the contract.

The door to Bag End flew open as a hobbit, seven ponies, and a young dragon raced out, the hobbit holding a long contract with nine fresh signatures on it.

"They left about ten minutes ago!" Twilight shouted as she flew besides Bilbo. "We can still catch them if we hurry!"

The group ran down the hill, leaping over fences, dodging wheelbarrows, and attracting strange looks from passersby as they went. "Here, Mr. Bilbo! Where are you off to?" one hobbit asked as Bilbo ran past.

"Can't stop, we're already late!" Bilbo responded without stopping to look back.

"Late for what? And what are those things with you?"

"They're my friends! And we're going on an adventure!" Bilbo laughed.

Eventually, the group came to a path in the woods outside of town, where Gandalf and the dwarves were riding ponies of their own out of the Shire.

"Wait! Wait!" Bilbo shouted as they approached. The convoy came to a stop, all the dwarves looking at the arrivals as they caught up. Bilbo held up the contract with a large grin on his face as he walked towards Balin. "We signed it," he panted.

"All of you?" Dwalin asked, incredulously.

"We couldn't leave you guys hanging!" Rainbow beamed.

"You're not getting rid of us that easy!" Pinkie chimed in.

"I know it said that you were going to split the treasure fourteen ways, so everypony besides Bilbo agreed to forgo any payment. We're not in this for the money," Twilight said.

"Though if there are any gems that you're not particularly attached to, we'd be willing to take them off your hands for you," Spike added, though a look from Twilight put a stop to that line of thought.

Balin took the contract from Bilbo, giving him a warm smile as he did so. Taking out a looking glass, he looked over the signatures. As he did so, one of the ponies the dwarves were riding sniffed of Fluttershy curiously.

"Uh… hi?" she said.

"Everything appears to be in order," Balin finally said. "Welcome, Master Baggins, Miss Dash, Princess Sparkle, everyone, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin shook his head, looking skeptical. "Give him a pony," he ordered.

"No, no, no, that won't be necessary. Thank you, I'm sure I can keep up on foot," Bilbo said as the dwarves started off. "I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know? Even got as far as Frogmorton once." Suddenly, two of the dwarves lifted him up and put him on a spare pony, Bilbo yelping with shock as they did.

"Come on, Nori! Pay up!" Óin shouted suddenly, the other dwarf tossing a pouch of coins back to him. Several other pouches also changed hands.

"What are they doing?" Twilight asked, flying along next to Gandalf.

"Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you and Master Baggins would turn up. Most of them bet that Bilbo wouldn't. More bet that you and your friends wouldn't."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I don't know if I should feel insulted or not."

"And what did you think?" Bilbo asked.

"Well…" Gandalf began, pausing long enough to catch a pouch of coins flying his way, "my dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second."

Bilbo suddenly sneezed. "Ah, it's all this horse hair. Having a reaction. No offense, Twilight."

"None taken," she responded.

Bilbo searched his pockets, frowning when he didn't find what he was looking for. "No, wait, wait, stop!" he called. The group came to a halt, looking at Bilbo. "Stop! We have to turn around!"

"What on Earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked.

"I forgot my handkerchief," Bilbo responded.

Rainbow face-hoofed. "Oh, Celestia, it's like there's two Rarities."

"I heard that!" Rarity said, giving Rainbow a dirty look.

Bofur tore a strip of cloth from his coat. "Here, use this," he said, tossing it back to Bilbo. The hobbit eyed the cloth skeptically, not liking the look or smell of the odd stains on it.

"Move on," Thorin ordered, his voice clearly expressing annoyance.

"You will have to make do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins," Gandalf said, "before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire. But home is now behind you. The world is ahead."

Bilbo lay in his sleeping bag, eyes wide open. On one side of him, Bombur snored loudly. Moths fluttered above his face, drawn into his mouth as he inhaled and shot out again as he exhaled. On Bilbo's other side, Rainbow let out loud whinnies as she also snored. Bilbo sighed as he listened to the cacophony of noise from the two sleepers before deciding to get up and check on the riding ponies.

"Hello, girl," Bilbo said as he approached the pony he had been riding that day, Myrtle by name. "Who's a good girl?" He took an apple from his pocket and held it out for Myrtle to eat. "There's our little secret, Myrtle. You must tell no one."

Suddenly, a loud screech pierced the air. Bilbo's smile fell as he looked out into the distance, but he couldn't see anything. The others stirred, obviously having heard the noise as well. Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity lit their horns as a precaution.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked.

Kili looked about with a grave look on his face. "Orcs," he answered.

"Orcs?" Bilbo repeated. Thorin stirred uneasily.

"What are orcs?" Twilight asked with concern.

"Throatcutters," Fili answered. "Raiders. They're man-like in shape, but ugly and bloodthirsty. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee, small hours when everyone's asleep," Kili continued. "Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood."

Bilbo turned and looked out into the darkness, his heart pounding. The ponies huddled together, Applejack wrapping a foreleg around Fluttershy for comfort, while Twilight did the same for Spike.

Then both dwarves started to laugh. Realizing that they had been pulling a prank, the others breathed a sigh of relief. Applejack turned and glared at the two young dwarves, but before she could reprimand them, another voice spoke up.

"You think that's funny?" All eyes focused on Thorin, who stood up. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

"We didn't mean anything by it," Fili said quietly.

Thorin shook his head. "No, you didn't." He stalked off. "You know nothing of the world."

"Don't mind him, lasses," Balin said as he walked over. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs."

"Then they're real?" Twilight asked.

Balin nodded. "All too real. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of orcs, led by the most vile of all their race - Azog the Defiler."

A shiver ran down Twilight's back as she heard the name. Though she had never heard of or seen Azog before, or even just an orc, the way Balin said the name carried such venom and malice to it that she hoped she would never have to.

"The giant Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin," Balin continued. "He began… by beheading the king."

All the ponies gasped. Applejack covered her face with her hat. She knew what it was like to lose family, but to have a family member taken from you with such violence, and by such an evil individual?

"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing. Taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat… and death were upon us."

"So, what happened then?" Starlight asked.

Balin smiled. "Well, that is when I saw him." He looked over to where Thorin was standing, looking out over a cliff. "A young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Taking a sword from a fallen dwarf, he cut off the Defiler's hand with one clean stroke. Azog learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied, and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated." Balin's smile then fell. "But there was no feast… nor song that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then…" He pointed at Thorin. "...there is one who I could follow. There is one… I could call king."

Thorin turned to find all the dwarves, ponies, young dragon, and hobbit looking at him with new understanding and respect. Saying nothing, he walked back to where he had been keeping watch.

"And the… Pale Orc?"

Thorin stopped as he heard Bilbo's voice.

"What happened to him?"

Thorin continued on his way. "He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago."

Gandalf puffed away thoughtfully on his pipe, saying nothing, but listening attentively to everything that had transpired.

The orange glow of the campfire pierced the darkness, visible to the malicious eyes from miles away. A massive, wolf-like beast snarled hungrily as its rider stared out at the campfire with keen interest. The orc scout turned to one of his companions. When he spoke, he did so in Black Speech, the tongue of the most evil and savage creatures of the world.

"Send word to the master," he said, "we have found the dwarf-scum."

The next day, as the Company continued on their way, a rainstorm broke. The ponies, both Equestrian or otherwise, trekked through the mud in silent misery. All except for Rarity, who would not stop complaining about how dirty she was getting. This, as could be expected, spread the misery to the rest of the Company.

Finally, Dori interrupted Rarity's latest tirade. "Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?"

"It is raining, master dwarf," Gandalf responded, "and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

"Are there any?" Starlight asked.

"What?" Gandalf replied, looking back at the unicorn.

"Other wizards."

Twilight also perked up, eager to hear Gandalf's response. Come to think of it, she hadn't actually seen Gandalf use any magic yet. She could certainly sense great power in him, perhaps even equal to that of Celestia or Luna, but she hadn't seen him perform any spells. What was the magic in this world like?

"There are five of us," Gandalf answered. "The greatest of our order is Saruman the White. Then there are the two Blue wizards…" He paused for a moment. "Do you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo asked.

"Well, that would be Radagast the Brown."

"Is he a great wizard or is he… more like you?"

Gandalf shot a dirty look back at Bilbo. "I think he's a very great wizard. In his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others."

"Like me?" Fluttershy asked, perking up.

Gandalf thought for a moment. "Very much like you, come to think of it. I hope you get the pleasure of meeting him some time. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east, and a good thing, too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

It was late afternoon when the rain finally stopped, and the Company continued on until they reached the ruins of an old farm. "We'll camp here for the night," Thorin announced. "Fili, Kili, Fluttershy, look after the riding ponies. Make sure you stay with them."

As the others started to make camp, Gandalf walked ahead to look at the ruins. He sniffed the air, looking up at the roof, which seemed to be sagging in a strange way. As if something heavy had pushed it in. "A farmer and his family used to live here…" he mused. "I think it would be wiser to move on," he called to the others. Thorin approached him, an eyebrow raised. "We could make for the hidden valley."

"I have told you already, I will not go near that place," Thorin said angrily.

"Why not? The elves could help us. We could get food, rest, advice."

Rainbow's ears perked up. "Elves?" She flew over to Gandalf. "Yeah, I don't think so. Since when do the elves help anypony?"

Thorin glanced over at Rainbow. "For once, one of the ponies says something that makes sense. I do not need the advice of elves."

Rainbow glared at Thorin. "Hey, I was on your side, buddy!"

Thorin returned the glare. "If I want your help, I will ask for it."

Gandalf sighed. "We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us."

Thorin turned back to look at the wizard. "Again you speak of help. A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls. The elves looked on and did nothing. And you ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather. Who betrayed my father."

"You are neither of them," Gandalf responded. "I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past."

"I did not know that they were yours to keep!" Thorin snarled.

Gandalf shrugged and walked away. Twilight, Starlight, and Bilbo looked over with concern as the wizard walked past them. "Everything alright?" Bilbo asked.

"Gandalf, where are you going?" Starlight inquired.

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense."

"And who's that?" Bilbo asked.

"Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day."

Twilight looked back at Rainbow. "What was all that about?" she asked suspiciously. Rainbow said nothing.

Spike approached Balin. "Is he coming back?"

Balin watched the wizard disappear down the trail, not knowing how to answer the young dragon.

As darkness fell, Bilbo, Twilight, Starlight, Applejack, and Spike watched for any sign of Gandalf's return as the others ate dinner. Shaking his head, Bilbo walked back to get some food. "He's been a long time," he mused.

"Who?" Bofur asked, filling a bowl with soup.

"Gandalf," Bilbo answered.

"He's a wizard! He does as he chooses," Bofur chuckled, without a hint of concern. "Here, do us a favor. Take this to the lads." He handed two bowls of soup to Bilbo, who walked over to where Fili, Kili, and Fluttershy were keeping watch over the riding ponies. He found the three standing completely still, looking out over the group, giving no sign that they knew Bilbo was approaching.

"What's the matter?" Bilbo finally asked.

"We're supposed to be looking after the riding ponies," Kili said.

"Only we've encountered a... slight problem," Fili continued.

"We had sixteen," Kili said.

"Now there's... fourteen," Fluttershy finished, her eyes wide.

"Daisy and Bungo are missing," Kili said, looking for any trace of where the riding ponies could have gotten to.

"Well, that's not good," Twilight responded, Bilbo having gone to warn her after learning what had happened.

"And that's not good at all," Bilbo said, pointing. Twilight followed his gaze, her eyes widening as she saw a large swathe of trees had been pushed over.

"Should we tell Thorin?" Spike asked.

"Uh, no. Let's not worry him," Fili sighed. "Bilbo, as our official burglar, we thought you might like to look into it."

"Well, uh," Bilbo stammered, looking at the trail. He wasn't sure exactly what they expected him to do. "Look, something big uprooted these trees."

"That was our thinking," Fili nodded.

"It's something very big and possibly quite dangerous…"

Twilight was about to insist again on warning Thorin and the others when the group heard a branch snap.

"Hey," Fili whispered, looking deeper into the forest. "There's a light. Over here."

The six ducked down behind a log as they looked out at the light of a fire. They heard a loud sneeze, followed by the laughter of a deep voice.

"What is it?" Spike asked.

"Trolls," Kili whispered. He and Fili suddenly sprang to their feet and ran towards the firelight, Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy following. Bilbo made to follow before going back and picking up the bowls of soup, then following the others. The dwarves crouched down behind an embankment as loud footsteps approached. The other four hid themselves as well as they watched a massive humanoid creature stomp past, carrying a riding pony under each arm.

"He's got Myrtle and Minty!" Bilbo gasped.

"The poor things!" Fluttershy exclaimed, her voice shaking.

"I think they're going to eat them, we have to do something!" Bilbo hissed to Fili and Kili.

The dwarves looked over at Bilbo. "Yes, you should!" Kili nodded. "Mountain trolls are slow and stupid, and you're so small, they'll never see you!"

Bilbo's eyes went wide. "No, no, no…" he began.

"It's perfectly safe! We'll be right behind you!" Kili said.

"I don't know about this," Twilight shook her head. "Fluttershy and I should go with him."

"No!" Fili hissed. "The trolls will smell you right away. If any of you are going with Bilbo, it should be the dragon."

"Uh, it should be who, now?" Spike asked with concern.

"If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a barn owl and once like a brown owl," Fili said, pushing Bilbo and Spike out in the direction of the troll camp.

"Twice like a barn owl... no, twice like a brown... once like a… are you sure this is a good idea?" Bilbo asked, turning around, only to find the others had disappeared.

"Well, that's it. We're dead," Spike said.

"Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it don't look like mutton again tomorrow!" A loud, heavily-accented voice caused the two to turn around. Fortunately, it didn't look like the trolls had noticed them… yet.

Bilbo narrowed his eyes. Trolls or not, he couldn't leave the riding ponies to be eaten. He and Spike made their way towards the camp.

"Quit your gripin'!" another voice rang out. "These ain't sheep. These is fresh nags!"

"I don't like horse. I never have," a third voice, more high-pitched and nasally, but just as loud as the others, answered. "Not enough fat on 'em."

Bilbo and Spike finally got close enough to see three trolls, two sitting by a fire, with one stirring a stewpot over the flames, and the one they had seen carrying the riding ponies placing the new captives in a makeshift corral with the other two. A thick rope stretched across the opening prevented the ponies from escaping.

"Well, it's better than leathery old farmer," the troll stirring the stewpot said. "All skin and bone, 'e was. I'm still picking bits of 'im out of me teeth."

The hobbit and dragon shared a look. Farmer? Gandalf had been right. They snuck closer.

The troll with the high-pitched voice sneezed loudly, and Bilbo and Spike suppressed the urge to gag as they heard something plop into the stewpot. "Well, that's lovely, that is!" the one in charge of the stew said. "A floater! Might improve the flavor!"

"Ah, there's more where that came from!" the troll who had sneezed laughed, snorting loudly.

His companion grabbed him roughly by the face. "Oh, no, you don't, Tom! Sit down!" He tossed the other troll, evidently named Tom, back down in his seat before returning to the stew. Tom started to sneeze again, taking out a well-used handkerchief before blowing his nose.

Bilbo and Spike finally reached the corral and tried to undo the rope, but it was tied too tightly. Spike started to try and breathe fire onto the rope, but Bilbo shook his head, pointing at the trolls. "They'll see!" he hissed.

"Well, I hope yer goin' to gut these nags," Tom said, starting toward the corral. Bilbo and Spike quickly ducked out of sight. "I don't like the stinky parts."

The other troll smacked him in the head with his soup ladle. "I said sit down!"

"I'm starvin'! Are we havin' horse tonight or wot?!" the third troll spoke up.

"Shut yer cakehole, Bill!" the cook responded. "You'll eat what I give ya!"

Suddenly, Spike noticed something as Tom took out his handkerchief again. Shaking Bilbo by the shoulder, he pointed to a large knife in the troll's belt. Bilbo looked back at the rope, then at the knife. He smiled at Spike and nodded.

"How come 'e's the cook? Everythin' tastes the same! Everythin' tastes like chicken."

"Except the chicken!" Tom laughed again.

Bill laughed as well. "Wot tastes like fish!"

The cook shook his head. "I'm just sayin', a little appreciation would be nice. 'Thank you very much, Bert. Lovely stew, Bert.' How hard is that?"

As Spike looked around the corral for a backup option, Bilbo crept closer to Tom and the knife. Happening to look up, Spike gasped as he saw the troll reaching in Bilbo's direction. Bilbo saw it too, just in the nick of time, ducking out of the way as Tom reached for a large wooden cup.

"'ere, that's my grog!" Bert suddenly shouted.

Tom chuckled nervously and put it back. "Sorry!"

Bert smacked him in the face with the soup ladle again before taking a sip of the stew. "Mmmm, that is beautifully balanced, that is." He held it out for Tom. "Wrap yer gob around that, will ya? That's why I'm the cook!"

Seeing an opportunity, Bilbo went to grab the knife, only for Tom to rise up and scratch his posterior. Bilbo looked away with disgust as Tom sat back down, then tried again to remove the knife from the belt.

"Oh, me guts are grumbling," Bill complained. "I got to snaffle something! Flesh, I need flesh!"

Suddenly, before Bilbo or Spike could react, Tom reached back and grabbed the hobbit before sneezing into him. Spike cringed as Bilbo was covered in mucus. Suddenly, the troll's eyes widened. "Aah! Blimey! Bert! Bert! Look what's come out of me hooter!" The other two trolls gathered around to look at Bilbo. "It's got arms and legs and everyting!"

"What is it?" Bert asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like the way it wriggles around!" He tossed Bilbo on the ground, right next to Spike.

"'ere! There's someting else over 'ere!" Bill shouted. "Some sort o' lizard or someting!"

Bert growled and picked up a sharpened stick, holding it towards Bilbo and Spike menacingly. "What are ya, then? Where'd ya come from?"

"I'm a burg- a hobbit!" Bilbo stammered.

"A burgahobbit?" Tom asked, confused.

"Oh, boy. One of your great thinkers, here," Spike sighed.

"Are there any more o' you burgahobbits around?" Bert asked.

"Lots more- not at all!" Bilbo responded.

"Lots more an' not at all?" Tom asked. "Ask 'im what 'e means by that!"

"Never mind that. Can we cook 'em?" Bill asked.

"We can try!" Tom laughed, making to grab the pair. Bilbo ducked out of the way, while Spike flapped his wings and took to the air, but the trolls crowded around, using their larger bulk to hem the pair in.

"They wouldn't make more 'n a mouthful," Bert snarled, "not when they're skinned and boned!" He used his ladle to swat Spike out of the air, the dragon landing by the fire. Bilbo looked over with concern, only for Bill to hold a knife to his chest.

"I say we check and see if there's lots more or none at all o' these burgahobbits around. Might be enough for a pie!"

The troll picked Bilbo up by his legs as he tried to run, while Bert picked up Spike.

"I'll ask again. Are there any more o' ya hidin' around where ya shouldn't?"

"No," Bilbo said, shaking his head.

"'e's lying!" Tom sneered. "Hold his toes over the fire! Make 'im squeal!"

Suddenly, a bolt of light shot out of the darkness and struck Bert in the arm, causing him to drop Spike. Before he could react, Kili ran out of the bushes and slashed Tom on the ankle, making him stumble and fall, before slashing at his foot again with his sword. "Drop him!" Kili shouted.

"You wot?!" Bill responded.

Twilight suddenly ran out of the forest and fired another bolt of magic at the troll, hitting him in the chest. "He said drop him!"

Snarling, Bill tossed Bilbo at Twilight, who caught him in her magic grip. Without warning, all the dwarves and ponies charged out of the underbrush with a shout.

The dwarves swiped at the trolls' legs with their weapons, while Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity continued to fire blasts of magic at them. Dwalin used a war-hammer to smash Tom's foot, causing the troll to stumble back. As he did so, Rainbow flew up behind and bucked him in the back of the head. "Yeah, take that!" she shouted.

Galloping in, Applejack twirled her lasso in her mouth and tossed it Bert, looping it around his arm. With a snarl, Bert yanked Applejack into the air. Seeing what was happening, Balin stabbed the troll in the knee with his sword, causing Bert to loosen his grip. Applejack fell to the ground, only to be caught by Twilight.

Roaring menacingly, Bill bore down on Fluttershy, who whimpered in fear. Before he could reach her, however, a stone hit him in one of his eyes. Bill staggered back in pain as Fluttershy turned to see Ori continuing to shoot at the troll with his slingshot. Seeing the pegasus looking at him, Ori smiled at her before continuing his barrage.

"Get the sacks! Stick 'em in the sacks!" Bill shouted, shielding his face from the hail of rocks.

Fili, Kili, Bofur, Twilight, and Starlight worked together to take on Tom, the dwarves stabbing at his legs and stomach while the unicorns fired blasts of magic at his head. The knife fell from his belt and Bilbo saw it. Hearing the riding ponies neighing, Bilbo ran in and grabbed the knife before running back to the corral and starting to cut the rope.

Forcing his way into the crowd of dwarves and ponies, Tom knocked them aside with his fists, only for Ori to shoot him in the eye with his slingshot. Scowling, the troll ran over and picked up the young dwarf, only to suddenly see cake batter and frosting cover his arm. Glancing over, he saw Pinkie aiming her party cannon at him. "Say hello to my little friend!" she shouted before firing the cannon again, covering Tom's face with frosting.

"I can't see! I can't see!" the troll whined, dropping Ori.

Bilbo finally managed to cut the corral rope and the riding ponies scattered. Hearing the noise, however, Bert glanced over, snarled, and charged at the hobbit.

"Spikey-wikey!" Rarity suddenly shouted. The dwarves and Equestrian ponies all followed her gaze, their eyes widening in horror.

"Bilbo!" Kili shouted. He tried to rush over to the hobbit's aid, but Thorin held him back.

The three trolls held Bilbo and Spike captive, Bill and Bert holding Bilbo's arms and legs, while Tom held Spike in his fist, grinning menacingly. "Lay down yer arms," Bill ordered, "or we'll rip theirs off!"

After a tense moment, Thorin planted his sword in the ground. The other dwarves lowered their weapons, while Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity dimmed their horns. Rainbow flew to the ground, and Pinkie lowered her cannon.

"Don't bother cookin' em," Tom said, watching Bert and Bill turning a spit over the fire. Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Nori, Dori, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Starlight were tied to the spit and struggling against the heat, while the others were tied up in sacks, only their heads exposed. Tom continued to hold Spike in his fist, ready to crush the dragon if any of the captives tried to fight back or escape. "Let's just sit on 'em and squash 'em into jelly!"

"They should be sautéed and grilled, with a sprinkle 'o sage," Bert shook his head, ignoring the dwarves' and ponies' screams of pain.

Tom nodded. "That does sound quite nice."

"Never mind the seasonin'! We ain't got all night!" Bill grumbled, poking the captives on the spit with a fork. "Dawn ain't far away. Let's get a move on! I don't fancy gettin' turned to stone."

Bilbo suddenly thought of something. "Wait!"

The trolls looked at him.

"You are making a terrible mistake!"

"You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Dori shouted from the spit.

"'Half-wits?!' What does that make us?!" Nori asked.

"Please, don't let us get eaten!" Fluttershy whimpered.

Bilbo stood up in his sack with some effort and hopped over to the fire. "I meant with the, uh, with the seasoning."

Bert raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued with the mention of cooking. "What about the seasoning?"

"Well, have you smelt them?" Bilbo continued. "You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up."

"Is that supposed to be helping?!" Rainbow shouted, incredulous.

"You traitor!" Gloin chimed in.

Bill rolled his eyes. "What do you know about cookin' dwarf or pony?"

"Shut up!" Bert waved Bill away. He leaned down to Bilbo. "Let the, uh, flurgaburburhobbit talk."

"Uh, the secret to cooking dwarf is…" Bilbo paused.

"Yes? Come on!"

"It's, uh…"

"Tell us the secret!"

"Frosting!" another voice suddenly chimed in. Bert blinked as, in a flash, Pinkie zipped over next to Bilbo, still in her own sack. "The only proper way to cook dwarf is to include lots and lots of frosting!"

"Frostin'?" Bert asked, scratching his head.

"Pinkie?! What are you doing?!" Twilight shouted from the pile of sacks.

"Yes! That's right, thank you, Pinkie," Bilbo nodded, ignoring Twilight. "I mean, you can't forget the frosting."

"I never even heard of frostin'!" Bill grumbled. "She's probably makin' that up!"

"I am not!" Pinkie shouted, looking insulted. Bilbo saw movement on a nearby hillside, along with the sun starting to rise. "If you don't believe me, check my bag over there. I have some frosting in the little cans."

"Bill, go get 'er bag," Bert said. Bill rolled his eyes again, but did as he was asked. He returned with a small tin of frosting, which he handed to Bert. The troll cook cracked open the tin and scooped out some of the frosting, tasting it. "Hmm, not bad at all," he smiled.

"What a load of rubbish!" Bill complained. "I've eaten plenty of dwarves without any frostin'!"

"e's right," Tom said, walking over to the sacks. He picked up the one with Rarity in it. "'sides, this one looks mighty tasty just the way she is!"

"Rarity!" Spike shouted from Tom's other hand. The unicorn screamed as Tom leaned back his head and prepared to lower her into his open mouth.

"Nice and crunchy!" Tom laughed.

"Oh, not-not that one!" Bilbo stammered. "S-she's infected!"

Both Tom and Rarity turned to look at Bilbo, confusion on the troll's face and fear on Rarity's.

"You wot?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, she's got worms in her… tubes."

Groaning in disgust, Tom tossed Rarity aside. After she hit the ground, she looked up at Bilbo, seething with rage. "Why, I NEVER!" she shouted. "I most certainly do not have worms! I've never been so insulted in my life!"

"In fact, they all have! They're infested with parasites, it's a terrible business."

"Yeah, I wouldn't risk it, personally," Pinkie nodded. "I really wouldn't."

"Parasites?! Did he say parasites?!" Óin demanded.

"Yeah! We don't have parasites! You have parasites!" Rainbow shouted.

Thorin rolled his eyes and stiffly kicked the other dwarves and ponies beside him. They all went silent and looked at him, before looking at each other, then up at the trolls, who were eying them suspiciously.

"I've… got parasites as big as my arm!" Óin suddenly shouted.

"Yeah, mine are the biggest! I've got huge parasites!" Rainbow agreed.

"Ah work on a farm, so ah'm around parasites all the time!" Applejack shouted. "Probably some ya'll have never heard of!"

"What would you have us do, then?" Bill growled, stalking over towards Bilbo. "Let 'em all go?"

"Well…" Pinkie shrugged.

"You think I don't know what yer up to?" Bill shoved Bilbo. "These little ferrets are takin' us for fools!"

"Ferret?!" Bilbo asked.

"Fools?" Bert repeated.

"THE DAWN WILL TAKE YOU ALL!" Gandalf suddenly shouted, stepping out into the light of the rising sun atop a large boulder.

The trolls turned to look at him. "Who's that?" Bill asked.

"No idea," Bert answered, shrugging.

"Can we eat him, too?" Tom asked, hopefully.

Before any of the trolls could react, Gandalf slammed the end of his staff down on the boulder, splitting it in two. The sunlight shone through the crack directly onto the trolls. They screamed in pain, Tom loosening his grip on Spike, allowing the dragon to fly over to Twilight. The trolls continued to writhe in agony as their skin suddenly started to harden. Within a few moments, they had been transformed into stone.

The dwarves and Equestrians cheered as they realized their captors were no longer a threat. Gandalf came down the hillside, helping Spike free the others from their sacks and from the spit.

"Rainbow, get your hoof out of my back!" Dwalin shouted on the spit.

As the dwarves and Equestrians shook themselves off and embraced each other, Gandalf playfully tapped one of the stone trolls on the head with his staff. He turned to see Thorin walking over to him.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin inquired.

"To look ahead."

"What brought you back?"

"Looking behind."

Thorin nodded.

"Nasty business," Gandalf continued, looking back at the trolls. "Still, they're all in one piece."

"Indeed," Thorin agreed. "Princess Twilight?"

Twilight walked over to the pair. "Yes?"

"It seems you and your friends can indeed acquit yourselves quite well, if need be," Thorin smiled. "I was wrong about you."

Twilight smiled. "No harm done. I know we don't look it, but when we work together, there's nothing we can't do."

Thorin nodded. "I wish I could say the same about our burglar."

Gandalf shifted. "He and Pinkie both had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that." He regarded the trolls again. "They must have come down from the Ettinmoors."

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin asked.

Gandalf shook his head. "Not for an age. Not since a darker power ruled these lands." He scanned his surroundings. "They could not have moved in daylight."

Thorin's eyes widened in realization, and he also started to look around. "There must be a cave nearby."

Gandalf and Thorin walked off, leaving Twilight alone with the trolls. She looked up at the monstrous creatures. Even if Bilbo and Pinkie had bought them time, the one called Bill had been starting to get suspicious. They had been very fortunate that Gandalf arrived when he did. First the dragon, then the trolls, and she had not forgotten Balin's story about Azog and the orcs. And what was that dark power that Gandalf was talking about?

She shivered. What else was waiting for them in this world?