A/N: I don't own anything!

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Chapter Four: Communication is Key

Early the next morning, the fellowship set out once again, still recovering from the incident that took place in the Anduin River. In order to let the company continue recovering from the traumatic events, it was decided that they would make camp at midday; allowing them to enjoy the rest of the day as they pleased. This provided a much needed break from their current task at hand.

It was then, that the ponies decided that instead of the normal routine; that they would set up camp, letting all others relax. Rainbow Dash took this opportunity, much to Aragorn's annoyance, to show off her "sky clearing" skills, by ridding the blue sky of clouds; providing sunshine to all. After she had finished her job, which was completed in under ten seconds flat, she promptly began to laze about. Ditzy and Applejack gathered firewood, and Spike, being a dragon, provided the fire. Twilight Sparkle especially helped by performing a spell on a local pear tree; which wasn't in season. With the help of her Unicorn Magic, she was able to make the tree grow bountiful amounts of fruit.

As the fellowship began to settle down, Fluttershy took the opportunity to explore the various flora and fauna around her, as she hadn't had the time to. She did not wander far before a little flower caught her eye; a patch of small, delicate, lacy white flowers lay upon the ground before her. They were beautiful. Fluttershy smiled warmly at them, lowering her head to see if the smelled as wonderful as they looked. Her guess was correct.

Legolas, who had noticed the little pony wander off, saw her with the little flowers. Crouching next to her, he said, "Ah, you have found Niphredil,"

She jumped slightly. Turning to see that it was only Legolas, she sighed in relief. "They look and smell so lovely!"

"Yes," He concurred. "And they are also a very sacred flower, as they can warm your heart in the coldest of winters. Giving one is the sign of building a new friendship, and repairing old ones," With that, the Prince of Mirkwood gently plucked a Niphredil from the earth, and placed it next to Fluttershy.

"Thank you, Legolas," She said with a warm smile.

As the elf walked away, Fluttershy looked to the flowers, and then focusing her gaze on her companion, Boromir, who sat upon a rock, sharpening his sword. An idea hatched inside of her mind. Maybe if she were to give the Gondorian one of these Niphredil, he would suddenly see the world as she sees it; full of laughter and kindness and friendship! The mere thought brought joy to the little pony. At once, she put her plan to action, not before placing Legolas' flower into her mane. She plucked three of the delicate blossoms, and carried them to her soon-to-be friend.

"I got you something, Boromir!" She said brightly, standing before the man.

The Gondorian looked up from his task, noticing the pony had placed three white blooms beside him. "Flowers?"

"Not just any flowers! These are the flowers of friendship. Giving someone these represents the beginning of friendship!" She beamed at Boromir, awaiting his answer. "Oh, and they smell lovely!" She added.

Boromir obliged, proceeding to smell the flower. "They do smell nice. Thank you, little pony," He smiled as he patted her head, and then placed the flowers into his belt.

Fluttershy radiated happiness as she fluttered onto a low branch, extremely content with what had happened. Boromir seemed to be changing before her very eyes, and it was all thanks to her showing him some kindness. That was all it ever took. Soon, he and she would be the best of friends, a thought that made Fluttershy very, very happy. She would no longer have to worry about her animal friends being harmed, at all! This journey was going to only get better!

The yellow pegasus' happiness did not go unnoticed. Twilight Sparkle saw her friend sitting upon the branch, with an ever so slightly smug grin on her face. This was a curious sight indeed, as Fluttershy was rarely in a good mood, no thanks to her companion. "Hey Fluttershy! What are you so happy about?" She asked.

Startled, she quickly looked to the unicorn standing below her, staring with a quizzical look in her eyes. At the sight of who it was, Fluttershy floated to the ground. "Oh, I'm just so happy! I gave Boromir a friendship flower, and he gratefully accepted it!"

Twilight was indeed surprised. Boromir did appear quite brutish to her and the other ponies, so this was something new. "Really? That's wonderful!"

"I know! We're going to be the best of friends, I just know it! He's going to change!"

Loud laughter erupted from behind them. Fluttershy turned to see Boromir, three of the hobbits, and Pinkie Pie standing around the fire. Her cyan eyes widened at she saw what their focus was on; Boromir held the Niphredil in his hands, slowly crushing the flowers between them, causing the yellow Pegasus-pony to gasp. It was when he threw the flowers into the fire, did she really lose it. The group around him cheered and clapped, apparently happy at what he had done.

"Ummm…" Was all that Twilight could say, as she watched Fluttershy's right eye twitch madly.

"He… He… I… Flower… Friendship… Fire… Destroy…" A lone tear trickled down her yellow cheek.

Earlier, Pippin sat next to Pinkie Pie, Merry, and Rarity, taking the opportune moment to show off the knife Galadriel had given him.

"OoooooOOOOOOoooo!" Pinkie Pie gushed, staring at the shiny blade held in front of her. "It's so shiny!"

"And the handle is so exquisitely designed!" Rarity chimed in.

Pippin beamed with pride at the praises he received. "Aye! And Boromir has been teaching Merry and I how to use them in battle, to protect ourselves!"

Pinkie Pie furrowed her brow. "Maybe I should learn how to fight!" She gasped. "Then we could fight together!" She said, punching her hooves into the air.

"Hey! That's not a bad idea!"

So, the four proceeded to run to Boromir, who was in the midst of sharpening his large sword. Much to their excitement, he happily agreed to show the hobbits, and ponies, a thing or too.

"Rarity, would you like to learn?" The Gondorian asked, raising an eyebrow.

The white unicorn clearly didn't show as much interest as her fellow pony did, and simply tossed her mane, trotting off. "No thank you! I don't need to learn sword play! I have my magic!"

"Suit yourself!" Pinkie Pie said.

It was then, that the hobbit Sam walked shyly up to the group. "If it's alright with you, Boromir, sir… I would like to learn as well…" Since his traumatic experience, and Boromir's words of comfort, Sam had begun to see him a whole new light. He was no longer a threat, and was simply a hero to him.

"Of course, Samwise!" He replied, gently ruffling Sam's hair. "It will be a fine art to learn for you!"

Sam smiled and thanked the man.

As he stood, he adjusted the flowers that were placed gently in his belt. Upon seeing the delicate little blossoms, the hobbits began to roar with laughter.

"Um," He began, quirking an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

The hobbits only continued to laugh mirthfully, slapping their knees, and wiping tears from their eyes. Finally, it was Merry who was able to speak up. "Why are you wearing Witch's Lace?"

"Witch's Lace?"

"You're not supposed to wear it, Boromir!" Pippin added.

Boromir was thoroughly confused. "Why not?"

"You're supposed to crush them, and throw them into fire! It helps it burn throughout the night, even if it's a small amount of wood," Sam, who was the first to calm down, stated.

"Aren't they a symbol of friendship?"

"Yes, but you give it to a friend so that they may have fire for winter! That is the only time they are in bloom,"

The Gondorian nodded, understanding now. "Why is it called Witch's Lace?"

Sam began the tale, "Well, there once was a Witch, who was very powerful. She loved all flowers; every single one of them. And the time came for her to pass on from this world, but to her sadness it was in winter; so that meant no flowers for her to see. So, she cast a spell across the land around her, conjuring up some beautiful flowers; white, delicate little flowers from the snow."

"And that's why you're not supposed to wear them! It's dangerous to wear a Witch's Craft!" Pippin added.

A gasp came from Pinkie Pie. "Hey, I could sing a song about that!"

Boromir held his hands up, stopping her before the first note was sung. "I don't think that will be necessary. Samwise explained it quite well enough,"

She was silent for a moment, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly, her eyes returned to their normal bubbly state, and she giggled. "Okie dokie lokie!"

"So," Boromir began, holding up the Witch's Lace to his face. "I am to throw it into the campfire, and it will last the night?"

"Yes," Merry and Pippin said simultaneously.

"Well," Sam quickly said. "It can also be used to help heal wounds. It's a great pain reliever!"

Boromir nodded thoughtfully.

"Plus, it smells wonderful!" Pippin added. "And none of us are injured so…"

"Crush it and throw it in the fire!" Pinkie Pie cheered happily, raising her hooves into the air.

A smile played across his lips as he held the blossoms in his hands. Without hesitation, he crushed the fragile blooms, and swiftly threw them into the fire. This action was followed by laughter and cheers from his friends. His eyes moved to the two ponies, Fluttershy and Twilight, standing a few yards away. There was an odd look upon their faces, but he thought nothing of it. He smiled warmly at Fluttershy, and yelled, "Fluttershy! Would you also like to learn the art of fighting?"

The only response he received was a "hmmph!" from her as she trotted off. He swore he heard some sobs as she left. What had gotten into her? One moment, she was willing to put their differences behind them, and the next, she refused to even speak to him. She was a very peculiar pony. There was no doubt about that. Boromir sighed disappointedly before turning back to his friends.

"I fear that Fluttershy is much too weak to handle all of this," He began, shaking his head. "This journey is not for a pony as sensitive as she…"

An awkward silence fell upon the group; no one protested, for they knew it to be true. Except for Pinkie Pie, who gladly spoke up. "You just wait, she'll prove herself," This was the calmest thing the pony had said since the beginning of their journey. "She may be shy, but when her friends are in trouble, you can count on her to be there,"

The fire did as they believed; proceeding to burn all throughout the rest of the day, and night. Without the Niphredil, the fellowship would have had to stoke the fire every few hours; now, the fire practically tended to itself, and provided a lovely scent in the process. They were all very grateful. Though, Fluttershy was less than pleased. She was still deeply hurt by what Boromir had done. How could he just throw away their friendship like that? After she had offered it to him?

Boromir, too, was confused. Fluttershy didn't even glance at him the rest of the evening, not that he really cared; it was just odd. He sat across the way from her, and would often throw a kind smile her way, but was once again, given a "hmmph!", and she would abruptly turn the other way. He shook his head.

"Why is Milui so troubled?" Legolas asked the Gondorian who sat next to him.

"I do not know," Boromir replied, not glancing up from the ground. "She has been acting very oddly today."

"I wonder if she has given the Niphredil to anyone yet…" The elf mumbled.

"You mean Witch's Lace?"

The elf furrowed his brow in confusion, but recovered, remembering that they were the same thing. "Yes, I told her that it was a symbol of friendship to give to someone,"

"And that it is a great way to keep a fire burning through the night?"

Legolas paused. "No," he said slowly. "I think I understand what you mean… Is she upset somebody threw the flower into the fire?"

"So it would seem," He paused. "I have you to thank, Legolas, for causing this strife, but I will make it alright," With that, the Gondorian sat up from his spot, and slowly walked to the yellow Pegasus, taking a seat on the ground next to her.

"Fluttershy," He began. "I know why you are upset with me, the Niphredil."

"Hmmph!"

"There was a small misunderstanding in what you were told, little pony," He continued. "You see, when someone receives this flower as a token of friendship, it is meant to be thrown into a fire. Giving one this bloom is giving them a warm fire to have for the winter, so I am sorry that you did not know that. And I'm sorry that I destroyed a token of our friendship,"

Fluttershy was quiet for a moment, before turning to face Boromir. She felt ashamed; the way she had acted. "I… I guess I did overreact… I'm sorry too…" She said quietly, hiding her face beneath her mane.

Boromir smiled, patting her on the head as he stood. "Oh, it is alright, little pony,"

As he walked away, he could not help but shake his head again. Fluttershy was too sensitive and weak for this quest; it would break her. The pony's path did not consist of fighting orcs, goblins, or trolls. She was too only rest in a meadow full of flowers and happiness and friendship, not the likes of this world. It was a sad thought, but the little pony would not last any longer. But then he looked to Frodo, who was getting his bedding ready. Wasn't he also too weak? The ring after all was a very heavy burden, and not one to be taken lightly. Would it soon break Frodo? He couldn't help but think of how safe it would be in his hands; no one else's, and how it would bring the fall of Sauron, and the rise of man. The poor Halfling didn't need to have that on his shoulders. Then, he began to wonder if anyone else felt the power of the ring. Turning his head, he saw that Twilight Sparkle was also staring a Frodo; an unreadable expression upon her face. Perhaps she felt it too?

Twilight Sparkle stared at her companion Frodo. "Poor Frodo… A little hobbit such as himself should not have the burden of the One Ring… He was too weak." She pondered to herself, before realizing what she was saying. Princess Celestia had warned her of the powers of Ring, and to be weary of it, but she simply brushed it off as if it were nothing. She hadn't expected it to be anything like this. Suddenly, she was quite aware of a pair of eyes, burning in the back of her head. She turned to see Boromir staring intently at her. "What if he thinks I'm thinking about the Ring? No… He probably just thinks I'm looking after Frodo… yeah. That's it." She proceeded to comfort herself. Surely the others felt this too? Her purple eyes scanned the group; Rarity, Merry, Pippin, and Pinkie Pie were huddled in a corner, giggling like a bunch of little fillies at their first slumber party; Rainbow Dash was of course, bragging to Aragorn about her Sonic Rainboom; Sam and Applejack were chatting quietly; Fluttershy sat alone, admiring her Niphredil gift; Ditzy had taken to sleeping on Legolas, resting her head on his knees, squirming in her sleep; And Gimli was fast asleep, snoring quite loudly, and Spike…. Spike was nowhere to be found.

Her eyes darted about, searching for the purple baby dragon. She had seen him earlier; he was the one to set up the fire! Soon enough, she found him… Standing above Frodo, eyeing him. "Spike!" She silently snapped. "Get over here!"

Startled, he glanced up, and dejectedly walked to Twilight Sparkle.

"What do you think you were doing?" She whispered, scolding him.

"But Twilight!" He argued. "I'm soooo hungry! And the Ring looks soooo tasty!"

Spike quickly ceased arguing after he received a very menacing glare from his unicorn friend.

"Sorry…"

Twilight rolled her eyes, and took this moment to write a letter to Princess Celestia.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

Today, I learned that in fellowship… Communication is key. Especially when you give someone "friendship flowers", that are actually meant to be crushed and thrown into a fire….

I'm humbled to report that you were correct; the One Ring is a strong temptation, one I would not have noticed without your warning. Fear not, I have not fallen under it's spell.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle."

A/N: YAY! Another chapter is DONE! So, yeah the whole Flower thing was made up, and the idea came from picking flowers in Red Dead Redemption. Niphrodil is sindarin for Snowdrop, incase you were wondering.

Thanks for Reading, and please review! I loves it! 3