As the sun descended from the sky, the entire atmosphere took a severe left turn. A once great adventure to meet the Wizard turned dark and sinister, as pitch black covered the land. Our heroes could feel their hearts beat rapidly in their chests, as they slowly crept their way through the heavily wooded, the scariest region of Oz: The Haunted Forest.
An array of creepy sounds and animal noises was all that could be heard, other than their own shaky breathing. Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion and even Little Toto weren’t much better, walking shakily through the forest. But they did not go in unprepared: Tin Man held his axe at the ready along with a giant wrench, Scarecrow had a little silver revolver, and Lion brought a huge butterfly net and a mallet. Twilight, Spike, and their friends followed close behind them, looking around. Fluttershy clung very close to Rarity, hiding her face in her mane so as not to see all the spooky things.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Fluttershy dear,” Rarity consoled her friend. “I’m right beside you.”
“So, let me get this straight,” Rainbow spoke, unbelievably. “Lion’s plan is to catch the Wicked Witch… With a ‘butterfly net’?”
“Don’t see how that there’s gonna do much good ‘gainst her magic,” Applejack agreed. “Not like she’ll just stand idly by and let ‘im capture her.”
“Good thing we’ve still got magic on our side,” Twilight points out. “After all, it’s eleven of us against one of her, right?”
“Hopefully we do better than the last time we took her on,” Pinkie replied. “I still got that feeling my flank from the last meeting; I’d sure like to lose it right now.”
“No sweat, Pinkie,” Rainbow smiled, confidently. “Sure we weren’t ready, but now that we know what we’re up against that Witch is going down tonight!”
As they all continued down the path, they stumbled upon an old sodden sigh with a rather creepy smiling face pointing to the West. On the sign, it read:
Haunted Forest
Witch’s Castle 1 mile
I’d turn back if I were you
Every pony leaned close for a good hard look at the sign.
“I’d turn back if I were you,” Lion read aloud.
Lion nods quickly and turns around to leave, but Tin Man and Scarecrow quickly stop him.
“Oh no, mister,” Twilight scolds. “You’re not sneaking off again; we’re seeing this through to the end.”
Every member of the group nod their heads, in unison. Despite his very cowardly instincts, Lion reluctantly agreed to go on. He starts growling loudly a few times, hoping to intimidate any creatures in the woods. Suddenly, the sound of screeching caused them to turn and spot two red-eyed owls on the branch of a tree. Lion suddenly panicked and turned away running, but soon found himself stuck in a magic purple aura as his legs kept running.
“Put me down!” He cried. “Put me down! Please put me down!”
“Sorry buddy!” Rainbow shook her head. “You’re sticking with us no matter how chicken you are!”
Twilight reels Lion, who was still crying and shaking, back toward the rest of the group. It didn’t get any better when they spot two red-eyed crows looming off another tree.
“From now on, we’re on enemy ground,” Tin Man informs. “You ponies should have something to protect yourself with.”
“Already planned ahead, darling,” Rarity said, showing a spray bottle. “The gentleman at the store were nice to give me this Witch Remover!”
“Does it work?” Dorothy asked.
“No, Dorothy,” Applejack shook her head. “That there’s just some fancy-pants perfume bottle.”
“True,” Rarity nodded. “But I did get a rather charming discount; only cost a few bits.”
“Yeah, great idea, Rarity. We’ll ‘fight’ that there Witch, while you make ‘er smell like a springtime meadow.”
“There’s no need to be snippy with me, Applejack!”
To prove her point, Rarity shoots a small spray in Applejack’s face. Applejack scrunches her face from the smell and gives a light sneeze, before glaring at her friend, who just smirked.
“Gimme that!” Applejack shouts, taking the bottle.
“HEY!”
Applejack hurls the spray bottle onto the ground, which suddenly vanishes in an instant. Applejack and Rarity look at the scene wide-eyed.
“Did – Did you see that?” Rarity whispered.
“Uh-huh!” Applejack nodded.
“Look out!” Tin Man shouts.
In an instant, the butterfly net flies right out of Lion’s paw and they all gasp and scream as it vanishes above the trees. If the group weren’t scared before, they were really feeling the terror of this place now.
“You know something?” Scarecrow asked, shakily. “I believe they’re spooks around here.”
Tin Man scoffed at the idea, even if he was a bit scared himself.
“That’s ridiculous! Spooks! That’s silly!”
“Don’t you believe in spooks?” Lion asked, frightened.
“No. Why only – Oh!”
Tin Man never finished his sentence, when an unseen force pulled him into the air.
“Tin Man!” Pinkie cried out.
“Oh! Oh, Tin Man!” Dorothy cried as well. “Oh!”
“Where’d he go?” Applejack asked, frantically.
Suddenly, they heard a loud ‘BANG’ causing them to turn down the path. Tin Man had fallen from out of the trees, landing hard onto the ground and all his supplies scattering. They all rush up to help him up, aside from Lion.
“Are you – Are you all right?” Scarecrow asked.
“Boy, that was one heck of a fall!” Rainbow said.
Lion just stood in place, clutching onto his tail rather tightly.
“I do believe in spooks! I do believe in spooks! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do!”
<>
Meanwhile, at the Witch’s castle, a large ensemble of flying monkeys loomed around the Wicked Witch herself. The Witch observed the team’s progress through her crystal ball, smirking while seeing the frantic Lion blubbering.
“I do believe in spooks! I do believe in spooks! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do!”
“Ha-ha! You’ll believe in more than that before I’ve finished with you,” The Witch cackled.
She quickly strolls away from the crystal ball towards Chistery.
“Take your army to the Haunted Forest, and bring me that girl, her dog and that pitiful little dragon. Do what you like with the others, but I want that girl and those ponies alive and unharmed! They’ll give you no trouble I promise you that. I’ve sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them. Take special care of those ruby slippers! I want those most of all. Now, fly! Fly!”
As instructed, Chistery and the other monkeys took flight into the sky. Soon, a huge army of flying monkeys followed them, each one screeching until the sky filled with their calls.
“Fly!” The Witch commands. “Fly! Fly!”
<>
The group continued their trek thru the Haunted Forest, hoping they were close to the castle. Suddenly, a yell causes the group to turn around and saw Lion growling at something.
“What’s that? What’s that?” Lion cried, twitching his nose. “Take it away! Take it away!”
Fluttershy nervously approached the Lion and took a close look. Just standing perched on it’s nose was a tiny little bug. Though not like any bug she’s ever seen, it seemed pretty harmless.
“There, there, hold still,” Fluttershy spoke, quietly. “I’ve got it.”
Just as Fluttershy got the little bug, she gave a tiny yelp and waved her hoofs.
“It bit me!”
“Oh!” Dorothy cried. “Something bit me, too!”
Before the ponies can react, they suddenly felt tiny bits on parts of their body. Even around a few… Unmentionable spots.
“AH!” Rarity gasped, glaring at Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie! This is no time for your pranks!”
“Hey, that wasn’t me… YEOWCH!” Pinkie leapt, rubbing her ear.
“OW!” Applejack screamed, rubbing her neck. “Rainbow, quit it!”
“What are you talking abo – OW!” Rainbow cried.
The Pegasus held a part of her flank, where she felt a bite, and hopped in mid-air, running her legs. Spike and Twilight felt bites along them, as Scarecrow and Tin Man looked incredulous at this scene.
“Now come on, girls,” Tin Man spoke. “You’re acting silly – EEEK!”
“Calm down, everybo – OW!” Scarecrow screamed.
Scarecrow jumps in the air, falling to the ground and hopping about. Suddenly, they react to the quivering trees and noise looming all around them. Dorothy and the others tremble and shake, moving around as suddenly they burst into song. The group start running around, past the quivering trees. Huddling close together, looking around.
https://m.The howling wind causes the group to split up. Lion starts running toward a tree, only for said tree to catch hold of Lion’s tail. Scarecrow and Rainbow dash in and frees Lion. But the tree soon catches Scarecrow, who struggles a bit before Dash swipes away the branches freeing him. They rush over to Dorothy and Twilight, who are caught by another tree. Tin Man raises his axe to chop the tree.
“Thar she blows!” Tin Man shouts.
Tin Man strikes the limb, which hits him over the head causing Tin Man to stagger. Soon they all bundle together and sure enough the tune starts getting them to start dancing around in the center as the trees wave side-to-side around them.
“Say!” Pinkie said, cheerfully. “This is actually kind of fun!”
“Yeah, I don’t know why we were so scared,” Spike chuckled, waving a finger.
But sure enough, while the group were cutting the rug, it didn’t long for the flying monkeys to reach the Haunted Forest. As they descended down the area, their screeching caught the attention of some of the group.
“Oh my!” Rarity gasped, pointing. “Look at the size of those birds!”
“Oh, those aren’t birds,” Tin Man replied. “Those are flying monkeys.”
“Oh, well that’s different,” Fluttershy sighed with relief, then her eyes widen. “Huh?!”
“FLYING MONKEYS?!?!” They all screamed.
“INCOMING!!!” Twilight yelled.
Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Lion quickly dash off into the forest, splitting off in separate directions again. The monkeys soon land on the ground and proceed to chase them. The ponies and Spike all took a stand and decided to fight any monkeys upon them.
Twilight and Rarity shot balls of magic towards the flying monkeys. While some were hit and hurled back, the rest easily ducked and dodged the oncoming projectiles. Rainbow Dash threw several punches, most missing their mark, while Applejack gave a few hard bucks toward a group of monkeys. Some staggered and fell over each other like bowling balls, but they regained themselves and pressed on with the attack. Fluttershy and Lion huddled together, shielding each other as Pinkie took out her new confetti-bazooka and drove the monkeys back firing streamers and everything else.
“Go away now!” Tin Man shouts, swinging his axe.
The Monkeys soon overwhelmed the Tin Man, as one took his axe and cast it aside. Many of them trampled over Scarecrow, ripping him apart piece-by-piece.
“Help! Help!” Scarecrow cried.
“Why, I’ll…” Rainbow shouts, when a monkey tugs her tail. “HEY! Foul! Foul!”
Meanwhile, Dorothy ran as hard as she could calling for ‘help’. But eventually, two monkeys caught up to Dorothy, grabbing both her arms and carried her into the air.
“Help! Toto!” She called out. “Help! Twilight!”
Unfortunately for her, Twilight and the others were too busy fending off the rest of the monkeys. Spike was the only one who noticed and ran up toward Toto, who barked toward the air while Dorothy screamed.
“Hang on, Dorothy!” Spike shouts. “Help is –”
Suddenly, his little mouth was clasped shut by a flying monkey, who holds him tight leaving him unable to move. Another one grabs Toto and together they flew off into the air, the other monkeys following behind. Unaware of what happened, Twilight and the other ponies all gathered together again, just as the last of the monkeys flew off.
“Spike!” Twilight yelled, looking around. “Where’s Spike?!”
“Those mangy monkeys must’ve nabbed him!” Rainbow said.
“Spikey-Wikey!” Rarity exclaimed, loudly.
“Oh, poor Spike!” Fluttershy squeaked.
“We have to go save him,” Applejack said.
Before she could take off after the monkeys, Twilight flew ahead and stops her with her hoof up, shaking her head.
“Twi, what are yah doing? We need to get Spike back!”
“I know, Applejack,” Twilight responds. “But we can’t just run off after them. They could really hurt Spike!”
“Twi ah am surprise at ya’ll!” Applejack said. “I’d figure ya’ll would be the first to wanna go get your number one assistant back!”
Applejack’s words cut Twilight right to the core. Tears streamed down her face, as her anger began to build until she explodes right in Applejack’s face.
“YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT?!?!” Twilight shouts. “You think I want to just leave him? You think I meant for him to be stuck here with us?! I want him back more than anything. But we go after him right now, those monkeys could drop him over the cliff… Tear off his wings… Or worse than that! WORSE than that… What if the ‘Witch’ did that?”
All at once, the tears freely fell down her face, as she collapsed to the ground crying into her hooves. She could not believe it: In one short day, the little baby dragon she hatched from an egg and practically raised her entire life was now in the clutches of a malicious witch. All the other ponies stood quiet; Applejack tipped her hat feeling somewhat ashamed.
“It’s ain’t just about Spike, is it?” Applejack asked, quietly.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen; we weren’t supposed to be here!” Twilight cried. “Ever since I found that television, nothing’s gone as planned. I did not plan to neglect Zecora’s errand to research a human relic or have a portal suddenly pop us here! I did not plan for the Elements of Harmony to be captured or putting any of our friends in danger! All those lessons we learned together, all those adventures we’ve had… And I’m still taking matters in my own hoofs and dragging you along. I’m never going to learn…”
Twilight kept crying, at first no pony said a word. But then, she felt a gentle hoof touch her shoulder. Slowly, she looks up and with the same equally teary eyes, Fluttershy looked onto Twilight.
“We’re so sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy said sadly. “We didn’t mean to make you feel bad; we should’ve been more understanding.”
“And I should’ve been honest right from the start,” Twilight said, quietly. “Thank you…”
Fluttershy hugs her purple alicorn friend before Twilight can finish. They quietly cry during the embrace, as the others join.
“Don’t you worry, Twilight,” Rainbow said, with conviction. “We’re getting Spike back, together.”
“Yah got that right,” Applejack agreed. “Whatever happens next; we’re in it together.”
“Help! Help! Help!”
Scarecrow’s cries for help draws the ponies to him and they quickly ran over to help. Lion and Tin Man, recovering from their own encounters, ran up toward their friend who they find lying on the ground in a huge mess.
“Oh! Well, what happened to you?” Tin Man asked.
“They tore my legs off, and they threw them over there!” Scarecrow explains, pointing. “Then they took my chest out, and they threw it over there!”
“Well, ain’t that you all over Scarecrow,” Applejack shook her head.
“They sure knocked the stuffing out of you, didn’t they?” Lion asked.
“Don’t stand there talking!” Scarecrow said. “Put me together! We’ve got to find Dorothy and Spike!”
“Dorothy’s been taken too?!” Rarity cried.
“Then we really need to hurry!” Twilight said. “Come on, girls. Help me fix Scarecrow!”
“Now let’s see – This goes…” Tin Man muttered. “Oh, I wish I were better at puzzles.”
Tin Man grabbed different parts of straw off the ground, trying to find the right pieces to put Scarecrow back together. Applejack and Rarity helped out, the latter using her sewing work to mend the pieces. After a little more consoling, Twilight and Fluttershy joined in to help until every pony pitched in.
“Wait a minute,” Lion said, grabbing more straw. “This is the left one. He walks bad enough already.”
“Poor Dorothy and Spike,” Fluttershy whimpered. “Where could those monkeys have taken them?”
“And why did they take them?” Scarecrow huffed. “A fine thing – To go to pieces at a time like this!”
“Now, now, don’t fret,” Tin Man said.
“No need to worry, darling,” Rarity assured. “We shall get you back together in no time.”
“Oh dear, dear…” Scarecrow muttered.
Every pony, and everybody, got back to work putting Scarecrow together. As they collected the straw, they couldn’t help but wonder if Dorothy and Spike were alright.
<>
Back at the Witch’s castle, things looked pretty grim for both Dorothy and Spike. The two found themselves prisoners within the Witch’s personal chambers, the little dragon chained to the crystal ball with a steel collar tight around his neck. The Witch herself held Toto in her lap, stroking the dog’s scruffy head.
“What a nice little dog!” She said.
Chistery held Dorothy’s basket open, as the Witch placed the little dog inside and locks it shut. The sound of a rattling chain draws the Witch toward the little dragon, who tried to pull the chains off.
“You can pull on that chain with all your might, little lizard, but you’ll never get it off,” The Witch chuckled. “Only I can remove it off… IF I choose to.”
“Oh yeah, watch this!” Spike growled.
Spike drew a deep breath and shot a huge flame of green fire onto the chain. But instead of melting the cold steel away, however, the flame merely bounced off. The Witch just cackled at the dragon’s weak attempt to escape.
“What? B-B-But – How?!” Spike stuttered.
“You simple fool, it’s an enchanted chain!” She taunts. “No amount of flame, strength, or anything else will take that chain off you but me!”
The Witch then turns her attention to the teary-eyed farm girl.
“And you, my dear. What an unexpected pleasure! It’s so kind of you to visit me in my loneliness.”
Dorothy turns away from the horrid witch, eyeing the little flying monkey holding her basket. She reaches to grab it, but Chistery screeched and she quickly backs away. She turns to face the Witch once more.
“What are you going to do to my dog?” Dorothy asked, pleading. “Give him back to me!”
“All in good time, my little pretty,” The Witch responds. “All in good time.”
“Oh, please give me back my dog!” Dorothy begged again.
“Certainly – Certainly – When you give me those slippers.”
Dorothy looks down at the slippers, then over to Spike. The little dragon shook his head vigorously and Dorothy looks back toward the Witch.
“But the Good Witch of the North told me not to.”
“Very well!”
The Witch then approaches her faithful pet.
“Throw that basket in the river and drown him!” The Witch instructs.
Chistery was about to toss the basket, but that was the last straw for Dorothy.
“No! No – no!” Dorothy cried. “Here – You can have your old slippers – But give me back Toto.”
“That’s a good little girl,” The Witch smiled. “I knew you’d see reason.”
She bent down to grab the slippers. But when she reached out, the shoes emitted Golden sparks that burnt her hands. The Witch screamed in pain and reeled back.
“Ahh! Ah!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t do it!” Dorothy tried to reason. “Can I still have my dog?”
“NO! Fool, that I am! I should have remembered – Those slippers will never come off, as long as you’re alive.”
Spike jumped up, running toward the Witch. But the chain on his neck stopped him from going any further, gasping and clutching at the steel pressing into him.
“Twilight and the others will stop you!” He growled.
The Witch merely laughs at the dragon, kneeling down to his level.
“No, my little dearies, I don’t think they will,” She smiled, wickedly. “For you see, this is all part of my plan!”
Spike, very confused, cocked his head to the side while facing the evil sorceress.
“What do you mean?”
"Why did you think I took only you, and that girl, and her dog? I want all your little friends here for one purpose…”
The Witch walks over to the table and grabs the tome with the Elements of Harmony still inside. She displays it to the little dragon, who’s eyes went wide, and he gasps loudly. The Witch cackled at his sudden fear.
“That’s right, I know how to gain the power of these stones. I merely need your friends to give themselves to me willingly and relinquish their power to claim as my own!”
As she talks, the Witch approaches the little dragon and grabbed the chain around his neck. She pulls him up to face her, as he held onto the collar. His little clawed feet dangled, as he felt the metal collar choking him out.
“Now that I have you here, they will do anything to save you,” She growled. “That, of course, includes giving up their powers to save your scrawny little neck!”
She hurls Spike back to the ground, before stroking her chin.
“But that’s not what’s worrying me – It’s how to do it. These things must be done delicately, or you hurt the spell.”
Unbeknownst to the Witch, little Toto stuck his furry head out of the basket enough force to loosen the lid. He scampers out and bolts for the chamber door. Dorothy, however, noticed this.
“Run, Toto, run!” Dorothy yelled.
The Witch noticed the dog running away and turns to Chistery.
“Catch him, you fool!” She demands, growling.
The Witch and the little flying monkey ran after the dog, who scurries down a flight of stairs. He just ran out of the castle but stops short as the drawbridge rose. Then, the Witch’s guards, green faced as her and dressed in Russian-like uniforms, pursue the dog with their spears raised. The little dog jumps over the drawbridge to the rocks below. Dorothy and Spike watch from the archway.
“Run, Toto, run!” Dorothy shouts.
“Keeping running little guy!” Spike yelled. “And find the others!”
The guards threw their spears at the dog, who ran away and the spears clatter against the stones.
“He got away!” Dorothy cried. “He got away!”
“Atta boy, Toto!” Spike praised.
The Witch was even more infuriated, growling at the pair.
“Ohhh! Which is more than either of you will! Drat you and your dog and those stupid ponies! You’ve all been more trouble to me than you’re worth, one way or another – But it’ll soon be over now!”
The Witch walks back to the table and grabs her ornate hourglass. Flipping it upside-down, the red sand starts falling.
“Do you see that? That’s how much longer you’ve got to be alive! And it isn’t long, my pretty! It isn’t long!”
As Dorothy and Spike watch silently, the Witch placed the hourglass back on the table and grabs the tome, the Elements of Harmony inside.
“I can’t wait forever to get those shoes!” She growled.
The Witch ran out of the chambers, slamming the doors shut. The sound of the door locking was the last thing Dorothy and Spike heard as they watched the sand of the hourglass fall.
“I hate that woman so much,” Spike seethed, growling to himself.
Dorothy runs toward the door, tries to open it. Indeed the door was locked and wouldn’t budge. She searches for another door, but finds it locked also. As Spike tries to think of a way out, he suddenly hears a light sob and turns to Dorothy, who starts pacing the room as tears fall down her face. As if that wasn’t sad enough, she starts to sing…
Suddenly, Dorothy collapsed near the crystal ball and starts sobbing heavily. Spike slowly approaches her, the chain just long enough to reach her and sits on her lap. Dorothy looks down at the little dragon in her lap, tears in his eyes, and she hugs him fiercely.
https://m.
“I’m frightened,” She whispers, crying.
“I know,” Spike said, softly. “But we’ll get out of this somehow; I promise.”
But it seemed all Spike’s words fell on deaf ears, as Dorothy looked around the chambers.
“I’m frightened, Auntie Em – I’m frightened!”
For a few moments, the two just sat there hugging each other as Dorothy cried.
“Dorothy – Dorothy!”
They both heard a voice rang out through the chambers, a rather familiar voice. They turn over to the crystal ball, as an image of Aunt Em appears. She looks as though she was looking frantically for someone.
“Where are you? It’s me – Auntie Em. We’re trying to find you. Where are you?”
Dorothy cried even harder, clutching the sides of the crystal ball and calling out towards one of the few relatives she has left.
“I – I’m here in Oz, Auntie Em!” Dorothy cried. “Spike and I are locked up in the Witch’s castle… And I’m trying to get home to you, Auntie Em!”
But just as quick as it appeared, the image of Auntie Em’s face vanished.
“Oh, Auntie Em, don’t go away!” Dorothy begged. “I’m frightened! Come back! Come back!”
But now, instead of an image of her aunt, a haunting image of the Wicked Witch herself appears in its place.
“Auntie Em – Auntie Em – Come back!” The Witch mocked.
Dorothy reels back, hugging Spike close to her chest as she cried.
“I’ll give you Auntie Em, my pretty!” The Witch growled.
The evil woman cackled loudly, as her image slowly disappears off the crystal. Dorothy can only sob, scared out of her wits, as Spike looks back toward the hourglass. With each second, the sands were getting smaller and smaller. Time was not on their side.
“Twilight…” Spike whispered. “Please hurry!”
<>
Climbing down the rock terrain, Little Toto ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. He leapt over rocks, even crawls under them, before eventually returning to where the group was at. As it turns out, they were not that far from the Witch’s castle and during which time they just put Scarecrow back to his old self.
“Now, that’s the best we can do without any pins, darling,” Rarity told Scarecrow.
“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Scarecrow said. “I’m all right. We must worry about Dorothy and Spike.”
“But how are we going to find them?” Rainbow asked. “We don’t even know where they are.”
Suddenly, the sound of Toto’s barking made them turn just as a familiar little dog approached them.
“Look!” Tin Man points out. “There’s Toto! Where’s he come from?”
Toto barked and yipped at them, trying to communicate. Fluttershy floats toward the dog, leaning in to listen to what he’s saying.
“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy gasped. “Are you absolutely sure?”
Toto barked again, as Fluttershy nods her head before turning back to the group.
“Well, what did he say, Flutters?” Rainbow asked.
“Why, don’t you see?” Fluttershy asked. “He’s come to take us to Dorothy and Spike!”
“She’s right!” Scarecrow proclaimed. “Let’s go save our friends!”
“Come on, every pony!” Applejack added.
“Time to rock!” Rainbow shouts.
Every pony ran after Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man as they ran after Toto up the rocky hill. The time had come not only to save their friends, but to retrieve the Elements of Harmony…
Once and for all…