Dani, Pipp and Zipp hoped... they prayed... they practically and internally begged they their troubles with the Sanderson Sisters had finally come to an end.
But in the last chapter, sadly, we are shown that this is not meant to be.
Winifred, Mary and Sarah survived being burned in the oven, and followed the beacon of light to the Dennison house, where they were taken captive by the witches, as well as Binx, the spell book and Sarah using a siren song to lure all the children of Salem to that small little cottage.
Winifred ordered Mary to make sure all three girls were tied nice and tight, and Binx was stuck in a small sack over the fireplace. And as the girls struggled to get free, Sarah re-entered the cottage to join her sisters. “The children… are coming!”
“Well done, sister Sarah!” Winifred said happily as Binx struggled to get out of the nearby sack. “Let me out of here!”
XXXXXXXXX
Max got his parents' car and picked everyone into it, making their way from the house to the Sanderson cottage and trying to avoid the mindless children in the streets. “Come on! Get out of the way!” Max shouted, honking the horn repeatedly. “Move it!”
“Sunny. Are you ABSOLUTELY sure that this plan of yours is gonna work?” Hesperia asked, clutching her claws worriedly. “I mean, not only are your friends at risk... but that's Dani in there too. I've never been closer to anyone else other than my family... if I lose her--”
“You won't,” Misty allowed Hesperia to hold her hoof. “Right, Sunny?”
“Right,” Sunny nodded. “Just get me and Allison to the window of the cottage, and I'll take care of things from there.”
XXXXXXXXX
As her sisters happily danced around, waiting for their youth to be restored, Winifred took the chance to taunt their captives. “Soon the lives off all thy little friends will be mine,” she gloated. “And I shall be young and beautiful again forever.”
“It doesn’t matter how young or old you are!” Dani shouted in rage, causing Winifred to look at her in surprise for a moment. “You sold your soul! You’re the ugliest thing that’s every lived, and you know it!”
Winifred growled in their faces, pointing directly at Dani. “You... will die first.”
Dani huffed and sat back as Winifred turned back to the cauldron. Aside from her struggling, Zipp had been abnormally silent during their capture, and after a moment, she turned toward her sister on Dani's other side. “Pipp...? Dani...? I want both of you to know something... if we don't make it out of here.”
“Zipp, don't talk like that!” Pipp pleaded, trying to free herself. “We're gonna get out of this! We'll get Dani out of here! We'll--”
“Pipp... this is something I have to say,” Zipp stopped her right there before she turned back to Dani. “Dani Dennison... out of all the people we've encountered on our Unity Quests... you're one of the boldest, sweetest... most stubborn people I've ever met... and you don't feel bad for letting people show who you really are. Your parents would be so proud... and we are too.”
Dani sniffed, trying to keep the tears in, Zipp gently wiped the tears from her face before looking at her sister. “Pipp... you're my best friend. And you always have been. I know we had a rocky relationship the past couple of years, but... I've always cared about you, even if I was too stubborn to really show it. I love you... more than all the flying tricks and mysteries in the world.”
“Zipp...” Pipp sobbed, and touched her sister's hoof with her own. “You’re my best friend too... even though I tried to change your hairstyle repeatedly, got in your detective things thinking they were makeup, I... I couldn't stand to lose you.”
Then she turned to look at the young Dennison girl. “Dani... I know we just met, but you are exactly what Zipp said you are. Sweet, sassy... someone I'm proud of.”
Dani sniffled again, placing her hand on Pipp's free hoof. Buf, Winifred suddenly spoke to her sisters in the midst of their moment together. “Tis ready. Pry open her mouth!”
“Dani! Don't drink it!” Binx desperately shouted from inside the sack. “Shut up you!” Winifred shouted, and Dani prevented the witches from using the potion on her by any means necessary... even biting.
But as Dani was beginning to run out of steam, Max, Hitch, Izzy and Misty barged through the door. “Hey!” Misty shouted, the unicorns' horns fired up. “Prepare to die! Uh-uh... again.”
“You! You have no powers here, you fool!” Winifred said as they continued to pry open Dani's mouth. “Maybe not!” Max shouted. “But there’s a power greater than your magic, and that’s knowledge. And we know about one thing that you three don't.”
Winifred scoffed at that. “And what is that, dude?”
“Daylight savings time.”
That was Sunny's cue! On command, she activated her alicorn form and made it glow against the light of the headlights of the car, and upon seeing the light, the sisters screamed and fell down, expecting to die at any moment. “Guys!” Zipp shouted. “Get us outta here!”
Hitch and the unicorns immediately undid the ropes that held the sisters, and Pipp grabbed Binx before flying out... and Max knocked over the cauldron, spilling all the potion onto the floor.
But when they were outside, Dani halted. “Max, I wanna see her turn to dust.”
“No time!” Sunny shouted. “Get to the car! Allison! Punch it and don't look back!”
XXXXXXXXX
Back at the cottage, the sisters realized immediately that they did not turn to dust like Winifred predicted, and the eldest sister snarled in realization. “That boy! He tricked us again!”
“You're right, you're always right,” Mary said as the sisters quickly got up off the floor, and Winifred gasped at the state of the candle, nearly to the end of its wick. “Look, the candle’s magic is almost out. And my potion, my beautiful potion!” she said before coming up with a conclusion. “Look, there’s just enough left for one child. Get the vial.”
XXXXXXXXX
“Step on it, Max!” Zipp said as she, Hesperia, Sunny and Pipp flew above the car as fast as they could go. “Who knows when they'll come after us again!”
“Do you see them following us?!” Max cried, and Hesperia looked back-- no one there. “No!”
“Good!”
Suddenly, Winifred appeared by the drivers window, causing the group to immediately scream. “Pull over! Let me see your driver’s permit!”
“Give me that!” Hitch turned the wheel to almost collide with Winifred, but she merely avoided the hit. “Resisting arrest? Naughty boy, sheriff.”
She quickly tried to pull Max from the window, but the girls tried to pull him back as hard as they could. Max was eventually able to disentangle himself from her and flung out his hand to fend of another attack and Winifred is knocked into some bushes.
But they knew that this was far from over.
They managed to make it to the graveyard and ran out, Sunny turning back to normal while they did so. But as the witches flew overhead, Max was slipped into a headlock by none other than Billy himself. “Billy! Kill him if you must, just bring me that child! That Dani!” Winifred shrieked. “And put some wiggle in it you putrid festering sore.”
During the struggle, Billy took Max's knife and cut the strings sealing his mouth shut, being able to say what had been on his mind these past 300 years. “Wench! Trollop! You buck tooth, mouth rind, firefly from Hell!!”
Winifred shrieked in rage and Billy turned to speak to Max. “I’ve waited centuries to say that.”
“Say what you want, just don’t breath on me.”
“Billy! I killed you once. I shall kill you again you maggotly mouth peasant!” Winifriend screeched. “Hang on to your head!”
Max and Billy fled for their lives/afterlives, but when they finally caught up to the others, they prepared to attack Billy, seeing that he was close to Max. “No, no wait! Wait! No!” Max stopped them from attacking. “No. He’s a good zombie.”
“Seriously?” Hitch blinked. “Wow... never thought I would hear those words in the same sentence.”
“Come on. We’ll have to hold them off until dawn,” Binx told them. “It's our only hope.”
“Hi, Billy,” Dani said kindly. They then went to Billy's grave, where Izzy and Allison worked to spread salt to protect Dani, and Pipp and Billy helped Dani inside. “You’ll be safe in here,” Billy said kindly. “Thank you.”
“You okay, Dani?” Sunny asked. “Yeah. Fine.”
“Here they come! Billy, Misty, Hitch, Pipp, guard Dani!” Binx barked orders as the witches got even closer. “The rest of you, spread out!”
“For the last time, prepare to meet thy doom!” Winifred declared. Zipp swung a branch at her, but Winifred dodged it and laughed mockingly. “You little pest, I’ve had enough of you!”
She quickly grabbed the stick and flung Zipp back, knocking into Sunny and Hesperia, and the others rushed to their aid. That's when Billy decided to face Winifred alone. “Go to Hell!”
“Oh, I’ve been there, thank you. I found it quite lovely.”
Winifred then took a nose dive and aimed right for Billy, but at the last moment she curved her broom upward and knocked off Billy’s head. Dani gives a shriek and then crawled out of her safe haven to get his head. “Billy, I think you dropped this.”
But Winifred saw this as her chance and swept Dani right off the ground, leaving Dani to scream, and the ponies to gasp in horror. “DANI!!”
“Hold on, Dani!” Binx shouted, and ran up the tree and onto Winifred, knocking the potion vile from her hand, and Max caught it before it hit the ground. Winifred threw the cat off her, and Binx's head slammed into a headstone, knocking him unconscious.
Now, it was a showdown between Winifred and Max. “Give me the vial!” Winifred ordered, and Max gripped the vial tighter. “Put her down or I’ll smash it!”
“Smash it and she dies!”
“Max!” Allison screamed. “No!!” Hitch cried. Max took one look at the potion, and eyeing it after a moment, downed the entire thing, much to everyone's horror. After smashing the empty vial, Max glared up at the witch. “Now you have no choice. You have to take me.”
Winifred lowered herself and Dani to the ground, glaring Max into the ground. “You are a fool to give up thy life for thy sisters.”
She shoved Dani to the ground, and lifted Max up in her place, and Pipp and Zipp immediately flew to the little girl. “Dani!” Pipp cried. “I'm fine!” Dani shouted. “But what about Max?!”
As Max struggled in Winifred’s grip, Sarah and Mary rushed to their sister's aid, and seeing Mary's vacuum cord, Zipp got an idea. “Everyone, pull! Don't let go until the sun rises!”
Everyone did as she asked as the sun slowly began to rise past the mountains, and as Sarah came back to help Mary from the mess she was in, Zipp knew it was the perfect time. “Let go! Now!”
They let go and Sarah and Mary fly high up into the air, and Max knocked Winifred’s hands from him and they both fell to the ground, Winifred landing face first into some grass.
Slowly, Winifred got up and crawled baxk over to Max, picking him up off the ground and still trying to suck away his life force. He continued to struggle with her as the sun continued to rise. Winifred looked down and realized that she was on hallowed ground and she began to turn to stone. And with one final scream, that's exactly what she did.
Max immediately broke free from the statues hold, just as Sarah and Mary exploded from the sun's light, and then the statue did the very same.
And now that the witches were gone for good, Binx quietly meowed and laid his head down for a rest.
Everyone else couldn't believe what just happened, not knowing about Binx right then. Dani approached her panting brother with a worried look. “Max? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“You saved my life... all our lives.”
“Well, I had to, I’m your big brother.”
“...I love you, jerk face.”
“I love you too.”
Dani and Max shared a tender hug, and Hesperia flew over and helped both of them up, just as Billy was about to re-enter his grave. “Bye, Billy,” Misty waved. “Have a good sleep.”
“And... Billy?” Zipp called, earning the zombies attention. “Thanks again... for everything.”
Billy nodded, then gave a huge yawn and collapsed into his grave, causing the group to giggle. That's when Dani noticed that one of their members was missing. “Where's Binx?”
They looked around with Dani calling for the cat... when they finally saw him slumped over a grave, unconscious.
And not looking like he would wake up anytime soon. Dani tried her best not to cry, and Hitch checked Binx with a frown on his face. “He's gone... he's gone, Dani.”
“But he can't die, remember?!” Dani sobbed. “Wake up, Binx. Binx, wake up. It’s like last time...”
Dani sobbed over Binx's fallen body, and the ponies found themselves tearing up before they heard a calm and kind voice call out to the young girl. “Dani, come on, please don’t be sad for me.”
Everyone looked to see a ghostly boy nearby, and Dani felt as if she recognized him... and so did Sunny. “Binx? Is that you?” Sunny asked. “Yeah,” Binx walked over and spiritually took Dani by the hand. “The witches are dead, my soul’s finally free. You freed me Dani, thank you.”
He then looked to Max with a smile. “Hey Max, thanks for lighting the candle.”
“Juuuuuust don't ever do it again,” Hesperia nudged him playfully. Just then, a little ghost girl called out for Binx from not far away. “Thackery! Thackery Binx!”
Binx couldn't believe it... it was a little girl he craved to see for so long. “It's Emily!”
After he planted a farewell kiss on Dani's cheek, he joined his little sister at the gates of the graveyard, where Emily finally spoke up to her brother. “Thackary Binx, what took thee so long?”
“I’m sorry, Emily. I had to wait 300 years for a virgin to light the candle.”
And just like that, Thackery and his sister walked into heaven, leading the group to smile on just before a portal opened up nearby. “Well... I guess that's us,” Hitch said. “Man, I am never gonna forget this adventure.”
“None of us are,” Allison said. “Are you sure you can't stay?”
“I wish we could, but we have a witch back home to deal with,” Zipp said. “But... you all take care of yourselves, okay? You too, Hespy.”
“I sure will,” Hesperia smiled. “Especially since Max and Dani wanna adopt me into the family... as their sister. And it's all thanks to you.”
Hesperia hugged her friends goodbye, and thr ponies watched as the group walked out of the graveyard and toward home. Once they were out of sight, Misty turned to look at Pipp. “So... wanna head to the Nightmare Night Festival when we get back home, Pipp?”
“Absolutely not!” Pipp said. “I've had enough of that spooky hocus pocus for one night... and that includes Nightmare Night too,” Pipp said. “Why don't we all just have a night in?”
Sunny smiled at her friend as they climbed through the portal home. “Sounds good to me,” she stated. “If we can get through tonight, whatever comes our way will be a piece of cake.”
And just like that, the portal closed, and another adventure was done.