//------------------------------//
// How Curiosity Caught the Cat! 
// Story: The Witch of the Everfree Forest! 
// by FLUTTERxxDASH 
//------------------------------//


The Witch Of The Everfree Forest!



Written By


Serra Quill






"Oh darling be oh so careful with that please," a woman said to the movers who were carrying boxes into her quaint little shop.

Another woman walked up next to her, her clothes covered in mud as she wiped sweat from her brow, "New stock Rarity?"

"Ah, Applejack, yes, I ordere-" she began saying as she turned to her, only to let a shriek of terror as she saw her friend, "Applejack, please cover yourself up more, it's quite uncouth"

Applejack looked over herself, all she had done was tied her checkered red top in a knot to cool off. It wasn’t like she was doing anyone harm by showing her stomach, "what? Just a little skin and y’all go doo-laddy on me? Gees Rare. Anyway, have' ya seen Applebloom lately? She keeps disappearin’ on me?"

Rarity turned to Applejack,  arms crossed over her white blouse which fluttered into a cut-off the dress around her knees, "I can't say I have My little Sweetie Belle has been doing the same; she had said something about the nice women in the woods this morning, probably Zecora? No?"

"Ah don't know," Applejack said as she mulled over where they could have gone, "I woulda seen em go through the back of the orchard It’s safer that way, except they haven't gone that way since the other day so Applebloom could try a hand at potions... She came back blue that day," 

Applejack shrugged, "Ah’ll just ask her when she gets back, gotta go, Mac is behind the stand and y’all know he ain't the best at calling in the crowd."

Rarity waved the stetson-wearing cowgirl off as she herself went back into her shop, "Well now, where are those rubies for the next set... Hmm?" 

Rarity walked over to a large chest as her eyebrow shot up at a note stuck to it. "What? What is this?" Rarity thought out loud as she ripped the note from the chest, 




"Dear Rarity...
I'm so... So.. Sorry, I needed the nice red crystal thingies for a new friend, I promise I will repay you.
See you later at dinner..... "



As Applejack let her brother go back to hauling the apples from the crates to her stall on the street, she heard a familiar distinct sound of her friend's high pitch screams, Sweetie Bell musta took some of her collection again, Applejack thought as she giggled heartily.





Potions levitated around, moving from the brown wooden shelves they sat on and over to a large pot before tipping their contents out one by one causing green smoke to begin to simmering over the edge of the pot. "You know, I did say I liked the company, but I must say I have never seen anyone, or should I say a group of little girls try this hard to get into danger. This is the third time this week you have come into the forest unannounced, what if the wolves had come once again?"

"Pfft, wolves? We can take them, isn't that right guys?” Scootaloo said, albeit a little shakily.

The other crusaders giggled slightly at their friend, "Sure, but I much more like the thought that Miss Twilight is the protector of the woods sooo~ I don't think anything could happen to us, right Miss Twilight?" Sweetie Bell said, "Oh, do the rubies work? You said a crystal that is red and pure, so, I just thought of my sister's collection"

Twilight nodded as she dropped three more rubies into the pot, the green mist turning ever so slightly pink as she did, "They do but stealing is not okay, okay? You must be sure you apologise to your sister when you get back Sweetie Bell, even a small thing like that can rip sisters apart... I know that all too well..."

"What was that yah said Twilight?" Applebloom asked as she put down a vase of blue liquid.

"Oh, nothing my dear, just an old woman grumbling nothings to herself as usual, now what can I do for you today? I am sure you aren't just here for nothing," Twilight asked as she finished stirring her pot.

Sweetie Bell came to the front of the other two as she twiddled her thumbs, "We-well, It's my sister’s birthday soon, I was wondering, erm..." she said as she blushed slightly, looking over to the pots of various potions. "Would... Would it be okay to take a love potion," she said with a large hopeful smile.

Twilight herself looked back with a sad smile, "My dear, I am afraid you cannot. Love is not to be trifled with. Much like the varying mysteries of magic, love is a vast unknown that is just as, if not stronger than magic itself"

"Sooo~ that's a no then?"

"Yes"

"So it's a yes? Yay!" Sweetie Cried out.

Twilight sighed, "No, I mean yes as in, no... I mean I can't give you the potion, I am very sorry Sweetie, it's not something you should mess with," Twilight said as she used a ladle to lift some of the green liquid from the pot, an empty phial floated in purple hue over to her. "Now I finally have a potion for my Veidrenspeich, well, at least the start, I still need the light of a full moon"





A Few hours had passed since the girls had left her cottage. She sat upon her woven chair in front of the green lit fire, a glass of red liquid quenching her thirst. "One of the many things we shared my dearest sisters, those many moons ago, if only it hadn't happened... If only my brother didn't do what he did. Dark magic should have been something we never trifled with," she said as she clenched her hand shut, the glass smashed in her palm, the shards grating into her skin. She looked to her palm that was covered in small shards. Wincing ever so slightly, she pulled the pieces from her hand with magic, "Curiosity always catches the cat. Why did you have to do that Luz, my little brother?"

"Curiosity, the one word that could fell a country. Curiosity has created many good things in the world, but, much more darkness came from it than what it was worth. It turns beautiful places into a writhing dark place. It splits brothers and sisters apart. It-it changes people in ways you wouldn't think possible. Years ago, there were four who worked together, two sisters who were royalty, and two servants who adored their Princess'. One day, the servants were taken from their arduous and painful homes and taken in by the Princess', to which the two had sworn loyalty, in return, the sisters proclaimed them family"

"Though it did not last long, the younger siblings writhed in the shadows of their elders, both boiled with jealousy that their sibling would be taken from them. But, the youngest Princess kept her hate and jealousy in check, If only Luz could have done the same, if only."

Twilight thought out loud so that Spike could just listen outside the windows, Spike looked through the windows as he lay his head upon his claws, "What happened to the brother?" he asked, Twilight turned with a sad smile.

"He died. Sad, I know, but it happened long ago. He had studied the dark arts. Disgusting magic, only our youngest Princess had a true grip on the magic... Until my little brother Luz had convinced her of something even darker magic promised," Twilight said as she sighed. Twilight stood up and placed the wool cover back in its place on the chair before heading to the window, "I think it best we head to sleep soon, the night approaches," she said as she looked back up at the familiar orb in the sky, "Soon sister, the time comes soon"






That evening at Sweet Apple Acres


"Applebloom! git yer butt down the stairs this instant, y’all are gonna tell me where your friends and you've been goin’, even if I hafta take your bike from yah for a week," Applejack hollered up the stairs, cuffing her mouth as her stetson fell to her back dangling by the strings.

The stomping of her little sister came from the stairs on the second floor of the building, "AH'M C'MON, I told yah, I wen’ ta Zecora's hu-"

"Don't you lie to me. Y’all know I can tell, I also saw Zecora going to tha market today. I even talked to her, she said she ain't been seeing you and the others in days... Where.. Have you.. Been," Applejack said, stepping forward with every word until Applebloom stood with her back to a wall with a really bad poker face on.

Applebloom fidgeted on the spot for a little while, Oh fudge, I knew she'd catch on soon, but not this soon. "Nowhere, I really mean it, please can I just have mah dinner now?" Applebloom grumbled to her sister, her fake smile fading slightly under her glare.

To her surprise though, Applejack’s face went from a scowling glare to a smiling happy face in an instant, "Of course, dahling, go an sit at the table, Grans just finishing her stew, Ah'l be in, in a min," Applejack said.

Applebloom slightly closed one eye in confusion, "ooookaay~ well... Good talk, then AJ," she said before bolting to the kitchen for some food.

As Applebloom went out of ears reach Applejack scowled again, "If yall won't talk, ah will just hafta find out mah’self then won't I?" she said as she stepped into the kitchen.





A white clad form stood at the end of a marble balcony that overlooked the lights and sounds of a city far below, "My dearest sisters... How I miss you so..."