//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11: Visitors from the Other Side 
// Story: Witchcraft is Magic 
// by wingdingaling 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 11

Visitors from the Other Side


"It's almost dark," Scootaloo said as she looked out of her living room window at the darkening sky, once the sun had gone behind the horizon some time ago. The orange filly had been waiting impatiently for the sun to go down ever since Rainbow Dash gave consent for her to summon the spirits of her birth parents. All at once, she was anxious, excited, joyous, and frightened. Dash, however, was just anxious and frightened.
Even though she was allowing Scootaloo to do this bizarre, unnatural thing, in the back of her mind she wished she had taken that book away and thrown it into the Everfree where it would never be found again. But, for the sake of getting rid of these ghosts by simply appeasing them, she may be able to finally rest easy.
"There it is," Scootaloo suddenly exclaimed as she looked out the window. Dash looked to her direction, and saw her filly pointing somewhere to the side of the house. Scootaloo ran to another window, and opened the curtains to reveal the moon, freshly risen by Princess Luna in its radiant glory. "The spell says we need an open window that faces the moon first. Now...Hang on."
And Scootaloo ran away to grab what she needed. While she was gone, Dash took a peek at the was on the page of the book, and found a list of instructions for summoning the ghost. From what she read, she inferred that Scootaloo had gone to go get cinnamon from the kitchen, and lavender from her bedroom. It befuddled Dash to think that something so commonplace could be used for something so horrible. It made her think that while Scootaloo was gone, she should take the book so that she couldn't finish the spell. Then, she could handle the ghosts her own way. But, too late.
Scootaloo came trotting back with some lavender she got from her room, and the cinnamon, some salt, and a plate from the kitchen. She placed the plate of lavender and cinnamon in front of the window, but kept the salt for herself. Before joining her mother's side, she sprinkled a large circle of salt around the two of them.
"What's the salt for," Dash asked.
"Just some extra protection. We don't know if it's my parents who might come after all," Scootaloo answered, as she sprinkled the salt.
"What do you mean? I thought you knew what you were doing."
"All I mean is that we might call some other ghost on accident. If we do, we can just stay inside this ring and ask them to leave, I think."
"You think?" Dash was beginning to feel more and more anxious about the plan.
"It'll be alright. What's the worst that could happen," Scootaloo asked before she looked back at her book. The instructions were fairly simple. All she had to do was place the plate of cinnamon and lavender by a moon-facing window before beckoning the spirits to her. There was only one step left to do.
The filly swallowed as she psyched herself up for what she was about to attempt. But, the thought of seeing her parents and talking to them steeled her resolve. "Mom? Dad? It's me...Scootaloo. Your daughter." Scootaloo didn't feel like she would get anywhere doing what she was doing. That wasn't beckoning. It was introducing herself, and she'd already done that. "I know we haven't seen each other for a while...But I'd really like to see you again. Maybe, if you have the time to come from...wherever ghosts live, I'd really like to see you again. Please."
The two waited and waited. Nothing happened, much to Dash's relief. As alleviated as she felt, though, she was slightly crushed when she saw Scootaloo's disappointed frown. She could tell that Scootaloo was just as scared to summon a ghost, but now that they weren't coming, she was let down at not being able to see her parents just this once. Dash put a comforting wing around her daughter, who rested her head on Dash's side. The two sat in silence, trying to cope with the failure, until Scootaloo finally spoke.
"Hey. Where'd the moon go?"
It was so bright outside, with so man stars dotting the sky. Now, there was only blackness outside the window, that soon started creeping into the house like some sort of living pool of evil that covered everything in its wake.
"Mom, what's happening?" Scootaloo said.
"This wasn't in the book?" Dash asked, holding Scootaloo close.
"No! I think I did something wrong!"
"So, what do we do!?"
"I don't know! Oh horseapples, I should have listened to that note!"
It was too late to heed the witch's warning. Now, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were at the mercy of the darkness, which surrounded and swallowed them whole.
They couldn't see anything. They couldn't even feel the ground beneath them. Without even moving, they were lost in the blackness around them, not even sure if they were in their own home anymore. Scootaloo held tightly to Rainbow Dash, who, even though the filly couldn't see, was looking all around her for some kind of way out of this evil dark.
Then, there was something. A light that appeared, that was followed by another, and then another, and countless more. They appeared to be coming from underneath the darkness, until from out of it came a great number of spirits who all started drifting toward the frightened ponies.
Rainbow Dash held her trembling filly close to her, looking for a way out of the approaching mob of ghosts. They came closer and closer, until they stopped at the edge of the ring of salt. The ghosts stared maliciously at the two mares, silently telling them that once they left the safety of the salt, they were doomed.
Suddenly, with no warning at all, the ground beneath them somehow disappeared, making them fall deeper and deeper into the darkness.
Dash tried to keep a hold on Scootaloo, but the filly slipped out of her hooves into the dark. She looked all around for any trace of her filly.
"Scootaloo!!? Scootaloo," she desperately called.
"MOM!!!"
Somewhere down below, Dash could see the silhouette of Scootaloo against some sort of dimly glowing liquid. There were no thoughts in Dash's mind when she dove quickly to save her daughter. She took hold of Scootaloo's hooves and tried to pull her out, only to find that Scootaloo was stuck fast. Even though the liquid flowed like a river, it was like trying to pull her out of deep quicksand, and the water churned like some thick goop.
"Mom! Help me! Help," Scootaloo yelled as she was pulled through the ghoulish river.
As the ponies struggled, Dash could see more dead souls flowing through the water, rising to take them under and join them. Dash furiously flapped her wings, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't get Scootaloo free. Worse still, she could recognize the approaching spirits as Scootaloo's parents. Now, the had her right in their clutches, ready to take her away forever.
"Mom!! Mom!!" Scootaloo shouted as she struggled against the pull of the flow. Her panic became sheer terror when she saw the ghostly forms of her parents rise above the surface and stare at her.
The filly screamed as the phantoms took hold of her, while Dash let go to try and fight them off, only for her hooves to go through them. The ghosts didn't even act like they acknowledged the assault as they started to pull Scootaloo free of the muck as if it were water.
Despite being free, Scootaloo was still as terrified as she was before, now that she was in the clutches of the ghosts. "Mom..." she shuddered.
Dash backed away, void of any more ideas of how to save her daughter. Now, she would have to resign to fate as Scootaloo was taken away from her. But, it was not to be.
Slowly, the world started to come back into being, and Dash and Scootaloo found themselves back in their living room, though the view outside the window was as black and terrible as it was before. Standing on either side of Scootaloo were her ghostly parents, still staring at the lost daughter they held in their hooves.
"Mom? Dad," Scootaloo asked the ghosts as they slowly turned more decayed, baring their skeletal features. The more she looked, the more her fear grew. Then, it left her altogether.
Both ghosts wrapped their hooves around their daughter, holding her for the first time since she was a baby. Even though Scootaloo felt like she was being wrapped in a cold mist, it was the warmest embrace she ever felt.
From where she stood, Dash watched the family, reunited from beyond the grave. Though she was terrified of the ghosts, some part of her was overjoyed by seeing Scootaloo smile in the hooves of her parents. Soon after, Scootaloo gently pushed away her parent's hooves, and walked to Rainbow Dash's side.
"This is Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo introduced the mare, "She's my new mom." Both of her parents stared silently. "It's alright. I haven't lived with her very long, but ever since she adopted me I've been happier than I've ever been in my life."
Still, her parents said nothing, but something changed in their faces. A warmth they hadn't had before shone on their faces, pushing away any fear that Scootaloo or Rainbow Dash felt before. They each approached Scootaloo one at a time, embracing her, caressing her face and stroking her mane before they turned their gaze to Rainbow Dash, fully trusting her to take care of their filly.
Slowly, Milou and Skip Tumaloo were swallowed by the darkness outside, smiling as they knew their daughter was in good hooves. Soon, they disappeared, and the moon once again shone outside against the purple sky.
Scootaloo and Dash cautiously looked around the room, hoping that no more spirits had come for them.
Both ponies looked to the book on the table before them, going over the spell again. It seemed they had done all of the steps correctly, but at the bottom of the page, it cautioned against summoning spirits, as the caster may end up calling forth the wrong one, or worse, pull themselves into the spirit world, and that only professionals should ever attempt such a thing. After reading that passage, Rainbow Dash closed the book and looked at her daughter.
"Scoots: let's never do this again," Dash said succinctly.
Even though Scootaloo agreed with her mother, the experience had given them both a new insight to the workings of another world, making her thirst for more knowledge. And she knew that her mom wanted to know more as well, otherwise, she would have gotten rid of the book that very second.
"But, you're still staying in at night."
"Okay," Scootaloo said with a knowing smile. "So, do you want to know what really happened last night?"



"Sweetie Belle, you shouldn't make up such things. I mean, the werewolf and the witch are hard enough to believe, but another world of monsters on the other side of darkness? That's completely ludicrous," Rarity said after her sister divulged the truth of what happened.
"Call it what you want. But it's the honest to Celestia truth," Sweetie Belle insisted.
Sweetie Belle could tell that her sister was in total denial. Though Rarity knew what was being said was the truth, she would not accept it as such.
"Do you expect me to believe that such a world exists where things like--" Rarity magically flipped through the pages of the book Sweetie Belle had shown her to find an example, finding a page about a mobile, pilfering stone, "--Hopstones live?"
"Can you think of a better reason we've all been seeing creatures like this," Sweetie rebutted.
To her own surprise, Rarity couldn't think of any reason. As much as she hated to think so, she was being forced to believe her sister's words. Once again, she began to feel overwhelmed by what was happening, and before she fainted, she magically retrieved her sofa to land on gently. "This is becoming too much for me..." she said with an exasperated sigh.
"Come on, Rarity. It's not such a big deal. I mean, it was a different world, but it wasn't that different from here. They're a lot like us in a bunch of ways. Even the animals there sound pretty normal," Sweetie Belle said as she held up the book and flipped through the pages. "We probably even have things like them living in our house right now."
"Don't say such things," Rarity practically shrieked. "It's already bizarre and terrifying enough to think they're real! But to be living with them!? It's perfectly dreadful!"
"For Celestia's sake," Sweetie Belle said as an idea for a way to abate her sister's fears came to her. She left the room and quickly returned with a dish full of something that she left in the moonlit windowsill.
"What is that," Rarity asked, apprehensive about what was sure to be an impending mess, knowing her sister.
"It's just some cream from the kitchen," Sweetie Belle explained.
"That's for Opal!" Rarity was about to recover her precious cat's treat, but was stopped by her sister, when Sweetie Belle pulled Rarity behind a nearby chair and turned off the lights.
"Watch," Sweetie Belle said, sure that her ploy would work.
"For what? Perfectly good cream to go sour?"
Sweetie Belle covered Rarity's mouth with her hoof as she became aware of a new noise in the room. A kind of scuffling, scraping noise like tiny claws on wood.
In the following seconds, the Belle sisters watched as five small, roundish creatures wearing tiny hats crawled into the moonlight and began to drink from the saucer.
"Rats," Rarity said. Dark creatures were horrible enough, but rats were the worst thing that could happen to her shop. She was about to magically send them away, until Sweetie put her hoof on her sister's horn.
"Stop! Look at them," Sweetie Belle whispered.
Rarity took a closer look at the creatures, now realizing that even though they looked very much like rats, they were not like any rodents she'd ever seen. Their bodies were much too round to be like most rats. And their tails, which swayed about as if they had a life of their own, were much longer than any she'd seen. Also, the closer she looked, the more she swore they were wearing tiny jackets and waistcoats along with their little hats.
Once the creatures were done drinking, and washed their paws appropriately, they all scurried away from the window around the room. From there, they began collecting all manner of tools: thread, scissors, fabric, measuring tape, and the like.
Both sisters watched from behind the chair, in awe of what unfolded before them. The creatures all worked together so harmoniously, it was as if they rehearsed what they were doing. Rarity recognized that they were making clothes, and was amazed that such small creatures could do such a thing. "What sort of creature are they," Rarity whispered.
"They're called brownies," Sweetie Belle explained as she had the book open to the page explaining the creatures. It was too dark for Rarity to read, but Sweetie Belle explained it for her. "They live in the dark kin's houses, and they help with the chores there. And to show thanks, they give them a plate of cream or honey."
"Goodness me," Rarity said as she watched the small creatures work. She watched as slowly before her, something was being created. Threads suspended from the ceiling were used to stand the clothes upright as it was put together. As the ensemble formed, Rarity could almost picture the pony who would be wearing the dress that was coming to be. But, no sooner were they close to finishing did the creatures all scatter. "No! You must finish," Rarity quietly shouted as she reached out to the creatures.
"Oh, that's right. I forgot they don't like to be watched while the work," Sweetie Belle said as she turned to look to her sister, "I guess we'll have to go to bed before they start again--Rarity?"
Rarity was hardly paying attention to her sister. Her eyes were stuck forward on the moonlit window. She turned her sister's head to show her what she saw, and Sweetie Belle stepped backwards at what she saw.
Inside the house, visible in the moonlight was a large cat. Not like Opal, but with large fangs, ragged fur, and large bat-like ears. It paced back and forth in the light, looking toward the darkness. "Come out, little ones," the sisters heard a voice say, "You must come out for when Emmett comes."
Neither sister dared say a word. They both stood paralyzed in the darkness, knowing the creature was calling to them, but unsure if it could see them. Though only a minute passed, it felt like hours to them under the gaze of the creature, and soon they heard another noise, like something had fallen to the floor.
Out of the darkness, came another cat creature, larger than the first. It took its place across from the other and stared into the darkness as well. "What shall we do with our little friends," they heard a second voice say.
"Nothing. Until Emmett comes."
"Yes. We know you are there, dear friends. You must come out for when Emmett comes."
Sweetie Belle began furiously flipping through the pages of her book, looking for information about the new creatures. Her search was interrupted when from out of the dark, not six hooves away from them came a third cat creature, bigger still than the second. It took its place between the two smaller ones and looked into the darkness.
"We are not alone here," a third voice said. "How shall we greet our friends?"
"We will not."
"Not until Emmett comes."
"Yes," the third voice said, "Hello, dear friends. You must come out for when Emmett comes."
Sweetie Belle bit her lip as she flipped through more pages. It was so dark in the room she could barely see anything on the page. Finally, she found a page that she recognized. As luck would have it, it was one of the pages she read at school earlier that day. To Rarity's horror, Sweetie stepped out of hiding and faced the creatures. "Emmett's not here tonight. You can find him at another house," she said to the creatures.
"Emmett is not here?"
"Oh, my word."
"Now I feel terrible for trespassing. Could you please show us the door, dear lady?"
Feeling confidence welling up within her, Sweetie Belle trotted to the front door and opened it for the creatures, who all filed out one by one.
"Thank you for your understanding, dear lady," said the first.
"We promise not to violate your property further," said the second.
"Perhaps if I rubbed my back under your chin, you would forgive us," said the third.
"It's alright," Sweetie Belle said. "Just try to plan things better with Emmett next time." And she closed the door, leaving only herself and her sister in the room.
"Wha...Wha...What was that," Rarity hyperventilated as she came out of hiding and turned on the lights.
Now that it was bright in the room again, Sweetie Belle could better read the page she was on and explain to Rarity. "They're called grimalkin. It says that they eat small 'feer-ees,' like brownies and westies. It also says they travel in groups, but do nothing until their leader comes, and if you want to get rid of them, tell them their leader is somewhere else. In this case, somepony called 'Emmett.'"
Whatever doubts Rarity had still lingered, but were pushed to the back of her mind. Seeing her sister handle such a thing as if it were so simple and natural made her believe that Sweetie Belle truly knew what she was doing. And seeing how the brownies were so helpful, and the grimalkin were so polite, it made her think about how very misinformed she was about dark kin. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to meet her new friends after all? "So, you say your new friends may visit tonight," Rarity said, with noticeably absent apprehension.



In the Golden Oaks Library, Spike and Twilight were once again sitting anxiously in the downstairs area. They had left a window open upstairs for the creature to come and greet Owloysius, who was sitting on his perch, lazily awaiting their visitor.
"This is so nerve wracking," Twilight said as she huddled closer to Spike.
"I know. Why can't it come during the day when we can at least run for help," Spike answered.
"Don't say things like that. I'm sure it won't be as bad as we think."
"Then what are you so nervous about?"
Twilight had no answer for that. She didn't want to say that she was in fact nervous about the creature coming, otherwise Spike would become anxious. Or, more anxious than he was now.
Owloysius sat on his perch, bobbing his head in rhythm with the ticking of a nearby clock as if counting the passing seconds. To the two watching, it was like the bird was waiting for something to happen, almost like what he seemed to be doing last night.
Spike and Twilight both looked at the clock, and saw the hour growing later and later. In fact, it was close to the time when he left on the two other nights, now that Twilight thought about it.
"Hoo."
Spike and Twilight both looked at Owloysius, who was now staring alertly at the upstairs area. A flapping noise came from outside, followed by a noise like something heavy landing on a branch.
They knew what was coming, and they could see its shadow crawling in through the window. They watched as a black silhouette with demonic red eyes shuffled about upper level, looking for a way downstairs.
"Hoo."
The noise Owloysius made caught the attention of the creature, which started shuffling toward the stairs, making Twilight and Spike think that he was calling it. They all watched as the shadow slowly shuffled down each step, gradually coming toward the light.
The creature stopped just beyond the edge of the light in the room, staring deeply at the occupants within. Twilight and Spike both cowered as the thing tilted its head from side to side, its unblinking gaze feeling like it was pinning the two of them against the wall.
"Hoohoohoo."
It sounded like Owloysius was beckoning the creature toward it, which the thing obliged by finally stepping into the light. Now uninhibited by shadows, Twilight and Spike could see it in full view. It was as big as Twilight thought it was, at least the sized of an adult pony. It stretched its wings from side to side as walked, seeming to reach the opposite ends of the room with their great length. Seeing the talons on the end of each wing made the two fearful of its ability to reach out and grasp them.
Finally, Owloysius flew off his perch to the middle of the floor where the thing was. He looked up at the monster, and tilted his head to the side, prompting the thing to mirror his movement. Once the both set their heads back properly, Owloysius scuttled across the floor in front of Twilight and Spike, who both gasped quietly when the thing started walking toward them.
With each step, Twilight felt the desire to back out of her plan and send the monster away growing within her. Now, it was right in front of her, staring her eye to eye. She shivered as she saw her own reflection in the thing's solid red eyes like some kind of devilish mirror. The mare she saw reflected in its eyes was a small, meek, powerless mare who was stupid enough to have let this thing into her house.
Owloysius landed on Twilight's head, and hooted a few times. In return, the other creature let out a quiet, though surprisingly low hoot as it bowed its head.
Next, Owloysius flapped to the ground next to Spike, hooted once more, and this time, the creature became more personable. It lowered its head to Spike's level and rubbed its beak against the top of Spike's head.
To Twilight, it looked like the kind of gesture a mother bird would do to its baby, but for Spike, it was much more frightening. As soon as the dragon felt the creature's beak, he went stiff as a board and was hit by the feeling of a thousand ants crawling through his scales. He imagined it was just getting a small taste before it ate him and Twilight both.
The clock rang the hour, and both Owloysius and the creature scuttled across the floor to the front door. Both birds tried to work the handle, though to no avail. Twilight offered her help by magically opening the door, allowing them both to fly skyward just as a heavy fog rolled in.
"Well...It seemed nice, didn't it," Twilight asked.
She would get no response from Spike, who turned sheet white and passed out cold.



"No, no, no! This can't be right," Fluttershy said as she flipped through the various books that were littered about.
True to her word, Twilight had given Fluttershy all the books pertaining to Nightmare Night that involved werewolves after she received them from Princess Celestia. Only, what Fluttershy found greatly contradicted what she learned.
As she read each of the books, it came to light that all the brightest minds in Equestria came to the mutual agreement that werewolves were horrible monsters that killed and ate ponies who were unfortunate enough to cross the monster's paths. "It's all wrong! Mr. Fluff-and-Stuff isn't this mean!"
"Wake up and smell the denial, Fluttershy," Pinkie said as she grabbed her friend's face, "Don't you understand it was nothing but a ruse to bring more of its monster friends here to eat us and all of the animals alive!"
"No! It couldn't have been! Or else he would have done it last night," Fluttershy said as she tried to desperately search the books for anything that would tell her at least something pleasant about a werewolf.
"That's all part of its plan! It didn't do it last night because it wanted to share with its friends! And now it's going to bring them all here for a great big critter buffet, sponsored by you!"
There was nothing that Pinkie could possibly base that on, and Fluttershy knew it. Still, the idea that she was wrong, and that she had put herself and all of her animal friends in great danger clung to her. The fear that she would be responsible for the deaths of so many almost made her faint on the spot. Still, she had to hold out the hope that the smartest mares and stallions in Equestria were all wrong in their consensus. But, why take the chance? "M-Maybe we should move all the animals away before he comes..."
"It's too late. Look!"
Fluttershy looked out the window where Pinkie was pointing, and saw through the fog a pair of yellow eyes peering out at them. Under other circumstances, she would have hastily hustled every animal off the property to safety, but she had to see if her new friend really was so bad. But the closer the eyes came, the more Fluttershy could see it was not Mr. Fluff-and-Stuff.
It was far too small to be him, and the way it moved didn't bring to mind a canine creature. More a cat of some sort. As it was before, the creature went from walking on four legs to walking on two legs, revealing similar proportions to the other monster. The new creature looked in through the window, revealing its feline features more easily. It let out a quiet yowl as it looked in and eyed the ponies in the room.
"Run, Pinkie! I'll try to get out all the animals that I can," Fluttershy said as she hurried a family of squirrels out of their houses.
Pinkie wasn't about to abandon her friend so easily. Despite Fluttershy's plea, Pinkie stayed behind to help with the animals, while the thing outside tried to get in.
As the mares worked, they could hear other things outside trying to get in, though it was uncertain if it was more of the monsters outside, or the animals who were trying to get in. In either case, both were too afraid to find out.
Fluttershy tried to hurry the animals out the window, only for it to be blocked when something like a large, slime-covered crab-cricket crawled over it from the outside, blocking the escape. The fluid it secreted from its body covered the window and distorted its image, lending itself to a more horrifying appearance against the foggy background.
With a shriek, Fluttershy and Pinkie ran to find another exit, only for the next window to be blocked by more creatures from the darkness. Up above they saw more creatures scurrying through the rafters, but neither could be sure if it was more of these monsters. Then Fluttershy realized her greatest horror.
Looking to the bunny door, she saw Angel unlock it, allowing all manner of small creatures to crawl inside. The rabbit scurried away from the door as the creatures flooded in, making Fluttershy and Pinkie herd the animals upstairs to escape.
Once they all reached upstairs, the various animals crawled out the windows that the monsters outside hadn't reached yet, and crawled down the walls of the house to their escape. Now, all that was left were Pinkie and Fluttershy.
"What do we do now," Pinkie panicked as she heard the creatures coming upstairs.
"I can carry you out," Fluttershy answered. Even though she wasn't very strong, she wouldn't let Pinkie jump for her life. She knew the animals would be fine, but Pinkie would make an easy target for lurking monsters.
Pinkie clung to Fluttershy's back, spurring her to fly as quickly as she could. Once the mares flew out the window, they were accosted by the sound of flapping wings. All around them strange creatures flew, some like bats, some like birds, and others like insects. One particularly scary one looked like some kind of terrible statue that had come alive.
The sudden flurry of creatures flying around her greatly hindered Fluttershy's ability to fly straight, and it wasn't helping that some of the creatures were bumping into her sides. Finally, the stone creature bumped into her side hard enough to cripple one of her wings mid-air, sending her and Pinkie plummeting to the ground.
The hard landing sent the two mares rolling. Once their head cleared of dizziness, they saw themselves surrounded by the monsters of the night.
They all crept closer through the shadowy fog, until they reached a point where they could be seen clearly in all their horror. There would be no escaping now. Knowing this was going to be the end of them Pinkie and Fluttershy huddled together as they held each other's hooves, awaiting the inevitable.
Nothing happened for several seconds, and the crowd of monsters parted, allowing a shadow much larger than any of them to pass through. Once it was close enough, Fluttershy could see it was Mr. Fluff-and-Stuff, and he was staring gently at her shivering form.
With a quiet grunt, he offered his hand to help the mares up, who both started looking around at the monsters. To Pinkie, it was nothing short of horrifying, though her fear was pushed slightly back in her mind. To Fluttershy, she saw something common among all of the different monsters around her: fear.
It was the same fear that she had of them, and it was all directed at her and Pinkie. Fluttershy tried to walk forward and try to ease the fears of the creatures, only for them all to step further away from her. "Please don't go. You don't have to be afraid," she gently called to the creatures, though her words did nothing.
Angel hopped beside her with an entourage of the creatures he let come inside. Even though he hopped right up to Fluttershy, the other creatures all kept a distance.
The rabbit's ears perked up when the werewolf quietly groaned, prompting him to explain the situation to Fluttershy.
"Get these things away from me," Pinkie said quietly. As it turned out, some of the creatures weren't quite so afraid of them. The flying stone creature from earlier was perched on her back, while the cat creature was curled up contently by her side.
"Pinkie, they're lost," Fluttershy explained.
"Huh?"
"Angel Bunny told me what was happening. According to Mr. Fluff-and-Stuff, none of these creatures are from around here. They were taken away from their home, and they don't know if they'll ever make it back. He also said that they can't get help because everypony here is afraid of them.
The werewolf made another noise that was translated by Angel, making Fluttershy gasp as she looked at the purring cat creature. "And this one belongs to somepony. He says her owner is a little girl who lost her four days ago. Pinkie, we have to do something," Fluttershy said as tears welled up in her eyes.
Pinkie didn't know what to believe. All the books said that monsters like these were to be avoided at all costs, but the way they were behaving, and Fluttershy's genuine concern for them started ebbing away her fears, replacing it with confusion. Against her better judgement, she agreed to help. "Alright. But how do we do that? We don't even know where they came from."
Angel translated another noise from the werewolf.
"You know somepony who can help," Fluttershy asked.
With a motion that looked like a nod, the werewolf lowered onto all fours and hurried back into the fog toward a pair of glowing blue lights somewhere in the Everfree Forest.
"That looked like it went well," Courtney said. "It was especially endearing how they tried to escape out the second story window."
"I know! Isn't it cute how they ride on each other's backs," Molly added, the sarcasm going right over her leafy head.
Courtney rolled her eyes at her friend's aloofness, but quickly got back on track. "I'm going to go take care of Scootaloo's house now. Molly, if I could ask a favor of you: could you stay here with them until I get back?"
"Really!?"
"Yes. Someone needs to stay and try to explain to the light-dwellers how to care for these creatures before they're returned home." Though Molly was excited, Courtney was apprehensive at the idea of leaving her friend to the mercy of light-dwellers. But still, what Apple Bloom had said stuck with her. It had been a very long time since that terrible incident long ago, and things may have changed ever so slightly.
"Mr. Fluff-and-Stuff?"
They could both hear Fluttershy's voice gently calling through the fog. Molly's excitement to finally meet some more ponies and teach them about her world hit a new level as she fixed her fronds to a new style she thought would make her presentable. "How do I look," she asked Courtney.
"Prim, proper, and over-styled for a simple meeting."
"Jealous as always."
"Now, before you go, do you need me to top you off?"
"No, no. I'll be fine for at least another week before I need to feed again."
"Hello," they heard Fluttershy call again.
"I guess I should make my entrance. Excuse me," Molly said as she walked toward the house with a confident stride.
Courtney watched as her friend left through the fog, until she lost sight of her. Now that she was gone, she turned to Bruce to ask another favor. "Bruce. Could you please go to Apple Bloom's house to check on her?"
Bruce grunted quizzically.
"No particular reason. I just want to know if she's alright."
Bruce made no noises, but Courtney could see a tiny smirk on his face.
"Just go already."
And with that, Bruce ran off to Apple Bloom's house while Courtney went about her work going in the direction she was told Scootaloo lived.
"Is somepony there," Fluttershy asked as she looked into the foggy foliage beyond her yard. She knew something was coming, though she couldn't make out what it was. Through the fog, she could see the plants moving, but in particular it looked as if one of the plants was moving through the foliage towards her as if it had a life of its own. Fluttershy backed away to safety as through the woods came a stunningly beautiful mare with flowers in her leafy mane. The way she stood before Fluttershy seemed to somehow add to her comely appearance, though it was offset by a twinge of fear that she was clearly not a normal pony. Still, Fluttershy knew she couldn't sit all night staring at her new guest. "Um...H-Hello...I'm Fluttershy..."
The way this creature hid behind its own mane, mixed with its timid voice was unbearably cute to Molly. That, along with how the other pony (in the most adorable pink color at that) was standing with a gargoyle on her back, and a werecat rubbing against her sides made her want to squeal like a seedling. But, she had to make a good first impression on her new hosts. She began by extending one of her front legs to shake Fluttershy's hoof. "A pleasure. I'm Molly," she answered Fluttershy, barely able to contain her excitement.
From where she stood, Pinkie saw how unnaturally long the newcomer's hoof reached, like it magically extended itself beyond normal. She was too scared to even start thinking about throwing a welcome party for their new guest, but since she obviously wasn't there to harm any of them, she and Fluttershy would have to find a way to welcome her.



Ever since her pie finished baking Apple Bloom spent all of her time in her room going through her book on the history of witchcraft, and the more she read, she found it to be more enthralling than the history of her own world. Each page was like a treasure she had discovered, separating the facts from the myths and stories she grew up believing.
The book showed her that witchcraft began not as a way to curse the light-dwellers, but to understand the world around those who used it. It was very much like what she learned in school about Starswirl the Bearded, and how he used his magic to gain knowledge of the world around him. So much were their worlds alike that she wondered how they came to fear one another. She knew that answer too was somewhere in that book, and now, she was determined to find it.
She read every page carefully, not wanting to skip over anything. Not a single detail was missed by the filly, who took every word to heart. Every page brought her deeper into the dark world's past but not one of them brought light to the mutual fear between the two worlds. Then, finally she found something.
Hours later, when she reached somewhere in the middle of the book, Apple Bloom found an event that happened several thousand years ago.
The pages detailed how at one time, a witch named Atticus Goodchild found his way to the world of light, and acted as an ambassador to the ponies there.
Apple Bloom stopped reading briefly to look at the picture at the bottom of the page, where she saw a picture of the dark creature speaking before an audience of ponies. To her, he looked like some kind of demon, with his long neck and horns, as well as the ornate robes he wore. Despite his evil appearance, he also had a kind of scholarly air about him, a little like Twilight, only less nerdy. Once she had observed the creature in question, she resumed reading.
In his own world, Goodchild was considered by many a sage. From discovering the secrets the world held, to simply solving a quarrel between two people, he was the one to look too. He was held in the highest regard by his colleagues, who said that he could turn the tide of warring countries with only the power of his words. To Apple Bloom, it sounded like somepony was putting him on a pedestal, but to think that he had that kind of sway over others without the use of force or magic was unheard of to herself.
One day, during the change of seasons, Goodchild embarked on the biggest project of his career. It seemed that during his studies, he discovered a barrier that existed between his own world and another.
After months and months of researching, he was finally ready to step into the other world. There, he found it too held magical properties that affected him many bizarre ways. Once he arrived, he was blinded by the most horrible light he had ever seen. Later, when the horrible light faded, he found that his body had changed to an equine form, like a night mare.
When the light was accommodating, he found his way to the court of a being who dwelt in the light named Starswirl the Bearded, who greeted the newcomer as a brother in the search for knowledge.
The two traveled between each other's worlds, sharing the knowledge of one another's home to the inhabitants of each. There was peace and prosperity, and a greater understanding of what it truly meant to accept the differences of others.
Every word filled Apple Bloom with both joy and confusion. If the light-dwellers and the dark kin were such good friends at one point, what happened that created such a fear that one party started killing the other. That answer was sure to come if she kept reading, and sure enough, it did.
While many were happy for the wonders that the dark magic could do for them, there were still those who dissented. One notable example was a pony named Ashmead, who vehemently held that the magic of Starswirl was the only true magic, and that what these unnatural monsters from another world were spreading was nothing but devilry.
On that page was another picture of a bespectacled unicorn stallion, with a face that looked like he just bit into the sourest lemon there ever was. Not a single feature on him showed a hint of kindness or understanding. It could have just been that the artist depicted him based on the things they had been hearing about light-dwellers, but that was definitely a pony Apple Bloom didn't want to meet up with. But, she still had to finish reading.
Soon, Ashmead was able to convince the ponies of his own village to adopt his way of thinking, and that in turn led to ponies from other villages to take in the message of intolerance and fear. Soon, the dark creatures were driven from the world of light, though Goodchild and Starswirl tried to quell the hysteria.
It would not be enough for Ashmead. There had to be a way to get rid of the monsters like Goodchild once and for all. And he knew exactly the way. He knew that their magic would be their downfall, and now, they and the ponies who practiced such things would pay for their heresy. And it all began with the construction of a creature.
On the day of the Hallow, using nothing more than reeds of wicker, he fashioned a device that had the shape of one of the strange bipedal creatures Starswirl had spoken of, and using the very magic he feared and hated, he gave the creation life to do his bidding.
It was a beast of fire and straw, forever hungry for the evil magic of the dark kin, and it was Ashmead's to command and control. Though it was ordered to devour any of the dark beasts who walked in the world of light, it instead devoured every pony in the room in a blaze of flame.
But, it was not satisfied. It would never be satisfied. It was created to devour magic, and that's exactly what it did. Regardless of what world the creatures came from, whatever magic they possessed, the monster swallowed them all with a fiery hunger. But, Ashmead was not repentant. He knew that he was purifying the world of its evil, and if innocent ponies were killed, then so be it.
Apple Bloom was appalled that such a thing would happen. In all of her history lessons, she only ever heard good things about Equestria, and the ponies who inhabited it. Now, she was learning that there was evil in her world, even if it was disguised as a good intention. It was a sick, nauseating feeling that almost made her stop reading, until she read how Ashmead was eventually devoured by his own creation. A small, satisfied smile crept onto Apple Bloom's face as she continued reading.
The creature had rampaged through Equestria, destroying lands and killing ponies and dark kin by the hundreds. Starswirl and Goodchild took it upon themselves to stop the monster, only to find their magic useless against it. Their magical attacks were only feeding the beast.
Goodchild had seen the beast's one weakness. When it fed upon ponies, its ability to absorb more magic stopped. It would be up to himself to save both worlds of light and dark. Knowing the fate of all things fell to him, he charged headlong into the beast's body where he was consumed by fire.
As he was eaten, he opened a portal to the farthest corner of his own world where the monster would never harm another living soul. But not before saying his last words to his friend Starswirl, 'The light of your world cannot hide the darkness in your hearts. Pray you keep from the evil that ever clings to you, lest this comes to pass again.' And, after he had spoken, he and the creature were swallowed by shadows.
To this day, the creature is only remembered in the children's rhyme:


Beware, Beware ye magic folk
The Wicker Man draws nigh
His withered claw, his fiery maw
His evil, glaring eye

Should e'er you hear his mournful howl
Run, Run, Run with all haste
Should not you flee, then woe to thee
Your cinders he shall taste


Though the wicker man was never seen again, the fear of the dark kin and what their magic could do lingered on. For centuries since that fateful day, whenever the time of the Hallow came, the light-dwellers would track, torture and execute those who were seen to associate with the dark kin, and often those who were simply accused of doing so. Many were even burned alive in lifeless recreations of the monster that terrorized them.
Apple Bloom slammed the book shut, unable to read anymore. She laid silently on her bed, with only an occasional shudder breaking the silence. Rage and disgust boiled within her. Why would somepony ruin such a friendship between so many creatures? And all because of some baseless fear, just like Courtney had said.
It then occurred to her the importance of Goodchild's last words. If the ponies of her world ever forgot what happened when the wicker man was brought to life, it was sure to happen again. Ponies like her sister, who feared the dark kin were sure to rally others to their cause and drive away her new friends, or worse.
It would have to be up to her to change the way ponies thought of the creatures from the dark world, and the only way to do that would be to learn about them, and to befriend them, and share that mindset with others. That in mind, she turned her attention to her clock, and saw the time to be almost midnight. Who knew how long her friends were waiting for her at the tree house?
As quickly and quietly as she could, Apple Bloom packed up her book, went downstairs to the kitchen, grabbed the pie she made, and headed to the front door.
A quiet whimper stopped her, making her turn to see Winona staring apprehensively at her. "I'll be okay, girl," Apple Bloom whispered as she rubbed her dog's ears, "Just look after the others while I'm gone. An' say 'hi' to my friends when they come."
Winona didn't know what friends she was referring to, but the dog could guess. Once Apple Bloom left the house, Winona pushed open the top half of the door, and watched her filly place the pie on the front porch before trotting off into the foggy darkness.