The Witches of Moonlight Lake

by Phoenix Heart 27

Ch. II: 500 Years Later

Ch. II: 500 Years Later

“C’mon Zelda! If Mist and her gang catch us because you're being slow, I’ll skin your hide myself!”, A teenage unicorn shouted down the hall to a young zebra.

“Sorry I am! Running slow is all I can. *pant. pant* Friend Terra, can we rest? I feel like that would be best!”, The zebra called back as she caught up with her friend and accidentally slipping into her native Zebrican rhyme accent.

“We rest when we get to last period with the rest of the crew.”, Terra replied as she all but lifted her friend in her pale pink aura as they hoofed it towards the staircase. Both silently praying that their bullies didn't catch them.

Alas, today just wasn't their lucky day, for when they looked back to see if they were being followed, they ran smack into the aforementioned lead bully.

“Well. Well. Well! Look what we have here girls?” Mist sneered as she picked up both equines by their manes “A freak of a basic magic knowing unicorn and a L.D. rhymes-a-lot zebra! Girls, what do you think we should do to these two?”, She finished to her gang of 10.

“Ooohh! I know! How ‘bout we give them both a mane cut? Faust knows they both need one with those rats’ nests they call manes.”, another filly called Mini Tart squawked to her leader. The others agreeing as Mist made a switchblade appear from thin air and aimed it at Terra’s throat.

“Let's start this mane cut a bit under the ear shall we?”, She chuckled darkly as she pressed the blade into Terra's soft neck. Drawing a bit of blood, all the while Zelda's bucking against her captors and swearing harshly in Zebrican as she tries to reach her best friend.

Suddenly, as quickly as the blade was pressed against her throat, it was gone. With eyes closed, Terra couldn't see what was happening, but she did hear a strangled gasp followed by shouts of ‘let her go!’ and ‘stop, you're really hurting her!’. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Mist being held on the ground whilst being choked by a blood crimson aura.

“Terra! Stop choking her! She's gonna pass out!”, Zelda shouted to her. It was then that she realized that the aura was coming from her horn! Dispelling the aura, Terra backed away in shock as Mist and her gang fled towards the principal's office.

“What. Was. That?!?”, Terra asked bewildered.

“No idea. C’mon...we should...get to class.”, Zelda said as she pulled her friend out of the stunned hallway of ponies and other creatures.

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(Later that Day…)

Walking home, Terra and Zelda were with their other 5 friends: Solange (a Unicorn), Amaris (a Unicorn), Salem (a Pegasus), Sabrina (a Pegasus) and Zeus (another Zebra and Zelda's twin brother). They were making idle chit chat as they caught up with one another until Zelda brought up what had happened that afternoon before last period. With that in mind, the group of 7 stopped in their tracks to fully discuss what happened to their “unofficial” leader.

“So yeah, then when I all but almost passed out from fear, Terra’s horn just started glowing a deep red, almost like blood colored. Then she grabbed Mist and slammed her and three of her little cronies into the ground and lockers. Nearly choked the life outta all 4 of them. That wasn't the strange part. I mean it was strange, but like when she opened her eyes...they were like bright green! Like the color of my hoodie green.”, Zelda finished explaining as she gestured to her old beat up hoodie.

Every equine who was listening was fascinated by this development. It had been no secret that the 7 of them had all been experiencing strange magical “abnormalities” over the past few months. Even the twins, who had their own strange way of Zebra magics, were experiencing stronger forms of it. Salem and Sabrina both were having issues with their flight and cloud walking and of course the 3 unicorns had been experiencing magic surges like crazy. Of course nothing had ever escalated to this.

“I still say it's too much hay in their diets! I mean really? Three unicorns having similar magic surges within 3 days of one another and on the same magic wavelength of off the charts?!? That doesn't spell suspicious to anypony? It's gotta be the hay. Seriously. What are your mothers and fathers’ feeding you three!?!”, Zeus stated to head scratches and thoughtful looks.

While they thought these things all through as they continued walking, they came across a path that lead into the woods.

“Hey, shortcut. Let's move.”, Solange said as she and Terra started moving towards the path. Only to be blocked by Salem.

“Woah there fillies! You three know better than to go into those woods.”, He said while pointing to the large forested area.

“Oh come now Salem! You don't honestly believe in that old pony’s tale do you?”, Solange asked her skeptical friend.

“N-no! Of course not. It's just that it's forbidden to enter the woods that lead to Moonlight Lake. You of all ponies know this Solange!”, Salem rebutted back to his friend.

“Oh in the name of Faust! Quit being a bunch of scaredy cats and c’mon! Besides, I’m certain that it's a shortcut to town.”, Amaris said as she, Terra and Solange trekked forward into the dark and opposing woods. The others warily following behind.

(In the dark woods…)

The group of 7 traversed the twisted paths that came with the woods. Every so often stopping due to a strange sound or from stepping on a sharp objects of some sort. While the other 4 equines had no idea where they were going, the 3 unicorns seemed to be drawn to the paths and kept walking as if they’d known these woods like the back of their hooves. With only the light of their pale pink, orange and blue auras as their only light, the group suddenly found themselves in a clearing that lead to a most magnificent natural lake.

“Wow... it's beautiful!”, Sabrina gasped in awe as she stepped closer to the water.

The three horned one's paid their friend no mind as they instinctively went about almost searching for something. But what? They weren't sure.

“Hey guys! Check it out! I found this weird old cabin.”, Solange called to her friends. Immediately only Amaris and Terra came to her sides.

“I was kinda hoping for all of you, but ok”, Solange said as the other two came closer to her.

“We know, yet for some reason, we felt...I dunno? Drawn to this place. We should check it out.”, Terra said. Earning two simultaneous nods as the three of them entered the creaking old cabin.

The floors--or what was left of them, were dirty and dusty. What looked like a fire pit had long since been extinguished, yet the wood looked untouched. What was a long table held what looked like somepony’s cooking supplies.

“Talk about creepy. Yet...this place seems familiar in a way.”, Amaris said as she blew some dust off what looked like a caldron.

“True that, girl. I--I feel something strange being in here.”, Terra said as she picked up what looked to be a doll.

“You mean...like we all have been here before. Like in a past life or something?”, Solange said before tripping over something hard.

“Ow! What the hay?!--” she stopped before picking up what was indeed some kind of book “H-Hey girls. C’mere. I found a weird looking book!”, She finished as she blew the dust off of it. Revealing a cover with strange rune symbols on it.

“‘Forewarned ye who reads this tome! The dark lord McCracken shall rise and with ye, he shall take back Equus from Faust. Ye who readth this sacred text are worthy of being the Children of McCracken!’”, Solange read the runes as they lit up along with their horns.

Suddenly the three young mares were thrown back by an energy from the foreign book. Each landing a few centimeters away from three specific objects: A cross, a doll and a caldron.

“Wh-What was that Solaria?”, Terra asked as she rubbed her head.

“I don't know and--wait. What did you just call me Terra Nova?”, Solange asked in shock.

As the two of them bickered over what was going on, Amaris groaned as she grabbed onto the object she landed next to: a doll with buttons for eyes and a stitched up mouth.

“Uhhh...guys?”, She squeaked.

“Not now Artemis!!”, The duo shouted simultaneously before being shocked by what they just called each other.

“What is it you want Amaris?”, Solange asked.

“Not me, you two! Look! Your cutie-marks, they’ve changed! Mine as well!”, Amaris screamed while freaking out.

“What?!? That's ridiculous. Cutie-marks can't...change?!?”, Solange said as she looked at the place on her flank where there once was a orange and cream sunflower, now lay a caldron with green smoke.

Looking amongst themselves, the trio soon took notice of their new cutie-marks. Terra, a burning cross. Amaris a voodoo doll with a knife in its head.

“I dunno what's going on here, but..I want to know more.”, Terra spoke after a silence and with her picking up the cross she landed next to.

“Well, I wanna get the fuck outta here now! This is getting too meta for me today!”, Solange said as she shrank the caldron and put it in her saddlebags along with the book. With Amaris picking up the voodoo doll, the trio left the mysterious cabin and went to find their friends.

Comments

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

“What?!? That's ridiculous. Cutie-marks can't... change?!? ”, Solange said as she looked at the place on her flank where there once was a orange and cream sunflower, now lay a caldron with green smoke.

Changing Cutie Marks huh? Interesting.... Let see what these seven along with Terra find next.

[Phoenix Heart 27]

9247289
Don't worry, things will get WAAAY worse (also, way to be late to the party dude!?!).

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

9247294
Sorry, I was at football practice. I was kept there a little later than usual.

[Phoenix Heart 27]

9247297
Fair enough.