> Witchcraft is Magic
>  by wingdingaling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: A World Apart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Prologue



	A World Apart


Nightmare Night will be upon us soon. But, do you know how it began?
Centuries ago, in a far away land, ponies believed that there was not only the world we live in, but another one that existed on the other side of darkness. They believed that when nighttime came, our worlds would cross over, and the ponies of this world and the creatures from the other world could see one another.
What were these creatures from the other world?
Nopony knows for sure. But, I heard once that they were more terrifying than anything you'd ever seen. They were supposed to be horrible things that were indescribable to the civilized mind. And they were equally malicious.
It was when Nightmare Night drew near that the barrier between our world and theirs would grow thin, and the creatures from the other side could roam freely among the ponies to destroy property, eat animals, and sometimes even steal away young foals who wandered too far away from home at night.
To fool the creatures from the other side, ponies would disguise themselves as one of them, so that they could roam freely at night without fear of being taken away. Others would leave baked goods on their front porches in case the creatures came to wreck their homes. By giving them this treat, they would take their tricks to another place and spare the home that appeased them.
And you'd do well to follow these rules. Because, those who don't will surely be met by these horrors from beyond.
In my day, there was a young stallion who was walking home late one night from his usual bar the way he had always done night after night. But, this night was in the coming weeks of Nightmare Night. And he would soon find that the way home was more dangerous than he could have known.
As he made his way through the back roads of the woods toward his home, the moon went behind a cloud. It was then that he felt a hot pain in his shoulders like he was stuck with a pair of needles that were taken out of a fire.
When he looked ahead, the stallion saw something that made his blood run cold.
There before him, he saw a pair of eyes peering at him from out of the darkness. He would never have seen them, if they weren't glowing the way they were with their eerie light. Past them, he could see the black, darkened form of the creature they belonged to. Even though he couldn't clearly see what it was, he knew it was nothing good.
Those who knew the stallion would call him brave, or foolish, depending on who you asked. But, he knew that when faced with something evil, the worst thing you can do is to turn your back to it.
With a silent prayer to Princess Celestia, he rushed toward the unnatural beast.
As he did, the creature he faced charged its way towards him with a fierce hunger.
The stallion ran, trying to think of a way to survive his encounter.
All he had with him was a box of matches in his pocket. But, that was all he needed. He had been told the same stories as everypony else, and knew that the dark creatures couldn't stand the light.
He took the box out and readied a match.
In only a few more steps, he was close enough to the beast now to feel its hot breath against his face.
The monster had only to lunge for it to get him.
Before it could, the stallion struck the match.
In the split second that the match was lit, it flared brightly, allowing him to see the creature's horrible face as it bellowed in pain and covered its eyes. Seeing the horror's face made the stallion lose his hoofing, and fall off the side of the path into a puddle where his match was doused.
The stallion wasted no time to get back to his hooves, and ran the rest of the way home, not once daring to look back.
He got to his home safe enough, and the monster he faced would only ever be a memory. But for the rest of his life, he cautiously heeded the warnings he'd been given when he was a foal. And he always carried a box of matches at night.
He was lucky to have escaped that night. But, for anypony who doesn't follow the advice of those who know better: they may not be so fortunate.





"Wow! Apple Bloom, you were right. Granny Smith does tell great stories," Scootaloo said.
She and Sweetie Belle only met Apple Bloom earlier that year, and knew nothing of the Apple family tradition of Granny Smith's yearly scary stories that she told every time Nightmare Night came around. It took a little convincing to get them to go to her house to listen, instead of cramming in a little last minute crusading, but a bribe of Granny's apple pie swayed them.
That night, after the pie was eaten, the three fillies gathered in the fire-lit living room of Apple Bloom's house to hear the story that was in store for them.
The idea of facing something evil instead of running away from it nearly overwhelmed the fillies to the point they wanted to stop hearing it. If it were them, they would have ran full throttle in the opposite direction. The only thing that kept them listening was the fear of not knowing how that story ended.
"I told ya it would be better than tryin' to get a comic artist cutie mark," Apple Bloom said as she flaunted the new accessory that she had acquired earlier that day. It seemed though that nopony noticed, having been too engrossed in everything else they were doing up to that point. The current of which was hearing Granny's stories.
"What's the next story?" Sweetie Belle asked. The only scary stories she knew were the ones her older sister told her, but those were always about somepony wearing the wrong colors or accessories with certain articles of clothing. The story that Granny Smith told outscored them by miles.
"I got a million stories, youngun. In all my years, I heard just 'bout every scary story there is. An' let me tell ya: each one of 'em's scarier than the last," Granny Smith answered as she creaked back and forth in her rocking chair by the fireplace.
Apple Bloom knew this to be true. Ever since she was able to remember, she heard stories from Granny that truly terrified her. The only time she felt safe hearing those ones was when her sister or brother were with her to hear them.
At that moment, the front door opened.
"You should tell 'em the one about the ghost that carries his own head on his back. I always liked hearin' how his head was always smilin', an' how his eyes zip around like flies, lookin' in different directions. That's some scary stuff right there," Applejack offered after she walked in through the front door with Winona, the family dog.
She had just finished the day's work in the orchard and was ready to wind down with one of Granny's stories. And she began settling in by dousing the lantern she always carried when it was dark out.
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh added as he walked in after Applejack. As the oldest of the three Apple siblings, he had heard more stories than either of his younger sisters, and even so, he was still scared stiff by a few of them.
"What's your favorite story, Big Macintosh?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"My favorite's one that Granny only told once when me an' Applejack were foals, an' Apple Bloom wasn't born yet," he answered, unusually loquaciously. "The story's 'bout a pony who's goin' a few towns over to visit his mom. But on the way, the folks tell him not to go out at night. Naturally, he doesn't listen. An' while he's walkin' down the road, he meets what looks like a pony. ‘Cept it’s made o' wood, an' it has green eyes an' fangs like a timber wolf."
"Does he get away?" Scootaloo asked nervously.
"Sorry, Scootaloo, but that'd be tellin'," Big Macintosh answered, not wanting to spoil the story.
Apple Bloom had remained silent, hoping that somepony would notice what was different about her. So far though, everypony acted like she looked the same as ever. Even though she was wearing it all afternoon, her friends, nor her family said anything. All except for Winona, who was staring intently at it.
"Isn't anypony gonna ask about my necklace?" Apple Bloom asked aloud, now getting everypony's attention.
Around Apple Bloom's neck was a black choker necklace, made of velvet with a silvery-white satin lace around the edges of it. In the center was a broach that made of silver with red jewels embedded in its surface. Apple Bloom wondered how they could have missed such a thing around her neck, but savored how her friends were marveling at it. But her family had different opinions about it.
"Apple Bloom, where'd ya find that?" Applejack asked, knowing that something like that wouldn't be dropped anywhere by just anypony.
"I found it in town when I was goin' to meet my friends after school today. It was just on the ground by Carousel Boutique," Apple Bloom answered.
That seemed to clear things up for Applejack. From what she could gather, that necklace may have been something that Rarity made to fill some kind of order for a customer.
"In that case: I think ya better try returnin' it to whoever lost it," she told her sister.
Apple Bloom knew that her sister was right, but a part of her didn't want to give up the necklace. When she put it on, she looked at her reflection in a window and saw how beautiful it made her look. After she saw herself with it on, she couldn't imagine herself ever taking it off. Something about it made her feel like it was meant to hold fond memories and become something she would cherish. But now, she was being told that she had to give it up.
"Aw, but I wanna keep it," Apple Bloom protested.
"Only after two weeks. If nopony claims it by then, it's yours. 'Til then: you best be makin' some fliers to put up around town," Applejack answered.
Apple Bloom knew that she could never win an argument with her older sister, so with a sigh, she conceded to Applejack's will.
"Okay. But if somepony gets it back: I wanna see if Rarity can make another one like this," the filly said.
"Will do, sugarcube. Right now, let's hear what story Granny's got for us next," Applejack said as she sat on the floor between Apple Bloom and Winona.
Unseen by the others, Winona was still looking at the necklace. Why, or what it was about it, the dog couldn't understand.
The hours passed on, and Granny weaved all manner of spine-tingling tales for the five younger ponies in the room. She even told a few new ones that her older grandchildren hadn't heard before. Out of the new ones that Applejack heard, the one Granny told about a mare who was found dead in an orchard made her glad she quit working before the sun went down completely.
Before the hour got too late, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were sent home for the night, but they hesitated when they opened the front door.
Looking out into the night, they could see the property of Sweet Apple Acres illuminated by the ominous, dim glow of the moon. The gate to the property seemed to pull away further from them as they took their first step onto the porch.
They froze, and gazed warily to the darkness.
As they looked out into the night, their imaginations wandered to what kind of horrible things may be lurking beyond the porch. The longer they stayed, the further the gate got from them, and the more things they could see peeking from behind the stacks of hay, or climbing out of the well on the property.
"M-maybe we should take a box of matches with us," Sweetie fearfully suggested.
Applejack understood their fears. But, she knew that they were only stories, despite her own uneasy fears at that moment. Even so, it was dark out and it would be unwise and irresponsible to send two fillies out on their own.
"Big Macintosh: can ya walk Apple Bloom's friends home?" she requested of her brother.
"Eeyup," came his affirmation as he walked out the door to nudge the two fillies forward. "Come on. Let's get you two back home."
A devious thought occurred to him.
"Best be quick if we don't want the kelpies to get us," Bic Macintosh said.
"Quit scarin' the foals and take 'em home already," Applejack admonished her brother.
With a good-natured chuckle, Big Macintosh escorted Apple Bloom's friends home without any further mischief.
Since that was taken care of, now came the next matter to handle.
"Get out some papers an' a couple o' pencils. We gotta start makin' those posters for that necklace yer wearin'," Applejack told her sister.
The Apple sisters spent the next half hour drawing up posters, so that the owner of the necklace could find and claim it.
After she saw what her granddaughters were doing, Granny offered her hoof at making a poster. When she was declined, she made one anyway. In the end, her rendering of the necklace turned out to be more accurate than what either of them had drawn. Even the lace on the edges was drawn in immaculate detail.
Applejack decided to let Granny draw the rest of the posters, so that Apple Bloom could get to bed, since it was almost bedtime anyway.
Before she went to bed, Applejack retrieved her lantern and lit it so that the light shone dimly within. Now that the darkness would be abated, she headed for the stairs.
Apple Bloom went up the stairs ahead of her sister and closed her bedroom door behind her. She had already lit the lamp in her room before, when it was starting to get dark. Mainly so that she wouldn't be stumbling around in the dark when she was finished hearing Granny's stories. That, and the presence of light helped to keep any irrational fears at bay.
But it did little good to stop her from jumping when her door started creaking open.
The filly gasped and shot her eyes to the door, where she saw something poke its way through the open crack. She let out a sigh of relief when it turned out to only be Winona.
It was strange to see the dog in Apple Bloom's room, since she always slept beside Applejack's bed. But, it was nice to have company like her after hearing such scary stories.
The day had ended, and the filly took her bow out of her mane and hung it up in her wardrobe. Then she took off the necklace she wore and put it on her nightstand, before she turned out the lamp and crawled under her sheets for the night.
Down by her hooves, Apple Bloom felt Winona jump to the foot of the bed. There, the dog curled up to sleep.
Though Apple Bloom tried to sleep, something felt very off about that night. But what, she couldn't put her hoof on it. If she had to explain it, it was as if the very night itself was trying to waken her, and show her what was amiss.
At the foot of the bed, she felt Winona tense up and raise her head.
Apple Bloom looked to her, and saw her dog staring alertly at the window.
It may have been the filly's imagination, but she thought that she could see a dim light that should not have been there coming from somewhere outside. As she lay in her bed, she watched the light and hoped that it would go away. But when time had passed, and the light remained, she debated whether or not she should investigate.
Curiosity won out over fear, and she cautiously walked toward her window with her dog in tow.
At first, Apple Bloom only waited beside the window, trying to work up the courage to look outside. But, she would run the chance of being seen by whatever made that light.
She swallowed hard and peeked around the edge, only to see nothing there.
Feeling slightly bolder, she stepped in front of her window so that she could get a proper look outside. What she saw made her more surprised and curious.
From her bedroom window, Apple Bloom had a view of the apple orchard. Past that was a view of the Everfree forest. Both were normally unremarkable at night. But as she looked outside, she could see lights in the Everfree, glowing one second, and then dimming the next as if there were a great mass of fireflies in the woods.
She had never seen anything like that in her entire life, and didn't know anypony else who had. They were unnatural. And if Granny's stories were to be believed, anything unnatural couldn't be good.
Out of the darkness, a choir of howls sounded. Timberwolves signalling the start of a prowl. Their song echoed eerily through the night air, letting ponies know to beware their presence.
Then it happened.
Another howl joined the chorus. But, as soon as it had, the other howls went dead silent. The new howl was louder and lower than than the others, and sounded somehow different. As if it had been sounded from something more beastly and terrible than any timber wolf.
It was enough to make Winona whimper fearfully and back away from Apple Bloom's side, signalling the filly to get away from the window.
The howl subsided and sounded once more. Then, there was only silence.
Apple Bloom listened closely for anything else that may have been out there, but could only hear the normal sounds of the night. The wind whistling through the trees and the rustling of leaves were all that she could hear.
The wind almost made a tune of some sort as it blew by, making the filly swear she could hear instruments playing faintly in the distance. The closer she listened, the more she could hear its eerie melody beckoning her to go out and investigate what was happening.
Another whimper from Winona snapped her out of her thoughts
With a shudder, the filly and the dog retreated back to the bed and hid under the covers, hoping that morning would come soon, as they drifted into a restless sleep.
> Chapter 1: A Night of Terrors
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Chapter 1



	A Night of Terrors


The night proved to not be peaceful for Apple Bloom.
As she fell asleep, she carried with her the noises of the night into her dreamworld.
The filly was running through the Everfree Forest to investigate the eerie music on the wind. All the while, she could see horrible things off the side of the trail.
They were half hidden from behind the trees. But, Apple Bloom felt like that even though they were hiding, they wanted her to know they were there. Worse still, she didn't know what was trying to get her.
Though Apple Bloom could barely see them, she knew that the things were not anything that she was familiar with. The idea of being stalked by unknown creatures of the night spurred her faster towards the source of the phantom music.
As she ran, she could hear the music growing louder and louder.
She was getting closer to the source. But, as she did, she didn't know if she really wanted to find it. What if it was the creatures that were making it? And what if they were luring her to be whisked away to the other world like in Granny's stories?
But with the creatures around her, Apple Bloom couldn't afford to stop. She knew if she did, she was as good as gotten by them.
The music became louder and louder, until it became an unbearable crunching snapping noise. A noise so loud that it awoke Apple Bloom from her sleep.
After she had woken up, the filly quickly turned on her lamp and looked around her room. Everything was as it should have been. Her wardrobe, her mirror and her oy box were all as untouched as they were in the late hours of the night.
A quick look at her clock, and she saw the time was just past 2 a.m., meaning that the sun wouldn't be up for another few hours. Unusual for the hour, Winona was awake, alert, and trying her best to get Apple Bloom's attention.
"What is it girl?" Apple Bloom asked.
In a moment, the question was answered for her.
Outside, the noises of the night were joined by a new one. A faint crunching sound, like somepony was walking on twigs, or dry leaves.
Apple Bloom thought that maybe one of her family was out there for some reason, and went to the window to see who it was.
What she saw was a ghastly sight.
By the light of the moon, the filly saw how many of the apple trees that were visible from her window had been destroyed.
They were ragged and bereft of any leaves or fruit. And several of their branches had been torn down to the ground.
Apple Bloom scanned the area to see if she could find a culprit that had done it. And she found it.
On the moonlit ground below, something was moving. Something that appeared to be a pitch black earth pony. If it was, it was different than a normal earth pony, the way that its mane and coat were the same dark color. Though Apple Bloom couldn't see the stranger's face, she got the distinct feeling that it was a mare she was looking at.
Apple Bloom became anxious, knowing that a stranger on the property so late at night wasn't a good sign. More than likely, it was a competitor who was sabotaging their orchard.
The moon disappeared behind a cloud, making the ground below go dark.
All Apple Bloom could see now was the dark outline of the stranger against the ground. She was about to go get her sister to kick the strange mare off the property. But, what happened next stopped her.
Down below on the ground, the strange mare turned her head toward Apple Bloom's direction. For the filly, it was unsettling enough to be watched. More so was how the eyes of the stranger glowed with a ghostly blue light.
Her eyes didn't glow like light from a lantern, or from a lamp. It looked more like the light was flowing from her eyes like river water. In spite of the unnatural light, the stranger’s eyes didn't illuminate her face well enough for Apple Bloom to get a good look at it.
In that moment, Apple Bloom’s blood ran cold. She realized that the lamp in her room was on, so that even though she couldn't see the stranger, the stranger could see her!
Apple Bloom ran hastily to her sister's room.
"Applejack! Applejack Wake up!" the filly said, as she shook her sister.
"Wha...Mmm..." Applejack grumbled as she was woken from her deep sleep, "What gives?"
"Somethin's out in the orchard! I don't know what, but it destroyed a bunch o' trees!"
That was all Applejack needed to hear to spur her into action. She woke up Big Macintosh, and the two went outside to investigate, while Apple Bloom stayed inside with Granny Smith and Winona.
Outside, the older Apple siblings found no trace of anypony or anything that had been there. Whoever Apple Bloom had seen was gone.
But, a closer look at the trees showed that the branches hadn't simply fallen off, or were torn down. They all looked as if they were swung at with something. But, that wasn't nearly as disturbing as what they found in the trunks. The trunks of the trees had deep breaks in them, as if they had been hit by a frenzy of blunt strikes.
Applejack thoughtfully ran a hoof along the length of one of the wounds inflicted on the tree.
"What in tarnation could o' done this?" she wondered aloud.



At the edge of the Everfree Forest, the residents of Fluttershy's cottage rested peacefully. The animals that lived there had all retreated into their homes for the night, and slept huddled together with their friends and families.
Though they all slept, something else walked among them. The ones who stayed asleep were the lucky ones. The ones who awoke were faced with the horror in their midst.
Inside her cottage, Fluttershy slept peacefully. But, just like the Apple family, her night was about to become much more harrowing.
There came a loud din from outside.
Fluttershy jolted awake, recognizing the sounds as the chickens panicking in their coop.
She knew that the only time that they squawked and cackled like they were doing was when something was very wrong.
Without any hesitation, she jumped out of bed and went downstairs to investigate.
The timid pegasus walked to her back door, where the chicken coop was outside. As she walked, she felt several tiny paws grab hold of her hooves. When she looked down, she saw many of the smaller animals who lived in her house, including her pet rabbit, Angel, trying to stop her from going any further.
"Please let me by. I have to check on the chickens," Fluttershy politely requested.
All she got in return were fearful stares.
"What's happening out there?" she asked.
The animals answered in their silent language that only somepony like Fluttershy could understand. Something that said to her that it was too dangerous to go outside.
"If the chickens are in such danger, then I have to go...No matter what," she said, trying to sound brave.
Fluttershy walked to the back door and peered out the window to see what was happening. Through the veil of darkness, she saw the chicken coop. All of the chickens inside were fluttering about, making a loud clamor with their squawking.
Perfectly evident, was the source of their distress.
Pacing back and forth in front of the coop was a large silhouette. One with the distinctive form of a timber wolf. But something was very off about it.
It was very large, but that wasn't what struck her as strange. It was the fact that this timber wolf looked like it had fur like any other canine creature.
Fluttershy watched the wolf-thing pace, and knew exactly what it wanted to do. It was trying to find a way inside the coop to eat the chickens. Even though she was fearful of untamed predatory animals, she had to do her duty and protect her animal friends.
"You can do this, Fluttershy. Remember to be brave," she whispered to herself.
With a shaking hoof, Fluttershy slowly opened the door. The door creaked quietly, making Fluttershy fear the wolf-thing would hear her coming.
The creature before the coop continued to pace, as if it were completely focused on the chickens within.
Fluttershy held her breath as she opened the door completely. On shaking knees, she inched toward the unknown thing.
After Fluttershy, Angel Bunny slowly hopped behind her, ready to protect his pegasus in case anything went wrong.
Fluttershy stopped at what she thought was a reasonable distance to stay from the unknown animal, and felt her whole body lock into place as she looked at the beast.
"E-Excuse me..." she said quietly.
Angel poked her leg to prod her into speaking louder.
"Excuse me," she repeated, slightly louder.
The wolf-thing stopped pacing and looked at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy and Angel both were overcome by fear. While the pegasus was rooted to the spot, Angel hid behind her leg.
Now Fluttershy could see the face of the creature. It looked like a timber wolf, but its face was covered with grey fur. And it had yellow eyes, as opposed to the usual green. When it opened its mouth slightly, she could see a pink tongue, and white teeth inside of it. If this creature was like the timber wolves, or any other canine, it wasn't a sign of aggression, but still meant the creature was to be approached with caution.
"I-If it's alright with you--C-Could you please...go back to your home? Or a-at least stop scaring my chickens?" Fluttershy stammered.
The wolf-thing made no discernible motions. In all her years of dealing with animals, this was the first time that Fluttershy was stumped when it came to communicating with one of them. The creature before her was something entirely unheard of to her, and she didn't know if she had the skills to handle it.
Then something happened that she never would have expected from a canine creature.
At first, the wolf-thing slowly walked toward her. After the first few steps, it went from walking on four legs to walking on two legs.
The two legs it walked on she could looked like clawed paws, like what was normally found on a canine animal. But, it was the front legs where any canine similarity ended. The front paws were now hung at the wolf-thing's sides. And they were not paws, but hands. Each hand had five fingers, each one tipped with a long, black claw.
Fluttershy had never seen this behavior in any canine before, and didn't know if it was hostile or not.
With a frightened squeak, she and Angel both ran back into their house, barred the door behind them, and hid under the table with the rest of the animals.
The timid pegasus looked out the window to see if the wolf-thing was still out there. All she could see beyond was darkness.
That was odd. There were so many stars out that night, and she had a clear view of the sky from that window. Where had that darkness come from?
From out of the dark, a glint of yellow let her know what was happening. The wolf-thing was looking in through the window.
Fluttershy made no movements. She didn't even breathe as all the animals around her shivered in fear of the monster outside.
The wolf-thing moved away from the window, and the starry sky was seen once more.
Fluttershy listened intently for the monster. But, there was only silence. Not a step. Not a breath. Nothing of the wolf-thing was heard, as if had disappeared into nothingness.
There came a rattling from the door.
Fluttershy was gripped by fear when she saw her doorknob turning, and the door shaking against the locking bar.
It was a new level of terror for the pegasus. Whatever this monster was, it knew how to open doors. And it was trying to get inside to eat her.
The whole house felt like it was shaking. In the rafters above, the smaller animals held tightly to one another, for fear of the house coming down.
Fluttershy hugged the animals that were with her closely, hoping that she would find a way to protect them once the wolf-thing found a way in.
Suddenly, somewhere in the distance, there was a noise like a shrill whistle, and the door stopped rattling.
Outside the door, a low huff was heard. The next noise Fluttershy heard were heavy footfalls that ran from her door.
The pegasus quickly crawled out from under her table, and looked out the window. There, she saw the tail of the monster go over the fence next to the chicken coop, and disappear into the Everfree Forest.
She ran outside to console her frightened chickens, all the while wondering how even the Everfree could house anything like the monster she had seen.



Twilight was busy at her desk with her nighttime studying material. That night, she had gotten a stack of books from the history section for ideas on what to do for the upcoming Nightmare Night festival.
As she looked through them, she learned things that she never knew before about the origins of the traditions that happened during the holiday. For instance, she learned that jack o' lanterns were lit as a way of scaring off evil spirits, and guiding the good ones along their way. And that the name came from the folktale of a pony named Mean Jack who was not allowed to the afterlife when he died, and was given a hooffull of embers to light his way. After being given those embers from Tartarus, Mean Jack placed them into a lantern that he had made out of a turnip.
"Maybe carving turnips this year instead of pumpkins to honor the roots of the tradition?" Twilight thought to herself as she looked up from her book.
It sounded like a good idea. But then again, ponies would definitely miss the familiar pumpkins that they loved carving so much. That, and pumpkin farmers looked forward to the surplus of sales that time of year. But, maybe have a turnip carving contest? That might work.
Twilight wanted it to be as authentic as possible, and wanted to know what kinds of turnips the ponies used back in those days. She looked through her stack of books, but found no titles that would enlighten her.
"Owloysius? Could you go to the shelves and find a book about the culture in ancient Chlaughplin?" she called to her pet and nighttime helper
She waited a few seconds, but got no response from the owl.
"Owloysius?" she asked again.
She turned in her seat to see what her bird was doing.
What she saw was Owloysius staring out of one of the windows, as if he was looking at something that had caught his attention.
"Owloysius, are you alright?" Twilight asked as she approached him.
"Hoo."
"You."
"Hoo."
"Y--"
Twilight gasped sharply after she looked out the window to see what her pet was looking at.
Outside her window, sitting on a branch, she saw the largest owl that she had ever seen in her life. At least she thought it was an owl. The sheer size of it alone was enough to make her think that it might have been a pegasus who was perched on her home. But, the fully feathered body and the round, red eyes were nothing that a pony had.
The thing shuffled closer to the window across the branch, lending itself to be more easily identified.
As it walked, Twilight saw that it walked on two dark legs with black talons gripping the branch. It had two large wings, which were folded against its body, and its chest was speckled with white dots that stood out against the rest of its grey body.
What Twilight thought were ears turned out to be two tufts of feathers that jutted outwards, and reminded her of the appearance of a great horned owl. Its beak was also wide and took up most of its lower face, as opposed to Owloysius's tiny beak. It almost looked like it had a mouth like a pony's.
All this and more made Twilight feel nervous and afraid, making her back away from the window as the thing came closer.
The creature was right at the window, and it pressed two more talons against it that Twilight hadn't noticed. Looking closely, she could see that the two new talons came from the wings of the thing. She realized that the wings stopped at the thing's elbows, and past that, it had very short forearms with wrists and talons at the ends.
The monster looked at Owloysius, as if it wanted him to be outside with it.
"Get away from the window!" Twilight fearfully whispered to her pet.
But the owl didn't listen to her. Instead, Owloysius started flapping his wings and pecking the glass, seeming to want to challenge the monster that threatened his pony.
Twilight wouldn't have it. She quickly flared her magic and pulled the blind down over the window, so that the thing outside couldn't see in anymore.
As soon as she had, Owloysius flew to the second floor and began furiously scratching at the window there, waking Spike up as he did.
"Alright. Calm down already," Spike grumbled as he opened the window and let the owl fly out into the night.
Twilight tried to stop him with her magic, but she was too late.
She ran upstairs and looked helplessly out the window as her beloved pet flew out into the night. In moments, the monstrous bird flew beside him, swallowing up the owl's silhouette with its wingspan.
"Spike, I need to go out after him!" Twilight said.
"Why?" Spike asked.
"Something's out there! And I need to save my bird! If I'm not back by morning, send a letter to Princess Celestia, and tell her what happened!" Twilight hastily explained as went back downstairs.
"But what happened?" Spike asked.
Twilight had already ran out the door.
Tired and confused, Spike decided to call it a night, and carry out Twilight's request in the morning.



High above Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was beginning to wake up for her early morning flying practice. She did so at such an early hour so that she could cram in as much practice as she could before she went to work. Then again, she didn't do much work anyway, instead opting to catch up on the sleep she missed out on.
Dash passed by the other bedroom in the house and peeked inside to see Scootaloo sleeping peacefully. In all their time together, Dash had grown fond of the filly, and after learning that she had no family, she took it upon herself to adopt her and make sure she had the upbringing that she deserved. After seeing that she was safe and fast asleep, the pegasus went about her business.
Once she finished her warm up stretches, Dash stepped outside into the night air.
She always wondered why ponies said that there was something different about the air at night, as opposed to the air during the day. Personally, she had never noticed anything, other than a change in the temperature. But, there was something about the weeks preceding Nightmare Night that always felt different to her.
It always felt like something that was always there had slightly faded and changed in some way. It sounded weird, but that was the only way that she could explain it. Sometimes, the change felt strange and uneasy, other times, it was plain terrifying.
The reason for this was never clear to Dash. But tonight, the only thing she felt was a twinge of unease.
It was when she spread her wings to take off that things got worse.
"Scootaloo..."
Rainbow Dash paused. It may have only been the wind, but she was sure somepony had called out Scootaloo's name. In fact, it was so faint she almost wasn't sure that it really happened at all.
"Scootaloo..."
That time, she clearly heard a voice behind herself.
Turning around, Dash saw nothing. Then something happened to her front door.
At first, the middle of it began to bulge, as if it was being pushed against from the other side. Then something began to take shape on her front door as the bulging waned.
As Dash watched, she could see it take a more familiar shape. Could those two shapes be eyes? And was that a mouth forming?
Slowly, the shapes on the door moved to assemble a face of a mare. The face on the door looked right at Dash, staring at her blankly, and made not a single motion, though its mane drifted about in the breeze of the night.
Dash wasn't sure if what she was seeing was real. She inched closer to better examine the face, though she didn't recognize who it belonged to. She was nearly nose to nose with the face when it melted back into the door.
Dash was stunned by what she saw, but couldn't stay put. Whatever it was, it called Scootaloo's name, and had disappeared into the door. Whatever it was, it was now in the house. And it was looking for her foal.
"Not on my watch!" Dash said as she burst back into the house.
She saw nothing in front of her, but at the far end of the room she could see a shadow moving up to the second floor.
The pegasus wasted no time hurrying up the stairs with all haste. When she reached the landing, she found nothing that wasn't normally there. There was no sign of anything or anypony who shouldn't have been there.
That didn't ease her worry. For all she knew, the thing may have been in Scootaloo's room already.
Dash charged to Scootaloo's door and rushed in to protect her from the shadow. When she arrived,the room was completely empty of any intruders. The only ponies present were herself, and Scootaloo, who turned in her bed so that her sleeping form was facing Dash.
Dash waited in silence, and not a thing happened. Despite that there were no intruders, she only became even more wary of what was happening. She quietly walked to the door, and closed it slowly to deter any more intruders.
Before she completely closed the door, she heard hooves quietly walking up the stairs.
That made no sense! There was only the mare's face on the door, and the rest of her going up the stairs. But, when Dash went up she passed nopony. Now, whatever it was, it was coming up the stairs.
In a flash, Dash closed the door and stood protectively at Scootaloo's bedside, ready for the thing when it came.
She could hear the hoofsteps coming down the hallway and closer to the door.
The pegasus crouched low, ready to trash whatever came into the room. But when it did, she didn't know if she could handle what it was.
It came right through the closed door as if it were never there at all, and stopped to stare at Dash.
This pony was different than the one at the door. It was a stallion, whose mane was lank and gray, and whose coat was pale green.
Most striking of all was that Dash could faintly see the door behind it through its body. She hesitated to use the word 'ghost' but that was all she could think of to describe the thing.
The ghost shifted its gaze to Scootaloo in her bed.
Whatever it was going to do, Dash wouldn't allow it. She protectively stood between it and Scootaloo's bed.
"G-Get away from her!"
She tried to sound aggressive, but the idea of facing a ghost wavered her courage slightly.
Even so, it seemed that her bluff had worked.
The ghost exited back out the door, never once taking its eyes off of Scootaloo.
After it had gone, the pegasus looked back at the orange filly, who was still sleeping peacefully.
Shaken by what had just happened, and worried for Scootaloo's safety, Dash sat down next to the bed and kept a close eye on her filly for the rest of the night.



A loud clatter happened in the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner, awakening all the ponies present.
The Cakes, Cup and Carrot, stayed with their twin children, Pound and Pumpkin, to console the crying babies after they were woken up by the din. Meanwhile, their single employee, Pinkie Pie, volunteered to investigate the kitchen.
Pinkie quietly made her way to the kitchen, and slowly poked her head through the double-hinged doors.
The entire kitchen was a mess.
Everything that was loose was thrown about. Spatulas, trays, spoons and the like were all strewn about; plates and bowls were shattered on the ground, making Pinkie step cautiously around the broken shards. Not even the ingredients were spared from the chaos.
The entire floor had flour spilled all over it, with sprinkles dotting the white blanketing. Eggs were thrown at every wall, cabinet and counter, creating a dribbling mess that mixed with the flour on the floor to create a sticky sludge.
Sugar and candy was scattered everywhere. Normally, such a thing would make Pinkie squeal with glee. But, not when they were thrown with such force that the candies broke against whatever they hit.
Pinkie suddenly became aware of a smokey smell in the room and turned her attention to the oven.
The oven was billowing black clouds of smoke, and was quickly filling the room.
With a gasp, the party pony rushed to the oven and turned it off. After taking a deep breath, she opened the oven and was greeted by a cloud of black smoke that blew right in her face.
As she coughed, Pinkie could have sworn she heard quiet laughter somewhere. But, she couldn't focus on that. Not when the oven was stuffed full of finished pastries that were all burnt to a crisp.
It was a like something out of a murder mystery. Cakes and pies had been sliced open and had their fillings oozing out of them. Cookies where broken and crumbled as if by careless hooves. But, worst of all was how the cupcakes had been smashed flat, and wiped of their frosting, which was smeared all over the inside of the oven.
Pinkie heard the laughter again. Still very faintly, but it was definitely a malicious cackling. Like somepony had just played a cruel prank.
"Who's there?" she called out to the dark.
To aid her search for the culprit, Pinkie tried to turn on a lamp on the wall. When she did, the flame from the lamp shot high to the ceiling.
The mare shrieked as she turned the lamp off. Shrouded back in darkness, she heard the laughter grow suddenly louder. The phantom cackling echoed through the room with a bone-chilling 'vweeheeheehee.'
Under other circumstances, Pinkie would have laughed along and made the scaries go away. But, this was no laughing matter. The kitchen was a total mess, and there were dangerous pranksters somewhere in the room.
Pinkie picked up a wooden ladle and held it at the ready.
"Okay, you cupcake killing meanies! Time to face the music!" she said as she stepped around the kitchen, ready to give the prankster what-for.
As Pinkie looked behind an overturned table, the cutlery that was thrown about began to float in the air on its own. Each blade pointed themselves directly at the back of the party pony's head.
It was only her Pinkie Sense that saved her, prompting her to jump over to the other side of the table and use it as a shield.
The knives all stuck into the surface of the table, and pierced through the other side, barely missing Pinkie. The point of one blade barely touched the tip of her nose.
"Sweet Celestia, that's sharp!" Pinkie shouted as she jerked away from the knives.
After she finished, the laughter in the room continued cackling.
Pinkie came out of her cover to see if she could find the culprit. All she could see was the Cake family standing in the doorway.
One look at the adults' faces, and Pinkie knew that they had seen what just happened.
"They're--"
"--Here."
The twins said one after the other.
Nopony knew who 'they' were, or why they were there. But, one thing was for certain: none of them were going to spend another second in Sugarcube Corner that night.
They all hastily left out the door and made their way to the nearest hotel to ride out the rest of the night.



At the Carousel Boutique that night, things were peaceful for a change.
Rarity had visions of what costume she would design to dazzle the populace on Nightmare Night dancing through her head.
She was in her display room, and first had a vision of gallivanting through the streets as a dark beauty. Frightening, yet entrancing to behold. Then she had the vision of a vampiric seductress. Voluptuous, sensual, and dangerous to approach. Either one would be marvelous.
Then it came to her. She would do neither one of those. She was going to become the queen of the night. The populace would gaze in awe of her regal mystique and her ominous, yet bewitching and attractive aura.
Despite this, Rarity could not see herself wearing that costume. The other two were so clear, but the last one was a mystery to her. But, even though she could not see it, she knew this costume was guaranteed to capture the hearts of all who saw it.
And it seemed that she had already succeeded.
The doors of the boutique opened wide, and the breeze drifted in.
With the gentle wind came leaves and a thread of mist that would surely add to the appearance of her costume, if she could have seen it.
As the mist came in, it became thicker and thicker. Through it, the fashionista thought she could see the shape of somepony. Then, through the fog, drifted in the most stunningly handsome stallion she had ever laid eyes on.
He was tall, well groomed, and impeccably dressed in the sharpest suit Rarity had ever seen. He had a face that looked like an artist's masterpiece, perfect in every way, right down to the fact his eyes complimented the color of his mane and coat. He was such a sight to behold, he made Rarity forget all about her costume troubles. It became an even more distant problem when she realized how taken he was with her, and not her costume.
It was like something out of a romance novel. The perfect stallion entered her room in a heavenly fashion, and was immediately casting his love gaze to her.
Rarity couldn't help herself but stare at him in all his perfection. She soon found herself drawn towards him, feeling as though she were not in control of her actions. Sooner than she knew, she was face to face with her dream stallion.
No words were spoken between the two, but Rarity felt as if she knew everything about him. Their life together would be wonderful, spent in the company of one another for all time. Her friends, her family, her customers, all of them would cease to matter as she got lost in her lover's perfect eyes.
Then she noticed something in his eyes that was very wrong. The mare reflected in them was not herself.
The mare reflected in his eyes was old and haggard with deep wrinkles, and her mane was gray with age. Her eyes had dark bags underneath, and her mouth was stuck in a despaired frown as though she regretted never being beautiful a day in her life.
Rarity's eyes darted to the mirror behind her dream stallion, and she saw the same reflection as the one in his eyes. After a fearful step backwards, she could now see her dream stallion in full. Only he was no longer there.
In his place was a monstrous stallion with the most grotesque face she hoped she would never see. His face was now large and deformed, with bulging eyes and wide, flaring nostrils. His mouth was missing its upper lip, which bared his pointed, yellow teeth in a disgusting parody of a smile that sickened Rarity.
The demonic suitor opened his mouth, and in a hoarse voice beckoned Rarity, "Come to me, my dream amaranthine."
Rarity's eyes darted between the suitor and her reflection, and she didn't know which was more terrifying. It all seemed like a horrible dream to her, which she desperately hoped it was.
She looked at her hooves, to see them the same as they ever were. In a second, they became wrinkled and feeble, the same as her reflection. Her gaze drifted back to her suitor, who reached out for her.
With a scream, Rarity's dream ended, and she was alone in her bedroom, shivering and sweating in her bed. She hugged her pillow, taking solace in the warmth of its touch, which let her know she was in the waking world.
With a shuddering sigh, she sat up in her bed, only to come face to face with the demonic suitor from her nightmare.
After loosing another scream, he disappeared, and in his place, Sweetie Belle flinched backwards.
"Rarity!? Why are you still in bed? You promised you'd walk me to school today!" Sweetie reminded her, slightly shaken from her sister jolting awake and screaming in her face.
"School?" Rarity repeated, still in a daze from her dream.
She realized that the sun was up, meaning it was morning. But, did that mean the horrors of the night were gone? After a short look around her room, Rarity was not quite convinced that she was in the waking world yet.
"Sweetie Belle, please pinch me," Rarity requested.
Without any hesitation, Sweetie pinched her sister's foreleg, maybe a little too hard.
"OW!"
Now Rarity was sure she was awake.
"Are we done here? You said you'd walk me to school, and I'm going to be late if you stay in bed any longer," Sweetie said, nearly on the verge of pushing Rarity out of bed herself.
"Y-Yes, yes. Come along," Rarity said as she hastily left her bedroom, eager to put the events of the night behind herself.
> Chapter 2: What Happened Last Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2

What Happened Last Night


When morning came, the door to the Golden Oaks Library opened. In the doorway stood Twilight, weary, sad, and terribly let down. She searched all night for Owloysius, but only ever caught glances of what she thought might have been him or the thing he flew out to confront.
In the end, all she had was a night free of any sleep. She had to accept that Owloysius may have gone missing, and tried not to think what that monster may have done to him.
Looking up, she saw Spike going about his morning chores. The dragon didn't seem to notice Twilight when she walked in at first. But, when the door clicked shut behind Twilight, his attention was caught.
"Twilight! You're back," Spike greeted her.
Twilight was too tired to say anything. But, she had a duty to fulfill as Owloysius's caretaker. She began with her usual order of business when she was stumped about what to do next.
"Spike, send a letter to Princess Celestia about Owloysius disappearing," the librarian said.
"Uh, Twilight--" Spike began, before he was interrupted.
"I need you to give a detailed description of the entire incident, which I'll be ready to give after a cup of coffee or two."
"Twilight, you don't--" Spike tried to say.
"She'll need to know everything about the general direction I traced his flight, the time of the incident, and the details about the monster he was with when he disappeared."
"Twilight," Spike interjected. "Owloysius is right here."
Twilight looked over to where Spike was pointing, and sure enough, her beloved owl was sitting on his perch, sleeping peacefully as if nothing had happened at all.
Owloysius let out a little hooting snore while Twilight examined him for any injuries or abnormalities that may have occurred last night. To her relief, nothing was found.
"So, what was this about a monster with Owloysius?" Spike asked as he jumped on top of the desk the owl's perch was on.
If she had found her pet before the night was through, Twilight wasn't going to tell Spike about the monster she saw, so that she wouldn't worry him. Now that she had let it slip, she tried to squirm her way out of explaining.
"Uhhhhh...who said anything about a monster?" Twilight asked.
Spike crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow.
With a sigh, Twilight decided that she had better explain the situation.



That day at the school, the lessons were going on as usual, with a math quiz here and a spelling test there. But since Nightmare Night was a few weeks away, Miss Cheerilee had prepared a new lesson to teach the foals about the origins of the holiday.
It was nothing that the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't learn from Granny Smith last night. Even so, some of them had other things on their minds that kept them from paying attention.
Apple Bloom's thoughts kept going back to the incident last night, and what that strange mare could have been. Ever since it happened, all she could think about were those ghostly eyes from Granny's story, and the ones she saw in the orchard. She knew that something like that couldn't be coincidence. Further convincing her was the way Scootaloo looked deep in thought the same way she did.
"Scootaloo," she whispered to not alert her teacher, "Did anything weird happen last night?"
As far as Scootaloo knew, nothing weird happened last night, but what she found when she woke up that morning pointed to the contrary.
"No. But, something must have. I woke up this morning and found Rainbow Dash sleeping next to my bed," she answered to her friend.
Ever since she was adopted, she, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and all of Dash's friends knew Dash to be a doting parent. But, even that was strange for her.
"What the hay was she doing there?" Sweetie asked from her seat behind Scootaloo.
"I don't know, but she looked really scared," Scootaloo answered.
"Rainbow Dash? Scared?"
"That's what I thought. And after I woke her up, she started checking if I was hurt and asked if I saw anything last night."
"Maybe that's what happened with Rarity," Sweetie suggested.
"What do you mean?" Apple Bloom asked, intrigued to hear more.
"When I went to wake her up, she looked right at me and screamed. I didn't even make breakfast today, and she almost jumped out of her skin. Do you think she might've seen anything?" Sweetie Belle wondered.
"I saw somethin'," Apple Bloom said.
Her friends turned their undivided attention to her.
"Somethin' was in the orchard destroyin' the trees last night. I thought it was a pony at first, but then I saw its eyes glowin' in the dark."
"Did you have a box of matches?" Sweetie asked fearfully. 
"No. It disappeared when my sister an' brother went outside."
Even though they didn't say it, they were all thinking the same thing: whatever happened last night was somehow connected to the stories Granny Smith told. How? They didn't know, but they couldn't keep thinking about it when Miss Cheerilee brought their attention to the front of the room.
"Now, can anypony tell me how trick or treating started?" their teacher asked
Apple Bloom had heard the answer to that last night, and almost raised her hoof to answer. But then, she noticed something else on the other side of her peripheral vision, and knew exactly what it was.
Oftentimes in class, one of the other students, a pegasus colt named Red Sky, would spend minutes at a time staring at her for no apparent reason. Even though he seemed like a nice enough colt, it still made Apple Bloom feel uncomfortable for looking at her so much.
But she knew how to make him stop. She glanced over in his direction, which made the colt snap his eyes back to the front of the class, much to the relief of the filly.



After school, the Cutie Mark Crusaders met up outside the building to make a plan.
They agreed that their best bet was to learn all they could about the stories of creatures from another world and apply it to the strange happenings.
There were two valuable sources of information: one of them was Granny Smith, but Sweet Apple Acres was a long way from the school. Instead, they went with the other, nearer option: the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight was sure to have a book on the subject.
Apple Bloom adjusted her saddlebags, which she had loaded with posters for the necklace she was wearing. She was about to walk away with her friends, until she bumped face to face with somepony else.
"Ow! Watch where yer--" She stopped when she saw the foal she bumped into was Red Sky, whose face was turning a deeper shade of red than the rest of him.
Apple Bloom wanted to tell him to move, but instead, she found herself at a loss for words and could only stare at him. In her mind, she hoped he'd move on his own.
"Uh...hi, Apple Bloom," Red Sky said nervously.
He paused while he scuffed his hoof on the ground. After he stayed silent for what felt like a long time to Apple Bloom and her friends, he started talking again.
"Me and Snips and Snails are going into the forest to find some of those ghosts ponies have been seeing. Do you want to come with us?"
It was too weird for Apple Bloom. He sounded so eager, like he was hoping she'd say yes to his offer, which made her feel anxious to leave. But at the same time, she wanted to know why he was acting this way, but was too nervous to accept.
"Isn't the Everfree kinda dangerous?" the filly asked, grasping for anything to say.
"Yeah... But if we stay together, I bet it'll be safe," Red Sky answered.
He continued to wait for an answer from Apple Bloom, but the two foals only kept staring at one another.
More than anything, Apple Bloom wanted to go away with her friends, but the idea of going into the woods to find the spooks that visited the orchard last night also sounded like a good idea to her. That, and now that she was talking to him, she began to learn that he may be as nice as she thought he was. Maybe she could make a new friend if she said 'yes.' She was still unsure of how to answer, but her mind was made up for her.
"We have to go to the library," Scootaloo said hastily as she led Apple Bloom away.
"What? But I didn't answer him," Apple Bloom protested. She felt that she would have likely said 'no,' but even then it would have been nice for him to have an answer.
"Didn't you hear what he said? He said that other ponies have been seeing ghosts," Scootaloo reasoned.
Of course Sweetie would have missed it, but Apple Bloom didn't she how she could have. This knowledge motivated her and her friends to go to the library with all haste.



Twilight was deep in thought as she read her book, when three fillies walked into her library.
"Hiya, Twilight!" Sweetie Belle greeted the librarian at her desk.
She did so a bit loudly, which made her friends put their hooves over her mouth and remind her to be quiet in the library.
Even then, she didn't get Twilight's attention. The purple unicorn eyes continued to dart across the pages of the book she magically held in front of her.
"Twilight?" Apple Bloom asked as she approached the desk.
Still no good.
Apple Bloom lowered the book from Twilight's gaze, so that they could see each other.
"Twilight? Ya got customers."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I was just, um..." Twilight apologized. She trailed off when she remembered what she was so engrossed with, and didn't want to worry the fillies, "What can I do for you?"
"We need a book about ghosts and monsters. We want some ideas for Nightmare Night costumes," Scootaloo told her.
"And it has to be about the monsters from the other side of the dark," Sweetie added.
"You must mean the ones that the ponies from ancient Chlaughplin believed in from the origins of the holiday," Twilight asked. She was always delighted to loan out books and impart knowledge, especially to foals who were motivated to learn. But, this time was an exception. "Sorry, but I only have one book on that subject in the whole library, and I'm reading it now."
"Great! Now we don't have to look for it," Apple Bloom declared as she, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle all crowded around Twilight and read the book over her shoulder. "Is there anything in there about glowin' eyes?"
"Actually, before you came, I was busy looking up monsters that look like owls," Twilight answered.
"Why were you doing that?" Scootaloo asked.
"I was uh...looking for a good costume for Owloysius," Twilight answered, shifty eyed.
Over on his perch, Owloysius woke up with a startled, "Hwut!?" He saw how much his friend Opal hated wearing the silly costumes Rarity made her wear, and wasn't about to join her misery.
Over on one of the ladders, as he was organizing the books on the shelves, Spike rolled his eyes at Twilight's threadbare lie. She really did need to learn how to lie better.
They all jumped as the window crashed open when Rainbow Dash flew in. Her shift at work had ended, and she had business to take care of at the library.
"I need a book! Fast!" Dash said as she came to a halt in front of the desk. She then noticed her filly was present as well, "Hey there, Scoots. What brings you here?"
"We're here to get costume ideas for Nightmare Night, mom," Scootaloo happily answered.
She always called Rainbow Dash 'mom' in public because she knew it made her uncomfortable.
It was a strange adjustment for Dash to be anypony's mother, no matter how much time had passed. Even so, to her it was better than joining the Wonderbolts.
"Hey, me too. I was thinking something like a ghost. Any books about ghosts here?" Dash answered.
"Twilight says this one's pretty good," Apple Bloom answered.
"Actually, I said I was reading it right now," Twilight corrected.
"What chapter talks about ghosts?" Dash asked as she rapidly flipped through the pages.
"We were just on it," Sweetie informed.
Dash flipped the pages back.
"Is there anything in there about floating knives? I was thinking about this year's Nightmare Night party, and I thought things like floating knives and lamps that shoot fire would be super scary," Pinkie asked as she appeared suddenly behind everypony else.
"Pinkie, the idea of Nightmare Night is to be fun. Not kill ponies," Twilight admonished, not quite believing what she heard.
"Come on, it's not like I'm going to throw them at anypony! That would be mean," Pinkie reasoned, thinking about the giggling prankster last night. "Ooh, I forgot: I want to have creepy, spooky 'vwee hee hee hee'-type laughter. For the party, of course."
"Hey, get a look at this," Apple Bloom indicated.
The page she stopped on showed a photograph of a temple, or a shrine of some sort. In front of the structure was what looked like an earth pony who was barely visible and dressed in centuries old robes.
Twilight took the liberty to read the page for everypony.
"What is a ghost? The answer can vary depending on who you ask, but the bare basics of it is a deceased pony's disembodied spirit. They are often said to be seen near places that held a strong emotional connection to them while they were living. Pictured to the right is the Morning Star Temple where can be seen what many believe to be a ghost of one of the priests who worshiped there hundreds of years ago. Many theories exist to why ghosts appear: to visit a loved one, to finish something they hadn't completed, to retrieve something, to take out their frustration on the living, or to take revenge on the living."
Dash tensed  up when she heard that last part. The idea that Scootaloo may be in danger from something from beyond the grave chilled her to her soul. If something was trying to get Scootaloo, she had to find a way to protect her, but without her knowing, so that she wouldn't frighten her.
"Anything in there about how to get rid of them?" Dash asked.
"Do you think they take out their frustration by mercilessly slaughtering cupcakes and pies?" Pinkie asked.
She had earned a curious look from everypony else.
"It's for the party," Pinkie explained.
She had no intention of telling anypony about what happened last night. After all, who would believe her? They would think she was just 'acting like Pinkie,' and imagining things.
"But Pinkie, you love cupcakes," came Fluttershy's voice to the side. "I'm sorry, I knocked several times, but nopony answered. So I let myself in...Please don't be mad at me."
"What brings you here?" Twilight asked.
It was unusual to see Fluttershy at all as Nightmare Night came closer, since the scary merriment always frightened her.
"I came to find something that can help protect me from monsters this year. I don't think I'll be able to sleep if I do," Fluttershy answered.
After seeing that wolf-thing last night, she had to find a way to make sure it would never come back to hurt her or any of her animal friends.
"Come on, Flutters, everypony knows monsters don't exist," Dash said, keeping up her facade.
Something clicked to Twilight in that moment.
Fluttershy wanted to find protection from monsters, even though she usually protected herself by locking herself in her home.
Dash came in with an unusual interest in ghosts to get costume ideas, even though she said she was going as a Wonderbolt again.
Pinkie had dangerous pranks on the brain, claiming that she was doing it for the annual Nightmare Night party.
And Twilight herself saw some kind of monster last night.
Twilight decided to have a talk with her friends about it later. For the moment, she had to flip through the pages to find anything about protection against these beasts, deciding that Fluttershy made a good point about that.
She flipped through the pages until Fluttershy gasped when she saw something.
"What is it?" Apple Bloom asked
With a shaking hoof, Fluttershy turned the pages back to reveal a sight more monstrous than anything anypony had seen.
The page she stopped on showed what looked like a timber wolf, but it was standing on two legs, was covered in shaggy, black fur, and had glowing red eyes. It didn't look like the creature that Fluttershy saw, but was recognizable as the same species.
Fluttershy did her best to read the page, but her trembling kept her from seeing clearly. She hated to be a bother, but she needed to know what the page said.
"Twilight...?" the timid pegasus began.
She didn't have to finish. Twilight obliged her and read the page for her.
"Also known as a lycanthrope, the werewolf is a creature that is known throughout all of Trottingham as a shape shifting being of terror. Its belief is widely spread throughout the country, and many residents plant gardens of lupins and wolfsbane to deter the beasts."
Fluttershy felt relieved on this point. Now she knew how to keep the wolf-thing away.
"Depending on the part of the country, becoming a werewolf varies. It can be by wearing a necklace made of timber wolf fangs, or by drinking rainwater from a timber wolf's paw print, or--"
"Excuse me," Rarity interrupted, "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but a customer has ordered a costume, and has asked to be the ugliest, scariest, most unattractive being imaginable. Do you have any books to provide inspiration?"
"I have an old egg salad sandwich in the fridge you can look at," Sweetie helpfully suggested.
"Duly noted," Rarity said, remembering the horrible, festering thing she found behind the milk that morning at breakfast after she walked her sister to school. "But I was thinking something that was more along the lines of: horrible, withered face; bulging fish eyes and a disgustingly flared bull's nose?"
That description was very odd to everypony. If they knew Rarity, she would never have come up with that on her own, and that she would never so much as go near anything, read any book, or watch any play that would display something so horrible.
"Oh, and I forgot the absence of an upper lip," Rarity added.
That was really strange.
Through all their reading, the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't find anything like what Apple Bloom had seen.
After Twilight had gone through the whole book, and everypony else had found at least a trace of what they were interested in, the fillies were left as uninformed as when they entered.
There was still Granny Smith, who was bound to know at least something. After the fillies set up the posters of Apple Bloom's necklace, they headed to Sweet Apple Acres to talk to Granny.



It was late afternoon when the Cutie Mark Crusaders finished putting up the posters around town. They made sure to put them in places that everypony would see them, even going so far as to have them baked into cakes, mailing them to ponies and weaving them into fabrics. Two ponies set up a banner that was announcing the annual festival, only to find that it was covered with 'missing' posters.
Since their work was done, the three fillies trotted to Apple Bloom's house to get some answers.
The sun was low in the sky by the time they arrived, and they found Granny in the living room, setting up the scary holiday decorations. Oddly enough (or maybe not so oddly), Granny was talking to them as well.
"Yer gonna go here, where anypony who comes in is gonna have a big jump when they see ya," the old mare said to a large, stuffed spider that she set up by the doorway.
"Hi, Granny," Apple Bloom greeted her grandmother, without any regard to her eccentricities. After living with her for seven or so years, she had simply come to accept that as who Granny was.
Instead of acknowledging the greeting, Granny Smith looked suspiciously at the decoration she had set up.
"What was that?" she inquired.
"I said, 'hi, Granny,'" Apple Bloom repeated.
Granny's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she heard that again.
"Now, wait just a darn minute here!" she said shakily as she reached a hoof out to examine the spider more closely.
"Down here."
Granny looked where she was instructed and saw her youngest granddaughter with her two friends.
"Well, hey there, younguns. Come by for some more o' Granny's stories, did ya? Come on in. An' watch out fer that spider. She might start doin' more than just talkin'," she cautioned the fillies as they all took their spots in the living room. "Alright: lemme think of a story I ain't told in a while..."
"We actually had something we wanted to ask about," Sweetie started before she asked her question, "Remember that story you told last night about the pony who was walking home, and he saw that monster with glowing eyes? Do you know what it might have been?"
Granny was silent for a long time after Sweetie Belle finished speaking.
"Why do ya ask? It's just a story," Granny answered finally.
"Yeah, but..." Sweetie trailed off as she thought up a reason why they were asking.
"It's for a costume we want to make," Scootaloo filled in for her friend, they needed a cover story for what they were doing, and she decided that she had better keep it straight with what they told Twilight.
"Well, glowin' eyes happen with a lot o' nighttime critters. Things like cats, raccoons, owls an' the like. They all have special eyes that make 'em look like they're lightin' up, but they're just reflectin' dim lights like stars and the moon. For all we know, the monster from the story could o' been somethin' natural that the pony who saw it didn't recognize," Granny said.
So far, the fillies hadn't learned anything about what may have visited the orchard last night. All Granny did so far was tell them how a story like that could get started.
"Course, in the stories I know, there's somethin' else that glowin' eyes are associated with," Granny said.
"What's that?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Witchcraft."
"W-Witchcraft?" Sweetie repeated, wishing she had brought a box of matches to keep herself safe
"That's right," Granny affirmed, "See, back in the day, ponies didn't just believe that there were mindless monsters livin' in the other world, but creatures that were smart as anypony ya see walkin' 'round. Some of 'em practiced a kind o' magic different from what unicorns or alicorns use. Some folks thought that they used it to do terrible things to the ponies who lived in this world. But who can really say, since it's all superstition?"
"But what if it was real? If it weren't just make believe, how would ya stop a witch?" Apple Bloom blurted out.
Granny paused again at her granddaughter's question, but obliged with an answer.
"Nopony knows fer sure. Usually, the best thing to do about witches is avoid 'em altogether, I guess. There're some stories I know about ponies who wear charms 'round their necks to ward off the spells they cast. Then again, who knows? Maybe the witch was castin' a good luck spell, an' they missed out on gettin' a bigger house 'cause the fool wearin' it was so scared o' them?"
Granny chuckled at her notion.
Apple Bloom's mind immediately went to the necklace she was wearing. She remembered how she felt when she found it, and how it made her feel comforted like somepony she trusted was with her. Maybe it was because it was made to keep away bad magic and spirits, like what Granny said. If that was it, then it would be her best defense against the witch she saw visited the orchard again.
Her thoughts ended when they all heard the front door fly open. Quicker than they knew, Applejack bolted into the room.
"Oh, thank Celestia! Yer here!" she said with a relieved sigh as she hugged her sister.
"What's wrong, sis?" Apple Bloom wondered, knowing that Applejack would not act this way without good cause.
She saw her sister's face change to a small frown.
"Sugarcube... I don't know how to tell ya this, but--" Applejack sighed quietly as she recollected what happened earlier. "While I was in town, Snips an' Snails came runnin' down the street bawlin' like a pair o' hound dogs. Me, an' a bunch o' other ponies asked them what was wrong, an' they told us how them an' Red Sky found a ghost in the forest. They said that Red Sky ran after it, an'..."
She paused to prepare herself and her sister for what she was about to say. After a moment, she continued.
"He fell down a ravine, where a bunch o' rocks fell on top o' him."
Applejack's heart broke when she saw her sister's face. She had seen Apple Bloom sad before, but this was entirely different. It was a terrible kind of sadness that only came from profound tragedies. She collected herself to finish her story.
"I asked if anypony else was with 'em, an' they said they invited you along. That's when I came runnin' here. An' thank Celestia, ya ain't hurt." Her voice choked as she spoke the last words and tears leaked out of her eyes. She then held her sister tighter as if she meant to never let go of her.
Her sister's embrace did nothing to ease her sadness. It was the first time Apple Bloom experienced the feeling of losing somepony else, and she felt as if she would never be happy again.
Raging with her sadness were feelings of confusion. Why was she so sad that Red Sky died? Even though the only relationship she had with him was his classmate, she still felt like a part of her died along with him.
"I...want to go to bed now..." Apple Bloom said quietly as tears fell out her eyes.
Applejack knew what an emotional strain she was under. It was the same way that she felt when their parents died. Even though the sun hadn't completely set at that time, Applejack obliged and guided her sister upstairs to tuck her in.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stayed at the house to offer their support to Apple Bloom, but only after they had given her time to grieve. In the meantime, they ate the slices of pie that were offered to them, and listened to more of Granny's stories to gather what information they could.
After a half hour or so passed, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo went upstairs to check on their friend.
Apple Bloom was lying in her bed with her back to the door, hiding her face when her friends walked in.
The two fillies approached the bed, but both of them hesitated to address Apple Bloom. After a few moments of uncertainty, Sweetie Belle finally spoke up.
"How are you feeling, Apple Bloom?"
No answer.
Through her time alone, Apple Bloom had been thinking about everything that had happened since last night. It was a serious inconvenience for their orchard to be destroyed, but now foals were getting killed. So far, she and her friends were more knowledgeable than anypony else about what was happening, and something had to be done about it. Slowly, she got out of bed and faced her friends.
"We're goin' into the Everfree tonight," Apple Bloom announced.
"What? Why? You heard what happened to Red Sky!" Scootaloo tried to reason.
"I know. But somethin' has to be done before anypony else gets hurt," Apple Bloom said. She had made up her mind about what to do, and was going to follow through.
"But, what can we do?" Sweetie asked. She knew that Apple Bloom wasn't going to change her mind, and knew that she had no choice but to go along with it.
"Tonight, when everypony's asleep, we're gonna meet up at the edge of the forest past the orchard. Then we're gonna go in, an' send whatever's in there back to the dark," Apple Bloom resolved.
Her friends silently agreed with her, and made their plans to purge the forest of its evil.
> Chapter 3: Things That Go Bump
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3

Things That Go Bump


That night, there were no stars in the sky, and only a sliver of moonlight shone through the clouds like the eye of some watchful phantom.
Throughout Ponyvile, all the ponies had fallen fast asleep, save for three fillies who convened at the edge of the Everfree Forest on Sweet Apple Acres.
"Alright, did we get everything?" Apple Bloom started as she went down her checklist. "Lantern?"
"Check," Scootaloo answered as she displayed a lantern on her saddlebags.
"Map o' the forest?"
"Check," Sweetie confirmed with the map in her hooves.
"Rope?"
"Check," Scootaloo showed them the ropes that she had in the wagon, which was also on the supply list, and subsequently checked off.
"Ghost protection," Apple Bloom touched her hoof to her necklace, "Check."
"And I brought a box of matches. That way, if we meet any of those things from the dark, we can get away," Sweetie said, showing her friends the tiny box she brought along.
"We won't need to get away. We're gonna catch it, an' we're gonna send it back where it came from," Apple Bloom declared.
"Yeah! And we can get our cutie marks for monster hunting when we do," Scootaloo finished.
"Let's do--" Sweetie began shouting before her friends put their hooves over her mouth. She got the message and quieted down to a whisper, "Let's do this." 
"Cutie Mark Crusaders, Monster Hunters," they all whispered before they stepped into the darkness beyond the trees.
It didn't take long for the fearful effects of the Everfree to happen. Shortly after arriving, the three fillies looked back to see how far they had gone, Already the trees appeared to close the path behind them like a curtain. The moon, the one watchful eye of Princess Luna, had been blotted out by the forest canopy, and left the Cutie Mark Crusaders completely on their own.
Any sign of movement was met with a jump, and Scootaloo pointed her lantern in the direction it was seen. Each time, it only proved to be something like a squirrel, or an owl, or the wind blowing.
The plan was simple: catch the ghost mare, subdue her with whatever power the necklace had, tie her up, and cart her away to be dealt with. Of course, none of the fillies had any idea how to deal with something like a ghost, but they had to try for the sake of everypony in Ponyville.
The minutes passed, and even though they hadn't gone very far, they felt as if they were in unfamiliar territory. Even though Sweetie Belle tried to follow the map she had, the trail seemed to turn different directions than how any of them remembered, and the trees looked like they had rearranged themselves to create a labyrinth where there was no escape.
Sweetie Belle flinched when she saw an arm sprout from a boulder and reach out for her. When Scootaloo shone her lantern on it, it was seen only to be a shadow from a plant growing on the ground.
In spite of the natural explanation, the dark markings on the boulder almost looked like the face of some demonic creature. Sweetie Belle gasped when the light from the lantern shifted, and the face appeared to turn to look at her, spurring her to the safe proximity of her friends.
They came to a crossroads that went five ways. This was a familiar landmark to them, as the path on the far left went to Zecora's hut. This was a lucky break for the fillies. Their zebra friend may have been able to help them with her magic potions. Perhaps she even knew a way to get rid of ghosts.
As the fillies started down the path toward their friend's home, the wind blew past them, carrying with it the rustling of leaves, and the whistling of the branches. To Apple Bloom, the wind carried a message with it.
"Beware...Beware...Beware..."
"Not that way!" Apple Bloom abruptly said.
"Why not? Zecora lives that way," Scootaloo said.
"I know. But somethin's tellin' me we shouldn't go there," Apple Bloom replied.
"Do you think it's the monsters trying to trick us? Like in your grandma's stories?" Sweetie asked.
"Maybe. So, we'd better be careful when we go to see Zecora," Scootaloo said as she walked down the path anyway.
"Wait! Come back," Apple Bloom protested.
She didn't know why only she could understand the warning she heard, but she wasn't about to let her friends get hurt by not heeding them. It did no good, since Sweetie Belle went after Scootaloo.
"It's okay. I've got matches, remember?" Sweetie Belle said.
Apple Bloom conceded to her friend's will and cautiously went after them.
So far, nothing happened to them on the trail, even though it felt like it went longer than it should have.
They quickened their pace to reach the hut faster, but Scootaloo stopped walking. Behind her, her two friends bumped into the wagon she was pulling.
"What gives, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked.
Scootaloo said nothing, but pointed off the trail. When the others looked, they saw something unnatural.
Off the side of the path, there was a blue light. A ghostly flame that danced about, beckoning all who gazed upon it to look more closely.
Apple Bloom's heart raced. The thing they saw wasn't the eyes of the ghost mare, but it was just as strange and unnatural. But in a different way. Instead of feeling like she should run away from it, she wanted to go closer and investigate it. An impulse that she obeyed. And she wasn't alone in her curiosity.
Scootaloo unhitched herself from the wagon, and she and Sweetie Belle followed their friend to get a closer look at the phenomenon.
As soon as they reached it, the phantom fire drifted further from them and stopped a few hooves away from where they were.
That wasn't fair! The fillies wanted to look at it more.
They followed it to where it stopped, only for it to drift further away again. It did so every time they got close, and even though they didn't realize it, they were being led further and further away from their intended destination.
Scootaloo got tired of reaching for it, but never catching it. She thought to herself: what would Rainbow Dash do?
She put down the lantern, then gained as much altitude as she could, just like Dash taught her, and dive bombed the wisp.
"Gotcha!" Scootaloo triumphantly shouted as she grabbed at the thing.
Her catch was quite confusing. Instead of something very small, she felt herself holding something quite large in her hooves. Not only that, but it felt furry, like a dog's body.
"Scootaloo! Get away from there!" Sweetie shuddered, as she and Apple Bloom slowly backed away.
Scootaloo looked up, and was face to face with the most horrifying creature she ever saw. It looked almost exactly like a timber wolf, but it was covered with grey fur and had yellow eyes. As she stared at it, she could feel its desire to devour her for being dumb enough to get that close to it.
It let out a huff, and Scootaloo slowly released its front leg and backed away, never once shifting her gaze from the monster.
As they all backed away, the thing stood up on two legs so that it was almost seven hooves tall, bringing to mind only one word to the fillies: werewolf.
The fillies sprinted back the opposite way, now without a light, and without a rope to catch the monster. They were completely helpless now.
Over the sound of their own hoofbeats, they could hear the heavy padding of the monster behind them. Even though they tried to return to the path, they had lost their way from chasing the mystery light.
On the path ahead of them, the mystery light appeared once more.
The closer they came to the light, the more that the could see that it was embedded in a darker shadow that was coming towards them.
Apple Bloom didn't need to see it to know what it was. It was the witch mare coming to get them, and take them away to her world.
With a frightened scream, the fillies veered to the side, and ran away in the hopes that they would find safety where they went.
They all screamed again when they had to dodge a tree, that they swore came alive and reached for them.
The ground beneath them disappeared, and they all went tumbling into a shallow ditch.
They shook the dizziness from their heads, and began scrambling out of the ditch.
From the shadows under the trees, a giant, yellow-eyed silhouette charged toward them.
The fillies dropped back into the ditch and followed its length toward a hole in the ground. One that was fortunately big enough for them to crawl into.
Once inside, they found it not to be simply a hole, but a tunnel. Something that was probably a burrow dug by some animal. It was lucky for them that it was so deep, since as soon as Scootaloo (who entered last) was a few hooves in, the werewolf stuck its head in the hole and shuffled it towards her.
Scootaloo yelped as she felt the monster's hot breath on her tail and shuffled ahead beyond its snout.
Glancing over her shoulder, Scootaloo saw the werewolf pull its head from the tunnel. But she wasn't out of danger.
The werewolf reached its arm in, took hold of Scootaloo's rear hoof and started pulling her towards it.
She screamed for help as she was dragged backwards.
Sweetie Belle, who was in front of her, to turn around and grab her hooves.
Apple Bloom did her part by grabbing Sweetie Belle's waist and pulling her.
It did no good as they felt their hooves sliding across the ground toward the monster outside.
Scootaloo began kicking the werewolf's hand with her free hoof, but the monster proved to be as strong as it looked. She kept up her kicking, knowing that if she did nothing, they would be dragged out and devoured.
Scootaloo looked back, and saw that her hoof was passing through the opening of the tunnel toward the monster. She began flailing and flapping her wings to aid her escape, which shook the werewolf's arm slightly.
She could feel her leg slipping every so gradually from its grip, and with a final strong kick, she loosed herself free. The Cutie Mark Crusaders scrambled back into the tunnel to escape, just as the monster reached in for them again.
They followed the tunnel through its labyrinthine twists and turns, with only the contours of the walls to guide them in the absence of light. Though they had no idea where they were going, they didn't dare turn back to the waiting jaws of the werewolf.
Silence surrounded them, and the smell of earth and old roots filled their noses, robbing them of any orientation they had.
In the pitch black of underground, none of them could see any signs of the tunnel ending. In front, Apple Bloom could feel the tunnel open up suddenly.
"Wait," she said to her friends behind her as she felt the edges of the tunnel they were in. She found that the whole thing opened into a larger chamber. "Sweetie Belle, do ya still have those matches?".
Sweetie Belle was one step ahead of Apple Bloom. No sooner did she finish talking than did she light one of the matches from the box she had brought with her and struck on, dimly illuminating the tunnel around them.
They all shuffled out of the cramped tunnel they were in, and found themselves in a larger chamber that was just big enough for them to stand up, with room enough for them to reach up and touch the ceiling.
More remarkable about the ceiling was that there were giant roots coming through it, indicating that they were somewhere below a tree, or some other large plant.
All around the walls of the room, there were more tunnels, which likely led to other parts of the underground.
But which one led outside?
They all thought that maybe the one that was slightly higher up than the others led to the surface, but Scootaloo was more curious about what could have dug these tunnels. Sure enough, the answer was moving towards them.
They all heard a quiet, croaking growl coming from somewhere very near them. From the darkness at the edge of the match's light, coming from one of the tunnels, they could see something moving towards them.
In the dim, light, they couldn't see what was coming. When it stepped into view, it was seen to resemble some kind of rodent. Not like any small, friendly rat or mouse like they knew. This...thing...was very large. Almost the size of one of them. It had longer legs than any rodent they saw before. They almost looked like dog's legs for how long they were. But, the feet were still rodent's paws.
Its face was its most terrifying feature, bearing no fur, and showing its withered, grey skin, and its jagged, oversized teeth.
The thing looked at the three intruders in its home, and let out another low growl to let them know that they were not welcome. When they didn't move, it rushed forward towards them to drive home its point.
Before it got any of them, the fillies ran toward the higher tunnel, and hastily filed into it, in the hopes it would take them to safety.
Scootaloo, who was in front this time, smelled fresh air ahead of her, which spurred her to scuttle her hooves even faster forward.
After a few more feet, she found herself popping out of the underground, and back into the dark forest. After her came Apple Bloom, and then Sweetie Belle.
Unfortunately, the rodent monster came with them.
The monster came out of the hole, snapping and flailing in the hopes of catching the fillies before they got away. It crawled out of its hole, and charged ferociously, only to be intercepted by something much larger.
The werewolf from earlier pounced on the monster, and the two began viciously battling, likely over which one of them would get to eat the fillies.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders watched in horror as the two beasts tore at each other with a brutality they had never seen before. It would have been a good idea to run away while they were busy fighting, but they were rooted to the spot, unable to take their eyes off the horrid spectacle.
With one last punch, the rat monster was sent sprawling backwards, and it retreated back into its hole to escape from its opponent.
Now that it was taken care of, the werewolf turned to face the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
That was enough to remind them to run away.
They ran through more of the forest, with the monster close behind them. Everything that was familiar to them; bushes, trees, rivers; came alive and produced more horrors like the thing behind them.
After what felt like forever, their escape was stopped when Apple Bloom screamed, and fell out of sight.
Her friends stopped running. In the dim light of the moon, they saw that they had come to the edge of a deep ravine, where Apple Bloom had just fallen over the edge.
About ten hooves down, Apple Bloom grabbed onto a small, rock outcropping, and desperately yelled for help as her friends tried to reach down for her.
Sweetie Belle took hold of Scootaloo's rear hooves and quickly lowered her down, keeping an ear turned to the monster behind them. They didn't have much time now, for how close the beast was.
Apple Bloom's hooves began to slip as Scootaloo reached down to her.
"Grab on!" Scootaloo called, when she was within her friend's reach.
She seemed so near, but Apple Bloom was scared that if she let go, she'd slip and fall from where she hung.
But, falling became the least of her worries, when she saw the side of the ravine next to her crack, and she and Scootaloo saw something come slithering out of it.
At first, they thought that it was some kind of snake, the way it writhed and wriggled. Only it was lined with a strange, black mist that surrounded its length, and there was no visible head. It moved its form closer to the fillies, and in the moonlight they could now see that it was a tree root, animated by some kind of evil magic.
There was no escape for Apple Bloom when the root started making its way toward her. She screamed, and let go of the outcropping as the root took hold of her, carried her up to the top of the ravine, and placed her on the ground next to Sweetie Belle.
High above, the moon went behind another cloud as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom pulled Scootaloo up.
The three turned to face the yellow-eyed silhouette of the werewolf, who was now stopped in front of them. Besides the monster was the blue-eyed shadow of the witch mare.
There was nowhere to run anymore. All they could do was sit, and wait to be done in by either one of them. Or even worse, be taken away to the darkness.
But, Sweetie Belle wasn't about to give up. She took a match and struck it, lighting the area in front of them. Instead of making the monsters go away, they only seemed more imposing now that they could be seen. The only thing that changed was that the witch mare's eyes stopped glowing in the presence of light.
The match had failed, and the only option now was to bluff their way out.
"I...I-I ain't afraid o' you," Apple Bloom said.
"I'm glad to hear it. So, if you don't mind: may I please have my necklace back," the ghostly mare requested, surprisingly politely, and with an accent that sounded like she was from Trottingham.
"Huh?"
"My necklace. The one you're wearing. I'd like to have it back," the mare asked again.
It was strange enough to be politely and reasonably addressed by some dark fiend, but it became stranger when Apple Bloom heard her tone of voice change from polite diplomacy to an earnest plea.
"Please. That necklace was a gift from my father, and it's all I have left to remember him," the mare said.
It turned out that Apple Bloom was right about the necklace holding fond memories, but it turned out not to be her's. She had no trouble empathizing with the mare, even if she was incredibly scary. The necklace she wanted was every bit like the hat Applejack wore to keep the memories of her beloved father close.
Without hesitation, Apple Bloom took off the necklace and offered it to the mare.
"Here...Sorry fer runnin' away earlier..." She apologized, half out of genuine remorse for withholding a treasured item, and half out of fear that if she upset the mare, she and her friends would be eaten by her enormous pet.
"It's alright. No harm done," the mare said.
Before she could retrieve her necklace, Sweetie Belle yelped quietly as the flame from the match burnt down to her hoof, and she snuffed it out quickly.
The mare heard how the fillies shuddered in the dark, and decided to rectify it with a little magic of her own.
At first, the Cutie Mark Crusaders saw a swirl of shadows between them and the other two figures. Then they saw a dim light begin to glow from within the patch of darkness.
From the glow, there sprouted a gleaming flower, that had a single, bell-shaped petal. The petal was colored with brilliant red, yellow and white, with black speckles around it, while the inside had a yellow, cone-shaped pulpit. The pulpit of the flower began to glow brighter and soon produced a small flame that illuminated the area around them all so they could see each other. Once the flame was present, the flower withered, and burst into embers, which snuffed themselves out.
"That's better. No sense fumbling around in the dark," the mare said as she worked more magic.
The fillies all recoiled backwards when suddenly the necklace was enveloped in black mist with sparks of red. Afterward, it floated over to the dark mare and fastened itself around her neck.
"There we are," she said as she fixed her mane. She turned to the werewolf next to her. "How do I look?"
The werewolf answered with a brief huff.
"Perfect."
Each of the fillies were frightened an unsettled by what they saw. This mare was clearly no unicorn, and yet there she was using magic.
"A-Are you a witch," Sweetie asked.
"If it helps for you to attach a label to me," the mare answered.
Even though she hadn't answered the question directly, the fillies didn't need a straight answer to know the truth.
"Regardless of what I am, you're lucky I was here, since anyone else would have failed to save you. Did you know that a colt your own age fell down this same ravine and died earlier today?" the witch asked.
The fillies all shuddered to think that they were standing where a classmate met his demise only a few hours before. Knowing that they almost met the same fate sent chills through them, and made them somewhat grateful that they were helped, even if it was by a witch, and her monster pet.
"How'd he fall in?" Apple Bloom asked. She heard second hoof that Red Sky was chasing a ghost, but had to be sure that their savior wasn't somehow involved.
"I wasn't there when it happened. But if I had to guess, he was following a fool's fire, which led him here," the witch mare answered.
"What's a fool's fire?" Sweetie Belle wondered aloud.
"You don't know? You were chasing after one only a few minutes ago, before you met with Bruce. And believe me, if he hadn't there to stop you from following it, you could have easily gotten yourselves killed. I even sent you all a warning before you walked down the path it was on. But, you acted like you didn't even hear it. Except for you," the witch said as she indicated Apple Bloom.
So, that whispering on the wind was from the witch. To warn them against finding something that was trying to kill them. Before, they were deathly afraid of her, but now she was turning out to be slightly less scary than they thought.
"I'm sorry to say, but you three are very danger prone. Bruce told me that you ran headlong into a cavio's den. And that when he tried to stop you, you kicked him," the witch continued.
The fillies didn't know what a 'cavio' was, but they felt they had a good idea.
"In any case, the danger is passed. Come along. Let's get you home before you get into anymore trouble. I have a friend who can take you there, while I prepare for my work tonight," the witch mare said.
"Yer not gonna destroy the rest of the apple orchard, are ya?" Apple Bloom fearfully asked.
"You've nothing to worry about. I'm going to keep your orchard safe tonight. But first, we need to get moving," came the witch's answer.
"But, what if there are more of those things out there?" Sweetie protested.
"I understand your fears. And they are well founded. If it will make you feel safer, you can ride on Bruce's back," the witch answered.
The werewolf lowered himself to all fours and motioned with his head toward his back.
Not one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders was willing to ride the monstrous thing, but a rustling in the nearby bushes made them decide to take their chances with him.
They quickly scrambled to the beast's back, and held tightly as the witch levitated her magical flame ahead of them all. next to her. She gave a short 'come along' command, which made Bruce lumber after her.
The walk through the forest was uneventful, with only the fillies flinching every so often when they saw something watching them from the darkness beyond the light of the flame.
In the distance, Apple Bloom swore she could see the same light from the night before shining through the trees. She couldn't tell what it was, but it was definitely nothing familiar. Thankfully, the phantom music didn't accompany it this time, which would only have mounted her fears.
Eventually, the walk through the woods became more familiar to them, and they realized they were headed in the direction of Zecora's hut. Sure enough, they came to intersection of paths, and followed the one that led to the zebra's home.
When they arrived, the witch snuffed out her flame, and knocked on the door as the Cutie Mark Crusaders climbed off of Bruce's back.
"Please, dear visitor, do come in. I eagerly await the tale you'll spin," came the familiar rhyming speech from inside.
The witch entered the house with the fillies in tow, while Bruce struggled to fit his massive upper body through the door. Inside, they all saw Zecora standing with her back turned while she stirred a boiling cauldron. No doubt, some kind of potion.
"Hello, Zecora," the witch greeted her.
"Ah, dear Courtney, with the glowing eyes of blue. Do the ponies tonight have any need of you?"
"They do indeed. It happens that this young filly here has a problem with a visitor on her property," the witch answered.
Zecora's eyes widened with surprise when she turned around and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders in her home.
"My word. This is an unusual sight. What are you all doing out so late at night?" the zebra asked.
"We were trying to find the ghosts ponies have been talking about," Sweetie Bell meekly explained.
Her explanation got a light chuckle from the two older mares.
"Your courage is admirable, but you should leave that to the experts," Courtney said.
"There are expert ghost catchers?" Scootaloo inquired.
Courtney turned her gaze away from the fillies.
"Zecora, would you please take these fillies home? I'm going to need to get something to take care of the problem. From the back room," the witch said, doing her best to avoid looking at the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
To Apple Bloom, she was acting the same way that Applejack did when she let a secret slip. But, it was also somehow different. While her sister avoided talking out of a belief to always tell the truth, Courtney was more like a bad liar who was trying sound like a good liar. In a way, it made her seem less scary, and more ordinary.
"It's a simple enough request. By all means, go at your own behest," Zecora answered as she motioned Courtney into one of the other rooms in the house.
"With pleasure. Come along," Courtney called to her pet.
Bruce finally pulled himself through the door after digging his claws madly into the dirt floor.
The two disappeared into the dark of the room beyond while Zecora talked to the fillies.
"I must finish this potion before we leave, I fear. So, until that time, you three must remain here," she said before she walked away to search the shelves for the needed ingredients.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders all watched as Bruce's tail disappeared behind the curtain that separated the two rooms. They were all glad that now the night's adventures were over, and they would be safe at home with their families. But, there were so many questions that gnawed at the minds of the fillies. Who was Courtney? Where did she really come from? How come they never saw anything like Bruce, or that rat thing before? What did Courtney mean when she said to leave ghost catching to experts?
It was Apple Bloom who took the initiative to investigate.
Her friends silently protested for her to come back, but as long as Zecora was busy, and unknowing of what was happening, she was determined to see it through.
Apple Bloom reached the curtain as her friends ran to her and tried to pull her back to them. But, they were stopped by what they saw.
In the back room, they saw Courtney's tail disappear into what looked like a tall, black patch of pure darkness, like a concentrated column of midnight. It spun and sent wisps of black out from its form, like a dust devil on Sweet Apple Acres.
Bruce sat next to the swirling mass, looking like some kind of monstrous guardian to the fillies. Even though he behaved like an unintelligent animal, they could have sworn that he was trying to tell them something in some silent, primal language as he stared at them. After staring at them for so long, he entered the black mass and disappeared into it.
Their minds were made up.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders approached the shadows, took each other's hooves, swallowed hard, and after a few seconds of psyching themselves up, they charged forward into the darkness.



At first, all they saw was blackness, but it soon gave way to an odd sight. They each opened their eyes, and looked to one another to see that their bodies had changed.
"What happened to your face?" Scootaloo asked Sweetie Belle, whose face had grown longer, and more pointed like a stallion's. Her eyes had shrunk considerably, and had turned white, almost making her look spooky.
"What happened to your face?" Sweetie repeated.
Scootaloo felt her own face, and found that it had changed the same way as well.
"How am I standin' on these legs?" Apple Bloom wondered aloud, when she found that her legs had grown long and spindly, as opposed to the stubby appendages she was used to seeing.
They all looked down to see their legs had changed all changed into the same slender limbs. Despite their rickety appearance, they proved to be just as useful as their normal legs when they took the first steps through the new room.
They were no longer in Zecora's back room, but instead, they were in what looked like a library.
The walls were lined with shelves that were crammed full of books, like the Golden Oaks Library. After a scan of the shelves, they saw unfamiliar titles on each of the spines: The Lovers of Misery Mire, Lost Without Love, Roots of the Heart, and How to Find the Perfect Boyfriend.
On a nearby coffee table, which was placed next to an armchair, Scootaloo found a book titled, How to Write Your Perfect Romance Novel.
The fillies all giggled when they saw the titles, and wondered what kind of hopeless romantic would own books like that. But, they stopped when they realized that they weren't alone in the room.
When they looked over to the fireplace, which illuminated the room, they saw Bruce curled up in front of it, looking at them the way he did before he went through the dark vortex. Currently, he was holding a small box in his hands, and had a sprig of some kind of herb sticking out of his mouth. With a thump of his tail, he stood up on all fours, and approached the fillies.
They all slowly backed away from the lumbering monster, who even when all fours, was intimidating as anything.
Bruce stopped just in front of them, then laid his bulky form down on the floor.
Apple Bloom had seen this behavior before. It was the same way that Winona acted when she wanted attention. Hesitantly, the yellow filly approached Bruce, and gently rubbed his side.
The monster let out a low groan, which sounded to Apple Bloom like a moan of pleasure, prompting her to scratch him more confidently.
Seeing Bruce behave so docilely made the other two decide to try and approach the werewolf.
They did as Apple Bloom did and started rubbing his side, making the werewolf roll over so that his back faced them.
Sweetie Belle circled around him to face him and scratch his ears. She giggled quietly as Bruce started licking her forelegs. Her delight became surprised when the werewolf reached out and held her in his gigantic hands. Sweetie's giggling became quiet laughter when she felt Bruce's snout sifting through her mane.
Bruce stopped, when he saw Scootaloo enter his line of vision, and started licking her face.
Apple Bloom remained by Bruce's back, and continued to scratch him, making one of his back legs kick wildly with delight. It ended when Bruce rolled back over, and with a yelp, Apple Bloom disappeared under his furry body. After half a second, Bruce stood up to allow her to crawl out from under him. After Apple Bloom was free, he stood up on his hind legs.
Before, the fillies would have cowered at seeing him at such a height. Now, he turned out to be nothing more than a sweet, oversized puppy dog.
After the delightful scratching he'd been given, Bruce decided to return the favor. He reached down and started scratching the fillies each behind their ears. He was surprisingly gentle for something so big. Almost like he knew how big he was.
Sure, his teeth were threateningly sharp. Sure, his eyes had a predatory intelligence. Sure, his hands, which themselves were completely unnatural to a pony, had viciously curved claws at the ends of each finger. But even so, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were fast learning that he was the last thing they should be afraid of.
"Bruce? Can you sniff out the amaranth for me?" a familiar voice called from the open doorway.
Bruce answered with a booming bark.
"How can we be out? I swore I bought a whole box of it," the voice replied.
Bruce let out a low groan and swatted the empty box he had before into the fireplace, where it smoldered and burned to ashes.
"Alright. I guess that means we have to buy more," the voice said.
They all heard steps coming closer to them, but to the fillies, they were different than what they heard from any pony. These steps were unmistakably from a two-legged creature. But why would a two-legged creature have Courtney's voice? The answer showed itself, when the owner of the voice walked into the room.
"Come on, Bruce. We need to go into town--" The creature who came in hesitated when it saw the three fillies in the room. "What the bloody hell are three night mares doing in my house?"
The creature that was once a pitch black earth pony was now a six hoof, bipedal, monkey-like creature, with chalk white skin, and a mane atop its head that was the same dark color of the witch pony's coat. It was clothed in a very old-fashioned, black dress that reached down to its ankles, but the sleeves on such an old dress, were absent. Instead, its arms were covered by a pair of detached sleeves that went from the shoulder to the middle of its hands. Most striking of all was the familiar necklace fastened around her neck.
"We're sorry. We saw you go through the other side of the dark, and...well, we wanted to know what was there," Sweetie Belle apologized.
"You three!?" Courtney gasped when she suddenly recognized the fillies in her library, "How did you get past--Bruce! You let them in, didn't you!?"
The werewolf responded with an innocent shrug.
"Not a big deal!? Two words make this a big deal: witch hunts! Next thing you know, I'm screaming myself hoarse in the flaming innards of a wicker man, and you're a carpet in some bourgeois' lounge!"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders all couldn't help but start giggling at the witch's overreaction. They were sure that even if others discovered her, or her world, they would never bring any harm to her. They would have consoled her, but the way she was freaking out was too entertaining to stop.
A knock on the door sounded, and the witch's panic rocketed up past the sky.
"Oh, sweet darkness! Anything but that!" Courtney said.
> Chapter 4: Fear of the Dark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4

Fear of the Dark


Late in the dark of the night, Applejack walked through the cold streets of Ponyville toward the Golden Oaks Library, guided by the light of her lantern. She had been told by Twilight to meet there privately for a matter that wasn't immediately disclosed, along with all of their other friends.
Applejack hated having to go out when all the other ponies were asleep in their beds, and all the lights were turned off. She never told anypony, but all her life, whenever she was alone in the dark, it felt to her like the darkness waited to attack her. She knew it was silly for a mare her age to have such an irrational fear, but to her, darkness wasn't simply an absence of light. It was a living creature that would beckon her into it and swallow her whole.
The library was coming near. All around in the darkness, Applejack recognized the landmarks that showed where she was. But the absence of any light in the distance kept her from discerning where exactly her destination was. There wasn't even a light in Twilight's window to guide her. Swallowing hard, she trekked into the darkness as the world beyond her lantern changed and warped to a twisted monstrosity.
Then she saw a light to guide her.
It was so dim, she wasn't sure that it was there at all. The little light in the distance seemed struggling to keep from being engulfed by the darkness around it, but it was a great relief to Applejack. It meant she was now on the right track to her friend's house. It was when the light grew suddenly brighter that gave her pause.
From the end of the street she was at, the light she saw brightened and took the shape of something else. Though she couldn't see what it was, she knew it was no firefly.
Whatever it was, it was the size of a pony, but not a pony. Not the way it floated in mid-air without wings, not the way its front appendages ended with long, spindly claws.
Despite its sudden appearance, it paid no mind to Applejack, and drifted away from her.
Not much fazed Applejack. She was known throughout Ponyville for her nerves of steel, which saw her and everypony close to her through the greatest dangers. But what she had seen rooted her to the spot. All she could do was watch the thing as it drifted across the road.
Applejack tried to think that it may simply be something that she didn't recognize in the dark. That was one of the most terrifying things about darkness: its ability to corrupt what was warm and familiar into a twisted, evil version of itself. Nothing came to mind to rationalize the apparition. It was a monster born from the darkness, and it was going to swallow her whole when it saw her.
As suddenly as it appeared, it reverted back to a threadbare trace of light when suddenly a much brighter light shone through the dark.
Applejack watched the thread of light drift upward, and toward the direction of the Everfree. When it disappeared, she looked back to the source of light that appeared. In the light, she could see the familiar silhouette of Twilight in it, looking around in the darkness, likely for anypony she was expecting.
Spurred by the darkness around her, the dimming light of her lantern, the thing she had seen, and a sudden cold breeze, Applejack trotted quickly toward the door of the library, and let herself inside.
"Applejack, you made it," Twilight said before she pulled down the blinds on the window. She then levitated a list over to herself, and checked off Applejack's name, "So that means everypony's here now. Come on, let's get started."
Applejack saw that all of her other friends arrived before her.
"Now that we're all gathered, can we please get to business. It takes many hours of beauty sleep to look this good," Rarity whined.
"And I'm supposed to be up early for agility training," Dash added.
"Okay," Twilight began, as she took her seat on the couch, "Everypony: I don't know how long it's been going on, but strange things have been happening around here. And I don't just mean Pinkie's sleepwalking."
"I haven't done that for almost two weeks!" Pinkie defended.
"That's besides the point," Twilight said, putting everypony back on track, "I called you all here, because I know you've all seen...something that doesn't belong in Ponyville. There are things here that as far as I know don't belong here. Some kind of monsters that don't exist in any validated textbook or bestiary."
Applejack was almost sure that what she had seen was simply a figment of an overactive imagination, but when Twilight said there really was something out there, her blood froze.
"I think I saw one o' them on my way here," she stated suddenly.
"What did it look like?" Twilight asked, hoping it wasn't the owl creature from last night.
"I don't know. I was too far away to see it. But that thing lit up an' flew away to the Everfree. I think..." she paused briefly, not quite believing what she was about to say, "I think I saw a ghost."
"Green stallion, white mane?" Dash chimed in. "It was in Scootaloo's room last night!"
"What!?" Applejack said.
"I saw it walk right through her door! Right through it! Then it stared at her, and left!"
"That's kinda what the one I saw did! But it weren't no pony!"
"What do you mean, 'it weren't no pony?" Dash asked.
"Ponies don't have long, dragon claws," Applejack replied
"Did it laugh at you? Did you catch it murdering cupcakes and breaking bowls!?" Pinkie asked.
"Why the buck would it do that?" Dash wondered.
"Because that's what the ghost in my house did last night! And then it threw a bunch of knives at me!"
"There was a werewolf in my yard last night! It was trying to eat my chickens, before it went away!" Fluttershy announced.
Everypony else in the room gasped.
Panic nearly gripped the mares, until Twilight hushed them all. Partly to suppress their nerves, and partly to not wake up Spike.
"Everypony! Please, listen! Something's been happening around Ponyville. And if it goes unchecked, it may spread to other towns! We need to do something about it," the librarian said.
"But what can we do?" Rarity asked, anxious to be rid of her night visitor.
"Anything we can," Twilight answered, "It's up to us to protect Ponyville from danger, so we need to learn all we can about these creatures. Especially where they come from, and how to protect ourselves from them. And if need be, we might have to go find them to eliminate them."
"Unless they find us first..." Fluttershy squeaked.
Everypony in the room jumped when they heard a scratching noise on the door.
Fluttershy and Rarity both darted behind the couch.
The scratching sounded again, accompanied now by a low whimper. One that Applejack recognized.
"Winona?" she asked as she cautiously approached the door.
True to her expectation, as soon as she opened the door Applejack found her precious dog, who started whimpering at the sight of her.
"Winona, what the hay are ya doin' here?" Applejack asked.
The dog answered with a small yelp and started running away, but stopped to look back to Applejack.
Applejack didn't need to wonder about it. She knew what the dog was trying to tell her.
"Somethin's wrong at home!" she said before she lit her lantern and followed her pet to Sweet Apple Acres.
The others followed her, in case it was related to what had been happening.



In the witch's home on the other side of darkness, another panic was ensuing.
"We have to hide! Now! You three, go back to Zecora!" Courtney told the fillies.
At the moment, the witch was desperately trying to hide from whatever was outside her front door. The Cutie Mark Crusaders watched her as she tried to hide by curling up in her armchair, then move when she couldn't do so comfortably.
The witch pressed her back against the wall by the doorway that led to the hall. Another knock sounded, and Bruce huffed at the noise.
"Don't you dare bark, or it's the pinfold for you!" the witch threatened.
The fillies still hadn't done what they were told and kept watching the spectacle before them. Whatever was out there, it scared Courtney, and that meant for sure that it had to be truly terrifying.
The three took their hiding spot below the window to stay out of sight. They shuddered when they saw a shadow move past the window above them. Though it was unnoticed by Courtney.
"Courtney? Are you there?" a voice called from the door.
The witch breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the voice.
"Oh, thank goodness," Courtney sighed.
Seeing her relieved made the fillies feel brave enough to stop cowering below the window and follow Courtney to the hallway that led to the front door. Mostly, it was because they were curious to see what laid beyond the witch's home.
"Who is it? Is it another witch?" Apple Bloom asked.
"No. It's my friend. And I'm glad for it. I thought for certain it was going to be my--"
Courtney opened the door to reveal two newcomers standing there.
"--Mother..."
Of the two new faces, one of them looked very much like Courtney. She was the same, monkey-like creature with the same colorless skin and midnight black hair. She even had the same glowing, blue eyes, though the light from her eyes rippled outward, like when a stone was thrown in a pond. They even had nearly identical faces, making the fillies think that she looked more like a sister than a mother, given how youthful she looked. But it was there that any similarity ended.
While Courtney was dressed in what could have been called a casual dress, her mother was wearing an elegant, silken gown with many frills and ruffles around the neck and skirt area. The sleeves reached her elbows, and her hands were covered by a pair of black gloves. Atop her head, she wore a wide brimmed hat with a ribbon tied to it.
The other creature was completely different from the witch.
Though she had the same bipedal, monkey-like body as Courtney, her skin was green  in color, and her mane was blue. A closer look at the mane atop her head, and it proved to not be made of hair, but leaves with pink flower buds poking through in various spots.
She was wearing a long, red, strapless dress, but the most eye catching thing about her were all the bandages that covered her body. Both arms were wrapped from fingertip to shoulder in white bandages, which spread to her chest area and around her neck. Through the slit in her dress, the fillies could see that her legs were bandaged as well, making them wonder if she was in some kind of accident at some point.
Before either creature saw the fillies, Bruce stepped in front of them, and laid down, obscuring them from view.
"Sweetheart, you sound like you're not happy to see me. And here I was thinking that you'd be delighted that I was here to clean up any messes you made," the older witch said
"I haven't made any messes. And as delightful as it is to see you, I don't appreciate you entrancing my friend to get me to open my door to you," Courtney said, with a hint of contempt
"Oh, daughter, daughter, daughter dearest. I know you well enough to know that you're much to proud to let me visit you on your first trip to that dreadful world of light," her mother chuckled as she stepped inside uninvited, followed by the plant creature
"You don't need to check on me. I've done everything you told me," Courtney defended.
"Then you won't have any trouble to report, will you," her mother asked as she helped herself to the only seat in the room, while the creature with her stood by her side.
Courtney nervously clenched her fists. On her first visit to Equestria, she had broken one of the biggest rules laid out for the dark kin. Even though she knew she was in trouble for doing so, she would be in even more trouble if her mother found out about it.
"I'm a grown woman. I can handle this on my own," she said, hoping to hustle her mother out of the house as quickly as possible.
"Can you?" the older witch asked.
Courtney's mother snapped her fingers, and a wisp of magic made the nearby pillar of shadows melt into the ground.
"Leaving the door open? It's the quickest way to let in pests. Or more precisely: fearful light dwellers, bent on eliminating people like us."
"It's fine, mother. That one opens at Zecora's house," Courtney answered, irritated that her mother didn't trust her. Then again, she couldn't be trusted after what she had done.
"Ah, Zecora. I haven't been to see her this year. How is she?" the older witch asked.
"She's fine," Courtney answered, hoping that her mother would decide to leave on her own, since it would be the only way she would leave at all.
"I can see that you're eager to get me out of your hair," the older witch said.
Courtney's hopes of getting rid of her mother rose.
"So I'll get right to the point"
Courtney nearly shouted when she heard that. She anxiously looked over to Bruce, who was still lying in the hall to hide the fillies. She gasped quietly when she saw a purple tail peeking out from behind Bruce.
The werewolf caught onto the nature of her distress, and extended his own tail to cover up Scootaloo's.
"Sweetheart. Let's not get distracted by cuddly animals," Courtney's mother said.
Courtney's mind snapped. Even though her mother hadn't seen the fillies, Courtney was sure she was talking about them. The last word she would ever use for a werewolf was 'cuddly,' or any other affectionate term for that matter. Mother always had a way of knowing what she was up to, and it was only a matter of time before she found out.
"So, to begin: you've remained unseen by the other creatures?" the older witch asked.
"Yes," Courtney answered, too quickly to be convincing.
"You've been containing any creatures from here without alerting anyone?"
"Yes."
"You've made sure none of the light-dwelling creatures have followed you here," her mother asked, with a suspicious glint in her eye.
The room went dead silent. Courtney's heart nearly stopped when she recognized the look on her mother's face. It was the one that she made ever since she was a little girl when she got caught lying, which was every time she attempted deceit. She didn't know how, and she didn't know when, but her mother knew.
The fillies didn't dare make a move behind Bruce, for fear of being discovered. They hadn't realized that they were unwelcome on the other side of the dark, and they dreaded to think what would happen if the creatures found out about them. Bruce looked over his shoulder at them, and let out a small grunt. They didn't know why, but it sounded somehow reassuring.
"Why is Bruce lying in the hallway?" Courtney's mother asked, "He usually lies in front of the hearth, doesn't he?"
From behind Bruce, the fillies could hear her stepping closer.
Courtney's mind raced for a reason that Bruce would be in the hallway, but nothing reasonably convincing came to mind.
"He...found a new spot, I suppose," she stammered.
"Most unusual, considering he's been a creature of habit for as long as you've had him. One might think he was hiding something," her mother said as she stepped ever closer to the werewolf.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled together, dreading what fate was to befall them when they were discovered. They looked up, and saw the edge of the older witch's hat appear over the edge of Bruce's body. They nearly ran away, if not for what happened next.
As soon as she was in range, Bruce's head lifted up from the floor and he licked Courtney's mother's face unmerciful.
The witch spat and sputtered before she backed away to cover her face, but moved her hands when her gloves started getting messy, leaving her face undefended.
While the Cutie Mark Crusaders quietly sighed, Courtney had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing hysterically.
"Lie down," the witch commanded, and Bruce stopped his assault of affection.
"Ugh! Alright! Everything seems to be in order. I'll take my leave of you, and come back tomorrow. And train that bloody animal," Courtney's mother said, clearly trying to keep her poise.
She had just opened the front door, when Courtney stopped her.
"Mother. Have you forgotten something?" Courtney asked her mother.
The older witch turned around to see Courtney standing next to the plant creature she had entranced. Without a word, she waved her hand, and sent a thread of magic to the creature before leaving and closing the door behind her.
The plant creature swayed back and forth for a moment before Courtney steadied her.
"Come back, Molly. Come back from the light," Courtney said as the creature became more lucid.
"Courtney?" the living plant asked.
Bruce stood up and rubbed his head against her shoulder.
"Bruce? Wasn't I just on your front porch?" she said as she looked around, dazed.
Her scan of the room brought her eyes to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who all backed away slowly once they were seen.
"EEK!" Molly squealed. As soon as she saw the fillies, all the vertigo left her, as she smiled widely and squealed giddily. "Courtney, they're adorable!"
She knelt down to stroke Apple Bloom's mane, cooing all the while to the bemused pony.
"Oh, look at you all! You're not going to nibble my fronds, are you, you darling little thing?" Molly said.
Though she said nothing, Apple Bloom was beyond irritated. She spent so long trying to earn her sister's trust to be able to be treated like a big pony. Now she was being treated the way she saw some mares treat Winona.
"Of course not. A sweet thing like you wouldn't ruin my coif," Molly continued.
What happened next startled the fillies. Molly's arms extended beyond their natural reach, and she embraced all three of them in a loving hug.
"Courtney, tell me I can keep them. Please, please, please say I can keep them," Molly begged as she nuzzled Sweetie Belle.
"Ya want a pet? Get a dog or somethin'," Apple Bloom said.
Molly gasped again, let go of them all, and stood bolt upright.
"They can talk! You've enchanted night mares so they can talk!" Molly giddily whispered.
As a plant, she was fearful of herbivorous creatures, but something about night mares enchanted her. When she was a seedling, she imagined having one as her own and running though the fields with its fetlocks blowing in the wind. She dreamed of showering them with sugar lumps, riding them over fences and going on adventures across the magical landscape to defeat the forces of evil. And now that she met one that could talk, she was brimming with girlish joy.
"They aren't enchanted. They're light dwellers. And they need to go back where they came from," Courtney said as she cast her magic.
Everyone in the room watched as a shadowy arm rose from the floor, and became the swirling column of darkness the fillies recognized.
Molly didn't quite believe what she had heard. She always heard that light dwelling creatures were to be feared, but the young creatures before her didn't look remotely threatening.
"But, they're only fillies. How dangerous can they be?" Molly asked.
"We don't want to hurt anypony. We just want to know what it's like here," Sweetie Belle said.
"See? Their intentions are good. Why can't we teach them about ourselves if they're willing to learn?" Molly asked.
The fillies all felt their hearts grow aflutter at the promise of seeing more of the new world with a savvy instructor. Of course, Molly only wanted to spend more time with the talking fillies.
"No," Courtney asserted, "If my mother saw them here, she'd raise the alarm and the entire city would be in a state of panic! They need to go back now--Get back here!"
Not one of the others were listening to her.
Molly led the fillies to the door and let them outside with Bruce in tow.
Courtney tried to get them all back to her, but when she saw that it would do no good, she closed the barrier between their worlds and followed them outside.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders were awed by the sight before them.
Outside Courtney's front door was a town not unlike Ponyville. Small and quaint, but at the same time, bustling and busy. The only real difference was that it was inhabited by all manner of creatures they had never seen before.
The streets were lined with black cobblestone, and they could see the creatures riding in carriages that were drawn by large, pony-like creatures with the same solid white eyes and long, slender legs they had now.
The buildings around them all looked very old-fashioned, like something out of a history book, and more creatures could be seen in the windows. One that looked strangely bat-like threw a bucket of water out her window, dangerously close to a pedestrian, who let loose a string of curse words at the offender.
High above, the sky was dotted with stars that blinked in and out of the sky like blinking eyes. The moon itself was completely different from what they knew back home. Instead of the white light with the distinct shape of an alicorn on it, it was large, and colored deep red.
The shape on the surface seemed to change before their eyes, and seemed different to each pony watching it. Apple Bloom saw the face of an elderly mare. Sweetie Belle saw the musical notes of a bewitching melody dancing across its surface. And Scootaloo saw what she swore was Rainbow Dash circling around and around the celestial body.
"It's amazing," Scootaloo said.
"And it's what we call home," Molly said. She stood before the fillies, and dramatically posed before them, "Welcome to Macabria."
> Chapter 5: The City of Outcasts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5

The City of Outcasts


All was not well at Sweet Apple Acres.
"Apple Bloom! Apple Bloom!"
When she was led home by her dog, Applejack found that her sister had disappeared from her bed. Worse still, she was nowhere in the house.
"What's all that racket out here? Mares're tryin' to sleep!" Granny Smith shouted as she stepped out of her room.
Down the hall Big Macintosh came out of his room to investigate the noise.
"Apple Bloom's missin', Granny!" Applejack explained.
As soon as he heard that, Big Macintosh retreated back to his room, while Applejack replenished the fuel in her lantern.
"What the hay are ya talkin' about? I just saw her in her room not an hour ago," Granny said.
"It was some pillows, an' a Nightmare Night mask! Now she's out there! An' probably in danger!" Applejack answered.
After the encounter with the thing outside the library, Applejack wouldn't have left her house at night for any reason. But, now that her sister was out there, she had no choice but to risk the dangers of the darkness.
"Big Macintosh!" Applejack called.
"Ready!" Was all her brother answered as he came back out of his room, wearing his yoke, and carrying a lantern.
The Apple siblings ran outside, where Applejack's friends were waiting for her.
Without even being called, Winona ran out the door with them, ready to track her filly.
Once outside, the dog ran ahead and darted toward the forest at the edge of the property.
"Come on! We're goin' to the Everfree!" Applejack declared, without even stopping.
Her friends had no idea why she would even suggest such a thing, especially Fluttershy, who wasn't keen about entering the home of a werewolf. But, a filly was potentially in danger, so she followed Applejack and the rest of her friends.
Rainbow Dash flew alongside Applejack.
"What are we going to the Everfree for?" Dash asked.
"'Cause that's where Winona's headed!" Applejack answered.
"You're going to trust a dog to find your sister?" Rarity asked from behind.
"She's our best bet at findin' my sister! More than likely yours too!" Applejack said.
Dash and Rarity didn't even think about that, but she was right. If Apple Bloom was going to get in trouble, she was definitely going to involve Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Dash wasn't about to let anything happen to the foal she just adopted, and Rarity would never forgive herself if her sister got hurt.
With a renewed vigor, they all sped into the darkness of the forest.



On the other side of darkness, in the city of Macabria, the denizens of the night lived their peaceful lives. There, they were free of the fear and persecution that came to them from the ponies who lived in the light. It was a happy existence for them, but now the terrors from Equestria walked among them and spread their malice.
"Hi, I'm Sweetie Belle. I'm night mare too now. I wasn't always like this, but I turned into one when I came here. I don't have my cutie mark yet, but I'm trying really hard. Do you know anypony who needs help with anything? Maybe I can get my cutie mark by doing something here instead of back home."
Sweetie Belle had been talking the ear off of almost every creature she met on the street. Currently, she was talking to an adult equine creature like herself.
"Sorry, lass, but she nay kin speak," said the creature sitting in the carriage that the larger equine was hitched to.
Sweetie Belle was startled by the appearance of the creature, who only appeared as a dark shadow under his high collar and wide hat, but his eyes shone from under it like two fireflies. The rest of him was covered by a long coat and trousers. Even his hands were covered by a pair of heavy gloves. Despite his frightening appearance, his voice was gentle, and brought to mind an old stallion who had done many kind deeds in his long life.
"Ye need a lift somewhere?" The coachman asked.
"No, thank you. I want to walk around and see more of the city with my friends. I just thought that I could talk to her, since we're both night mares," Sweetie Belle answered.
"Alright. Be on yer way then. And there's a witch neer heer ye may wannae see about that enchantment o' yoors," the coachman said, before he cracked the reins he held and spurred his night mare to pull his carriage away.
After only a few blocks, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had seen many things they never saw back home. The creatures in Macabria were much more varied than what they knew from anywhere in Equestria. It was hard for Sweetie to tell which ones were animals, and which ones were the civilians of the town, until Apple Bloom pointed out that all of the civilians were fully clothed. Oddly, the clothes they all wore were very old fashioned, like what ponies wore hundreds of years ago back home. It was like walking though the pages of a history book for them.
Some of the creatures they saw looked strikingly similar to the ones they knew back home. In an alleyway, Scootaloo saw what she thought was a large cat, only to see it stand up on its hind legs and jump over a fence. What she thought was a decorative gargoyle statue turned out to be a living creature that crawled onto her back before Courtney shooed it away. At first, Scootaloo was startled by the gargoyle, until Courtney explained that they have a generally docile and protective nature, which made them desirable as an animal familiar.
After the carriage left. Sweetie Belle looked down the street, and saw her friends with Molly watching a group of street performers.
Two of the performers were playing instruments: a clarinetist with oddly avian features, and a bassist who was literally nothing but four hands (one holding the bass upright, one plucking the strings and two on the frets). The third member wasn't playing any instrument, but was dancing for the crowd. At first, Sweetie Belle thought he was the same kind of creature as Courtney and her mother, but when she got close, she saw that his joints were hinged, as was his jaw. His mouth was also painted on, in a huge, disfigured smile.
"Wow, look at him go. It's like watching a puppet show, but without the stage," Sweetie said as she watched the dancer move and contort his body to the rhythm of the music his associates were playing.
"Look at this, boys. We got us another talking filly roaming around here," the dancer said as his body angled itself and his shoulders twisted unnaturally, "Well, I gotta say that you lot'll fit in just fine in our fair city. Where losers and lowlifes abound, and freaks and rejects like us are your closest friends."
"Doesn't it sound a little off-putting when your friends are rejected, freaky, lowlife losers?" Scootaloo asked.
Where she was from, all the ponies she knew made friends with other ponies who were sunny, cheerful, and generally on the bright side of things. To hear that anyone like the dancer described was to be her friend was completely foreign to her.
"I don't see why that's so strange. Around here, we look after the people that everyone's forgotten about. After all, it's the one's that others turn away that need a friend the most," Molly answered the orange filly as she ran her fingers through her mane.
Out of the three of them, Scootaloo didn't mind having her mane rubbed, or her ears scratched by the leafy creature. She even kind of enjoyed the strange tingling feeling that came from the touch of Molly's fingertips.
As they were growing up and learning new lessons about friendship, they never once heard about the ponies that nopony cared about. Sure, they learned about accepting ponies no matter how different they were, like Zecora, but to be friends with the ponies that nopony wanted to be friends with was a new concept.
With that new knowledge, the world around them became even less foreign and foreboding. Sure, it was dark and spooky, and the creatures that roamed there were scarier than what they were used to. But any place that valued friendship as much as Equestria couldn't be that bad.
"How'd ya like a dance?" The dancer requested as he extended one of his wooden hands in Sweetie Belle's direction.
"Well...okay. But I only know a little bit from what my sister taught me. And even then, I made us both trip," Sweetie answered.
"Sorry, luv. But, this dance calls for both partners to have two legs," the dancer said, indicating that he was actually asking Molly.
"Oh, I don't know about that. I just had my fronds done, and I'm wearing a new dress. I wouldn't want to--" With those last words, Molly cut off her own answer, took the performer's hand, and began dancing with him.
Many a man in Macabria would be jealous of the dancer, but dancing with Molly earned him a thumbs up from the clarinetist. And four thumbs from the bassist.
To the fillies watching, it was a wondrous show. The two horrible, frightening creatures moved so gracefully with one another, and in perfect rhythm of the music. It was a captivating show that blended the horrifying with the beautiful that enchanted the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They could have watched the display forever, and would have if not for what happened next.
As they were dancing, one of Molly's bandages got caught in the hinge of the dancer's wrist, and unraveled to reveal her withered skin underneath it. That itself was a shock to see, but not so much as when her entire hand fell off.
Sweetie Belle screamed, but not nearly as loud as Molly did, who started frantically re-wrapping her bandages to hide her unsightly skin.
Molly reached down, and tried to grab her disembodied hand, but it moved away from her by flopping around like a fish out of water.
Mayhem ensued when the dancer tried to help her, only to hinder her efforts, and unravel the bandages around her chest, revealing more of her dry, brown withered skin.
The clarinetist stepped back when Molly's hand started climbing up his leg, and tried to brush it off with his instrument. Instead, the hand grabbed onto it.
The clarinetist shook the hand free, only for it to fall down the collar of his jacket.
"Hold on, Percy! I'll give you a hand!" the bassist said, as the four hands arranged themselves into the shape of a mouth and eyes. All four hands crawled up the clarinetist's leg, and under his jacket to catch the errant extremity.
The clarinetist jumped all up and down the sidewalk, trying his best not to crush anything under his jacket.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders offered their help by tackling and pinning the hopping musician, and the five hands came filing out.
Molly's came first, and tried to crawl away, but was quickly jumped by the bassist, one hand after the other.
Once it was pinned, Molly picked up her hand and tried to reattach it to her body.
The bassist let go, and the dancer apologized excessively.
Molly slapped the dancer with her severed hand, making his head spin around atop his neck.
The fillies tried to help resolve the issue, but their voices weren't heard over the string of expletives Molly was letting loose. But even still, Apple Bloom's attention was elsewhere.
Down the street, she saw that Courtney and Bruce were walking out of a shop, and then further away down the street.
Apple Bloom had no way of knowing what they were doing in there, but whatever it was, Bruce came out carrying a pure white bag in his mouth. Maybe they were shopping for potion ingredients, like what Zecora did back home.
Her curiosity piqued, Apple Bloom left the street performing fiasco behind her and followed the witch down the road.
Following Courtney wasn't easy, since she seemed to disappear in and out of the crowd. It became easier to keep an eye on Bruce, since he was so much larger. But, Apple Bloom still had trouble keeping up with them, since she kept getting distracted by the sights around her.
Soon, the filly realized that she had followed them past the borders of the town, and onto a road that led into the hilly countryside beyond.
Even though it was still nighttime, the red moon above cast a light bright enough for her to see everything around her. Despite the sanguine coloring of the celestial body, the colors around the filly ran the whole spectrum.
The grass was dark green. Almost sickly. But, also somehow pleasing to they eye, and inviting to walk on. The grays of the rocks, and blues and purples of the flowers dotted the landscape, lending variety to the scenery.
The trees nearby had twisted, gnarled trunks, and very dark (almost black-looking) leaves that hung lank and limp in the gentle breeze.
In one of the branches, Apple Bloom saw what she thought looked like a squirrel, only different. Its head was much too pointed and narrow, and its appearance was dark and faint, almost as if a shadow had walked free of what was casting it. After a second of watching it, the animal drifted down the trunk and into the tall grass where she lost sight of it.
The filly flinched when she heard a sudden melodic whistling. It was different than the phantom music she heard back home, but at the same time, she had no idea where it was coming from. More than likely, it was just the wind whistling in the trees. But in this strange countryside, who knew what it could have been?
Ahead of her, Apple Bloom saw that Courtney and Bruce were getting further away, and she picked up her pace to follow them. But she kept far enough behind them so that she could keep taking in the new scenery around her.



Their walk led them to the foot of a hill, where Apple Bloom could see an imposing structure on the top. A fortress of stone and metal with a wickedly steepled roof. What windows she could see were shut tight and secured by bars on the outside. Whatever this place was, it was far less inviting than the town below. But, despite its frightening exterior, she watched Courtney and Bruce walk right inside.
Apple Bloom hesitated to go any further, but she had come this far and she wasn't about to go back. The witch was up to something, and she wanted to know what went on in this strange world.
Fear clung to her as she approached the ebony door. The filly reached for the doorknob, only for her eyes to lock onto the knocker.
It was large, and made of heavy bronze. But for the strangest reason, Apple Bloom felt like it was watching her.
Somehow, the design lent itself to a watchful guardian, keeping out those who dare intruded the building. There were no eyes, so to speak, but the artistry of it created a feeling of a harsh glare to the filly, telling her that she was not welcome inside. But she had a conviction to see this through.
She opened the door, and stepped inside. After the first step in, the door slowly creaked shut behind her.
Inside, Apple Bloom saw a long hallway with many doors on either side of it. As she passed them, she could hear faint voices coming from inside a few of them. Some sounded like there were one or two creatures inside. Others sounded like one creature talking to themselves. Apple Bloom walked slightly faster past those ones.
As she walked the halls, she found a large room. A lounge of some kind, where she could see all manner of creatures, all clothed in the same drab gray uniforms (except for a few in white shirts) performing various activities together: reading, painting, talking with friends. It was almost reminded her of how some ponies acted back home, but at the same time, different.
Though their activities were all quite mundane, they seemed to be laced with a kind of underlying sadness. As if some part of them they cherished had gone away.
From what Apple Bloom could hear (or at least from what she thought she could hear), the ones in white uniforms were some kind of caregivers.
She definitely heard one of them talking to one of the sad creatures about her family over a card game. How her family missed her, and hoped she would get better so that she could come home.
The other creature smiled ever so slightly at the news. But it soon turned to a small frown, and the creature loosed a sentence full of scattered thoughts and ideas.
As if she realized how she sounded, the creature became saddened by the state of herself, hung her head and sighed, unsure if she would ever get better.
The other creature reached across the table, and placed his hand on top of her's, assuring her that one day she'd be able to return home.
From the doorway, Apple Bloom smiled. Not many ponies would take time out of their day to spend time with somepony they thought was crazy. But a wonderful kind of friendship had bloomed between the creatures here, when the rest of the world was likely to shun them. It almost made Apple Bloom want to go in and introduce herself, in hopes of helping the ones that were cast away.
One of the dreary creatures glanced in the filly's direction, and the feeling of caution and foreboding came rushing back to her. Not wanting to find out what would happen if she got caught in that place, she ran away further down the hall. Until she heard something coming towards her.
Whatever it was, it sounded very large. Almost as big as Bruce, but didn't have his soft footfalls, or the clicking sound of his claws. It was more like a shuffling noise.
Whatever it was, she didn't want to find out, and ran further into the place.
After so long, Apple Bloom felt like she had entered the belly of a terrible beast when she found a heavy iron door on a wall with no windows. Above the door, engraved in the metal frame was a sign that read 'Authorized Personnel Only.' It created an even greater sense of foreboding within her than even the front door did, only this time, Apple Bloom heeded her senses and backed away. Even if she weren't she would have been forced to anyway.
The door began to slowly open with a groan that sounded like a hungry beast.
Spurred by the noise, and determined to be unseen, Apple Bloom turned around and quickly hid behind a trash bin. Despite it being big enough to hide behind, she still pressed herself hard against the wall in an effort to be as invisible as possible.
What came through the door were three creatures. Two of them were escorting a third, much older creature through the corridor.
From her hiding spot, Apple Bloom could hear the older one was quietly mumbling something under his breath, but as soon as he passed by her, he began to loudly shout.
"Beware!! Beware!!"
Apple Bloom cowered in the small shadow of her hiding place, wishing she could escape into it.
The two creatures escorting the elderly creature had to tighten their hold, and had to pull him forcibly down the hall. After a few steps, the old man began speaking in a lower volume, reciting was sounded like a poem.


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


He repeated this poem over and over as he was taken down the hall.
"Poor damned soul. Just can't let go of the past," one of the orderlies sighed.
Apple Bloom didn't know what they meant by that, but she didn't plan on asking them. She was ready to leave, but she had a very large problem: she didn't know where the exit was.
She looked up and down the halls, unable to discern the way she came. Then once more, she was distracted by the sights of the world.
Out one of the windows, Apple Bloom could see a garden full of plants that she'd never seen before. Some looked familiar, a little like something back home. And a few of them had fruits in their branches.
Leaving would have to wait. The garden simply looked too inviting to pass up.
Down the hall, Apple Bloom found a door that led to the garden area, and stepped into its midst. Outside, there were walkways that bordered the garden's perimeter, and cut through the middle of it.
The filly walked through the garden, first examining the fruit-bearing trees, and finding red fruits that looked quite similar to apples. The only major difference was that they were bivalve like a peach.
She tried to reach for one, only to come up several feet short. But the filly was determined to try the fruit. She knew that she was too little to buck apple trees, but then this wasn't an apple tree.
Apple Bloom thrust her hooves at the tree, only for the branches to gently sway. She cursed her small stature, wishing her sister was there to help her.
Then something hit her head.
Apparently her effort wasn't in vain. One of the ripe fruits had fallen from its branch, landed on her head, and was now lying on the ground before her. Apple Bloom celebrated her small victory by taking a bite of the fruit.
Some would say it was unwise of her to do such a thing. For all she knew, the fruit was terribly bitter, sour, or even poisonous. But it was not so. The burning sensation of poisonous fruit was absent, and it was very, very sweet and juicy. It tasted like a mix of oranges, strawberries and raspberries, which made her smile giddily.
After the first bite, the filly saw that it was oozing a thick, syrupy, red liquid.
Apple Bloom swallowed her bite, and looked apprehensively at the fruit. If she didn't know better, she'd say it was bleeding. Like she had taken a bite out of a living creature. But that would be ridiculous, even for this world, wouldn't it?
Putting her doubt aside, she took another bite. It was even better than the last one with the juices she discovered. Of course it was silly for a fruit to be alive. And then something else caught her eye.
Further away in the garden, Apple Bloom could see something moving, and without any heed or caution, she went to investigate it.
What she found was a patch of leafy plants. They reminded her of ivy, the way they snaked up the stone walls. She thought they could have covered the whole wall, were they not blocked off by wooden stakes. But what made them move?
There was no wind, and there were no insects that she could see crawling on them. Apple Bloom finished the fruit she was eating, and more closely examined the wriggling plants, now noticing how familiar they looked to her.
After a few seconds of staring, she realized that the leaves on the plants were the same kind that were on Molly's head, along with the flowers were dotted here and there among the foliage. The thing was that each plant had different colored flowers. Some were yellow, some were white, some were purple, some were red, and some were pink like Molly's.
As she looked closer and closer, the filly saw what was making them wriggle.
In the spaces under the foliage of leaves, she could see fern-like tendrils shifting about. The idea that a plant could move without some outside force was strange, and sent a small hint of fear in her mind, but so far nothing here was as scary as it seemed.
Apple Bloom was about to part the leaves with her hooves to get a better look, until a hand on her back stopped her.
"Not too close. They drink blood," Courtney said to her.
Apple Bloom immediately backed away from the plants. She then realized that even if things from the dark weren't as scary as she thought, there was still danger to be aware of.
"I see you've finally caught up with us," the witch said
"Wha--? But...How'd ya know?" Apple Bloom asked. The whole time, she stayed far behind them, and neither one acted like they noticed her.
"Not much escapes the nose of a werewolf," Courtney briefly explained as she tickled Bruce's snout.
Bruce snorted, making him shake the contents of the bag he held in his teeth.
"Oh," was all the filly answered. She should have known. After all the times she tried to shirk her responsibilities at home, only for Winona to track her down, it should have been obvious that a canine creature (even one from the dark world) would have smelled her.
Her eyes were then drawn to the stark white bag he was holding, after hearing whatever was inside rattling, and noticed that Courtney was holding an identical bag in her hands now.
"Hey, what's that ya got?" Apple Bloom wondered.
"This? It's nothing special. Just some walnuts and mustard seeds for a spell I need," the witch answered.
"Really? What kinda spell?" Apple Bloom asked. After seeing the different world, full of different creatures, different plants (and even a few familiar ones) she was ready to learn about a different kind of magic.
"One that's going to help me with my work tonight," Courtney answered.
"Ya mean when ya go back the the apple orchard, right?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Exactly."
This was only half true. Courtney had never been good at lying. It was a terrible weakness of hers. But since Apple Bloom hadn't asked what was in both bags, she had no way of knowing that the witch had ingredients for two spells. In the bag Courtney held were amaranth and ynys roots (which only grew where madness nested) for any physical harm she was likely to sustain that night at Sweet Apple Acres. And one for Apple Bloom and her friends.
"What're ya gonna do with that stuff?" Apple Bloom asked.
This filly asked way too many questions for Courtney's liking.
Bruce glanced over at his mistress, wondering if she could come up with something convincing enough to divert Apple Bloom's curiosity. But she wouldn't need to.
Outside the garden, they all heard shuffling footsteps, as if something very large was walking through the halls of the building.
"Let's go. We should get you out of here before the bugbears find you," Courtney said as she hastened Apple Bloom to the door.
"A bugbear!?" Apple Bloom said.
Bugbears were something Apple Bloom knew to avoid. In all her life, she never thought about the prospect of facing one, and was glad that Courtney and Bruce were with her if she did.
"Actually: hang on," Courtney said as she returned to the fruit-bearing trees.
The witch took her time picking a fruit, making Apple Bloom anxious as the heavy shuffling got closer. Finally, Courtney picked a fruit.
"This will do," she said as she gave the fruit to Bruce, who cut it neatly in half with his claws. Courtney then extracted the seeds with her magic.
Spells were a tricky thing. Some only required the will to cast them, others could only be performed in a certain place at a certain time, and others required a specific kind of ingredient to work. The spell she needed required the latter.
In order to save herself some work, and protect the orchard from further harm, Courtney would need something purifying and protective. And the wood of an essen tree would do just fine.
A shadow materialized in front of her, and a white bag produced itself from it. Courtney placed the round, black seeds inside, and put the pouch back in the shadow, along with her bag of herbs. She would have done the same for Bruce's bag, but knew that he liked the smell of mustard seeds.
"Alright. Now we can leave," Courtney said as she walked toward the door.
Apple Bloom followed her and Bruce out. But as they left, she heard shuffling footsteps stop, and the door at the far end of the garden open.
The filly looked back, and saw a creature poking its head through the door. Though she only saw it for a second before she left, she saw that its head was huge, brown, and had a short snout, giving it an almost simian appearance. Its mouth was full of long teeth, which jutted out of its gaping mouth. And its eyes were copper-y in color. If that was a bugbear, it was very different than the ones she knew back home.
But it was behind them now, and after what seemed like a very short walk to Apple Bloom, they arrived at the front door, and exited that horrible place.
> Chapter 6: The Heart of a Child
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6

The Heart of a Child


Apple Bloom relished every second of being back outside. After the experience in the building she was just in, it was nice to be in a place where she felt safe. Having grown up in an orchard, she always felt more at home in the outdoors. And even in a land as strange as the other side of darkness, fresh air was fresh air.
Everything looked different as she walked back towards town, even though it was all the same. The different perspective allowed her to observe more of the landscape in new way that made her mind wander to whatever else went on in that world.
She asked question after question about the world beyond the darkness, and found the answers quite enlightening. For instance, she learned that normally the dark kin couldn't enter Equestria. But during the change of seasons, the magics of the two worlds would mix, creating doorways that the creatures of the night could freely use to walk between the worlds. Some of these doorways were conjured, like what the Cutie Mark Crusaders saw Courtney do back at her house. But, others simply appeared on their own as a result of the two magic's mingling.
Sometimes, civilians from the dark world would accidentally walk into Equestria, and get lost or trapped there. Or dangerous creatures would wander through the doorways, and encounter the light-dwellers. Courtney explained that it was the job of certain people (particularly those skilled in magic) to retrieve these creatures, in order to keep the worlds separated from one another.
Their topics ranged to other things, such as how in this world, there was no sun, and thus no creature there had ever seen sunlight. Or how there were no ruling princesses.
Apple Bloom was especially surprised to learn that werewolves didn't actually transform, and they stayed werewolves their entire lives. Courtney herself was very surprised to learn that ponies believed that drinking rainwater from a pawprint would do such a thing as turn the drinker into a werewolf.
At some point, the conversation turned to Equestria, and Courtney found herself learning new things as well.
"What exactly is a cutie mark?" the witch asked.
"It's just the most important thing a pony can get. It shows what a pony's special talent is," Apple Bloom explained.
It wasn't often that Apple Bloom got to freely talk about her and her friends' quest to attain their cutie marks, since everypony she knew already had one. Being able to talk to somepony about it was exciting for her.
"See, where I'm from, everypony tries to find what makes 'em special an' unique from everypony else. An' when they find it, they get their cutie marks on their flanks so everypony can see!" the filly explained.
"Interesting," Courtney said, "No one here gets symbols that show our talents. We have to put them on display for others to see. Come to think of it: neither you, nor your friends has one."
Bruce bumped Courtney with his head.
"What is it?" Courtney asked, slightly annoyed.
Bruce glanced over to Apple Bloom, who Courtney saw looked slightly forlorn. It appeared that she had said the wrong thing.
"Are you alright?" The witch asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Apple Bloom sighed, "It's just that me an' my friends have been crusadin' fer our cutie marks for months now, an' we aren't any closer to it. Sometimes, I feel like we'll never find our special talents..."
Hearing the filly's words awoke something dormant within Courtney. Something from her childhood, when all of her peers, and even her parents looked down on her for her passions. Growing up, she didn't have many friends to offer her solace, and wanted to spare Apple Bloom such an ordeal.
"You shouldn't give up trying to find your talent so quickly. It was years before I found out what I was meant to do with mine," Courtney consoled the filly.
"Well, it shoulda been easy for you. As soon as ya learn witchcraft, ya become a witch," Apple Bloom said.
"That's not quite how it went," Courtney answered.
What Courtney said next was something that she never divulged to anyone. For her, it was a doorway that led to many dark passages in her life where she felt insignificant and looked down on. But for Apple Bloom, it may offer her the encouragement she needed.
"You see, ever since I was a little girl, I was fascinated by magic. I started learning about it almost as soon as I could read, and I practised from morning to night. Unfortunately, there's not much to do when you practise witchcraft, other than exorcisms, academic pursuits, and keeping our worlds separated. And I had no interest in any of that. Suffice it to say, that didn't make my parents proud of me. They said that I'd be wasting my time if I didn't choose a direction. Especially my mother, who wanted me to take after her, and visit Equestria every year with her. But when I was fifteen, I met Molly, who wanted to be a performer. The only problem was that even though she was very talented, her show was rather bland. So, I decided to spruce up her act with a few special effects."
Courtney illustrated her point by creating a wisp of fog that danced around her, before it took the shape of a ghostly creature that offered a rose to Apple Bloom. Before the filly could accept it, the creature disappeared in a burst of mist.
"As soon as we finished our first act together, I knew it was what I wanted to do with my magical skills: dazzle crowds with a phantasmagoria of illusions, pyrotechnics and light shows. So you see, everyone finds their talent eventually. You just have to find what you like to do," Courtney said.
"But, I don't know what I wanna do. Most foals find their special talent when they're about six or seven, an' I'm turnin' eight in a few months! I don't wanna be fifteen by the time I get my cutie mark!" Apple Bloom said.
"Then I guess you'll just have to keep trying as many things as you can. I'm sure one of them will become your cutie mark," Courtney answered. Next, she muttered to herself, but only just loud enough for Apple Bloom to hear, "If you want, you could take this job from me."
"I don't think I wanna do that. After bein' in that tunnel with that...what'd ya call it? A cavio?" Apple Bloom replied.
"Yes."
"Yeah. After that, I don't think I wanna see anymore dark creatures."
Bruce answered with a disappointed groan.
"Except fer you, Bruce. Yer welcome on Sweet Apple Acres anytime," Apple Bloom assured him.
Bruce groaned again as he affectionately rubbed his head against her, almost knocking the filly down.
"An' you, Courtney. Yer welcome at my place too," Apple Bloom continued.
"That's very nice of you to offer. But I'm not too keen to stay there longer than I need to," Courtney said as she walked ahead.
Courtney's words confused Apple Bloom. Equestria was a nice enough place when you weren't in the Everfree Forest, so what was she talking about? The filly briefly looked at Bruce, about to ask him what Courtney meant, only to decide against it when she realized that he only knew as much as Winona ever did.
"Hey, wait a second. Why don't ya wanna stay in Equestria an' get to know everypony," Apple Bloom said as she and Bruce caught up to Courtney.
"I'm not particularly fond of being murdered," the witch answered.
"But, there's never been a murder in Ponyville. It's full o' really nice ponies who are always glad to see newcomers. Especially Pinkie Pie. She'd throw ya a great big party if she knew y'all were comin'," Apple Bloom reasoned.
"It doesn't matter how friendly the people in your town are. People like me are unwelcome in your world," Courtney said bitterly.
Apple Bloom was stunned by the sudden change in Courtney's tone. Where she was from, ponies were always eager to make new friends. And from what she learned, the dark denizens valued friendship just as much. So, why was Courtney so resistant to going to Equestria.
"How would you know? You ain't been to Equestria before last night," she said, hoping that she would get some more information from the witch.
"I haven't, but others have. For centuries, people from my world have gotten lost in yours, only to be hunted down and killed for the sole reason that we were different from them. So great was their fear of us that ponies started creating devices for torture and execution to find dark kin who were hiding among them. I'm certain that many of them were innocent victims of mass hysteria, and all because of some baseless fear!" Courtney said.
What she heard rang to Apple Bloom. Granny Smith told a story one year about hunts for evil creatures. She always thought the stories about dark creatures were make believe, but now she was seeing how history had affected them.
"But, that was a real long time ago. Things mighta changed by now," Apple Bloom reasoned.
"Things don't change!" Courtney snapped, "I was no older than you when my father was killed by a light-dweller! I remember all too well how I was expecting him home for my seventh birthday, but all I got was the gift he intended for me!"
Apple Bloom stopped walking again when she remembered what Courtney said about her necklace. How it was the only thing she had to remember her father. In the back of her mind, she had thought about what might have happened to Courtney's dad, but never expected that it would be something so terrible like murder.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I know how ya feel, 'cause I don't got a dad neither. Or a mom," Apple Bloom apologized.
Hearing the filly's words brought a new light to Courtney. She realized how she had been acting, like she was the only one who had ever lost someone precious to her. Losing her father was the most horrible thing she ever felt, but now she was face to face with an orphan. And such a young one at that.
"Pardon me, but I never did ask your name," the witch said. She saw the filly's puzzled look, and decided she had better explain her reason for asking, "I'd like to know who I'm apologising to."
It then occurred to Apple Bloom that she never formally introduced herself. Normally, it was the first thing she would do when meeting a new friend. But then again, this witch wasn't exactly her friend.
"I'm Apple Bloom," she answered.
"Alright," Courtney began, "Apple Bloom, I'm sorry for what I said. I realise it was very selfish. A sweet child like you shouldn't be without her parents."
"It's okay. I never actually knew 'em," Apple Bloom said, only making herself and Courtney sadder by her own words.
"Did you have any family growing up at all?" Courtney asked.
"Yeah. I grew up with my Granny. An' my brother an' sister too. It was just the four o' us for as long as I remember. But I don't think I'd have it any other way. Granny's real smart, an' she taught me lots o' stuff. My brother, Big Macintosh, is always helpin' me with my homework, an' other stuff. An' my sister, Applejack, she's one o' the best mares I know, an' I wanna be just like her some day," Apple Bloom said.
"You're very lucky to have someone to look up to. I'm an only child, so I wouldn't know about these kinds of things. But your sister sounds like a lovely person," Courtney replied.
"She is. An' maybe, I guess if ya felt like it, ya might wanna meet her?"
"Maybe some day. For now, we should get you home," Courtney said with a hint of a grin.
"Wait! I can't go home without my friends," Apple Bloom exclaimed. She had almost forgotten about them after the ordeals she went through.
"Right," Courtney said before she turned to Bruce, "Bruce, would you sniff you Apple Bloom's friends for her?"
The werewolf got to work right away, and started sniffing them out.
After rounding a corner, Bruce led them to Courtney's house, walked through the door and stopped in the hall in front of the doorway that led to the library. When the witch and the filly went to investigate, they found a rather humorous sight.
"Courtney...We have a situation here," Molly said, under great strain.
Whatever happened while they were gone, Molly was now on the floor, completely tangled in her bandages, and more of her limbs were broken off from her.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood beside her with her bandages in their hooves.
"She just started falling apart all of a sudden," Sweetie Belle said.
"We tried putting her back together, but she just broke even more," Scootaloo added.
"I didn't break! You pulled my leg off!" Molly said.
"I thought we could use some of the bandages from there to fix your hand. Besides, we caught everything before it got away," Scootaloo said as she held up Molly's flailing limbs, which were all tightly bound together by more bandages.
"It would have been easier if we had an extra pair of hooves," Sweetie said to Apple Bloom.
"Sorry, but I got kinda sidetracked." Apple Bloom apologized to her friends. However, she didn't regret it one bit. She had been involved in many disastrous mishaps since she helped form the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and this would just be another page in their book of failures. Seeing the new world, spending time with Courtney and learning new things made it worth abandoning her friends in their time of need.
"So, I'd appreciate it if you could fix my bandages for me," Molly said, as she struggled to loose herself.
Courtney sighed as she looked at the scene before her. She offered her finger to Bruce, who nicked the pad of it with one of his claws, drawing blood from her.
"Molly, you know better than to let it go this far," Courtney gently admonished.
The sight of blood completely caught Molly's attention.
It had been so long since she fed, and she hated to be a bother. But at the moment, she was on the floor in shambles, leaving her no other choice. She pulled one arm free from her bandages and dragged herself across the floor at a surprising speed for having only one leg and one arm with no hand.
Courtney knelt down to the floor where her friend could reach her.
Molly touched her cheek to Courtney's bleeding finger, and breathed heavily as sweet relief washed over her. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so good as she absorbed Courtney's blood through her skin.
With a yelp, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle jumped away when Molly's disembodied limbs started flailing madly and broke free of their restraints.
Apple Bloom hid behind Bruce as Molly's limbs crawled across the floor toward her, and watched from behind him as they all headed for Molly.
The fillies watched as Molly's body parts all reattached to her frame in their proper place, their tissues rejoining, and becoming a part of her once more.
Also, as the seconds passed, their brown withered skin started becoming greener as it replenished itself on Courtney's blood.
Once her hand reattached itself, Molly's arms extended unnaturally, as if made of elastic to ensnare Courtney in a tight hug.
She had already had her fill, but it was such a rush that she couldn't stop herself. After drinking more of Courtney's blood, Molly's entire body became a more vibrant green color, and the flower buds in her fronds started blooming into pink, five petaled flowers.
She sighed contently as she fed, but was snapped out of her pleasure when she heard Courtney's voice.
"Molly...I'm getting dizzy..."
"Oh my!" Molly gasped as she let go of Courtney. "I'm sorry! It's just been so long! I'd forgotten how good it feels."
"It's alright. No problems heeeeeeere......" Courtney said as she stood up, only for her to fall over.
Bruce crouched down behind Courtney and caught her so she draped over his back.
"Oh...I don't remember the carpet being this soft," she said as she ran her fingers through Bruce's fur.
"That was the most disgusting thing I ever saw. Ever," Scootaloo said.
"Oh, sweet Celestia..." Sweetie Belle groaned. She couldn't stand the sight of blood, and the mere idea of drinking it made her turn a sickly shade of green.
Apple Bloom was also disgusted by what she saw, but she also saw it a different way than her friends. From what she saw, she realized that Molly desperately craved blood. Nopony, but somepony who greatly cared for her would consent to have their blood drained by her to keep her healthy. In a terrifying, disgusting way, it was the most beautiful act of friendship she had seen in a long time.
"Now that you're taken care of, could someone get Bruce? I need him to take me to my work room," Courtney said, still in a daze.
Bruce turned his head to face Courtney, and groaned to let her know he was there.
"Oh, there you are...Do you still have those ingredients?" Courtney asked.
Bruce obviously still had the pure white bag still in his mouth, but he rattled it anyway for Courtney to see.
"Lovely. Now I can get to work..."
Without even needing a command, Bruce knew where Courtney wanted to go. He walked out of the room with his mistress draped over his back with Molly in tow in case her friend needed help.
"What kind of work do you think she's doing?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"What else? Witchcraft," Scootaloo answered as she hurried down the hall with Apple Bloom.
That was all Sweetie Belle needed to hear. She ran down the hall after her friends, and followed them after the dark creatures.
Down the hall, their three hosts opened a door that led to a flight of stairs. As eager as they were to find out what was about to happen, they hesitated at the top when they saw where they were about to go.
At the bottom of the stairs, their new friends disappeared into an unfathomable darkness that swallowed them whole. The only thing they could make out down there was the familiar smell of earth, and the only noise was of their friends' steps on the creaking, wooden stairs.
"Gee. It's...really dark down there. Do ya still got those matches, Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom said as they all stared into the darkness.
Sweetie produced the match box from her mane, and tried to strike a match a few times. Each attempt was done unsuccessfully.
"Come on...Come on," she grumbled as the match refused to ignite.
"Let me try," Scootaloo said as she took the matchbox from her friend. She too tried to strike a match, but it still remained obstinate. "Darn it, Sweetie Belle! What did you do to these matches!?"
She looked up for an answer, only to see her friends both staring into the darkness.
Somewhere far below, they watched a faint light glow, then dim.
Seeing the light filled the fillies with a strong apprehension. Even though they were so eager to see the witch work a moment ago, not one of them was willing to brave the darkness at the bottom of the stairs. Neither Scootaloo, nor Sweetie Belle understood why they felt so afraid. To Apple Bloom, it was all too familiar.
Apple Bloom recognized the light as the one she saw last night in the Everfree, but much smaller. Whatever it was, it made her feel like she did at the hilltop building she visited with Courtney, but somehow different.
The first time, it was as if she wasn't wanted inside the building, but this time, it felt like she was being welcomed inside. Beckoned by some kind of ethereal, sinister force, like a fly being invited to the spider's parlour.
"Let's wait up here for them," Apple Bloom quickly said, suddenly afraid to find out what was down there.
She got no argument from her friends, who both walked away with her back to the library.



In the dark room below, Molly and Bruce were trying their best to help Courtney.
"Alright, let's get you situated," Molly said as she tried to stand her friend upright.
No good, since Courtney was still dizzy from the loss of blood, and started wobbling again.
Before she fell, Bruce grabbed a nearby chair and placed it behind Courtney so that she fell right into its seat.
All the while behind them the light shined and faded in the darkness.
"How fortunate there was a chair there," Courtney swooned as her head slowly stopped spinning.
To get the work started, Bruce placed the bag he held on the wooden table before them, and opened the bag so that its contents spilled out. Among them, Molly noticed the walnuts Courtney had bought.
She didn't know all that much about witchcraft, but after knowing Courtney for so long, she learned at least a few things. For instance, walnuts were particularly potent ingredients for memory altering spells, earning them the nickname 'the forget-me-nut.'
"Walnuts? But they're only fillies," Molly said. 
"Fillies who have seen far more than any light-dweller should have. As innocent as children supposedly are, they could be the ones who commence our downfall," Courtney said as she magically summoned her other ingredient bags from the shadows, and began drawing magical signs on the table.
The light in the room slowly slithered toward the witch.
"How? What are they going to do? Cute us to death?" Molly rebutted.
"Why must I be the adult here?" Courtney sighed. "Once they tell the others about us, they'll tell them how to find us. And as it was so long ago, and even now, it could spell torture and a fiery demise for us."
Molly understood where Courtney was coming from. She never lost anyone to light-dweller's fear, but had lost many siblings who never found a friend who was willing to offer their blood. And those who did never kept those friends for very long. It made her feel like she had to resign to her fate, and whither and die before she ever became a singer. But when she met Courtney, she found someone, who in seven years never once complained about the blood-letting. To her, it was more than a fated meeting. It showed her that nothing was absolute.
"That's not what they're all like, Courtney. As little time as I've spent with those fillies, I can tell you that they only want to do good. Even as I was falling apart in public, they did nothing but try to put me back together. And when that failed, they brought me here so that you could fix me. Thanks, by the way. My point is that even though there may still be rampant fear and hatred of us, there may be others who are willing to learn about us, and become our friends. And maybe one day in the future, we might be expected to come to their world. Welcomed even," Molly said.
Courtney thought over what Molly said to her as the light slithered around the legs of the chair, and between her ankles. She remembered how Apple Bloom invited her to meet her family shortly before, and how she herself almost felt like accepting. Apple Bloom really was a sweet girl, and she could see so much potential in her. She would have liked to help the filly discover it, but it wasn't the way things could be. After tonight, they would never see each other again, and Apple Bloom would forget she ever existed.
The light slithering around her drifted up to the table, and hovered in front of Courtney, where it glowed more brightly, taking on a more defined, more horrifying shape.
Courtney looked back at it, and saw all of her thoughts reflected in the light's form: a strange mix of dilemma with a touch of sadness.
"I need to get some work done. Could you keep our guests occupied?" was all the witch answered.
As her best friend, and her familiar, Molly and Bruce knew when Courtney wanted to be alone. Not finding it necessary to say anything, the two left Courtney in silence with her gloomy little light, and her bags of ingredients to finally get her work done.



When she was finished, Courtney came out of her dark chamber with pouches of her finished concoctions.
The smaller of the two, she put away into her pocket of shadows. The other, she kept in her hand as she looked for her friends.
They weren't difficult to find, since she heard their voices coming from exactly where she left them in the library.
She reached into her bag, and grabbed a pinch of powder for the fillies, but hesitated just before she got to the door.
"Alright, watch me. If you really want to turn heads, you need to act like you want to. Observe," Molly said as she strode across the room and back.
From what Courtney could see from the doorway, Molly was teaching Sweetie Belle her style of showmanship. At the moment, she was teaching the filly how to capture and audience's attention.
To Sweetie Belle, it looked like just a normal kind of walk. Just quicker, with slightly exaggerated movements. Then again, it was similar to how she had seen the models her sister worked with walk, and everypony looked at them.
"Okay. Here it goes," she said as she slowly emulated Molly's walking pattern. It was difficult for her to translate it from a two-legged upright posture to her quadrupedal posture, but after a second or two, she sped up to Molly's pace. Until she tripped over her own hooves.
"Have a nice trip, Sweetie?" Scootaloo giggled, as she rode on Bruce's shoulders.	
"Remember what I told you, Sweetie Belle: confidence is key," Molly reminded as she demonstrated once more. "If you feel confident with your stride, you can keep the proper stance and rhythm. And if you display confidence, others will pick up on that, and won't be able to take their eyes off of you."
"That sounds like a lot of work just to walk," Sweetie Belle said.
"It's true, it is a lot of work. But a simpler way is to wear the right clothes," Molly said, as she showed off her revealing ensemble. "Example: I have a shapely figure, and what I wear accentuates it. This in turn catches the eye of swooning gentlemen, jealous ladies, and the irritation of puritans who think they can better society by mandating what they think women should wear."
It was like a revelation to Sweetie Belle, who already had access to all kinds of clothes. Maybe she could be like her sister, and find ways to make things stand out. Only, she would be drawing attention to the ponies, and not to the clothes they were wearing.
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was busy reading a book she found on one of the shelves. While she was browsing earlier, she found a book titled Wildlife Encyclopaedia, Fourth Edition. In its pages, she found information about all kinds of creatures that would have made Fluttershy either giggle with glee or shudder with terror. One or two of them, she recognized from what she had seen that night, but many others were completely new to her. At the moment, she was reading a page dedicated to werewolves.
Seeing them like this made Courtney hate herself for what she had to do. Why did these fillies have to be so sweet and friendly? Why did her friends have to get along with them so well? Why did Apple Bloom have to remind her so much of herself? Maybe what Molly said was true, and the beings of light and dark could live together.
The witch ran the magical powder through her fingers, and prepared for what was to come.
But not just yet.
She knew that at some point she would have to erase their memories, but this was one that the fillies would cherish as long as they had it. She could allow them that pleasure for just a minute longer. So long as mother didn't find out.
A thread of shadows wrapped around Courtney's bag of powder, and pulled it into the darkness where it was swallowed up. She knew that if she didn't hide it, the fillies would ask about it until she let slip what she was planning to do.
"Alright. I'm finished," Courtney said as she walked into the room.
"So, we're ready to leave?" Molly asked with a hint of excitement in her voice. After talking to the fillies, she simply couldn't pass up the chance to visit a world inhabited by tiny equines.
"That's right. Let's go," Courtney said.
Any other time, Courtney would have declined her friend visiting Equestria with her, but after their conversation a moment ago, she couldn't see the harm. Also, Molly was quite adept when it came to agricultural affairs, and the essen seeds could use her green touch.
"Already? But we want to see more of the city," Scootaloo asked from her perch atop Bruce.
"Yeah. Molly said you work in a cabaret. I want to see the kind of shows you do," Sweetie Belle added.
"No, we should go to the soothsayer's house. He might be able to tell us what to do for our cutie marks," Scootaloo rebutted.
"But, I want to see other performers. We already tried putting on a concert before, but seeing those street performers made me think we should try more things," Sweetie said.
"Maybe another time. But, we need to get you home now," Courtney said.
"Ya mean we can come back?" Apple Bloom asked hopefully.
Hearing the filly's budding glee put a dagger in Courtney's heart. Without another word, she used her magic to summon two masses of shadows. One that swallowed the book that Apple Bloom was reading; reference material, in case the witch needed it.
The other quickly took the shape of a bat-like creature that startled the foals. The creature spread its wings, and became the column of shadows that linked their worlds together. Whether it was a real creature, or just a product of Courtney's theatrical skills, they had no way of knowing. And before they could ask, Courtney started herding them through.
The fillies went first, followed by Bruce, who dropped to all fours to accommodate the smaller space he was about to enter.
Molly giggled quietly before she stepped through the shadows.
Courtney exhaled deeply to psyche herself up for the work she had ahead of her and followed after, while the portal closed behind them.



Back in her hut, Zecora was pacing frantically, wondering what she was to tell her friends in case the fillies didn't come back. She knew she should have kept a closer eye on them! She knew how inquisitive they all were! What would she say? How could she tell them? How could she console them when--
"OH MY GOODNESS!!! LOOK AT US!!!"
Zecora nearly jumped through her ceiling when she heard the sudden shout from an unfamiliar voice. She ran to her back room to investigate, only to bump into a wall made of fur, which started licking the side of her head.
"Bruce please, step aside! Let our other friends inside!" Zecora asked as she pushed Bruce's head back.
She backpedaled to the main room of her hut, followed by Bruce, who just barely fit through the larger door. When nopony else came, Zecora looked into her back room, and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders in the clutches of an unfamiliar green mare with a leafy mane. Next to her though, was her pitch black friend.
"Courtney! Help!" Scootaloo strained under the pressure of Molly's hug.
"Molly. That's enough," was all Courtney said to make her friend's arms unravel.
"I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist! They're so adorable!" Molly squealed as she shuddered giddily.
"That lady's got some serious problems," Apple Bloom said as she and her friends crawled away from Molly, and hopefully out of reach of her bizarrely elastic arms. They were stopped short, however, by bumping into Zecora's knees.
"Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! What were you thinking when you went through?" Zecora scolded the foals, who all retreated back to the safety of the dark creatures.
"You've nothing to worry about, Zecora. They never left my sight when they intruded into my home," Courtney assured her striped friend.
"That's a lie. You left town to go to that scary buildin' on the hill," Apple Bloom said.
"Are you so unwise to leave three foals unsupervised?" Zecora said to Courtney.
"Actually, I was looking after them while nature girl here was wandering off. I'm Molly, by the way," Molly answered for her friend.
"Zecora is my name. Brewing potions is my game," the zebra answered.
"What were you doing while you were gone anyway," Scootaloo asked.
Before Courtney could answer, Apple Bloom did for her.
"She was lookin' fer ingredients fer a spell in some kind o' loony bin."
"A spell? What spell was it?" Sweetie Belle said excitedly.
Courtney didn't like the way she sounded, for she knew that the next question was going to be.
"She said it was gonna protect our orchard," Apple Bloom answered.
Relief washed over the witch, now that she didn't have to answer any questions. But they were starting to make her anxious. They held onto their memory of the dark world for long enough, and it was time she ensured she was not found out.
Courtney summoned her bag of memory powder from her pocket of shadows, and readied a hoofful of the stuff. She was just about to sprinkle it over them, until she felt Molly's hoof stay her's.
The leafy creature then motioned for Courtney to listen to what the fillies were saying.
"She can do that? Wow! You never hear about that in your Granny's stories," Sweetie Belle said.
"Yeah. How come there are never stories about how nice the dark creatures are?" Scootaloo added.
"I don't know, but I can't wait to make more friends with them," Apple Bloom said.
Both Molly and Zecora grinned when they saw how Courtney's face changed.
Slowly, the witch lowered the bag she was holding, as the fillies' earnest words sank into her once more. She just couldn't do it.
Her friends smiled at her, knowing what she was thinking, while Bruce stuck his snout in the bag, and began eating the contents within.
Courtney whipped the bag from Bruce's muzzle, and quickly placed it in her pocket of shadows. Having been snapped out of her thoughts, she was now able to hear what was going on around her.
"Courtney. Do not fret for what you will hear, but I've found something something terrible, I fear," Zecora said.
Earlier that night, Zecora found something in the woods that she meant to tell Courtney about, but with the arrival and disappearance of the foals, she had to put it on hold. Now, she could show Courtney what she had.
"What's this?" Courtney asked as Zecora gave her three twigs that were slightly singed.
No sooner did she finish speaking, did she and Molly realize what they meant.
"Where did you find these?" Courtney said.
"Three of four miles from my home. That it was so close chills me to my bone."
"That doesn't quite rhyme," Molly almost stammered, trying to alleviate the air of fear.
Unknown to the ponies of Equestria, something horrible walked among them. An unstoppable force from the centuries before that killed many dark kin.
"Hey. Is everything okay over there?" Scootaloo asked.
Everything was not okay, but the adults couldn't let the foals know that.
"Let's just get you all home," Courtney answered.
It was all too obvious that she was avoiding the question. Before they could press the witch further about the issue, they all heard hooves rapidly approaching the front door.
"Apple Bloom!" A familiar voice called.
"Applejack!" Apple Bloom gasped.
That was all the approaching mare needed to hear.
The very second she heard her sister's voice, Applejack threw the door open with all her force. The very second she did, a chill wind blew through the hut from the outside, extinguishing all of the lights and enveloping the room in a terrible darkness that swallowed each of the dark creatures. Not even Courtney's glowing eyes appeared through the thick shadows.
In the doorway stood seven ponies and a dog. With only a sliver of moonlight, they appeared as black silhouettes. Though the harsh glares of the three in front were all too plain to see in the light of Applejack's lantern.
"Scootaloo! What the buck are you doing out here!?" Dash yelled as she darted in front of her foal.
Scootaloo had never seen Rainbow Dash this mad before. And the way she scolded her was something she never experienced before either.
"And you, Sweetie Belle! Have you any idea what could have happened to you," Rarity added. After what she and her friends discussed that night, she wasn't about to let her sister go out at night ever again.
Calmly and steadily as anything, Applejack and Big Macintosh walked between the two mares.
Applejack cast her stern gaze to the fillies, but Big Macintosh's face was as unchanged as ever. Dash and Rarity scared them enough, but seeing Apple siblings was something else. While the other two mares outright exploded with rage, these two maintained their composure, which seemed somehow more threatening. But it was Applejack's harsh glare that made all three of them cringe.
"Start talkin' Apple Bloom. I know yer the ringleader here, so ya better have a dang good explanation fer this," the farm pony demanded.
Apple Bloom tried to think of a way to answer, but she didn't think that even her sister could believe what happened.
"Uh...We..."
"Do you remember what me an' Granny have been tellin' ya all these years? Did ya forget how dangerous the Everfree is at night?" Applejack said.
"I..." No other words came to Apple Bloom.
"Ya done a lot o' really dumb stuff, but this is worst! Ya put yerself, an' yer friends in danger! One foal already died here today, an' that's one too many in the first place!"
Applejack paused, to allow the seriousness of her words to sink in. Before she could speak again, Zecora stepped in.
"Please, Applejack, there is no reason to fret. It was only a short time before the fillies and I met," the zebra explained.
"That ain't the point, Zecora. My sister was out at night, an' I'm gonna find out why," Applejack answered.
"I understand this is so, but the hour is very late, and home you must all go," Zecora said.
Apple Bloom dared to be relieved. If her sister listened to Zecora, which was as unlikely as anything, she could temporarily avoid any punishment. And it seemed like she was in luck.
"Fine. But we're gonna have a very long talk about this first thing tomorrow," Applejack said as she turned to leave. She agreed with Zecora, but there was no way she would let her sister off the hook.
Apple Bloom looked up at her brother, hoping he'd offer some kind of comforting advice like he usually did, but he remained completely silent. It was his way of telling her that she would get no help from him.
He guided the fillies out the door while Twilight stayed to apologize to Zecora.
"I'm sorry for barging in like this, but we were looking for them. And when Applejack realized where her dog was leading us...Well, you know how she is," the librarian said.
"Perfectly understandable are her feelings of protection. I myself have a brother for whom I have great affection," Zecora answered.
That was an interesting piece of information. As long as she knew Zecora, Twilight never knew she had a brother. Then again, Zecora didn't talk about her family all that much in the first place.
Twilight would have loved to stay and pursue the subject, but the zebra was right about the late hour, and everypony would be better off home in bed.
"Okay. Thank you for understanding. Come on everypony. Let's go home," Twilight said.
"Winona. Come," Applejack commanded her pet.
The dog, however, did not budge. She was busy staring deep into the shadows of the hut.
Through the veil of darkness, she knew something was there, though she couldn't be certain. Something there was speaking to her, telling her not to make any noise, or come any closer. Something that made her feel afraid.
A glint of yellow in the darkness sent her running after her pony, too glad to be going home.
"Good night. Sleep tight. And don't let the parasprites bite," Zecora bade her friends as the left. Once they were gone, and Zecora shut her front door, the lights in the hut flickered back to life, and the shadows slipped away.
When the dark creatures stepped forth, Courtney was now sporting a pair of tea specs, which covered her glowing eyes.
"Did you see that? They would have been so cute if they weren't so stern," Molly said to Courtney.
"I'm sure. But I've always been more of a werewolf person," Courtney said. When she wasn't keeping a wary eye on the ponies, she was looking at Winona, and wondered exactly what kind of werewolf she was, if at all. "Sorry for all the trouble we've caused you tonight, Zecora," Courtney said to her friend.
"I must say, it has been no fun. But, everything is right, and you, my friend, have work to get done."
"Are we going to see more night mares?" Molly asked.
"They call them 'ponies' here. And we can't stay to gawk at them. Remember, we have work to do," Courtney said.
"Yeah, alright," Molly conceded.
"Then let's go."
Molly would have giggled again, if not for the sake of seeming professional. She and Bruce joined Courtney at the door, until Zecora had one last question.
"You visited the asylum on the hill. Is my brother there still?" the zebra asked.
Courtney had no plans to tell Zecora about her brother. The answer would only worry her. But since she asked, she was forced to tell.
"I'm afraid not. A portal opened in his cell, and he's somewhere in Equestria now," Courtney said.
She paused for a moment when she saw Zecora place a worried hoof over her mouth.
"But, don't worry. I think I've found him," the witch assured her friend.
Bruce groaned quietly.
"Sorry. Bruce tracked him, and I know where to find him," Courtney corrected herself.
"I've not seen him in so long. He must feel so bitter and grim. When you find him, tell him I meant no wrong. And say his sister loves him," Zecora said.
"Said and done," Courtney assured before she left for the night with her friends in tow.
Evil lurked in the woods outside, and the ponies had to be protected from harm. The three of them would watch over the night travelers, and then their work would begin.
> Chapter 7: Dark Was the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7

Dark Was the Night


After the adventure of the night, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were almost relieved to be going home, even if it meant they were going to be in very big trouble with their families.
The whole time, Rainbow Dash was discussing Scootaloo's punishment, and Rarity was was chiding Sweetie Belle about the repercussions of her actions and what their parents would say if anything happened to her. The Apple siblings, however, remained completely silent.
There was nothing that Apple Bloom could say to soften whatever punishment she was in for. Whenever she tried to say anything at all, Applejack cut her off with a curt, "No."
Big Macintosh simply didn't see fit to say anything at all for the time being. Whatever could be said could wait until they got home.
Unknown to them, they were not alone in the woods. Neither Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo saw anything, since they were busy being scolded. But all around, Apple Bloom could see dark creatures beyond the glow of her sister's lantern. Perhaps they were simply animals she knew, and were distorted by the darkness. But, seeing them was wondrous to her.
Next to her, Winona was looking in all directions, keeping sure that there was nothing that could hurt her ponies.
"Ya see 'em too, don't ya, girl?" Apple Bloom whispered to her dog.
Being a dog, Winona had no way of answering. If she could, she would have asked how Apple Bloom knew about the things like that. But, having known one another since they were young, they had other ways of communication.
"I'll tell ya when we get home," Apple Bloom said.
Winona wagged her tail. Whatever Apple Bloom could tell her, it may help her to protect her family from the strange creatures.
Looking up, Apple Bloom could see Applejack's eyes glancing in all the directions she saw the shadows. It made the filly wonder if her sister could see the creatures as well. But, she didn't bother asking. She knew that she would be cut off by another 'no,' and be forced to walk in silence.
Finally, they reached the edge of the forest, and arrived at the apple orchard. The others all went their separate ways home, while the Apples all walked through the trees to their front porch.
As they got closer, they passed through the dead trees nearest to the house. In the dark of the night, the lantern cast harsh shadows on the trees, turning their leafless branches into twisted arms that threatened to grab at the passing ponies.
Apple Bloom stared warily at the trees, hoping the dark magic of the other world hadn't somehow affected them. She didn't know if that was possible, but after what she had seen she didn't know what to think anymore.
Far in the distance, she thought she could once again hear the phantom music playing. Somewhere far away, somepony was playing an eerie tune, inviting others to follow and join the ranks of their dark band. Her sister was mad enough at her, so Apple Bloom huddled closer to Winona for safety.
As soon as the filly set hoof on her porch, she felt a gust of wind blow behind her. As it was before, the wind carried a message on it. This time it was different. It was telling her not to be afraid, and that she could sleep peacefully that night. And she knew exactly who was telling her.
Looking back, Apple Bloom saw a ghostly glimmer of blue deep in the shadows of the orchard. And that was all she had time to see, before she was hurried into the house by her sister.
Without another word, she, Winona, Applejack, and finally Big Macintosh walked inside their home. The door creaked shut, and the light in the window was turned off.
Deeper in the orchard, two visitors were observing the scene.
"Do you think they'll be too hard on her?" Molly asked from their shadowy hiding place.
"She'll be fine, Molly. With loving siblings like them, she's in good hands," Courtney answered.
Bruce groaned, correcting Courtney.
"As you like. She's in good hooves."
"And what about the others? That snobby one looked too dainty to dole out serious punishment. But, that one with a man's voice sounded a little unhinged," Molly said.
Courtney chuckled lightly at her friend's observation before she answered.
"I'm sure she'll be reasonable with her filly. I remember your mother yelling at you like that when we were children."
"And if you remember, she was a royal bitch," Molly said.
"Undoubtedly," the witch agreed.
Before either mare could say anything more, a shadow flew over them all, prompting them to look up and see a familiar sight. It seemed that another creature from their world had flown through a portal, and was now flying the skies of Equestria.
"A mawnan. Fantastic," Courtney said.
Though mawnans weren't known for being hostile, one that was cornered could easily kill a pony if it was threatened. In order to keep the body count as low as possible, something had to be done about it. But, Courntey was busy with the orchard, and animals weren't necessarily her specialty. Fortunately, she knew someone who was in tune with the animal language.
"Bruce. Can you handle that bird for me?" the witch asked.
On command, Bruce rushed into town after the avian creature to keep it from doing any potential harm.
"Alright. What do we do now?" Molly asked.
"As it is in any good suspense novel: we wait," Courtney said as she drew two pouches from her pocket of shadows.
Through a small opening in the clouds, the moon cast a watchful gaze on Sweet Apple Acres. Instead of its usual, gentle, motherly glow, it seemed somehow harsh and admonishing. It was as if the moon was warning ponies to stay indoors that night, for fear of the dangers that lurked in the dark.
Through the trees, the shadows continued to scuttle, scurry, and devour one another. In the branches, apples were eaten by the hungry creatures, making a quiet din with their scurrying and munching. The winds through the trees, and the creatures of the night created a silent symphony of noises that mingled together, drawing more of their kind from the darkness to join them.
A new noise was heard in the orchard. Shuffling steps with a clinking noise, along with something heavy being dragged through the soil. Sweet Apple Acres was no stranger to night visitors. Timber wolves and vampire fruit bats would often drop by the orchard to eat the apples that grew there. Now, there was a new creature.
From the shadows, a zebra, clad in heavy shackles emerged. Hungrily, he stared at the barn-shaped house, desiring nothing more than to go inside and slaughter the inhabitants within. To him, they were only faces. Faces that stared unblinking at him. Wanting him. Judging him.
He nearly burst from the idea of what they would do to him, unless he got them first. He clutched his chain, ready to swing it at anything that was nearby if only for the hope of getting rid of one of those faces!
"Zachary," a voice called.
It was a name that he hadn't been called in years by anyone but his family. And the voice that spoke did not belong to his beloved sister. Turning, the zebra saw two mares. One, green with leaves grown where her mane should have been. And the other, pitch black with glowing blue eyes, who was wearing a white pouch around her neck.
"It's time for you to come home," Courtney said.
"Home? There is no place for one like I to call home. The faces call, threatening to claim me for their own," the zebra responded slowly and steadily, no emotion to be heard in his chill voice.
"You've nothing to worry about. I know a place where the faces won't be able to get you," Courtney said, trying to reason with the madman. Despite her calm tone, her heart was pounding faster with every word she spoke.
"The faces are everywhere! No comfort can be found in prison or palace! And you standing there! You too bear a face of evil, dread and malice!" Zachary answered.
So far, there was no reaching him.
Courtney had no desire to face a raging lunatic. She was only a performer, not a magistrate. But if the novels she read were anything to go off of, she could get through to him with something dear to him.
"Your sister misses you, Zachary. Zecora loves you, and wants you to return home with her," the witch said.
The madman's face softened ever so slightly at the mention of his sister. In all the time he had been locked away, she was the only visitor he ever had. Her face was the only one that ever looked on him as though he were not some horrible creature spat from the mouth of evil.
"Such time had passed since I'd seen her last.  It's only memory that keeps her," he said slowly as mares warily watched the chains that shook in his hooves. "Hundreds of days since I'd seen her gaze. How long until the seasons reap her?"
In a frightening way, it was touching to hear how much he cared for his sister. But, the way he held his chain made both mares take a small step backwards.
"For my sister, I would scale the moon. And drain my blood from night 'til noon. My very essence I would share, if not to show her that I care. But, the world is not kind. It brims with reproach. It will leave her behind, while the faces approach. I cannot leave her to that fate! I must find her now before it's too late!"
With a lunge, he swung his chain at the mares, who both dove away just as it impacted the ground.
The worst had happened. The madman snapped and was now on the rampage, swinging his chain wildly through the trees.
With the noise the breaking trees were making, lights began turning on in the house. The ponies inside had awoken. It would only be a matter of time until they were seen, and panic arose.
Courtney weaved through the trees, trying to conjure her magic. But, the chance never came. Every time that she tried to create a doorway, her concentration was broken by the flying weapon. The protective poultice she had made was enough to keep her safe from the zebra's wild swings, but it wasn't enough to allow her to use a spell.
The light came on in the bottom most room of the house.
Now there was no time for the witch. The light-dwellers would come, and they would be seen for a brief second, only before the investigating pony would be killed by the hooves of a madstallion.
All they could do now was escape and leave the unsuspecting pony to their fate. But, the witch would never forgive herself for allowing harm to come to Apple Bloom's family.
Just as Zachary was about to bring his chain down on Courtney, he lurched and fell into the dirt.
"Now, Courtney!" Molly yelled as she wrapped her hooves more tightly around his legs.
It was just what Courtney needed.
The front door of the house opened, just as the witch cast her spell. She had already set it up so that he would reappear in his cell at the asylum. All that was needed now was to restrain him as the magic was conjured.
Shadows crept toward the zebra as he slowly wriggled out of Molly's grasp.
Finally, they formed a gaping, beastly maw that swallowed him whole, just as they were bathed in a sudden light.
Applejack stood in the orchard, armed with a lantern on her belt and a hatchet in her teeth. She heard the noise coming from there, she knew. It was where those things were. But now, all that there was left was a swirling patch of shadows.
Applejack dared not go closer, for fear of what it may do to her. In a second it was gone, and she was left staring at the ground where it was.
She cautiously looked around herself, knowing that something was out there. But for the time being, it was gone. Always with an eye to the shadows, Applejack slowly retreated back to her house, where her brother was guarding the front door.
"That was way too close!" Courtney said as she and Molly escaped to the edge of the orchard. They stopped briefly at the treeline nearest to the gate to collect themselves, until Courtney remembered their objective. "Damn it all! We still need to plant those essen seeds!"
"Already taken care of. I planted them while you were busy with the chain clad nutter. Sorry, but I'm not much of a fighter," Molly said as she showed Courtney the bag of seeds she was given.
"And I am!? I'm an artist, not a pugilist!" Courtney rebutted.
"I really am sorry, Courtney. But, I only did what I could to help. Besides, you know I'd never allow anything to happen to you," Molly said as she grabbed another seed and plunged her hoof into the soil, just the right depth, and perfectly spaced from the other trees. She then knelt down near the hole, and blew a puff of pollen from one of her blossoms into it, as well as a drop of dew from her hoof.
"I know what will make you feel better. Why don't we go into town and see the ponies?" Molly suggested after she buried the hole.
"Sure. Why not?" Courtney said, knowing her friend was eager to see more of the world's equine inhabitants.
And the two left Sweet Apple Acres to set out for the long night of work they had ahead. But, Courtney still had something to do.
She already had enough knowledge of the creatures of her own world, but the people here were frighteningly ignorant of them. To her, it all sounded like a bunch of superstitious nonsense. That would have to change.
With a glance to the window of the upstairs bedroom, a shadow drifted through the air, seeped through the cracks on the sill and left a gift for Apple Bloom next to her bed.
Winona was awake to see it, but the filly was fast asleep.



In the branches of the Golden Oaks Library, a shadow landed nearest to the window, searching for a way in. It shuffled across the branch towards the window, only to see it shut tight and covered by a blind.
It scratched a the window, hoping to find a way to open it. But, it was no good.
It flew to the next window, only to find that one wouldn't open no matter how much it scratched and pecked at it. But, that wouldn't deter it. It would just try another window.
Inside, Twilight and Spike sat huddled in the middle of the floor, shivering with fear.
Every time they heard the scratching, Twilight's horn would light up with magic, only for it to dim when it stopped. Until they heard it coming from a new direction.
"Come on, Twilight! Teleport it already!" Spike muttered as they heard the noise from a different direction once again.
"I'm trying! But it keeps moving!" Twilight said. As powerful as her magic was, she couldn't cast it on what she couldn't see, and this monster outside was as mobile and wily as any bird she'd seen.
"Twilight. I just thought of something: what if we can hear them in all these different places because there's more than one?" Spike suggested.
The idea that they were beset on all sides by a group of unknown monsters made Twilight shudder.
A sudden noise from outside caused her to grab hold of Spike. Partly out of her protective, sisterly nature, but mostly for the sake of having somepony to hold when she was gripped by fear.
All the while, Owloysius sat contently on his perch, eyes half open. He sat, waiting for the creature outside to find a way in. It was only a matter of time.
Both Twilight and Spike gasped when they heard another noise behind them at the same time as the other one. Though they couldn't see, they knew that they were in fact under attack by more than one monster.
In truth, the noise behind them was only an untrimmed branch scratching the window, while the other was actually the mawnan scratching at the window.
"Oi! Queen's Park!" a voice called.
From its perch, the mawnan looked down to the ground, and saw the familiar form of a werewolf looking back up at him.
"Down 'ere," the gigantic canine said.
It was nice to see a fellow dark creature. The mawnan obliged, and fluttered down to lower branches of the tree.
"Chucker ya somethin' ta blather?" the mawnan asked.
"Yeh. I wanna know wot yer doin' 'ere. Don' ya know it's dangerous for folks loik us to be 'round these loit-dwellers?" Bruce replied
"Oi know damn well 'tis fierce. But Oi've a lad here Oi don't clap pure of'en," the mawnan answered.
"Droppin' by for some late night mischief, are we?" Bruce asked.
"Aye, that Oi be. Oi only get ta drop by t'is toim o' year. An' it's toim when me an' Owloysius pap on ta Fiddler's Green for drinks for the best, feckin' whiskey there be. The only problem is that this noight mare wit' a horn be keepin' himself locked insoide," the mawnan explained.
Bruce could relate to the other creature, as he had run into a similar problem last night.
"That's a problem, innit?" the werewolf said.
"A real bugger, an' a half," the mawnan replied.
"I know 'a that feels. Last noight, I tried playin' wif a buncha funny-lookin' birds wot were locked up in a cage. Then some bird-horse fing tells me to stop. And when I try playin' wif 'er, she runs 'ammer and tack inta 'er gaff, an' locks the bloomin' door!" Bruce said.
"Well, so much fer Owloysius headin' on about his pony learnin' friendship! What good is it when all ya do is send off folks ya don' know!?"
"Some of 'em are right sugar an' spice," Bruce answered. After meeting those nice fillies, there surely had to be more ponies who would be delighted to meet him. "Anyway, I fink I can 'elp ya. Windows loik that usually got a latch on the bottom where it touches the sill. Run a fin branch under there, an' ya can jimmy it open."
"T'anks fer the help, boyo. And if ya ever wanna join us fer a drink, ya know the way ta the local," the bird thanked the werewolf
"Roit. Stay out ah trubble, mate," was all Bruce said, before running off.
All had been quiet in the library for a time. Too quiet for comfort. Perhaps the creature had gone away. Or maybe it was waiting for Twilight and Spike to assume so.
"Spike. Stay right here," Twilight whispered, before she stood up and cautiously walked to the nearest window.
Carefully, she pulled the blind open just a crack to peer out into the darkness. She saw no creature, but somehow that only worried her more.
As Twilight searched, Spike became aware of a faint noise. A tiny scraping, or clicking from somewhere nearby drew his attention, and prompted him to search for its source.
It was coming from a window, but it didn't sound anything like the creature trying to get in. What could it have been?
Slowly, Spike went to investigate. When he reached the window the noise had stopped.
Unlike Twilight, the absence of what may have been the creature eased his fear and made him feel bold enough to open the shades altogether to investigate.
Big mistake.
As soon as he had, the window was opened from the outside, and the creature that tormented them appeared in its frame.
"TWILIGHT!!!" Spike shouted, as he scrambled away from the thing in the window.
Twilight snapped to face the thing, and reflexively lit up her horn.
Owloysius, who had previously sat quietly, flew circles around Twilight's head, causing her to lose sight of the monster. After, he flew out the open window.
Once again, he and the creature flew out into the night, not to return until morning.
Twilight tried to use her magic to bring her pet back, only to quickly lose sight of him again.



In the streets of Ponyville, Courtney and Molly both went about their business. The night before, Bruce had scouted the town, seeking out ponies who were tormented by the dark creatures. If he was doing his job, he would be doing the same tonight.
At the moment, Molly was looking around, hoping to find any sign of life. She was disappointed to learn that the ponies slept at that hour, and only came out during the day (whatever that was). Still, that didn't stop her from looking into the windows of ponies' houses.
While Courtney walked straight to their next destination, Molly ran from building to building, peeking in and hoping to get a look at the adorable equines. Some windows yielded no ponies, but still delighted Molly with the design of the rooms inside. Whoever designed those rooms had the cutest sense of style.
At one window, which had small trees on either side of it, Molly could see a young colt sleeping peacefully in his bed.
"Oh, Courtney, look. They sleep in little beds. Just like people," Molly whispered.
She watched the foal sleep, wishing she could go in and feed him sugar lumps and scratch his ears. Of course, what was considered bonding with an animal in her world would be considered socially unacceptable in this one. But, she didn't care. They looked so cute the way they curled up under their blankets.
"Remember, we have work to do," Courtney reminded her friend.
"Can't I look just a little longer?" Molly begged. To her, it was like watching a puppy after it was tuckered out from playing all day.
"Let's go, horse whisperer," Courtney said as she pulled on her friend's tail.
The rustling noise the two mares made outside awoke the colt in his bed. Through sleep fogged eyes, he looked out his window, and realized that it somehow didn't look right. The trees outside only bordered the edges of his window usually. But tonight, leaves filled the whole view. Stranger still, in the middle of it all was a darker shape. As if there was something within the foliage.
He rubbed his eyes with his hoof, clearing his vision, and saw his window more clearly. Now he was certain there was something out there. He was able to make out a face in the shadows among the leaves. Something that looked like a pony, but wasn't a pony. Something that was trying to enter his room and get him, just like his parents told him when he misbehaved.
The creature moved away from the window, but the colt didn't notice. He had hidden under his sheets, and didn't come out until sunrise.
"You spoil everything fun, you know?" Molly said to her friend.
"Only because you may end up having too much fun, and get us into trouble," Courtney answered.
"All I want is to see some ponies. I don't know anyone who got into trouble for that."
"I'll make it up to you. We're going to a bakery next, so I'll grab us a plate of brownies, or some such."
"Ooh, brownies. That more than makes up for being no fun," Molly said.



Inside Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie had laid out several baked goods as bait for the ghostly prankster. She waiting in the darkness, armed with a wooden spoon and a mixing bowl protecting her head. 
At every perceived movement, she snapped her head in its direction. At every noise, she readied to attack. Nothing was going to stop her from protecting the bakery she loved so. Not even a cackling specter with a twisted sense of humor.
Pinkie gasped when she thought that a plate with a slice of cake shifted on the table next to her, only to see that it was a simple trick of the shadows. But, what happened last night had made her wary. Before she could become contented, she scanned the room, searching for what may be out of place.
After the first sweep from one side to the other, everything was as it should have been. But then, she heard a crack.
Looking to the source of the noise, a plate of donuts had been smashed, and the plate itself had shattered.
The pink mare continued to look for the prankster, only to find nopony in the shadows.
"Just remember what Granny Pie said. Face your fears. Giggle at the ghostly," Pinkie reminded herself.
"But what will you do when the ghosts giggle at you?" Courtney asked as she listened at the window.
"Didn't you say that Bruce found a poltergeist here?" Molly asked.
"Yes. And a dangerous one, at that. The good news, however, is that poltergeists are easy to deal with. We just need to wait for this cackling hack to show itself."
Next to where Pinkie sat, a spoon gently swung on its hook. It swung so softly, that Pinkie scarcely thought it moved at all.
Then it began swinging wildly back and forth, along with all the other utensils that were hanging in the kitchen, creating a loud band of clattering pots and pans that would deafen most ponies. And among the clattering, the phantom laughter once again sounded, piercing into Pinkie's mind and making her shrink to the floor. And it only became worse when the utensils started floating in the air, banging against everything else in the kitchen.
Now was her chance. Courtney cast her magic, and did just as her mother taught her when dealing with trickster ghosts.
Pinkie watched as the furniture in the kitchen became shrouded with shadows, and started moving on its own accord.
She had to dodge some of them when they arranged themselves into the corner she was hiding in, and then had to dodge the utensils as they dropped out of the air. She twisted her body side to side, as she once again had to dodge flying knives.
Pinkie found a new spot, and watched the dropped kitchen tools all become shrouded with shadows, and fly into a new spot in the kitchen where they were neatly arranged. Not in the spots where they were before, but someplace completely new.
Out of the darkness, there came a voice. One that Pinkie didn't at all recognize.

"Who!? What!? But, that was here! And now it's there! And everything's all moved-ed, and switched-ed, and rummagin' around, and-- Aw, jeez! This is confusin-atin'!"

The ghost's inane babble was bizarre enough, but then Pinkie heard the room fill with its mad cackling once more. Its volume grew and grew, until it was so loud it became a cacophony that rattled the walls and shook Pinkie from behind her hiding place. With no warning, a blindingly bright light appeared in the kitchen that stung Pinkie's eyes.
Pinkie closed her eyes, and covered her ears, hoping the nightmare would end.
Soon, the light began to shrink. And with it the ghostly laughter faded, but never stopped.
Pinkie cracked an eye open, and watched as the light shrunk. It was no less brighter than it was before, but now that it was smaller it was almost bearable to look at. To her relief, she didn't have to cover her ears anymore. She watched as the light gradually shrank, until it completely disappeared from existence, along with the phantom laughter.
Everything was silent, and every item in the kitchen had arranged itself in a way that left no mess to clean up. Not even the pastries were harmed in the chaos.
After what had been happening to her, Pinkie wasn't about to get her hopes up so easily. Was Sugarcube Corner now safe from its cackling prankster? She listened quietly, waiting to once more hear the spook's manic laughter.
"This house is clean," Courtney and Molly said together as they munched on some brownies from a platter Courtney pilfered during the din.
Pinkie wasn't too sure what she heard, but it definitely came from outside. If it was that giggling ghost again, she'd be ready for it.
Summoning all of her courage, she rushed to the window to give it what-for, but there was nothing there. Nothing but the normal view outside of the streets and the surrounding buildings.
For Pinkie, the silence was comforting. She nearly giggled herself, but stopped for fear that her laughter may summon the ghost again.
Nothing more happened, but Pinkie didn't sleep for the rest of the night.



The doors of Carousel Boutique rattled that night, having been locked tight by Rarity to keep out her night visitor. But, it would not deter any intruders.
From the cracks at the bottom of the door, shadowy vines grew. As they rose, they sprouted leaves and flower buds, decorating the door with their ominous beauty. Once they reached the latch, a vine hitched onto it, and pulled it open.
Before they evaporated into shadow, they opened the door, revealing two dark mares awaiting entry.
"The flowers were a nice touch," Molly said, recognizing them as her own.
"I work with what I'm given," Courtney answered.
"One might even call me your muse."
"One might. Not me."
The two shared a chuckle as they entered the building to continue their work. From what Bruce had told her, the mare who lived here was troubled by something in her dreams. Such a thing could not be handled remotely, and had to be dealt with up close.
The other places were so cute, but Molly was blown away by how grandiose in scale the adorableness was there in the boutique.
"We should design our homes like this," Molly said.
"I don't think so. I've always preferred a minimalist look," Courtney said, not wanting to pursue the topic further, knowing that if she did, her friend would eventually talk her into getting pink wallpaper and a vanity mirror.
They walked down the halls, peeking into each room to see which one belonged to the mare in need of their services. One door opened by Courtney revealed Sweetie Belle in her bed, fast asleep.
"Molly, look," she called to her friend, and the two walked into the room to observe the sleeping filly.
"Oh my goodness. This is her home," Molly gasped with a smile. Her smile quickly turned to a worried frown when their objective occurred to her, "You don't suppose it's her who's being troubled, do you?"
"No. I've seen mother take care of troubled sleepers, and they look nothing like this. She'll be fine for the night. In the meantime, we should check on her sister," the witch said.
Courtney left to find Rarity, but Molly lingered briefly by Sweetie Belle's side. She wanted only good things for the filly who was so determined to find her true calling, and wasn't about to let even a bad dream get to her.
With a slight shake of her head, Molly's leaves rustled and two drifted onto Sweetie's pillow. Then she plucked a blossom from her fronds and placed it on the filly's nightstand.
From what little she knew of magic, she knew that her own leaves and the fragrance of her flowers had the innate power to protect sleepers from nightmares and evil spirits. Now that Sweetie Belle was safe, she could join Courtney again.
Molly saw her friend walk into another nearby room, and joined her inside to find a grandly decorated bedroom, complete with a four-post bed and a makeup station. In the bed was the mare of their objective.
This was what Courtney was talking about. While Sweetie Belle slept peacefully and contently, her sister was sweating profusely and taking uneven breaths. And even though she wore a black sleeping mask, they knew her eyelids were clenched shut.
"Alright. Let's see what's got your goat," Courtney said as she began to work her magic. She had nothing to draw with on hand, or in her pocket of shadows. Luckily, Rarity's makeup kit was equipped with eyeliner.
Using her magic, the witch retrieved the object and drew a small symbol on Rarity's forehead. One that would allow her see into the fashionista's dreams more easily.
Now, she needed a reflective surface, which was fortunately plentiful. And all in the same room no less. Courtney retrieved them all with her shadowy magic, as did Molly with her elastic arms, until the bed was surrounded by the mirrors.
"A little pollen, Madame of the Green?" Courtney requested.
"Love to, my Lady Arcane," Molly responded as she puffed some pollen from her blossoms onto Rarity's face with a grin.
When the two were young, and first started performing together, they created stage names for themselves. Now, even as adults, they still smiled when they remembered those days.
The pollen settled on Rarity, making her nose twitch.
The wakeful mares looked at the mirrors to see an image of Rarity in her dressing room, tormented by an invisible oppressor.
"Why do you hide from me, dear lady?" a disembodied voice asked.
As the voice spoke, Rarity watched her beauty fade once more as her hooves wrinkled and withered as they had done before. She was too horrified to scream when she found herself facing the demonic stallion again.
"So long as we are together, you've nothing to fear," he assured her as he reached to touch her again.
"A real charmer, that incubus," Courtney said as she prepared to get rid of the unwanted admirer. Personally, she always had a thing for intellectuals. This 'suave,' 'smooth-talking,' pseudo-casanova seemed more in line with what Molly went for. But, she was about to do women worldwide a favor and get rid of the demon.
The witch started by creating a screen of black shadows by Rarity's head. That was the easy part. Then came the hard part.
Reading someone's aura was exceptionally difficult to do, as was any kind of divination or clairvoyance. Courtney was only an amateur at best. Still, she had to try.
Courtney allowed her vision to unfocus, looking past the shadows to find the color of the Rarity's aura.
The seconds passed, and Molly could see a vein throbbing on her friend's forehead. She didn't know if she could help, but she would do what she could. She released another puff of pollen onto Rarity's face, making her start to sniffle quietly.
It had worked. Even though it was still very, very faint, Courtney could now see what she recognized as an aura against the black screen, along with something else that shouldn't be there. Another aura that wasn't Rarity's was seen in the shadow just as the sleeping mare started sneezing.
The witch had to work faster.
The black screen changed to light, just as Rarity awoke, and swallowed up the aura that wasn't her's.
The image of the incubus disappeared from the mirror the very second that Rarity pulled off her blindfold. She sat up in her bed and sneezed excessively.
Rarity turned on the light in her room, crawled out of bed, and immediately bumped into one of the mirrors. She looked at herself in horror. Her night was bad enough after staying up well past her bedtime, and from the nightmare she just had. And now she looked like some kind of street mime!
There were several things that could have happened, but due to her previously built irritation, she decided it had to be just one.
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity grumbled as she stormed out of the room.
"Oh, that's nice! She can't figure out what happened, so it must have been her sister!? How irrational can someone get?" Molly asked as she and Courtney came out of hiding.
"I'm sure you've done the same to your brothers and sisters growing up. In fact, I seem to recall you fuming at one of your brothers once, because you thought he shredded your song notes. Didn't it turn out to be your family's werecat?" Courtney said.
"...I guess it's just a thing when you grow up with siblings. Not that you'd know anything about that," Molly said.
"Happily so," the witch answered.
And the two mares left quietly.
As she was being chewed out by her sister for some imagined offense, Sweetie Belle swore she saw two shadows in the hallway. Though she couldn't tell what they belonged to, it was strangely comforting to know that the dark creatures still prowled even then.
"So, what do we do now?" Molly asked once they were back out on the street.
Courtney looked out into the night. Hidden in the darkness were the creatures of her world, threatening this one. But it would be dawn soon. And with the presence of light, the dark creatures would seek the solace of cave and holes and the other places light-dwellers feared to tread.
"For now, I think we're through. But we cannot forget what truly threatens this world," she answered.
Though they didn't show it, both mares were terrified of what had found its way into their lives. Fate had delivered something from the darkest part of their history to the world of light, and now it was up to them to stop it. It would be only a short reprieve when the light came, for tomorrow night, they would have to find it.
"Another brownie?" Courtney offered, as she took the plate from her pocket of shadows.
"As if I'd say 'no,'" Molly said, taking a brownie off the plate.



Deep in the woods that night, a unicorn stallion merrily trotted on his way as he went to visit his parents in Ponyville.
It was a long walk from his home, one that would take all night, in fact. But, it was no problem for him. As he walked, he whistled a little tune to himself. A simple tune that he wrote when he was a foal.
Off the side of the road, he heard things rustling in the bushes, or on the path ahead of him. On occasion, he could see something unnatural from the stories of his foalhood creeping toward him, or watching him the trees.
Just to the side, he saw a small, leafy plant with white flower buds that shifted about, even though there was no wind. A rat ventured too close to the plant, and suddenly fern-like tendrils lashed out and ensnared the hapless rodent.
As horrifying as it was, he was not worried about the plant, or any of the other dark creatures. He knew the secret to pass them unharmed.
As a colt, his dad told him the stories about the dark creatures from the other world, and the ways that the mares and stallions in the stories would defeat or escape them. And the easiest, simplest way to do it was to whistle a song that you made up yourself. As long as he whistled his song, he was safe. This, and the fact that he kept his lucky coin in the breast pocket of his jacket was more than enough protection from anything that could get him in the dark.
Up ahead, he heard a howl. One that stopped him in his tracks. It wasn't like from a timber wolf, which if it was, no amount of whistling would stop it. Whatever he heard, it was low, eerie and dangerously close by.
Still, he couldn't be stopped by anything. His parents were waiting for him, and the trains in his town were out of commission. He had to go to Ponyville, evil creatures or no.
It was only a few steps when something new appeared before him. No more than five hundred hooves ahead of him, a large, dark shape stepped onto the road.
The stallion couldn't make out what it was. Only that it was much, much larger than him, and dotted with tiny red lights, like a hooffull of embers taken from Tartarus.
The creature ahead of him did nothing. It only stared at him. That was assuming that it had eyes. It then let out another howl, much quieter than the first, but no less chilling.
There would be no stopping the unicorn. Not when he was so close to his destination. He magically took his lucky coin out of his pocket, silently prayed to Princess Luna on it, and charged forward without a second thought.
The creature ahead made no movements, as if it was waiting for him to come. In only a few seconds, the unicorn would be within its reach, and then who knew what would happen.
The unicorn saw a great mass of darkness dotted with red coming toward him, like a horrible appendage from the monster. He held his lucky coin close, and awaited the worst that was to come.
> Chapter 8: Before the Dawn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 8

Before the Dawn


On a path deep in the woods, far from Ponyville, Courtney and Molly ran one last investigation before the dawn. And they found much more than they ever wanted to.
It had been there. There was no doubt that the greatest source of their fears had been on that path in the woods, searching for prey to sate its endless hunger.
Every sign of its presence was there. The offensive, putrid smell of sulfur. The footprints of the beast. And all around were the same slightly singed twigs Zecora had found.
"We shouldn't be here," Molly whispered, almost hesitating to have said anything at all, frightened that any noise may summon the evil creature to them. For her the fun had ended, and she wished she was back at her home, safe in her bed.
Courtney said nothing. As terrified as she was to be following the footsteps of the beast, she tried to remain calm. She knew that the singed twigs meant that it had fed on something. And recently at that, given how some of them still felt warm. Worse still, there was a tattered jacket nearby, showing it was a pony that was devoured. She cautiously looked around, hoping the monster had gone far away, and wouldn't come rampaging back to consume them.
As she walked down the road, Courtney found hoofprints that ran toward the scene of the incident, presumably from the owner of the jacket.
"This is bad, Molly. It's getting stronger," she said. She knew that she couldn't handle it on her own, and she hated the alternative option, but she had to do it. "We're going to need my mother's help for this."
Molly let out a defeated sigh. She couldn't stand Courtney's mother anymore than her friend could. But, if it meant that she or Courtney didn't have to handle the beast, she was fine with it.
"Let's go find Bruce. Then we'll talk to mother tomorrow," Courtney said.
They were both ready to head home, but Molly was going nowhere near Courtney's mother.
And with utmost caution, they both made their way toward the door between their worlds.



Back in Ponyville, a shadow lurched to an open window.
It was fortuitous for the creature, for an open window meant a way inside. And a way inside would mean it could find the child within and take its place.
Once it had, it could have all the fun it wanted, destroying furniture, breaking dishes, and whispering evil thoughts to the parents as they slept. And best of all, no matter what it did, the parents couldn't stop it. They would never know what happened to their child, and the creature could cause trouble to its heart's content, until it grew bored and killed the parents.
The creature jumped up to the sill and smiled wickedly at what it saw.
It was in luck. The open window was the one in the daughter's bedroom. Nestled in her bed, the filly lay peacefully, unaware of what horror was to await her.
The creature paced back and forth on the window sill, padding its paws, looking over its latest victim. Its tail twitched in anticipation of the fun it was about to have. It lowered its body, ready to jump into the bed, steal the child's tongue, and send her to its shadowy home.
Until it was overcome by a darker shadow.
Turning around, all it saw was a giant, clawed hand lashing out for it. Then it saw a great, yellow eye. Then teeth. Then only darkness.
Bruce licked his chops as he swallowed the changeling, glad that he caught it in time. Any longer, and he would have had to thrown it into a fire until it relinquished the filly. With one last look at the foal, the werewolf saw she was safe, and closed her window to keep out anymore unwanted visitors.
Closing a window was one of the easiest ways to keep out unwanted guests. He didn't understand why more people didn't do that. Already, he had to close another window to keep out a troublesome westie, before the ponies in the house suffered its mischief. But thankfully, it seemed that other people had the good sense to close their windows at night.
The filly in her bed stirred, and Bruce quickly ran away before he was seen.
He chose a dark hiding spot in an alley between two homes, and watched as more creatures from his dark home scurried about, seeking refuge from the attacks of fearful light dwellers.
These were different from the ones he had been handling. These were not trouble makers. They were animals like him who were lost, afraid, and desperate to get home.
Bruce thought there had to be some way to keep them safe, and he thought he had just the idea to help them. That in mind, he trotted away to the Everfree Forest.



That night, Fluttershy's cottage sat quietly. Much quieter than it normally was at the early morning hour. Nocturnal animals would scurry about, squeezing in the last few moments of playtime before the dawn, and the diurnal species would be up to start their day of sundry activities. But tonight, the only noise came from the wind silently rustling the lupins that had been planted earlier that day.
Every animal huddled inside their homes, for fear of their night visitor.
Inside, Fluttershy peeked out from behind her chair to check on her animal friends. Her eyes scanned the whole room from top to bottom.
The animals were all as undisturbed as ever.
She understood the behavior of an animal when there was danger, and so far the entire night was spent in fearful alertness.
Angel Bunny huddled closer to Fluttershy, fearfully awaiting the moment the monster would arrive.
"It's going to be okay, Angel. We just have to wait a few more minutes," she assured her rabbit.
The sun would be up soon, and they would all be safe from the monsters of the night by then. But even then, she would likely hesitate to ever leave her home again. 
Suddenly, she was accosted by the sound of tiny scurrying feet all around her. It was as if every animal in the house had stirred and become alerted to something. Soon, every animal had disappeared, and the only one with her was Angel.
They both knew what was happening. It was an alarm call.
Fluttershy knew what was coming, but she could only rely on the deterrent power of the lupins to keep in at bay. Tightly, she hugged her bunny and waited for what was to come.
They heard a noise outside, like something very large was walking around. The faint clicking noise that came with it brought to mind Mr. Bear's claws on a hard surface. Fluttershy guessed that it meant the monster was on the bridge out front. But, she planted lupins there too! Then again, it was only a few clusters. Maybe the monster wouldn't be deterred by so few of the flowers?
Fluttershy remained hopeful, placing her trust in the protective properties of the colorful flowers. She huddled closer to her bunny, feeling like her throat was in a vice. She could barely breath, let alone scream in terror.
The sound happened once more, closer now than before.
The lupins weren't working. The monster was going to get her.
Now it was next to the house. Fluttershy could hear it rummaging around outside, searching for a way in.
The blinds had been drawn, so she could only see the edge of its shadow when it passed by the window.
It was coming closer toward her.
Then it stopped.
The sound animals scurrying outside sounded loudly.
Fluttershy heard a munching noise that nearly made her vomit.
"Oh no...The poor animals!" she whimpered.
The lupins failed, and now her animal friends were paying for her mistake.
The munching stopped, and the monster resumed walking closer to the door.
In a surge of terror, Fluttershy gasped sharply as she scrambled away from the window to another hiding place under the stairs. With any luck, the monster wouldn't be able to smell her through all the dust bunnies.
Angel knew something had to be done about the monster. Ever since he was born, Fluttershy had taken care of him. And now it was time for the bunny to look after her.
Summoning all of his courage, Angel slowly hopped to the back door to go outside and confront the beast.
The bunny hesitated when he reached the door, knowing he would be no match for it. But, he had to protect Fluttershy. He unlocked his bunny door, and hopped outside without a second thought.
Fluttershy heard the noise of the bunny door swinging, and knew what Angel had done. Dreading the worst, she ran to the door to save him. She didn't know how many animals she lost, but she wasn't about to lose another. Especially Angel.
Forgetting her fear of the monster, she unlocked her door and walked out into the night. 
Nothing was there.
Neither Angel, nor the monster were anywhere to be seen. Altogether, it was heartbreaking that she lost her precious bunny, and terrifying that the monster could silently devour prey and disappear without a trace.
She heard a noise.
The same soft footfalls she heard earlier, now closer than she ever heard it.
She felt a breath of hot air on the side of her face, and with a shriek, ran back into her home.
It was too late for her to close the door.
With the monster so close, it was able to charge inside after her.
Fluttershy ran to the far end of the room, and saw the monster stuck in her doorway.
The werewolf clawed rabidly, trying to free itself. It growled and snarled, growing more irritated with every passing second.
Fluttershy thought that she could see it slipping ever so slightly out of the door frame when it stopped to stare at her. Its harsh, yellow eyes locked into her own, telling her that once it got free it would be the end of her
Her anxiety faded slightly when she saw something small and white hop in from under the werewolf and look at her.
"Angel Bunny!?" Fluttershy gasped when she saw her rabbit was okay. She was gripped by terror again when she saw him hop face to face with the monster.
Even though she couldn't understand  the werewolf, she understood Angel well enough. He was telling her there had been a misunderstanding, before he took hold of the werewolf's hand and started pulling.
Fluttershy didn't know what to believe. If what she read was true, werewolves were merciless, pony-eating monsters that were nearly impossible to track because they assumed the form of ponies by day. Still, there was that manticore who only had a thorn in his paw. Who was to say that the werewolf was any different?
On shaking knees, she walked toward the monster, trying not to look it in the eyes. Once she was close enough, she reached out and took its other hand, pulling as hard as she could. Her fear had enfeebled her, but Angel was scurrying as quick as he could to free the monster.
Looking at the bunny, Fluttershy wondered why he wasn't afraid. He was normally as timid as any rabbit around new animals, but this monster must have been different somehow.
The werewolf made a noise, bringing Fluttershy's attention to it. She briefly looked into its piercing yellow eyes, and with a gasp, jerked away as quick as she could. But, since she still held fast to the werewolf's hand, she ended up pulling it in with her.
Now, it was in her house, and her exit was blocked. Fluttershy cowered before the monster as it walked toward her. She could smell its breath on her face, rancid and flowery.
Flowery?
Looking at the monster's mouth, Fluttershy could see the stem of some kind of plant in its teeth. Next to it, a purple petal.
"Do you....D-Do you like my l-lupins?" She asked it.
The monster grunted.
"Um...Angel?" She couldn't understand a thing it said, so she looked to Angel for assistance.
According to the bunny, he was complimenting her, saying the flowers were 'the pearly gates,' whatever that meant. It also said that it could smell them from miles away, and after the work it had done, it felt like it deserved a 'nosh.'
"Oh. Th-Thank you," she said, still shaking from the encounter.
Apparently, she was grossly misinformed about the lupins.
The werewolf grunted more to Angel, who in turn spoke to Fluttershy.
It seemed the werewolf realized that she must have been good with animals, and wanted to know if it could bring any that it found to her.
"I'd be happy to help. Do you, um...Do you have a name?" Fluttershy said, feeling more confident now, but not so much as to approach the beast.
The werewolf stared quizzically at her.
She realized that it was something of a silly thing to ask. No matter how good she was at understanding animals, they didn't actually use words to speak, so there was no way to discern a name from the beast, even from Angel. But if she was going to see it again, she had to call it something.
"Well...You are kind of fluffy. I could call you Mr. Fluff-and-Stuff. If that's alright with you, I mean," she offered.
The werewolf responded by bumping her with its snout. Even though the creature was completely foreign to her, it was perfectly recognizable as an affectionate action.
After feeling the monster's soft fur, and his whiskers tickling her face, Fluttershy started to wonder why she was afraid of him in the first place. Apparently, lupins weren't the only thing she was misinformed about.
This unusual creature was just as much a delight as any species she knew about, and would make a wonderful guest for tea. But, before she could offer, she heard another shrill whistle. This time close by.
As soon as he heard the noise, the werewolf backed out of Fluttershy's back door and into the yard, where it bounded around the front.
From inside, Fluttershy cracked her blinds to peek out, and saw her new friend run across the bridge to two strange mares. Something was very odd about one of them to Fluttershy, though she couldn't put her hoof on it. Maybe it was her manestyle?
But, the other one wasn't so much odd as unnerving. From where she stood, Fluttershy swore the other mare's eyes were glowing. That against her pitch black body made her look like one of the creatures she heard lurked in the dark during Nightmare Night.
"Have yourself a nice snack did we?" She heard the dark mare say.
The werewolf made a noise and wagged his tail.
"As long as you weren't seen, it's okay."
They walked away when the werewolf grunted again.
"Call you Mr. What? How did you come up with that?" The dark mare asked as they all left.
Whoever they were, they were friends with the werewolf. More than that, at least one of them understood him. They had to be nice ponies too, Fluttershy guessed.
She backed away from her window, only then feeling the overwhelming effect of what had just transpired. Whatever was happening, and whatever she learned about it did not coincide with one another. And now, she was going to be seeing more creatures like Mr. Fluff-and-Stuff around her home.
"I guess I'd better find some new books," Fluttershy said to Angel.



Even in spite of the late hour, Scootaloo couldn't get to sleep. Partly because she had been scolded by her adoptive mother extensively and was grounded for the next month. But mostly from the exhilaration of the night's adventure. She wished she could have shared the details with somepony, but no matter how she tried her mom wouldn't hear a word of what she said.
How often was it that a filly and her friends followed a ghost light, escaped a giant, rabid rat monster, befriended a witch, rode on the back of a werewolf, patched up a plant creature, and walked through the barrier between two worlds? It was by and large an adventure that could compare to the things Rainbow Dash told her about when she went adventuring with her friends. But at the same time, it was much, much more far fetched.
Even then, she kept thinking about what more could happen. If Granny Smith's stories were true, then the barrier between the worlds would only get thinner as Nightmare Night approached. Maybe she could get her mom to see the dark creatures for herself, and then dazzle them with her aerial stunts. She knew Rainbow Dash would love the chance to show off in front of a new crowd. Then again, she'd probably be blown away by the dark world.
Rainbow Dash had a lot of talents, but she wasn't very creative. The way Scootaloo saw Courtney cast the same spell two different ways when she opened the portal between their worlds was something that her mom couldn't do, even if she could cast magic.
And all the varied creatures that roamed the streets were cool to see. Not to mention the different animals that were there. Maybe they could even find a playmate for Tank there. Having a pet werewolf would be the best thing ever! Or maybe something that could fly?
Courtney said that gargoyles were pretty tame, and they were easy to take care of because of how little they ate and how easy they were to train. She knew her mom was going to be thrilled by the dark creatures.

"Scootaloo..."

What was that just now?
Nopony else was awake, and the only ones there were herself, Rainbow Dash, and Tank. And unless the tortoise learned how to talk, there may have been somepony in their house who shouldn't have been. Somepony who knew her name.
Slowly, Scootaloo went to her door and peeked into the hall.
She couldn't see anypony there, but somepony definitely said her name. Even though she was confined to her room for the rest of the night, she had to check on what was happening. She crept out of her room and almost turned on a light, but stopped when she realized that if she did, she would reveal herself to the intruder. Or worse, her mom.

"Scootaloo..."

It was definitely coming from downstairs.
Scootaloo crept to the stairs as slowly as possible, knowing that more than likely Rainbow Dash was waiting in her room, listening for her to attempt to break the rules of her punishment.
Finally, she reached the stairs and saw a shadow slide away from the landing.
Maybe one of the dark creatures found its way to her house somehow. Or maybe it was Courtney and Molly visiting her. And maybe if it was, she could show Bruce to her mom.
Scootaloo's pace quickened, along with her slowly building excitement. She was down the stairs in no time.
Whatever was making that shadow, it was gone. But if she learned anything about the dark world, it was that nothing was what it seemed.
The orange filly crept around the living room, searching for the unknown intruder. To her, everything was as still and quiet as it ever was so late at night.
A sudden chill gripped her. As if some windigo had passed through their living room, leaving only its frigid trail behind to linger. Then she saw something outside the window.
She couldn't be too sure what it was, but it was easily spotted the way it was glowing with a dim light against the darkness.
The closer it came, the more Scootaloo realized that it was a pony she was looking at. And it was slowly walking to the front door.
That was scary enough, but more still was that it was nopony she knew. And even more when she saw the stranger walk right through one of the columns on the front porch.
Scootaloo's attention was drawn to the front door when another pony walked right through it. It was a green earth pony stallion with a lank, grey mane who stopped and stared right at her.
After the stallion, came the other pony from outside, who walked straight through the wall next to him. The newcomer was a purple pegasus mare with a turquoise mane, and hollow, dead eyes. Not that her eyes were missing. Only that they seemed like they had no life or love in them.
Scootaloo looked at the two, realizing that she could see right through them. It was almost as if they were...ghosts! But, how bad could they be? Remembering how nothing was as it seemed, she swallowed hard and slowly approached the phantoms.
The closer she got, the more she felt like she wanted to run, but it would be so impolite to her guests from the dark world. That was, assuming that was where they were from. For all she knew, ponies didn't go to the dark world when they died.
Now she was standing right before them, under their ethereal gaze.
Scootaloo's ears folded to her skull as she shivered paralyzed to the spot she stood. All she had to do was make simple pleasantries with them, just as it was with any new pony she met. And the same held true with the dark creatures she met. Steeling herself, she decided to start with the basics.
"H-Hi there...I'm Scootaloo," she stammered.
Neither ghost did anything. They continued to stare at her, saying nothing, and moving not an inch. Until one of them reached for her.
Scootaloo's paralysis broke and she backpedaled away from the ghosts. But it seemed they were not about to let her get away.
They walked closer to her, slowly becoming more terrifying with each step. The closer they came, the more they decayed, and became less like ponies, and more like a monster straight from Rainbow Dash's campfire stories.
Scootaloo could feel the cold hoof on her face when a bright light shone behind the phantoms. And they both slowly faded from existence.
Outside the window, the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, ushering in the dawn. 
Scootaloo let out a shuddering sigh, relieved that nothing more could happen to her in the presence of light.

"SCOOTALOO!!!"

Looking to the direction of the voice, all Scootaloo saw was a blur, until Rainbow Dash landed on the ground in front of her.
"What did we just talk about!?" Dash shouted.
As Scootaloo suspected, Dash was awake and listening for her to leave her room. But with her sleep schedule thrown off, she ended up falling asleep, only to find her daughter's door open when she awoke only a second ago.
"It was the simplest thing! Come straight home after school, no scooter, and no leaving your room for any reason after sundown! After sixty minutes of carefully laid rules, you break the biggest one! Did anything I say get through to you!? Can I even trust you to do the right thing anymore!? Now go to your room, and don't come out until I get you!" the pegasus ordered.
It was too much for Scootaloo to handle anymore. Her mom was mad at her, she was almost attacked by a ghost, and she knew that Dash wouldn't bother letting her explain a single syllable of it. She couldn't even look at her adoptive mother. With her head hung, tears leaked slowly out of her eyes as she quietly sobbed.
It was the first time that Dash ever saw Scootaloo cry. And seeing her that way brought tears to her eyes as well. She was only trying to keep her safe, but she didn't want to sound like she was some kind of villain for doing so.
"Scootaloo, come here," Dash beckoned.
Scootaloo made no movements. She only continued to cry.
"Honey, it's alright. I'm sorry," Dash said as she cautiously approached her filly and gently put her hooves around her.
She only ever wanted the best for Scootaloo, and now was the first time she ever had to lay down the law. It was like being punched in the stomach for her, but it had to be done. If anything happened to her daughter, if those ghosts ever got her, she wouldn't see any reason for herself to go on.
For the next few seconds, Dash basked in the warmth of her foal's embrace. There were still a few more hours until she had to go to school, so she decided to spend that time with her.
"Come on, Scoots. Let's get you back to bed," Dash said as she guided Scootaloo back upstairs to her room and tucked her into bed.
Scootaloo was asleep in less than a minute, and Rainbow Dash stayed by her side until she was woken up to get ready for school.



"An' there was this big, scary nuthouse on a hill with all kinds o' creatures inside, all different from each other too. An' it had a garden with all these trees that had really yummy fruits, an' these weird moving plants that drank blood. There was even a bugbear, but it weren't like the bugbears here. It was like a big monster from a fairy tale!"
Apple Bloom was no stranger to waking up early. She was often up as soon as dawn broke. But this time, she was awake even before that. The filly had barely slept at all, and was divulging the adventure she just had to Winona from the time she woke up, to long after the sun rose.
The dog happily listened to her, and was even happier to learn that the creatures she was with looked after her they way they did. The one that she called 'Bruce' sounded especially interesting. According to Apple Bloom, he was a strange, two-legged mix of a timber wolf and a dog like herself. She couldn't picture exactly how that would look like, but if he was as nice as Apple Bloom said Winona thought she would have liked to meet him.
Apple Bloom also talked much about two other creatures called Courtney and Molly. They both sounded very friendly, but they were not without their oddities. Apple Bloom had said one of them drank blood, not unlike the weird moving plants that she mentioned seeing in the asylum. And the other she said used a strange, shadowy kind of magic, even though she was an earth pony.
That reminded Winona of what she saw. She jumped off the bed, and circled around to the side of it.
"What're ya doin', girl?" Apple Bloom asked her dog.
Down on the floor, Winona started nudging at something that wasn't there before.
Upon investigation, Apple Bloom found a stack of books that she didn't recognize as any that her family owned.
She reached for the book on top, and examined the cover. It was brownish in color, with some kind of star surrounded by strange symbols on it. When she examined the spine, she found its title to be The History of Witchcraft.
It was almost as good as revisiting the dark world. Now Apple Bloom was going to be able to learn about its history. But what did the other books hold?
Apple Bloom reached down for the others, and discovered titles like A Practical Guide for Magical Defense, Seeing the Unseen: A Guide to Exorcising Evil Spirits, and even the wildlife encyclopaedia she was reading earlier.
The filly brimmed with glee at what she had been given. But, she couldn't just sit there beaming over her books. It would be time for school soon, and she had to cram in some study time.
She decided to start with the book about the history of the witchcraft, and cracked the cover open, anticipating what she was about to learn. And what things she did learn.
From the opening paragraph, to the page she was currently on, she learned much that not even Granny Smith could tell her. In fact, Granny had it all wrong.
Witches weren't the evil old hags from the stories she knew. (As a matter of fact, she thought Courtney was quite lovely). They were actually called upon by the non-magic folk to take care of many problems, ranging from curing illnesses, to growing crops, to protecting against evil spirits.
And their magic was far from unnatural. In fact, their magical powers came from all sorts of natural sources, such as the elements, animals, plants, celestial bodies, and even darkness itself. And the only conduit they needed was themselves. It almost sounded like anypony could do it.
Apple Bloom thoughtfully looked up from the pages, earning a confused look from Winona.
"What if anypony could do it?" she quietly asked herself.
Her thoughts were abruptly ended when she heard her door open.
Standing in the doorway was Applejack stone-faced as ever. It was as if her face never changed from how it looked last night.
"Yer awake. Good. 'Cause we're havin' that talk now," she said.
"What talk?" Apple Bloom asked.
"The one I said we were gonna have last night."
Apple Bloom had completely forgotten about that. She was feeling so light-hearted only a moment ago, and now she had to own up to what she had done.
"First thing's first: what the hay were ya doin' out there?" Applejack began as she walked to the side of the bed.
Apple Bloom hesitated to answer, knowing how it would sound. But, she knew that her sister would never let up until she gave a truthful reply. And if anypony could smell horse apples, it was Applejack, so even trying to lie was pointless.
"I was...lookin' fer the ghosts in the woods..." Apple Bloom said.
"The ghosts," Applejack said doubtfully. Not that she didn't believe what her sister said. Only that she couldn't believe that she would do something like that.
"I remembered what you said happened to Red Sky. How he died when he was chasin' one of 'em in the woods. I mean, I hardly knew him, but when I heard he died, I was sadder than I'd ever been. I thought that if anything happened to somepony I cared about, like my friends, or you...I don't know what I'd do. I only wanted to help," the filly explained.
There was only truth in Apple Bloom's words, and if she was being honest with herself, Applejack couldn't be mad at her for her reason. But still, she was very, very disappointed, not to mention dead scared of what may have happened to her.
"Apple Bloom," Applejack began, as she sat down next to her sister's bed, "I need ya to understand some things. The first is that I appreciate the bravery o' what ya did. But, more importantly, ya should know how stupid, dangerous, and plum irresponsible what ya did was. Ya went to the woods to find this ghost. Then what? Ask it nicely to leave?
The second she heard those words, Apple Bloom's spirits fell even further. Enough to make her ears droop. Then again, what would Applejack know about any of it? Apple Bloom was pretty sure that some of the dark kin would leave if she tried asking.
"After what happened to yer classmate, ya decided to take up the job without knowin' a dang thing about it. An' ya got yer friends involved too. It's beggin' for disaster!" Applejack finished.
"I coulda done it if somepony taught me how," Apple Bloom grumbled.
"Oh yeah? Where'd ya plan on learnin'?" Applejack's eyes were then drawn to the books on the bed. Books that she knew didn't belong to anypony in the house. "What're those?"
"Books. I got 'em for Nightmare Night," Apple Bloom replied.
Technically, this was true. In all her years of living with Applejack, Apple Bloom learned how to avoid her sister's lie detection by giving vague answers, or telling half-truths. It was never foolproof, but it worked well enough for now.
"Alright," was all Applejack said before she got back to the subject at hoof. "I know ya only wanna help, but I can't let ya. Ya never knew ma an' pa, but they'd be crushed if I ever let anything happen to ya. I got a responsibility as yer sister to keep ya safe. An' even though they're long gone, I ain't gonna disappoint our folks. Ya don't know what's out there, an' I sure as hay ain't gonna let it get ya."
"I don't think you know what's out there," Apple Bloom answered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Applejack said.
"It's not like you’ve seen scary stuff runnin' around."
Applejack didn't have an answer to her sister's rebuttal. She didn't believe in lying, but she wasn't about to worry her sister with the story about what she saw at the library. She decided it was time to end their conversation.
"Come on. It's almost time for school. Granny made oatmeal fer breakfast," Applejack said. And that was all she said before she left.
Apple Bloom watched her sister go, thinking over what they just talked about, when something occurred to her.
"Is it me, or did she not actually say there were no ghosts?" she asked Winona, who was still laying on the bed.
If Applejack hadn't seen anything, she would have said so. The mere fact that her sister dodged the topic made her think that she knew more than she was letting on.
"Come on, Apple Bloom! Get movin' or yer grounded another week!" she heard Applejack's voice call.
Apple Bloom didn't have to be told that she was grounded for what she did, but didn't plan on being grounded any longer than she needed to be.
Hastily, she packed up her school supplies, and the books she had, and she and Winona trotted downstairs to breakfast.
> Chapter 9: The Cat's Out of the Bag
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Chapter 9



	The Cat's Out of the Bag


The morning seemed grayer than normal in Ponyville as Applejack walked her sister to school. After last night, she needed to make extra sure that Apple Bloom did not get into any further trouble.
For Apple Bloom, it was degrading to have to be escorted when she was trusted to get there on her own any other day. The filly sighed as they walked down the road, normally enthralled by simply seeing the townsponies prepare for the annual Nightmare Night festival. She loved watching how slowly, over the course of days, the town would transform from its colorful, cheery look to something spooky and scary. It was almost like stepping into another town for her. Only this time, the town looked the same as ever in her eyes.
Two pegusi were hanging cobwebs on a building, throwing a few stuffed spiders here and there to add to its appearance.
Below that, a unicorn was decorating the front of his shop by setting up a bubbling cauldron. Next to it, a ponnequin of an ugly witch, complete with a broom, pointed hat, and a wart on her chin was set.
To Apple Bloom, not one decoration captured a single aspect of the dark world that inspired Nightmare Night in the days of old. After what she saw, everything around her looked like a twisted, bastardized version of what she had come to know. It was like looking at a reflection of what they thought of what happened during that time of the year, when spirits and monsters would roam in their midst. She thought it was maybe some trace of a memory stored at the back of everypony's consciousness of the time Courtney said the dark kin were hunted.
Even though the dark world was plenty scary, it was also beautiful, mysterious and awe-inspiring. Not so much was the next decoration Apple Bloom saw of a mural depicting a vicious wolf creature under a full moon being painted on a wall.
"Why do they have to make 'em look so mean?" Apple Bloom wondered aloud.
"Make what look so mean?" Applejack asked.
"Werewolves. Yesterday, I saw a picture o' one in a book, an' now, somepony's paintin' that up fer Nightmare Night. Why do they think werewolves are so scary?" the filly said.
"Think about it like this, Apple Bloom: It's late at night, an' yer finishin' up work in the apple orchard. Ya hear a sound behind ya, an' when ya turn to look, there's a hairy, six hoof, two-legged, red-eyed monster lookin' at ya. It snarls like a timber wolf, lunges at ya, then takes a bite outta yer leg. Ya try to crawl away, but then it jumps on ya, and eats ya alive! That sound like it ain't scary?" Applejack replied.
"It sounds like you ain't met a werewolf. An' they got yellow eyes," Apple Bloom said, the last part too quietly for her sister to hear.
"You ain't never met a werewolf either. An' if I have anything to do with it, you ain't gonna," Applejack said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Apple Bloom asked. "Why would ya need to make sure I never met a werewolf, if they don't exist?"
A nerve snapped in Applejack's brain. If there was anything she did not want to talk about, it was the monsters of Nightmare Night. If she had, she would only begin to worry her sister. Or worse, make her curious about it. As it always was when she forced to choose between telling the truth, or hiding behind a lie, she remained silent.
Apple Bloom noticed that. She knew her sister better than anypony else, and knew every technique she used to avoid lying. Silence was the one she used the most often. And despite what Applejack thought, it often made an open book out of her.
"Who's to say a werewolf's any different from Winona?" Apple Bloom began. "How do ya know it won't take a bite outta yer leg, an' just wants a belly rub? Or maybe there're other creatures like it who just wanna make friends with us, but they're scared o' how we'll treat 'em?"
The way Applejack stopped walking and looked at her made Apple Bloom feel like she might have said too much. She knew that ponies would be slow to accept the dark creatures, and wanted to introduce her family to them gently. Especially her stubborn, headstrong sister.
"What're you gettin' at?" Applejack said suspiciously.
Apple Bloom didn't know how to answer. Even though it was always very quiet and controlled, she knew that Applejack was very volatile, and saying the wrong thing would ingrain her with an undesirable mindset that would never change. She would have to pick her answer carefully.
"I'm just sayin' that dark kin might not be so different from us," the filly finally said.
That was not a term one normally heard, 'dark kin.' It made Applejack wonder where her sister picked it up.
"What did ya see last night?" she said after a long pause.
"More than you did. That's fer darn sure," Apple Bloom replied.
Neither sister said anything more. They only locked eyes. 
For the first time in her life, Apple Bloom felt at odds with her sister. The creatures she came to appreciate and admire wouldn't be accepted by the one pony she held dearest to her heart, and it didn't sit well with her one bit. It meant there was only one thing for her to do. She would have to confront Applejack about it.
"They ain't as bad as ya think, Applejack. A lot of 'em are just like us," Apple Bloom finally said.
Applejack could not believe what she heard. When did Apple Bloom find those creatures? How many did she meet? And what the hay was she doing with them in the first place?
"Apple Bloom. I'm gonna make this real clear: I don't want ya anywhere near those things. I want ya indoors soon as the sun goes down. An' I don't want ya gettin' any ideas about makin' friends with 'em!" the farmpony scolded her sister.
"Why? What'd the ones you saw do that was so bad?" the filly asked.
Apple Bloom knew she had her sister pegged. She knew Applejack had seen them too, so maybe she would be slightly more open to accepting them if she coaxed her in that direction.
"I met some that were 'bout the same age as you. If ya got to know 'em, ya'd see they ain't so bad," she said.
"Listen to me right now," Applejack demanded as she clasped her hoof on her sister's shoulder, "There's a reason ponies are afraid of 'em. They ain't natural. They hide in the shadows to steal away ponies to their world. Or worse, eat 'em on the spot. Ya know all those stories Granny tells ya? They ain't just fer fun. They're warnin's fer foals like you who don't know any better, an' make an easy target fer some shadow monster."
"They ain't monsters!" Apple Bloom began, before she was stopped by her sister.
"I don't wanna hear about it. Now, start walkin'. Ya gotta get to school," Applejack said.
Changing Applejack's mind was never easy, but Apple Bloom wouldn't admit defeat. She just needed to wait for another opportunity to bring it up. And that was going to come sooner than she thought.
"Applejack!" Pinkie Pie said as she spontaneously appeared in front of the Apple sisters, "Something big's happened! Something huge! Something enormous! Magnanimous! Gargantuan!"
All Pinkie got was an orange hoof in her mouth.
"Forget it, Pinkie. I ain't in the mood," Applejack said as she and her sister walked past her.
"Do you not know what 'magnanimous' means? Somepony's been attacked by something!" Pinkie asked as she trailed after Applejack.
"Yer bein' to vague to make me care," Applejack said.
"You don't understand. Somepony's been attacked by some-thing!" Pinkie emphasized her point by curling her ears into horns and using her hooves to mimic fangs.
That was all Applejack needed to hear. She and Apple Bloom followed Pinkie around a corner to where a crowd had gathered around a stranger in town.
The stranger was a unicorn stallion. A newcomer who was covered in mud, and had twigs and leaves stuck in his mane, as if he had came by way of crawling on his stomach through every bush on his journey.
"Shoot! What happened to this guy?" Applejack wondered.
"Sh! He just got to that part before I got you," Pinkie hushed her friend before she turned her undivided attention to the stranger.
"I just barely got away with my life. I...I got to now," the stranger said before he started to leave.
"WAIT!!" Pinkie yelled as she grabbed the stranger's tail. "Start over from the beginning!"
"But, I need to see my parents. My mom's sick. And dad's--" the stranger said.
"Just start from the beginning! Lives are at stake here, mister!" Pinkie demanded.
There would be no reasoning with the pink mare, so the stranger conceded to her will.
"Okay," the unicorn began, "Last night, I was in the Everfree Forest. There were monsters all around me, hiding in the shadows, waiting for a chance to attack. But, I had them all at bay with nothing more than a song that I know. Then, something howled and stepped onto the path in front of me. It was too dark to see, but I knew it was staring right at me. And I knew it wanted me. Even if I tried to run, it was going to follow me to Tartarus and back. But, there was no way I wasn't at least going to try. My parents needed me at their home and-- Why am I still here? My parents are waiting!"
Pinkie was all ready to press a great, red stop sign in the stranger’s face, but it was Applejack who took the initiative to stop him.
"Ya ain't leavin' 'til ya finish that story!" she said as she grabbed his tail and plopped him back onto the ground.
Now there were two ponies detaining him. If he was going to get anywhere, the stranger was going to have to do as they said.
"Fine. Just don't hurt me, please," the unicorn begged, before continuing, "I ran at the monster without a second thought. I got closer and closer, and suddenly the thing lit up like a lantern! That's when I saw it reaching for me with its evil, clawed hand!"
Applejack's eyes lit up when she heard that. An evil, clawed thing that lit up with a mysterious light in the Everfree? She could not be sure if it was the same thing, but the description given was exactly what she saw, and it was seen in the direction she saw it fly. And now, she was learning how lucky she was not to get attacked by it.
"How'd ya get away?" Applejack demanded to know.
"With this," the stranger said as he magically retrieved a small object from his mane. "As soon as it reached for me, I held this up and it started thrashing around. It ripped up my jacket pretty good, and tried to get me again. But when it reached for me again, I held up my lucky coin right in front of it and it backed away, so I ran the buck out of there. I ran all night through the woods, never knowing if it was still chasing me until I got here just now. So, if you don't mind, I have to go take care of my parents!"
And the stranger left without another word.
Applejack did not know what was so special about that coin. The only thing of note about it was that it was how antiquated it was. It was something that came from centuries ago, probably from Granny Smith's day. Whatever it was about that coin, she thought she and her friends could have used something like it to protect the town from other monsters. But more importantly, she hoped this story drove home a point to her sister.
"Still think yer new friends ain't so bad?" Applejack asked Apple Bloom.
The filly did not answer.
Applejack knew she had not gotten through to her sister. She took after herself, after all. The issue would have to be taken care of. Otherwise, she knew Apple Bloom would keep exploring this dark new territory until the worst happened. But that would have to wait, or else Apple Bloom would be late to school.
"I'll catch ya later, Pinkie. I gotta get this troublemaker to school. Then I gotta be in the orchard. If ya need anything, bring anypony who can make it there," Applejack said.
Pinkie said something, but neither sister was listening. They both sulked to the school in silence, mulling over their respective problems.



Apple Bloom had to rush into the school as the bell began ringing. She sped away from her sister's side, and burst through the doors to the classroom.
"I ain't late! I ain't late! The bell ain't done ringin' yet!" she shouted as she quickly took her seat next to Scootaloo. She huffed and puffed as she unpacked her school supplies, and finally turned her attention to the front of the class.
"Alright. Since we're all here--" Miss Cheerilee began, but stopped herself when she saw the empty desk in the front row. It was going to take some getting used to, having one student lost in a tragic accident. But, she carried on with the introduction to the day's lesson as it was.
Apple Bloom had seen the way she looked, at the empty desk, and knew what her teacher was feeling. Even though Red Sky hadn't been particularly close to either of them, the mere fact that he was gone was like a hole in their lives
Even though she found him irritating, Apple Bloom had seen how nice he was when they actually spoke for the first, and last time. Thinking about him made her wonder what could have happened if she had known him longer. Maybe, if she was with him, she could have done something to save him and become his friend. He found his cutie mark before her, so maybe he could have helped her and her friends with theirs.
Her eyes drifted to his desk, the same way that he always did with her. It made her think that he might have felt something similar about her. What other reason was there that he was always staring? But, there was no way she would ever know now.
"Guess what's different about me," Sweetie Belle said as she flaunted her mane.
Apple Bloom turned her attention to Sweetie, and looked her over, but saw nothing of note.
"She said the same thing to me earlier, but I don't get what she means," Scootaloo said.
"You guys! Look," Sweetie Belle said as she emphasized the flower in her mane.
Apple Bloom saw it, and wondered how easy it was for somepony to miss something like that. The same thing happened when she found Courtney's necklace, and that was such a beautiful accessory. This flower was just as breathtaking as the necklace, with its gradient shades of pink with dots of black and yellow on its five petals. Now that she thought about it, it looked just like--
Apple Bloom gasped when she realized where that flower must have come from.
"Apple Bloom. Pay attention to the front of the class, please," Miss Cheerilee implored before she went on with her lesson.
The filly grumbled, not understanding why she was being singled out when her friends were distracted as well. But, there were more important things to ask about.
"Did they go to yer place too, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked her friend next to her.
"No. I thought they did, but...I don't think I should talk about it here," Scootaloo answered.
"Okay. But, I got something to show y'all at recess."
"What?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Just wait 'til then," Apple Bloom said as she returned her focus to the lesson.



Though the red moon shone brightly, there was one street in Macabria that always was darker than the rest. A place that Courtney did not visit if she could help it. Not that it was a terrible neighborhood. Quite the contrary. But, she always dreaded a visit to her mother's home.
The witch walked past many posh homes, wondering what kind of snob would need such a large house. Until her question was answered when she reached her mother's front gate.
Past the pointed, metal gate, her mother's house was a perfect reflection of everything Courtney couldn't stand about her. The other homes were so grand, but mother's was far more ostentatious and gaudy. While others lived in homes of gray or brown brick, mother's was polished black or white marble stone at the end of a flower-bordered path with a three-tiered fountain on either side that oozed black mist.
Eyes glowing in the shadow of the grand abode, Courtney opened the creaking gate and walked forward to the front door. After a moment of hesitation, she knocked on the door.
"Mother?" the witch called out.
There was no answer, and she knocked again.
"Mother!"
Still no answer.
After several seconds, the door creaked open, revealing the dark inside of the house. The only light within came from the candles that cast their glow on the walls around them.
"Depart the premises. The mistress is not in," a low voice croaked from inside.
Barely visible in the darkness, Courtney could see the outline of her mother's manservant. He stood in the doorway, seeming to change his size, shape and even shift further and closer to Courtney in the dim, flickering light of the candles.
He was always a mystery to Courtney, who had never learned his name, or even clearly seen his face. Who, or whatever he was, it was no mystery why mother kept him around. He was every bit as reliable as any familiar. And since mother hated animals, it suited her perfectly.
"I'm here to see my mother," Courtney said, knowing full well how he answered any visitor.
"And you shall not. Her work has called her to the neighboring province. She will return on the eve after The Hallow," the servant informed her.
Of all the rotten luck, that was the worst of it. Courtney had no desire to face the evil that threatened Equestria, and now she left without a choice.
"Couldn't she come back? She's the only one who can help the light-dwellers! Without her, they're going to die!" Courtney pleaded.
"She knows full well of the demon that walks among them. The harvester of their essence, and what robs them of their souls. But, she has placed her trust in you to make right the troubles of the other world. It would do you good to not disappoint her. Now, depart the premises. The mistress is not in," the shadowy servant said.
And with no discernible movements, the door was shut, leaving Courtney alone in the dark yard.
Anger flooded the witch's mind as she walked. Why did mother have to do this to her? If she knew what was loose in the world, why did she leave it up to her daughter!? Of course, that was what Courtney was going to do to her mother, but she was a much more powerful witch than herself. It was just a part of her spiteful nature, she guessed as she dug her nails into her palms.
At the end of the street, where the moon shone brighter, Courtney could see Bruce and Molly waiting for her arrival.
"Did she say anything?" Molly inquired as soon as her friend arrived.
"She's not there," was all the witch answered.
"That's not a problem, is it?" Molly hopefully asked, despite the obvious answer.
"It's a very big problem. It means I have to handle this myself," Courtney sighed.
Bruce reared up to his full height and grunted.
"I'm sorry, Bruce. But, I can't ask either of you to come with me. It's going to be very dangerous, and I don’t want this burden of you," the witch said to her pet.
It was the worst thing she felt since she was faced with making the fillies she had come to adore forget about her and the dark world. What she was charged with next was even worse than that.
Molly hesitated to speak her next words. If anything, she wanted to stay there, safe in her home. But she knew if Courtney went alone, she was at even greater risk of not coming home at all.
"It doesn't matter, Courtney. We're both going with you," she said, trying to sound brave.
"Molly, you understand that--" Courtney began, before Molly interrupted her.
"I don't understand any of it. I don't understand how this...demon found its way to us. And I don't understand why the burden has to fall to you. But as your friend, I can't allow you to go alone. And, going anywhere without your familiar is just irresponsible," Molly said. It was one thing to follow Courtney to her mother's house, but another altogether to let her do something so dangerous alone.
Bruce grunted in agreement. Though he was only a werewolf, he understood the importance of staying together when things were bleak.
There was no way that Courtney to say 'no' to them. Having known them both for so long, she knew they would not relent until she allowed them to come, especially Bruce.
"Alright," Courtney agreed. "First thing's first, we're going to have to prepare."



Recess was always a time when the colts and fillies of Ponyville could stretch their legs, and work off their pent up energy so they could feel more refreshed and eager to learn than ever when they returned to the classroom. Not so for three particular fillies, who congregated underneath the big tree at the edge of campus, far from any other foals.
"So, what did you want to show us, Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"These," Apple Bloom said as she produced the books she was given from her bag.
"This is it? But, you get books all the time from Twilight," Scootaloo said as she examined one of them.
"Ya gotta open first," Apple Bloom said.
That in mind, Scootaloo opened the book she was given, and scanned its pages. Gradually, her eyes grew wider when she started to realize what she was reading.
"What is it? Is it something funny?" Sweetie Belle asked as she looked over Scootaloo's shoulder, only for her jaw to drop when she saw what was on the pages.
"Where the hay did you get these?" Scootaloo asked.
"I think Courtney left 'em when she was at Sweet Apple Acres last night. Look at these," Apple Bloom said.
Apple Bloom hoofed them the other books, and they all opened one of their liking, eagerly anticipating the secrets of the dark world that were awaiting them.
Barely any time passed when they all finished the first page they were on. After that, they all started flipping through their respective pages, engorging themselves on what revelations were to come through the pages. Each one of them found every tiny shred of information to be more enlightening than anything they learned in school.
Their study time was interrupted by a ball suddenly flying in and hitting the trunk of the tree they were under, knocking a few acorns down from its branches.
"Hey! Watch where you're kicking that thing, butterhooves!" Scootaloo said as her heart raced furiously.
"Sorry," the colt said as he came to retrieve his ball, "We were just...uh..."
He trailed off as his eyes were drawn to the thick foliage of branches above the fillies. After what he had seen last night, he swore the thing outside his window was following him. Even now, he thought he could see it's face hidden among the leaves. With a shudder, he quickly ran back to his friends in the open field.
"Weirdo," Scootaloo said before she and her friends returned to reading their books.
The fallen acorns were a fortuitous happenstance for Apple Bloom, whose concentration was barely shaken even after the ball impacted the tree.
"Hey, you guys! Look at this. It says here that hundreds o' years ago, witches communicated far away by burnin' acorns and flowers," she said as she displayed the pages she was scanning.
"Why didn't they just write a letter like everypony else?" Sweetie Belle asked, not understanding the significance of the discovery.
"That's not the point, Sweetie Belle. It means we can still talk to each other, even though we're all grounded," Scootaloo said.
"That ain't it at all. It means we can talk to Courtney if we need any help," Apple Bloom said.
How did they possibly miss that!? Scootaloo was especially excited to learn that she could talk to her new friend, who was sure to know how to handle her ghost problem.
"What does it say to do?" Sweetie Belle asked as she and Scootaloo crowded around Apple Bloom.
"Um...Let me see," Apple Bloom said as she reread the page.
There were no instructions, but the picture on the page showed a creature burning the ingredients on a piece of white paper in a dark room.
"It doesn't say. But I think we can just do what he's doin' in the picture," Apple Bloom said.
"But how? What do we know about witchcraft? I can barely use any magic, and I'm a unicorn," Sweetie Belle said.
"It wouldn't hurt to at least try, would it," Scootaloo rebutted.
"Using fire to cast magic wouldn't hurt?" Sweetie questioned, completely deadpan skeptical.
"It doesn't matter if we do. This book says that some spells only need the will to use them," Scootaloo said, pointing to the passage that instructed so.
In only the few seconds that her friends spoke, Apple Bloom had gathered a few acorns, and tore a piece of paper from a book in her bag. Of course, she had no idea if it was the kind of spell that only required the will to do it, but there was always the chance.
"There. We just need flowers now," she said. Luckily, there was one ready at hoof. "Sweetie?"
"Oh, no you don't. This was a gift, and I'm going to keep it! We can just use those flowers growing by the tree," Sweetie said as she protectively covered the flower in her mane.
"But, what if a flower from the dark world works better?" Apple Bloom reasoned.
"Forget it. I've got the matches. And if we don't use those flowers, I'm not using them," Sweetie Belle said.
Sweetie Belle had a point. She had all the leverage in this case, so they did as she wished and plucked the red and purple flowers from under the tree.
All the ingredients were placed on the piece of paper, and Sweetie Belle struck a match. It flared to life, and she applied the flame to the middle of the paper, while her friends kept a lookout for anypony who might see them with the matches.
Nothing happened. The ingredients only snuffed out after a second of smoldering, and the fillies all frantically fanned the air to clear it of any smoke that would attract unwanted attention.
"I told you it wouldn't work," Sweetie said as she stopped fanning.
"We gotta try again," Scootaloo said.
"Are you crazy? We're lucky nopony saw us with all that smoke," Sweetie rebutted.
"Come on, Sweetie Belle! I know we can get this. Even if it takes us a hundred tries, we can do this. I know that Courtney thinks we can. Why else would she have given us these books?" Apple Bloom said.
There was reason in Apple Bloom's words, though her friends weren't quite sure what she was getting at. Despite that, they agreed with her to try again.
They gathered more ingredients, and this time Apple Bloom focused all of her attention on the process. She pictured in her mind the image of the pitch black mare with ghostly blue eyes, as well as the strange, two-legged creature she became in her home in the red of the flame. Both images stuck clearly before her, and she called out the witch's name in her mind, hoping that it would somehow boost the power of the spell.
The match touched the ingredients, and Apple Bloom kept up her focus on smoldering flame and smoke, still with the image and name in her mind.
It looked as if nothing was going to happen again. They all raised their hooves to fan the smoke away, only to see it stop rising when it reached their eye level. In a sudden poof, the smoke stopped amorphously billowing, and took the shape of a two-legged creature in an old-fashioned dress.
The image of the creature was busy doing something, though it was hard to see what. It looked like it was packing something, if they had to guess.
They were all excited that the spell had worked. Apple Bloom guessed that maybe her friends had contributed to the power of the spell as well to make it so. She took the initiative to address the witch, clearing her throat first.
"Hello?" the yellow filly said.
"Bloody hell!" the image of Courtney shouted as it quickly turned around. She was shocked by what she saw before her. "Apple Bloom!? How did you learn smoke channeling?"
"We all did it," Sweetie Belle proudly proclaimed.
"All of you!? But--Can anyone see you!?" the witch said.
"Maybe, if they got really close," Scootaloo said.
The smokey image of Courtney would have shouted, if it were not bumped out of the way by a much larger image that barked excitedly when it saw the fillies.
"Hi, Bruce," Apple Bloom greeted him.
“Urf! Urf!” Bruce answered.
"Is that the fillies?" another familiar voice said before the smokey image of its owner appeared in front of Bruce. "It is! Sweetie, did you get my blossom?"
"I got it right here," Sweetie said as she once again flaunted the flower in her mane.
"And you look adorable," Molly giggled at the sight of the tiny unicorn wearing one of her flowers. "Do you remember what I taught you about drawing attention?"
"I sure do. But, I still don't have the walking right."
"Hey, can I talk to Courtney?" Scootaloo interjected.
As soon as she finished speaking, the image of Courtney shoved her way in next to the images of her friends.
"Can we make this quick? We don't know who might be watching," the witch said.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders all scoped the area, seeing nopony who would see them from where they were, though they huddled more closely around the smoking image when they were done.
"Okay. Courtney, I have a ghost problem at my house," Scootaloo said.
"Ghosts," Sweetie Belle gasped. "Like in the stories, with rotting skin and bloodshot eyes?"
"Not at first. They started out looking normal. But, when they tried to attack me, they started turning into monsters," Scootaloo said to Courtney.
"Dear me! You were almost attacked by a ghost!? What could you have done to provoke it?" Molly gasped when she reappeared in the image.
"I don't know. But--But I think they know me," Scootaloo said.
"What do you mean, 'they know you?'" Courtney asked as her image drifted in front of Molly's, while the top of Bruce's head peeked in from below.
"Last night, I heard them calling my name before I saw them," the orange filly explained.
"Alright. All of you, listen to me," Courtney said before anyone else could start talking, "What I'm about to tell you is very important. Stay indoors tonight. Under no circumstances are you to leave your homes."
"But, what if the ghosts come back?" Scootaloo said, on the verge of trembling with fear.
"You can keep them at bay with salt. Sprinkle it around your entire house, and in front of every doorway. Do this, and you can keep out nearly any spirit. But, no matter how safe you feel, do not feel like you can mock them. Speaking ill of the dead is the surest way to make them come after you with double the effort. I'll be at your house tonight to take care of it," Courtney said.
Scootaloo shuddered to think that she would have to stay holed up in her house, protected by nothing but a ring of salt, while the ghosts tried to find a way in. But the promise of being protected by her new friend put most of her doubts at ease.
"Okay...Do you want directions to my place?" Scootaloo asked.
"I won't need them. Bruce already has your scent, and he can send me in your direction," Courtney said as she scratched Bruce's ears. "Is there anyone else in the house we should be aware of?"
"Just my mom."
"Not the one that yelled at you in Zecora's house? She hardly looked old enough to be anyone's mother," Molly asked.
"Well, about that--" Scootaloo began, before she was cut off by the bell ringing, signalling the end of recess.
"We gotta go now," Apple Bloom hastily said, "Take care, y'all."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
"URF!!"
And with those final goodbyes they all snuffed out the flowers and acorns, fanned away any errant smoke, and buried the remains.
As they walked back to class, a new idea occurred to Apple Bloom.
"We can't stay in tonight," she said simply
"But, Courtney said that we shouldn't leave. Remember? 'Under no circumstances,'" Sweetie Belle reminded her, imitating Courtney's foreign accent on the last statement.
"Don't ya realize what we just did? We cast magic! We gotta start practicin' more," Apple Bloom reasoned.
"Okay. So, why don't we just do it at home," Scootaloo rebutted.
"It ain't that simple, Scootaloo. This is somethin' new. Somethin' strange. Ponies won't understand it at first, and might end up tryin' to stop us if they found out," Apple Bloom said, remembering the conversation she had with her sister earlier that day.
Once again, she had swayed her friend's opinions. There was always something about Apple Bloom's way of speaking that made them see things the way that she did, and opened them to a greater understanding.
"Alright. But how do we practice?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Each of us takes a book, an' reads it. We read 'em carefully, an' we work off of whatever we learn, like what we just did. We'll meet at the tree house tonight to share what we learned. An' remember to keep salt with ya fer protection," Apple Bloom answered.
A small excitement was welling up in each one of them. Their slow walk to class became a light trot as their minds filled with ways that they would be able to practice their newfound skills. Though none of them said anything, they knew they were all going to meet that night



Back in the dark world, Courtney sighed as she recovered from the weight that had been added to her mind.
"This is not good, Molly. Not good at all," the witch said.
"I know. I'm worried about Scootaloo as well. We should have had Bruce direct us to her last night," Molly agreed.
"That's not what I mean."
Bruce let out a questioning grunt.
"It's because they've learned a basic spell," Courtney answered her pet.
"I see no harm with them learning something as simple as a communication spell," Molly said.
"That's because you don't practise magic, Molly. You don't know how the light-dweller's view magic like ours, or how they think of us. The ponies there might see those fillies practicing witchcraft as some kind of unnatural pact with a demon, or call it heresy to their own way of life. I don't know much about that world, but I've heard rumors that it's ruled by a goddess who banishes those who displease her to their moon. And if that's true, and this despotic theocrat catches wind of their new hobby, it may put the three of them in danger."
The idea that the fillies may be in danger broke Molly's heart. She had just met them, and now, somehow, they were putting themselves in danger.
"That's horrible! How can we keep that from happening?" Molly asked.
Courtney did not know a way. She only wanted to help the fillies better understand the way her world worked. And now, they may have been heading down a path from where there was no return. And it was all her fault.



Birds chirped quietly in the branches of the trees of Sweet Apple Acres. Beneath it all, Applejack slowly walked through the orchard, noticing something quite odd about the trees that had been attacked.
The day before, they were all ragged and bare. Now, they were budding new leaves and the wounds on their bark were healing. Some of them even had flower buds growing on them, meaning they could still bear fruit.
None of it made sense. After what had happened, she and Big Macintosh were prepared to tear them out of the ground and haul them away to have them mulched. Now, as if by some miracle, the trees were blooming back to life.
She stopped walking when she almost stepped on something. At first, she thought it was a tree root, but when she moved her hoof, it turned out to be a tree sprout. At first, she thought that maybe it came from one of the fallen apples. But if it had, why was it not there before? And why was it spaced so appropriately from any of the other trees? It was almost like it was put there by somepony who knew agriculture as well as herself.
It wasn't an apple sprout, Applejack noticed as she more closely examined it. In such a situation, she would have dug it up before any more of them could infest the orchard. But before the thought even occurred to her, she saw out of the corner of her eye her friends arriving through the front gate.
It was fortunate that everypony had come, especially Rainbow Dash and Rarity, for she had important matters to discuss with them in particular.
"I did what you said, Applejack. I brought everypony who could make it," Pinkie proclaimed as she presented their group of friends.
"Great. So, that means we're all here," Twilight said as she checked off Applejack's name on the list she brought with her. "Okay, let's bring Applejack up to speed. Last night, Pinkie's ghost came back, as did the monsters that came for me and Fluttershy."
Ever since Fluttershy reported the incident, she tried to explain what happened. But, her timid nature and the urgency of the situation kept her from being able to divulge any details. Even then when she tried to open her mouth to explain, Twilight talked over her.
"However, Rarity said that her monster disappeared. As well as Pinkie's. The nature of their disappearance indicates that there is some otherworldly force involved. I've already written a hypothesis that you can all read later," Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at having something else to read.
"Fluttershy said that the werewolf came back to her yard, and the lupins were useless to deter it. We're going to have to find a new way to keep it away from her," Twilight continued.
"But--" Fluttershy tried to say.
"The monster from my house came back for Owloysius, who for the second night in a row left with it, and came back by morning. This leads me to believe that they go someplace together. I need to plan a way to follow them, as I anticipate it to show up again. And finally, Rainbow Dash has nothing to report. What about you?" Twilight said over Fluttershy.
"Nothin', I don't think. There was a shadow here in the orchard thataway, but it went away after a second. But, that ain't nearly as important as what I gotta tell y'all," Applejack answered, capturing her friend's attention.
> Chapter 10: To Welcome the Unwelcome
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 10

To Welcome the Unwelcome


In order to better accommodate the company she had, Applejack invited her friends into the house before she told any of them what she learned. Each one was served a slice of apple pie, a la mode for Pinkie, so that things would be a little more comfortable for everypony.
"So, what is it you want to tell us, Applejack?" Twilight asked before she took the first bite of her pie.
"Actually, it's mostly concernin' Dash an' Rarity," Applejack informed.
"Something about us? Whatever could it be?" Rarity said as she took a dainty bite of her pie. She hoped desperately that it didn't concern her night demon. Even though she didn't see the monster again after she went back to sleep, she still felt wary of its obsessive presence, and the frightening attraction she felt toward it.
"To be precise, it ain't so much about you as it is yer sis an' foal," Applejack said.
"So spit it out already!" Dash snapped, eager to hear any information concerning Scootaloo and the night monsters. She recoiled slightly when she saw the way her friends were looking at her after her outburst. "Sorry. Keep going."
Applejack readied herself for what she was about to say, not only for her friends, but also for herself to come to terms with the truth.
"This mornin', Apple Bloom told me that she an' her friends met some monsters last night."
Everypony at the table gasped loudly and talked over one another.
"What did they do!?"
"How did they escape!?"
"That ain't what's worryin' me," Applejack answered, after she calmed her friends down, "I didn't get much outta Apple Bloom, but it sounded like she was gettin' awful familiar with 'em. Like she was tryin' to make friends."
Her words sent a shock of fear and confusion into all of the ponies at the table, especially Rainbow Dash and Rarity.
"But, Applejack. What if all they want is to be friends with us?" Fluttershy suggested.
The mere idea shot every gaze in the room right to her, making the yellow pegasus flinch slightly. Once she got over the shock of all eyes being on her, she said what was on her mind.
"Don't you think it must be very lonely living in the dark like they do? With nopony to share tea or play games with, I think it's only natural they would be just a little bit angry at others?" Fluttershy suggested.
It was always like Fluttershy to try and see the good in others before passing judgement, but her words would do little to sway her friend's opinions.
"It's not that easy, Fluttershy. We don't know what these things want from us," Twilight said.
"We hardly know anything about them to begin with," Rarity added.
"But, that's exactly it. We don't know anything about them," Fluttershy reasoned. "Twilight. You said that Owloysius has been going away at night with a giant owl creature, didn't you?"
"Yes. What's your point?" Twilight said.
"Well, just that maybe they're only having fun somewhere flying in the clouds. After all, you said he's returned home safely two times in a row."
Twilight hadn't thought of it that way. She knew there had to be some reason for what was happening, but for all of her theorizing, researching and hypothesizing, that particular idea would never have crossed her mind.
"Rarity," Fluttershy continued, "You said that you thought the demon in your dream was very handsome, and that you wanted to get to know him better. But, when he became ugly, you didn't like him anymore. Don't you think he might have been just a little hurt by that?"
"But...But he tried to turn me ugly as well," Rarity tried to rebuke, but still felt slightly ashamed of herself.
"Oh...Um...Maybe, he wanted to show that he would love you no matter what you looked like?" the timid pegasus suggested.
Rarity nibbled the tip of her hoof. The notion itself was probably one of the most romantic she ever heard, but the thought of it happening to herself made her wince inwardly.
"Rainbow Dash. You said the ghosts in your house called Scootaloo's name. Did you recognize them from somewhere?" Fluttershy asked.
"I've never seen either of them in my entire life. And Scootaloo doesn't know that many adults outside of us," Rainbow Dash answered.
"But, they seem to know her. They could have known her when they were alive, couldn't they?"
That simple suggestion gave Dash a new objective. She would have flown off to do some investigating, if not for wanting to hear what more Fluttershy had to say.
"And you, Pinkie," Fluttershy continued, "What if the ghost at your house was only trying to make ponies laugh?"
"No way was that thing trying to make ponies laugh! Starting fires and throwing knives isn't funny in anypony's joke book. And I wrote the book on funny," Pinkie said as she presented an oversized book with herself on the cover wearing a pair of gag glasses.
"But, sometimes when you make ponies laugh, it's at the expense of somepony else. Maybe, your ghost was trying to do that, but didn't know how to do it right?" Fluttershy suggested.
Once again, Fluttershy had a point. Pinkie briefly thought over that line of reasoning, before giving her response.
"I guess," the party pony said. "But that still doesn't explain the creepy shadows that moved all of the furniture."
Fluttershy was stumped on that point. Though she tried, she couldn't think of a reason that there would be shadows Pinkie's house. 
"That is strange. But, if I had to guess, it had something to do with the ghost disappearing. Of course, that's just conjecture," Twilight chimed in.
"It could have been been another ghost that wanted to help you," Fluttershy offered. "If it was, it just means that they really aren't as scary as we think they are. In fact, I'm sure that if you met the werewolf at my house, you'd see it's not so bad."
Unfortunately, nopony quite understood what she was saying.
"What about the thing that destroyed my trees? Any idea how that mighta been tryin' to be friendly?" Applejack spoke up.
Though she tried to find the good in all things, Fluttershy couldn't think of a conceivable reason that something so terrible would be done as a misguided act of friendship. Try as she did, a reason eluded her, making her anxious that she wouldn't be able to drive home her point.
"But...But we don't even know what did it," Fluttershy stammered.
There would be no convincing Applejack with such reasoning.
"I don't need to have seen it to know what done it. Things like this have been happenin' fer years, an' always around Nightmare Night. I always tried tellin' myself it was just pranksters takin' their jokes too far. But after what I saw, I'm bettin' it was these monsters every time," the farmpony said.
Fluttershy ducked under the table so only her eyes poked up, and Pinkie was about take another bite of pie, until her plate jumped up and hit her face as Applejack slammed her hooves on the table.
"We can't let ourselves get too comfortable with 'em, just 'cause they're actin' friendly. We all heard the same stories as fillies, where the ponies would make friends with a monster, only to get killed! Or how they'd disguise themselves as ponies, so they could get close enough to eat 'em! What y'all do about it is yer own business, but I ain't lettin' anything happen to my family over it!"
Applejack's counter to Fluttershy's points also stuck in the mares' minds, creating a dilemma the likes of which none of them ever faced. They both made good points, but they didn't know who to believe.
As usual, it fell to Twilight to come up with a compromise.
"I think what we should do is at least try to approach them, but be prepared for the worst, if need be," the librarian suggested
"And how do you propose we do that?" Rarity asked.
"We should still take precautions, to defend ourselves against them, but not be afraid to approach them," Twilight answered.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Fluttershy said, "But, do you have any more books about werewolves? I think the one you have is outdated. Not that I'm saying it wasn't helpful. Only that I could use some new information."
"I'm not sure if I have any more books. But, I can check," Twilight said, having planned to ask Princess Celestia for any books pertaining to Nightmare Night later. "Now, how does everypony feel about my proposition?"
Though every answer was affirmative, they all carried heavy overtones of apprehension and doubt. Still, it was the only idea anypony had.
"Alright. Now, I think we should all adjourn, and start trying to find new information about these creatures," Twilight finished up
For the longest time, Rainbow Dash was practically shaking in her seat, eager to carry out her new mission. Now that the meeting was finished, she stuffed the rest of her pie in her mouth and flew out the door like a shot toward her destination.
"Looks like somepony has an idea where to start. We'll have to ask what she's up to later," Twilight said before she left Applejack's house.
One by one, they all left, until only Applejack was left in her home. She sat grimly at her table, thinking over the conversation that they all just had. But, she didn't care what anypony said. She knew the truth about those creatures, and was determined to keep her family safe, no matter the cost.



Outside on the property of Sweet Apple Acres, the five friends all started going their separate ways, except for Fluttershy who decided to join with her friends. Rainbow Dash was gone, so she went with her next choice.
"Excuse me, Twilight. I know you must be busy, but--"
"That's right, Fluttershy. Spike and I are going to be doing extensive research for the rest of the day. Sorry, but I won't have time for much else. But, if you want any books on werewolves, I'd be happy to loan them," Twilight answered as she wrote down a new itinerary.
"Oh, yes. Of course..." Fluttershy answered.
Twilight was a bust, so she decided to try her next friend.
"Rarity? I don't mean to impose...But, could I ask a favor?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'm so sorry, sweetness. But I've got to be home to prepare for any other intruders. And after that, I have to keep my sister from any further trouble," Rarity replied as she walked her way home.
"Oh. O-Okay."
Applejack was sure to be busy with her sister as well, so that only left one more prospective helper.
"Um...Pinkie? If it's not too much trouble. And...If you aren't doing anything tonight...Maybe, you could come to my house?" Fluttershy stammered.
"A sleepover? Now, of all times? Or, do you want to do a study session together? That's it! A study-slumber party! We can cram in all the book-learning we need over s'mores," Pinkie answered.
"Actually..." Fluttershy thought she should pick her next words carefully, for fear of an infamous Pinkie outburst. "I didn't want to say this inside, because of what everypony might think. But...I sort of......................invited the werewolf to come to my house tonight..."
"YOU DID WHAT!?!?" Pinkie shouted.
"Pinkie, you don't have to be afraid," Fluttershy quickly assured her excitable friend.
"Not be afraid because you asked a monster to visit you!? Has all that time living alone with animals finally got to you!?"
"No..." Fluttershy answered as she half hid behind her mane, "But, if you came to my house, you'd see he's not so scary."
"Not so scary!? A mountain made of fangs and sour candy would be less scary than--" A new thought occurred to Pinkie in that moment. "Waaaaaiiit a minute here. You? Fluttershy? Not afraid? Of a werewolf!?"
"No!...I mean...I was at first. But, then I tried to talk to him, and he was actually very sweet. He also said that he...wanted to bring more of his friends to my house...
"And you said..." Pinkie motioned for Fluttershy to continue.
After pausing for what felt like an eternity, Fluttershy finally answered, ".........................................................................Yes...
"Okay, let's think about this. You met a monster that said it wanted to bring more of its monster friends to your house, and you said 'yes!'" Pinkie said.
Fluttershy only nodded.
"So, tonight, your house is going to be flooded with creepies, crawlies and assorted spooks!?"
"A-Are you doing anything tonight?" Fluttershy repeated, now trembling with fear for what was to come.
"Of course I'll be there! How could I leave you at the mercy of the monsters of the night?" Pinkie affirmed.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much," Fluttershy said, as she hugged Pinkie so hard, her eyes bulged.
"No problem! So, what do we do before it comes?" Pinkie strained, before she was let go.
Fluttershy thought briefly thought about how she would accommodate her new company, without running the risk of getting hurt by any of them.
"We could buy them some lupins," she suggested, earning a confused look from Pinkie.



"Spike?" Twilight called once she got through her front door.
"Up here, Twilight," the dragon replied from somewhere in the upper levels.
The purple unicorn looked around the upstairs area, only to find no sight of her number one assistant.
She looked outside on the balcony, but still no Spike.
Finally, she looked up, to find him in the branches, spreading barbed wire across the treetop.
"I've already got the branches on that side of the house. I'd like to see that thing try to get in tonight," Spike said as he twisted the wire around another branch.
"As much as I appreciate what you've done, Spike, I think we need a change of plans," Twilight replied.
"One step ahead of you. I made an alarm system from all the spare cans and string we had lying around the place," Spike said, demonstrating the effectiveness of his makeshift alarm by lightly swatting a can.
As soon as he had, the whole string fell on top of him, tangling him up in its length. Once he lost his balance, he ended up hooking on one of the barbed wires and suspending himself in the air.
"Actually, I meant we might not need these after all," Twilight explained as she magically removed everything the Spike had hung up.
"What!?. But, I spent all morning setting that up" Spike shouted before he was shaken free of the wire and landed next to Twilight.
"I know. And, I'm sorry to let your work go to waste. But, after I spoke with everypony, I think I have a better idea about what to do," Twilight said before she walked back inside.
"What is it? Some kind of magic spell?" Spike asked as she noisily shook off the string of cans and followed her downstairs.
"Well, no. It's a little bit different from that. Or, a lot different to be exact," Twilight said as she rummaged through her shelves.
"Hire a professional monster hunter to get rid of it?"
"No. I think we should..." Twilight paused, not sure of how she was going to convey her plan to Spike, "I think we should invite it inside...?"
"Invite it!? That's the worst idea I've ever heard!" Spike shouted. He knew it was so unlike Twilight to come up with something like that. It had to be somepony else's idea. "This was Fluttershy's idea, wasn't it? Don't you remember what happened when she wanted to make friends with a parasprite!?"
"She had a point that we don't know anything about it, and how Owloysius has come home safely twice. Maybe, it just wants to be friends with him?" Twilight said as she finally picked a book off the shelf.
"Yeah? And I'm a duck in a dragon suit!" Spike rebutted.
"Spike, we need to take the chance that it might not be dangerous at all. For all we know, it really is just trying to make friends with us," Twilight said.
After living in Ponyville for so long, Spike could tell that Twilight was heading toward the basis of another friendship report. He knew that once she was headed toward that, there would be no swaying her, so all he could do was throw his claws up in defeat.
"Here," Twilight said as she magically gave Spike a book, "We'll need to read up on any known bird species, and see if the information can be made relevant to this unknown one. But first, I'm going to need you to take a letter to Princess Celestia, requesting any books she has on Nightmare Night."
Spike was already ahead of her. Before she even said anything, he had collected a quill and parchment, ready to write down anything she wanted.



The school day ended, and all of the foals left the school, feeling slightly smarter than they did that morning. All except for the Cutie Mark Crusaders who barely paid any attention at all. They were much too busy thinking of plans for when they got home.
Sweetie Belle bolted from the school, and into Carousel Boutique, where she ran upstairs to her room to begin her studying.
the book she had taken was the wildlife encyclopaedia. During free reading time at school, she flipped through it, finding it to be very insightful about each creature that was featured in its pages. Not only was she learning about creatures she only thought to be make believe, she was learning which ones were actually hostile, and how to keep them at bay.
She hadn't actually read very much up to that point. Only scanned most the pages, but still knew that the book would be a valuable asset to her, the way she learned such information.
Just before school ended, Sweetie Belle had gotten all the way up to the 'W' section, and stopped at a page for something called a 'wendigo.' The name sounded almost exactly like a windigo, but was much, much different.
While both were icy creatures, windigos were pony-like in shape, and froze lands where disharmony was abound.
Wendigos, on the other hoof, were emaciated, bipedal monsters with hearts of ice that ate everything in sight. The scariest part was how they only became hungrier the more they ate, so they kept eating more and more. And there was no limit to what they could eat.
The description scared her so much, Sweetie actually read the page to find out how to keep them away. She was relieved to learn that they only appeared when their name was called, and that ponies were only in danger if the wendigo called back. Still, she wasn't about to run that risk.
But, now that she was home, she could more thoroughly do her research.
"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity called.
Sweetie groaned when she realized she would have to temporarily put off her work.
"I didn't hear you come in," Rarity said as she poked her head through her sister's door.
"It's alright, Rarity. I didn't touch any of your stuff downstairs," Sweetie Belle said, wanting to get back to her book as quickly as possible.
"It's not that. Only..." Rarity wanted to confront her sister about the creatures she saw, to learn if they were as harmless as Fluttershy suggested. But, not in a way that sounded like she was prying. It would be easy enough. A lady is tactful, after all. "We never did talk about what happened last night."
"Yeah we did. You said I was grounded, and that was your final word, and then you had to get your beauty sleep," Sweetie said.
"I didn't say that."
"Actually, that's exactly what you said."
Sweetie Belle was right, now that Rarity thought about it. But, that wasn't the point.
"What I mean to say is that we need to discuss the details and repercussions of what you did last night," Rarity said.
That wasn't very Rarity-like. She often didn't care about little things like what was happening in her sister's life. It made Sweetie Belle wonder what prompted this sudden inquiry.
"What kind of details?" Sweetie asked.
"Only the imperatives: what you were doing out there. Why you did it. And, most of all, if you met anypony."
As clever and savvy as Rarity thought she was being, her sister saw how strange this questionnaire was. Almost like she was trying to get at something. Curious to find out what, Sweetie Belle decided to play along.
"Meet anypony? Like who? Zecora?" the filly wondered.
"No. Perhaps a stranger. Maybe somepony slightly...unnatural," Rarity said.
Whatever Rarity was trying to say, it was starting to sound weirder and weirder.
"Nope. Nopony like that," Sweetie answered.
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity said tersely, though she quickly regained her composure, "I need to know if you were in any danger last night, from anything, be it a manticore, cragadile, or something otherworldly!"
So much for tact.
Sweetie Belle couldn't be sure, but it sounded like Rarity may have known something about the dark kin.
"You mean like, a ghost?" Sweetie said
"Yes. Or anything to that nature," Rarity answered.
Sweetie Belle couldn't have known how, but somehow, her sister knew at least something about the creatures she was with. She decided that she should ease Rarity into the know of what happened.
"Maybe, something like a werewolf too?" the filly suggested.
"Yes! Yes!?" Rarity said.
"But, what if maybe werewolves aren't that dangerous at all?"
Rarity paused a moment, before answering.
"...Aren't they?"
"No. Maybe, they're more like giant dogs who want to make friends with us. And, what if I wasn't in any danger with it, or anything else. Like witches, or blood-drinking plants?" Sweetie Belle said.
"Sweetie Belle...?" Rarity began, but didn't know how to finish.
It was so much for Rarity to take in. The monsters from her foalhood were real, and now her sister was making friends with them. The confusion Rarity felt back at Applejack's house hit her again, only worse this time. Whatever happened to the horrible monsters she always heard attacked and killed ponies who didn't know better?
"Don't you think that perhaps it's a bad idea to make such strange friends?" the fashionista said.
"I don't know what's so strange about them. They only want to make friends, just like us. In fact, one of them is a lot like you. She's stylish, fashionable, and she goes crazy over the smallest things. She even gave me this," Sweetie explained as she showed the flower in her mane. "I think you'd like her if you met her. I might even see her tonight, if that's okay."
Rarity thought over what Sweetie Belle said as she looked at the flower. Any mare who recognized such beauty as Sweetie's new friend couldn't be that bad, could they?
"I see. But, as pleasant as your new friends sound I'm still not sure you should be going out at night again," Rarity said.
"I guess so. I know that even though the dark kin are really nice, there are still some scary things out there. Like wendigos," Sweetie answered.
The filly quickly covered her mouth with her hooves, realizing that she let slip the name she wasn't supposed to call.
"You mean 'windigos,'" Rarity corrected.
Sweetie Belle sat in silence, until she heard no voice calling back, and let out a relieved sigh.
"Are you quite alright?" her sister wondered.
"Yeah. I'm fine. And, you're right about staying in tonight. Besides, if my friends want to visit, they'll come to us," Sweetie Belle finally said.
"Of course," Rarity said nervously."



Without even bothering to talk to reception, Dash burst into the newspaper offices, grabbed every obituary from up to eight years ago, flew home, and got cracking on her research.
The minutes passed, and she hoofed through each and every page, finding nothing. She tried to remember when Scootaloo became an orphan, and ended up jumping between several different years listed in each of the pages to find a lead.
One year. Nothing.
Two years. Nothing.
Three years. Still nothing.
Four. Nil. 
Five. Zilch
Six. This was getting annoying.
Finally, something stopped her. On the page she held in her hoof, there was Scootaloo's name.
After the momentary shock of finding her adopted daughter's name in an obituary, she read the sentence to find that it said the deceased in question were survived by their infant daughter, Scootaloo.
It was a tiny relief that she wouldn't have to deal with anything else as weird as she was already doing. Of course it would be ridiculous for Scootaloo to be dead. But, there were more important things to handle. Putting any other thoughts aside, she began reading the article in full, and what a revelation she found.
It seemed that years ago, there was an accident with the weather, and a terrible storm struck Ponyville, claiming the lives of many ponies.
The two in question were named Lulu and Skip Tumaloo. Scootaloo's parents. And their portraits showed them to be a pale green, earth pony stallion with a gray mane; and a purple, pegasus mare with a turquoise mane.
The mystery had been solved. Somehow, Scootaloo's parents had returned from the grave to claim their daughter once more.
Dash would never allow that. When she adopted Scootaloo, she swore to give her the foalhood that she deserved, and now, she was faced with the task of protecting her from an undead threat.
There was no time to waste. Dash had to get right to work, ghost-proofing her house.



As she was putting the finishing touch on her project, Rainbow Dash heard a rapid flapping noise that distracted her from her work.
Looking out the window, she saw Scootaloo slowly ascend into view.
After a second of straining, the filly finally got enough altitude to land in their front yard, huffing and puffing.
"Scoots! What the hay are you doing flying this high on your own?" Dash exclaimed before she burst into the yard.
"I waited for you to pick me up. I was down there for almost half and hour before I flew up on my own," Scootaloo answered, having expected her mother to help her fly to their house, the same as she did every day without fail.
Was school really out already? Even though Scootaloo was always able to flutter down to the ground on her own, her little wings prevented her from flying back home. It made Dash picking her up from school a necessity. Dash wondered how long she spent on her work. Still, all that time spent ghost-proofing the house was sure to keep the spirits at bay. She imagined how when the ghosts came tonight, how they would shrivel and fade when they tried to set hoof on her property.
"Wow, you've been busy," she heard Scootaloo say.
Once she came back to reality, Dash realized that Scootaloo was already in the house, and that she hadn't cleaned up anything since she began her work.
"Mom? What's this?" Scootaloo asked.
Dash's heart nearly stopped at the thought of what Scootaloo found. What would she tell her daughter when she asked why she had it!?
Without another thought, Dash flew into the house, intending to stop Scootaloo from seeing too much, but froze when she saw she was too late.
Inside, Scootaloo was surprised to find the house decorated with symbols of the Royal Sister's cutie marks, from talismans hung from the ceiling to having them painted on every step on the stairs and drawn on every wall. But, the thing that surprised her the most was finding the newspaper with the faces of the two ghosts she had seen.
"Where did you find this?" Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow Dash could think of no answer.
"Why do you have it?"
Still, no answer came.
Scootaloo became anxious as she held the paper in her hoof, and more so at her mother's silence. Whatever was happening, it seemed that Rainbow Dash knew more than she was letting on.
"You've seen them, haven't you?" the filly asked.
"Scootaloo, that's crazy. Ghosts don't exist," Dash answered, realizing that Scootaloo said nothing about ghosts shortly after.
"They want me, don't they?" Scootaloo said.
"Honey..." Dash uneasily answered.
"They said my name when I saw them. And I know you saw them too. Did they call my name then?" the filly pressed.
There was no way to answer that question for Dash. She knew that if she lied, Scootaloo wouldn't believe her, and the truth would only frighten her. Still, Dash figured she had better choose the option that would salvage their relationship.
"Yeah. Your dad called you, before I saw him in your room," Dash confessed.
"In my room..." Scootaloo shuddered at the idea that her ghostly father was in her room without her knowing.
"It's alright. I took care of him. And I spent all day putting up these symbols. We should be safe those ghosts now," Dash assured the filly.
"No. We won't," Scootaloo said.
"Don't say that, Scootaloo! This always works for other ponies," Dash replied.
"It's just a superstition! We need salt!"
Scootaloo realized what she was saying at that moment. These were her parents she was talking about. She never knew them, as they died before she was a year old, and now, they were coming back for her. What if she never got a chance to see them again? How come they were only appearing now? Luckily, she had the solution to the problem.
"Wait," Scootaloo said to Dash as she reached into her saddlebag, and produced a book from within.
"What's that?" Dash looked at the cover, but couldn't read the title the way her daughter was holding it.
"I got this from Apple Bloom. It's supposed to be a book about how to get rid of ghosts," Scootaloo explained.
First ghosts, and now Apple Bloom had books about them. Just what the hay were those fillies doing last night? Whatever the case, they could talk about that later.
"I think maybe, we can call ghosts with it too," Scootaloo finished.
"Whoah, whoah, whoah! Wait a second! You want to call these ghosts here!?" Dash said.
"I know it's scary, but they're my parents. Maybe they just want to see how I'm doing."
"Uh-uh! Forget it," Dash said as she closed the book, and tried to take it, only for Scootaloo to hold it tightly.
"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo snapped.
The sheer stern tone of Scootaloo's voice made Dash stop resisting and listen to her.
"Last night, I learned probably the best lesson in my life. That even though things like this are scary, they value having friends just as much as we do. How would you feel if somepony didn't want you around because you were different than them?" the filly said.
Dash recalled her foalhood when she was ridiculed for not being able to fly as well as the other pegasus foals at school. She had no way of knowing, but maybe how these ghosts felt was similar to the way she felt back then.
"Alright. What do we do?" Dash asked.
Scootaloo immediately set to work, reading the table of contents for a lead. What luck. There was a section in the back dedicated to summoning ghosts. She flipped all the way to the back of the book, but found something strange there.
Stuck in the pages there was a note that read, 'Absolutely, DO NOT cast any spells in this section FOR ANY REASON. This means you, Apple Bloom.'
"Looks like somepony doesn't want us doing this," Dash said, looking for a reason to not summon the ghosts.
"Actually, somepony doesn't want Apple Bloom using this magic. See? It's okay for us." Scootaloo turned back to the book to remove the note, so she couldn't see Dash nervously bite her lip. "Oh. But it says that we can only cast this spell when the moon's out. We'll have to wait a few hours."
Once again, Dash felt a tiny relief. Her appointment with the otherworldly was going to be temporarily postponed, but what would she do when the time finally came?



Apple Bloom rushed home as fast as she could ahead of her sister, who was waiting outside the school to pick her up. Constantly, Applejack had to tell her sister to slow down, but no matter how she tried, Apple Bloom kept hurrying as they walked on.
Finally, the Apple sisters reached home, and Apple Bloom ran straight indoors while Applejack resumed her work in the orchard.
Winona had been waiting on the porch for her ponies to come home, and barked excitedly when they came. Expecting the usual attention, Apple Bloom ran right inside past her. Curious, as to what the filly was doing, Winona followed her in.
Once inside, the dog watched as Apple Bloom went about her own work.
Immediately, the filly went to the kitchen, and got out bowls, flour, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and of course, apples.
"This is gonna be good, girl," Apple Bloom said to her dog as she gathered the ingredients. "We gotta make sure everything's ready for tonight."
"What's all this ya got goin' on here, youngun?" Granny Smith said as she walked into the kitchen.
"I'm makin' a pie for my friends," Apple Bloom answered as she mixed the flour and butter.
"A pie? You ain't expectin' company. Yer friends are grounded, same as you," Granny said, knowing full well that responsible mares like Applejack's friends would properly discipline their foals.
"I got other friends who ain't," Apple Bloom responded. Though Applejack already knew about her new friends, she wasn't quite ready to tell Granny yet. After all, it was Granny who nurtured her own fear of the dark kin with her stories, and who knew how the old mare would react.
"Well, that's different," Granny said, momentarily disregarding who these friends might be. "But, let me show ya how this is done. If ya wanna make yer friends feel welcome, ya gotta make the pie right. Like this," she continued as she took the bowl of flour and butter from her granddaughter, before she could mix it with a spatula.
Apple Bloom watched as Granny showed her how to properly mix the two ingredients, using two knives to mix them while adding thimbles of water, all helpfully provided by Winona.
"Oh. Okay," Apple Bloom said as she took the bowl back, and started mixing the pie crust. "Hey, Granny, can ya help me with the fillin'? I know nopony makes a pie better than you."
"Ya got that right, pipsqueak. I mighta been around a while, but makin' pie is somethin' ya only get better at as time goes by," Granny answered.
Granny cracked her hooves, which set off a chain reaction of cracks through her body before she got to work.
"By the way, what're these friends yer expectin' like?" the old mare asked.
"Well..." Apple Bloom thought about her answer. She looked over at Winona, who, of all creatures wasn't going to have an answer. She didn't want to lie to Granny, but decided she was obligated to answer as her granddaughter. "They're from outta town, but they already know Zecora."
"Some o' her kinfolk from Zebrica?" Granny asked as she chopped up some apples for the pie.
"No. I think they're from farther than that. Not sure where exactly," Apple Bloom answered.
Winona huffed quietly, earning an irritated glance from Apple Bloom.
"But they're pretty different from us," the filly continued. "They use a different kind of magic, like Zecora does, but it's not the same thing."
"That so? What's it like?"
"Um..."
Apple Bloom stalled for an answer as she added cinnamon to the bowl. Perhaps she stalled a little too long, since she ended up putting in too much cinnamon, though she only realized it as Granny mixed it into the apples and sugar. Oh well. Maybe they liked extra cinnamon. But, she still had to answer Granny's question.
"Well, where they're from, they take Nightmare Night pretty seriously. Like, they practice real old magic that ponies used back when they thought there were two worlds, like in yer story," Apple Bloom finally said.
Granny paused for a half second. Probably quicker, as Apple Bloom didn't even notice it.
"That old? I didn't think ponies still remembered that kinda stuff," she resumed as she poured the filling into the crust."
"They do. An' it's really, really neat stuff. The best part is that ya don't have to be a unicorn to use it!" Apple Bloom said.
Apple Bloom sounded a little bit too excited to Granny Smith. The old mare remained silent as she put the pie in the oven, until she turned to face her granddaughter.
"Follow me," she said plainly as she exited the room.
"Huh? Where?" the filly wondered.
"Livin' room. It's story time, youngun."
"But, it ain't even dark yet," Apple Bloom said as she and Winona followed Granny to the next room.
"It don't have to be fer this one. Have a seat where ya like," the old mare said.
Apple Bloom did as she was instructed, and took a seat on the floor next to her dog.
"So, what're we gonna hear?" the filly asked.
"Just another story ol' Granny knows. One I ain't never told anypony. Not even my own foals. But, I think ya need to hear this one. Sit back, an' listen real good," Granny Smith said, as she took her seat in her rocking chair.
The seriousness in her grandmother's tone made Apple Bloom scoot a little closer to her dog for comfort. Then, she prepared herself for what she was about to hear.



Not so long ago, but before you were born, there was a town full of happy folk. They lived their lives peacefully, harvesting their crops, and plowing their fields. It was the kind of place where everypony knew each other, and treated one another as family. Except for one pony.
Smack in the middle of town lived a stallion who everypony did their best to avoid, though they always left a small part of their crops for him. Not because they held him in any regard, but because they feared he would curse their families, whither their crops, or make their livestock sick. No matter what happened, he was often blamed for it.
Rumor had it, this stallion practiced a strange kind of magic that wasn't natural to the good folk of the town. Not one pony had ever seen him cast a single spell, but in the dead of night, they could see lights coming from his window that came from no lamp, and those who passed by could hear him mumbling strange words from inside. And if they looked into his window, they could see him dancing with shadows, or drawing strange symbols on his floor and walls.
Some folks believed that he was once a powerful magician. Others thought he was kinfolk to demons. Others still just thought he was a crazy old stallion, though hundreds of years old. But, no matter how much they feared him, he never bothered another soul, so long as nopony bothered him.
One night, a filly, no older than you, who had been hearing stories about the stallion her whole life snuck out of her house to find the real answers to the mystery surrounding him.
She walked to the distant house, knowing full well that she wasn't going to like what she found inside, and stopped before she knocked. She knew that she would be better off home in her bed, but she could stop now when she had come so far.
Lightly, the filly tapped on the door, hoping nopony would answer. When no answer came, she almost left, had the door not opened on its own.
"Come inside," a voice croaked.
The filly didn't want to have anything more to do with this stranger, but now she had reaped what she'd sown, and she felt herself compelled to do as she was told.
The inside of the house was almost no different from her own, except for the strange symbol drawn on the floor that she was standing on. And the stallion himself was far from unusual, looking only like your average pegasus, save that he looked ancient as dirt.
"What brings you to my house?" The old stallion asked.
"I...I wanted to see what-- If anything I heard was true," the filly answered, "I heard you use a kind of magic different from unicorns. That, you also know demons."
"Demons!?" The old stallion scoffed, as if the very notion was ridiculous. "No. I've dealt with things far more terrible than demons. I've seen the dark side of the world we know, and I've embraced it. I was given power on a silver platter, and I devoured it whole. It's consumed me. Surrounded me. Made me one with it. And you..."
The filly recoiled as a withered hoof was pointed in her face.
"You have a certain quality about you. The same curiosity I had when I learned from my master."
"B-But I don't--" the filly said.
"Don't lie to me, filly. You are brimming with the desire to know my secrets. You and I are the same." The stallions face changed as a grin curled onto his face, which made the foal cringe. "And it's because of this that I am choosing you as my protegee."
The filly didn't know what the word 'protegee' meant, but she could have guessed from the way he said it. In a way, she knew the old stallion was correct. More than she ever felt before, she wanted to run home and tell her parents to move away. But, the old stallion had swayed her. She did want to learn more about his secrets, and the ways of his magic.
"Alright...I'll be your protegee," she stammered.
"A wise choice. First, you must learn the fundamentals. Perhaps a taste of what is to come," the old stallion said as he stood next to her within the symbol on the floor.
The filly became frightened as she watched her new mentor's eyes glow a malevolent orange before he sprinkled a powder that smelled like peppers all over them.
The next thing she saw, the world became a swirl of shadows that warped everything around them as she felt herself lift off the ground and go flying. She tightly clung to the old stallion's leg, hoping the nightmarish ride would end. Soon, the motion stopped, and everything took a recognizable shape.
"Do you know where we are?" The old stallion asked.
"Um..." When she looked around herself, the filly couldn't recognize where she was. Soon, she began to notice the landmarks around them, and how the streets looked. They weren't too far from her own house, as a matter of fact. "Yes. This is the house where the two new ponies moved in."
"And, did you welcome them, as any good filly would?" the stallion asked.
"Yes. My parents and I came here to welcome the neighbors."
"Did you tell them anything? About me, perhaps?"
"My...My father mentioned you. He said that they would do good to avoid you. But, they only called it a local superstition, and that my parents should feel ashamed of themselves for talking such a way about an old stallion," the filly answered.
"Your father can sleep easy tonight, knowing that he was right to caution them," the stallion said as he raised his hoof.
The filly watched as once again, the stallion's eyes glowed their orange color, and a shadow appeared behind him, like some colossal monster born from midnight. She couldn't see what the shadow belonged to, but with a wave of the stallion's hoof, the shadow broke apart, and each of the pieces scurried to various parts of the house.
In the storehouse, she watched as a group of shadows jumped into buckets of milk, which bubbled up over the edges, and curdled. Another group went to the garden, and turned everything growing there to mulch. But most of them went into the house, climbing through the open windows, where the filly heard a sorts of calamity happening inside. It was a horrifying, wondrous sight to behold. One that she was sure to never forget.
"Do you see the power I have over the darkness? And what power it gives me over others?" The stallion asked. "But, it's not so much what I could do with it, as what others fear I could do. I could run this town if I ever wanted to, with a group of cowering, cringing ponies, all at my beck and call. And now, two more can be added to my entourage. Does this not appeal to you, filly?"
As horrifying as it was to admit, the filly was quite intrigued by the prospect of power. What wouldn't she be able to accomplish if she had the powers of the night at her command?
"Can I expect to see you at my house tomorrow night?" The stallion asked.
"Yes.." the filly answered, after a moment of hesitation.
"Very good. Now, do you know your way home from here?"
"Yes."
"Then, be off. You've seen enough," the stallion said with a smile, knowing that he would be able to pass his secrets to another.
Without a second to lose, the filly ran to her home, quietly reentering so as not to wake her parents. She didn't sleep a wink that night, wondering what she would learn next from her new master.
True to her word, the filly went to the old stallion's house the very next night, this time not at all afraid to knock.
Once again, the door creaked open on its own and the filly walked in, eager to hear more of the dark powers she would inherit.
Inside, she found the stallion hunched over his desk, breathing deep, ragged breaths.
"Are you feeling alright," the filly asked.
"Yes. I'm fine," the stallion croaked before he let out a light cough. "I'm sorry to have gotten your hopes up, but I won't be able to teach you anything I know. I didn't intend to tell you so soon, but there is a price to pay for learning such secrets."
The room around them became darker and darker.
"Now, the time has come for me to pay mine. I can see it now with its devilish lights, come to take me where I promised to journey so many years ago."
Without another word, the stallion stood and faced his door.
In the blackness, the filly couldn't see anything, but she swore she could hear the door opening, though it was just as dark outside. Then, from within the room, a great mass appeared, as if some liquid were congealing into a solid creature. She could only see the tiny lights, like evil stars that dotted its body, and the smell of burning sulfur that filled the room.
She and the stallion faced the creature that had come, until the stallion hoofed her a book.
"This will guide you where to begin on your own journey. Pray you take care of it," he said as he stepped forward.
Once he got close to the creature, flames enveloped the whole room, as a great, infernal doorway opened seemingly from the creature itself. Without even stopping from the force of the heat, the stallion walked right inside, and was swallowed by flames.
Soon, the doorway closed, and each of the tiny lights blinked out, until only two like a pair of eyes remained. These ones stayed longer than the others, until they blinked out at once, leaving the filly alone, as the moonlight outside illuminated the room she was in.
It was all too much for the filly, who last night so wanted to learn the ways of darkness, was now terrified of what was to surely come if she delved to deep into it. Not even bothering to look at the book in her hooves, she threw it to the floor, and ran all the way home, never once leaving her house after dark for the rest of her life.



"An' that's it?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Well, that's just the short version," Granny answered. "Point is: there're some things in the world that shouldn't be meddled with. Dark an' terrible things that could get folks into trouble. Especially fillies who don't understand the first thing about it."
The lesson she had just learned resonated to Apple Bloom, who didn't want to have power over others, or to delve so deeply into her new fascination. Still, what Granny said was going to stay with her for years to come.
"I'll be fine, Granny. I won't get into too much trouble," she answered before she stood up. "Come on, Winona. We can go read for a bit while the pie bakes."
The filly and dog both left for her room upstairs, while Granny was left in her rocking chair, slowly nodding off to sleep as she worried over what her filly may be getting herself into.
> Chapter 11: Visitors from the Other Side
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.
> Chapter 12: In the Dark of the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 12

In the Dark of the Night


For once, all was quiet in Rainbow Dash's house. No names were called, no phantoms roamed, and no ponies stirred. Well, technically no ponies.
Through the veil of darkness, the edge of the property reached down to the ground below, enveloping a shadow with glowing blue eyes. The clouds carried their passenger high into the sky to Rainbow Dash's front yard. Once she arrived, the witch was rather taken aback by the abode before her.
"For the love of all things good and sacred in the world, what was this architect thinking," Courtney thought to herself when she saw the ornate, gaudy structure. More importantly, she noted that it was quite large. Large enough that she would have to take some time with her work if she was to do it properly. With a quiet groan, she approached the front door, walking safely on the clouds, thanks to the herb mixture she wore around her neck.
When she reached the front door, she worked her magic to create a great set of working cogs made of the very clouds around her to jimmy the lock open. Once the lock was tripped, she silently opened the door and stepped inside.
Once inside, she looked all around herself, seeing no evidence of ghostly intrusion. A good sign, in her mind. More so was how the inside of this house didn't match the outside. Outside was very decorative, while the inside was much more in line with her minimalist tastes. Not that she ever had a thing against making things look eye-catching, given her full time profession. But, when one made a performance look appealing, it was for the love of the people watching by lifting their spirits with one's talents. When one made their home look appealing, it was for the love of themselves, by making people awe at something they did not have.
The thought of her work as a performer made her mind go to Molly, and how she was doing with those two light-dwellers. She hoped they weren't raising an alarm against her friend, though more than likely, they'd be too stunned by her effective use of movement and appearance to make much of a fuss.
Even Molly making herself look beautiful was for the sake of others, even if it came off as overly proper sometimes. Honestly, a last second change of style before meeting her new hosts? And claiming Courtney was jealous? Courtney knew she could be just as pretty if she tried. That in mind, she realized how dark it was in the room, and decided to better facilitate her search with some light.
She gently stomped her hoof to the floor, making threads of embers come slithering out of the shadows toward her, and snake up her legs and around her body. The embers all took the assembled appearance of her wearing a gown, befitting her austere tastes, yet radiant in its sleek, somewhat racy style. Matching the style were accessories consisting of glowing pumps, fiery shoulder length gloves, and a flickering tiara that matched wonderfully with her beloved necklace. Once her ensemble was finished, it morphed into the small ball of fire she required with a whoosh of shadows.
"Oh, I'm going to need to remember that one," she thought to herself, needing to have new ideas for a show when her seasonal employment expired.
Now able to conduct a proper spell, she began magically drawing glyphs and sigils in hidden areas of the house, so that no curious light-dweller would erase them. But, before she could even begin to draw the first line, she saw something that greatly disturbed her.
Lying on a nearby table, the light revealed the warning note she left for Apple Bloom. Near that, the book of exorcisms was sitting around in plain view. "She didn't," Courtney thought. On the floor nearby, there was a ring of salt. And a small distance from that, a plate with cinnamon and lavender in it. "She did!"
It was the worst thing the witch could fear. But it couldn't be. Scootaloo knew nothing about seances or summoning. She would never get beyond simply laying out the ingredients for the spell. At least, she wouldn't get beyond it without something going seriously wrong.
With a whoosh of shadows that muffled her every step, Courtney silently rushed around the house to confirm her fears. She searched downstairs, and found no filly. She ran upstairs,and searched every room there. She was becoming more and more anxious the longer it took her to find Scootaloo.
Just as she was beginning to think the worst had happened, her search yielded results. In one of the rooms, she saw the sleeping form of a pony whose head was under her own pillow. With a sigh of relief, Courtney dimmed the light by her side so that she wouldn't wake the sleeper. Slowly, she walked into the room to see if everything was truly alright.
The witch stopped by the bedside, examining the sleeping pony. So far, everything was normal, which was a great relief to her. The pony looked like she was sleeping so peacefully, Courtney almost left to resume her work. Until she decided she had better have a talk about tampering with the spirit world. "Scootaloo," she gently said, to no results. "Scootaloo," She repeated, this time lightly shaking the pony.
It was only then that she noticed something in the dim light of her flame: the pony in the bed was much too big to be Scootaloo. The sleeping pony pulled her head out from under her pillow, revealing a blue face with a rainbow striped mane. "Oh, shi--" Courtney said to herself before she extinguished her flame and was swallowed by shadows, just as the pony opened her eyes.
"Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash called, having heard yet another mysterious voice call her daughter's name. With no other thoughts in her mind, she flew out of bed and into a wall. Realizing it was now darker than usual, she groped around for the doorway, until she found her way out into the hall.
Panic struck Dash as she recognized the darkness she was in as the same that swallowed her and Scootaloo only hours earlier. Not about to reenter her room, where the darkness seemed to be confined this time, she rushed to Scootaloo's room. Pulling back the covers on her daughter's bed, she was horrified to find it empty. "No! No! NO! Scootaloo!!!"
Dash rushed back into the hallway, but stopped when she saw the darkness in her own room. For whatever reason, it was staying confined in that space, hiding everything within it. Even ponies that shouldn't have been there.
"I know you're there," Dash called into the darkness. "Scootaloo told me all about you. I saw your eyes when I woke up."
No answer came from the darkness.
"My filly's missing, and I know you have some weird magic that can help find her. If you give even a single horseapple about her, you'll help me."
Still no answer from the darkness.
"Say something! I swear, if you don't come out right now I'll go to your freakish world and kick everypony's flank there to get Scootaloo back!"
In spite of her brave words, Dash felt a twinge of fear when two blue eyes peered out of the darkness and began moving toward her. Then, the darkness faded, and out came a mare very much like any other, though her ghoulish eyes distracted Dash from any other details she may have had.
"You don't have any acorns lying around, do you," the dark mare asked.



Apple Bloom trotted through her foggy orchard, feeling a slight unease at the sight of the ragged trees through the mist. Once again, she swore the trees of her orchard had become living creatures that reached out for her. Until she got closer.
Once she was nearer the trees, she could see leaves and flowers growing on the branches. What was once a withered, broken mess was now replenishing to its former self.
Seeing the trees that way abated her fears of them, and let her keep walking past them without any further doubts.  Then she noticed something else.
Nearby, she found a sapling growing. A good sized one at that. Slightly taller than herself, she noted. Whatever it was, it wasn't an apple tree. Or any other tree she recognized. In the back of her mind, she hoped it was one of the trees from the asylum in the dark world, but she decided that she had better keep going to see her friends at the tree house.
Sure enough, as she traveled to the far reach of the orchard she saw a the silhouette of the tree house, and a light in the window. Seeing that her friends arrived before her, Apple Bloom quickened her pace until she reached the steps. Once she entered the tree house, she found Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle awaiting her arrival by the glow of a candle. "Sorry I'm late. How long y'all been here," she apologized.
"Not that long. Maybe five or six minutes," Sweetie Belle answered.
"Good. I thought I kept ya waitin' too long," Apple Bloom answered. "So, what'd y'all learn?"
"Where do I even start," Scootaloo said excitedly. Sweetie Belle had already heard the big news, but was excited to hear it once more. "I saw my parents tonight!"
"Ya what," Apple Bloom shouted, only to quickly silence herself. She knew that sound carried in the orchard, and didn't want to risk waking anypony back home.
"I saw my parents! I used a spell in the book you gave me, even though Courtney said I shouldn't, and I called my parents to me! They came back from the dead to see me!"
"Wait a second," Sweetie Belle interjected, "You didn't tell me that Courtney didn't want you calling your parents."
"Well, there was a note in the book that said I shouldn't use any spells like that one."
"So why did ya," Apple Bloom asked.
"Because the note was for you. It said to absolutely not use any of those spells from that section of the book. Below that, it said 'this means you, Apple Bloom.'"
From the information Apple Bloom had just gathered, it sounded like Courtney didn't count on Apple Bloom sharing any of the new information she was allowed to learn. She couldn't think of any logical reason why, other than that the witch simply didn't trust others to learn about her world and her magic. Feeling that Courtney trusted her so made Apple Bloom feel a kind of spark within her, but she had a question she needed answered. "Why didn't Courtney want us casting those spells?"
Scootaloo hesitated at first, partly unsure of how she should answer the question, but mostly because she didn't want to recount the experience she had upon successfully casting the spell. "I kind of...pulled me and Rainbow Dash into the spirit world..."
"What the buck," Sweetie said. "That's the first time I'm hearing about this! What was that like? Were there other ghosts there too?"
"Did ya see what happens when ponies die," Apple Bloom added.
"Was it really scary there!?"
"Whoah! One at a time," Scootaloo said, successfully silencing her friend's barrage of questions. "Yeah, I saw other ghosts there. But they weren't too happy to see me or Dash. Apparently, ghosts don't like being disturbed. And yeah, it was really scary there. I...I don't want to talk about it."
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both wanted to ask what happened, but decided against it for the sake of their friend. "But my parents took me and Dash back home when they found us. They looked really happy too."
That was where they decided to leave it. Seeing the way Scootaloo was smiling made them decide not to press her further on the topic and let somepony else continue.
"So, Sweetie Belle. What'd ya do before ya came here," Apple Bloom asked.
"I found some dark creatures living in my house," Sweetie answered.
"Really," Apple Bloom asked excitedly.
"That's so cool," Scootaloo added.
"What'd ya find? Was it a werewolf?"
"Or a gargoyle? A gargoyle would be awesome!"
"No. They were brownies."
"Brownies," Apple Bloom and Scootaloo asked together.
"Ya mean like at Sugarcube Corner," Apple Bloom asked.
"No. They were different. They looked like fat little rats with tiny hats and coats. All I did was leave out some cream for them, and they started making a dress for Rarity. Then..." Sweetie Belle paused briefly before she started talking again, recalling her fear of the situation. "Things got kind of scary when the grimalkins came."
"The grim-what," Scootaloo asked.
"When me and Rarity saw it, we thought it was some kind of cat. Then it started calling us to come out of hiding to eat us."
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both gasped, making Sweetie Belle quickly clarify the situation.
"But it was okay. It turned out that it and its friends were calling to the brownies to eat them. I got rid of them pretty easily too, since all you have to do is tell them their leader is somewhere else. And they were really nice about leaving. They didn't growl, hiss or scratch."
That piece of information sounded like a harrowing experience. But, it showed that the information conveyed to them was effective when it came to dealing with such beasts. But, it sounded like the grimalkins weren't all that dangerous to begin with, since all she had to do was ask them to leave. Had it been something more dangerous, they may have had a tougher time with it.
"What about you, Apple Bloom? Did you learn anything really neat tonight," Sweetie Belle asked.
"I didn't learn any magic, or monster swattin' like you two. I just read a bunch o' the history book Courtney left me," Apple Bloom said.
"That was it," Scootaloo said.
"What good is that going to do us when we meet more scary things out there," Sweetie said next.
Apple Bloom glowered in the flickering light of the candle at her friends' ignorance. For her, learning the history of the dark world was just as important as learning how to defend herself from the creatures of darkness. She knew that if she remained ignorant about that world, she would never have changed her mind about the dark kin or their magic. It wouldn't matter how well she could defend herself from any of them. If she didn't know what she was defending herself from, or why, she knew she would be no better than Ashmead.

"Wen-di-gooooooooo..."

A deep, guttural voice called that sailed on the wind to the ears of the fillies, as if some lost soul had found its way to them.
"What was that," Scootaloo asked as she and Apple Bloom went to the window to investigate. 
On the foggy ground below, they saw nothing that could have made any noise.
"Ya see anything, Scootaloo," Apple Bloom asked as her eyes looked high and low for the source of the voice.
"Nothing. Just fog, and trees."

"Wen-di-goooooooooo..."

There was still nothing visible that was making that noise. And, whatever it was, it didn't sound a particular distance away at all. Instead, it sounded like it was coming from all around them, as if it was calling from the very trees themselves.
"This is way too creepy," Apple Bloom said as she backed away from the window, wishing she had taken Courtney's advice, and stayed indoors.
"I wish Rainbow Dash was here. She'd get that thing that keeps saying 'wen--' Before Scootaloo could finish speaking, Sweetie Belle tightly covered her friend's mouth.
"Don't say that name! You might call it faster," Sweetie harshly whispered before she blew out the candle and crouched low to the floor.
"Call what faster," Apple Bloom asked, hoping to at least know what was out there. Instead, Sweetie Belle stayed silent, looking more scared than before. "Sweetie Belle, what do ya know about that thing?"
"Only that it eats everything it finds. But, it only comes when it's called, and...And I accidentally did earlier today..."
"What," Scootaloo said with a muffled shout under Sweetie Belles hoof.
"And," Apple Bloom said frantically, hoping to learn something that might save them.

"Wen-di-goooooooooo..."

"And, it answered..." Sweetie squeaked out as frightened tears leaked out of her eyes.
That was not the answer any of them wanted to hear. There had to be a way to stop whatever was coming, but they had no such knowledge as to how.
Sweetie Belle was the one with the book about the creatures from the dark world, but she never found a way to defend herself against a wendigo. As far as she knew, there was no way. And if there was, she didn't study carefully enough. All they could do was wait for the monster to come, and hope to find a way to escape.

"Wen-di-goooooooooo..."

It sounded closer this time, making the three fillies huddle close to one another. Outside, they could hear heavy footsteps in the distance, like something very large was coming for them. Each of them wanted to scream, but didn't want to lure the monster closer than it already was.
Suddenly, the creature outside began to roar ferociously, making the Cutie Mark Crusaders all retreat into the darkest corner of the tree house. They knew the monster had found them and was going to eat them.
Whatever was happening, they could hear the monster roaring, scratching and flailing, as if it were trying to escape from somewhere. Apple Bloom thought that maybe it really was in the trees, and clawing its way out to them. Maybe it was in their own tree. The very thought made Apple Bloom whimper quietly.
Among the noises outside, a new one sounded. One like a low, beastly howl that was all to familiar to Apple Bloom. Shortly after the howl, the sounds of struggle stopped. Silence permeated the air, paralyzing the fillies where they lay.
"You heard that howl too, right," Scootaloo choked out, finally breaking the silence. "Maybe...M-Maybe a werewolf got it. Maybe it was Bruce."
It was nothing more than a blind hope, but it was all they had to go on. Slowly, the fillies all stood up and each looked out a different window to see what had happened to the monster outside.
As it was before, nothing could be seen, other than the shadows of the trees through the moonlit fog.
"Anypony see anything out there," Sweetie Belle asked.
"No. And it's freaking me out," Scootaloo responded. "Bruce," she called to the darkness, hoping their friend would answer.
Apple Bloom was not so optimistic. The howl they heard was the same one as the night the orchard was attacked, when she heard that hideous music in the woods, and saw those eerie lights. Now, she was staring at an all too familiar light in the distance. No longer was it dimming and brightening, but stayed the same as it came closer to them all, with slow, heavy footsteps. And she knew precisely what they belonged to.
"Apple Bloom? What are you looking at," Sweetie Belle asked.
"'Should e'er you hear his mournful howl, run, run, run with all haste,'" Apple Bloom answered.
"What? Have you gone crazy," Scootaloo said.
"'Should not you flee, then woe to thee, your cinders he shall taste.'"
The lights outside began moving closer to them all, silently conveying its predatory intent.
"Everypony run," Apple Bloom shouted.
And with a scream, the fillies all ran outside into the darkness of the orchard.



"Come on! Keep up," Rainbow Dash yelled as she flew through the sky.
"Oh, to be free of this woeful earth! And yet to fly as a bird aloft the wind! Unlike the rest of us who were unprivileged to have been born without bloody wings," Courtney said, gradually turning into a shout as she ran behind Dash on the ground.
This witch may have been a sarcastic egghead, but Dash knew she was right. She decided to slow down her pace accommodate her slower companion. After all, she wouldn't be able to lead her very effectively if she kept flying too far ahead of her.
"Hurry up! We're almost there," Dash said.
"You said that three times already! Do you mean that we're almost to the next point where you can say 'we're almost there' again!"
"Hey, I don't have to take this horseapple from you! I just need you to get my filly back! So hop on your broom, or something, and we can find her quicker!"
Courtney didn't say anything in response. What the pegasus said made absolutely no sense, and was dismissed as more superstitious nonsense of the light-dwellers. Still, she wished Bruce was there with her so that she could find the filly sooner.
"There it is! It's that tree up ahead. I'll see you inside," Dash said before she sped ahead to announce her presence.
Inside the library, Twilight and Spike were still awake, anxiously awaiting the return of Owloysius.
"Hey, what's that noise," Spike said as he perked up.
He and Twilight both heard a loud flapping sound, like something was flying toward them. Twilight became roused when she thought it may be Owloysius returning with his friend, only to realize that whatever it was was approaching too fast.
It dawned on her too late who was coming. Before she could pull Spike into cover with her, Rainbow Dash came bursting through the door and zipped around the library.
"Twilight! Twilight wake up," Dash yelled at the top of her lungs.
"We're down here, Dash," Twilight called to her.
Seeing her friends awake was a great relief to Dash, even though what she had done would have been sure to wake them. She lowered herself to the ground to explain what had just happened. "Scootaloo! She's gone," Dash sputtered.
"What," Twilight exclaimed.
"Scootaloo's gone! Disappeared! Vanished! Faded! Are there any more egghead ways to say it!? My filly's missing!"
"Rainbow Dash! Calm down," Twilight yelled. She too was unsettled by the news, but was immediately trying to find a way to solve her friend's problem. "Where do you think she went?"
"I don't know! She's just gone! The last I saw, she was--" A dreadful thought occurred to Dash. What if somehow, her filly had gone back to the spirit world, and was once again trapped there. "Oh no! No, no, no, no," Dash quietly shouted to herself.
"What's wrong," Twilight asked, trying to make sense of her friend's predicament.
"Something's coming," Spike said, looking to the door.
True enough, they could see a blue light through the fog, embedded in a rapidly approaching shadow. Soon, a ghoulish mare ran into the library, huffing and puffing from her sprint. "Acorns," the newcomer exhaled, "We need acorns..."
"What's happening," Twilight shouted.
"The mare needs acorns, Twi," Dash said before she flew out the window and into the branches of the oak.
The stranger helped herself to a seat by the fireplace to catch her breath. Spike and Twilight both stared apprehensively at the stranger who just so imposingly let herself inside, requesting acorns of all things. Spike wondered what kind of manners her mother taught her, while Twilight wondered where that light that was with her went. Sure, the necklace the stranger wore was glimmering in the firelight, but it was red, as opposed to the blue glow when she was approaching.
"Um, hi. I'm Twilight. And this is Spike," Twilight introduced herself and her assistant as she stepped closer, having decided she might as well be a good host for the stranger. Spike, however decided to stay behind Twilight for this one.
"Courtney..." The witch huffed. She turned her face away from the light of the fire to better address her hosts, "Nice to meet you...".
Apart from her pitch black countenance, Twilight and Spike saw nothing remarkable about the newcomer. But, as soon as she turned her face away from the light and toward the shadows, her eyes lit up with a ghoulish blue glow.
"Sweet Celestia and Luna," Spike shouted as he stumbled backwards.
"Spike! Don't be so rude to our guest," Twilight said, though she herself was afraid their new guest may do something unnatural if she was made to feel unwelcome. She was about to offer tea, before she was interrupted.
"I got them," Dash said as she returned from outside through the window.
"Good. Good. Give them here," Courtney said as she extended her hoof.
Dash shouted as the acorns she carried were enveloped in shadows, taken out of her hooves and levitated into the witch's.
Twilight and Spike both watched in awe at the unusual magic, which was nothing known to either of them. Twilight would have recognized the regular kind of magic that unicorns like her and Rarity normally used, but this looked like the very darkness itself was being manipulated. Before she even had the chance to ask, another magical anomaly happened.
A swirl of shadows appeared before Courtney, which deposited some flowers into her empty hoof. Then, she pressed her hooves together, which somehow created a burst of flame between them.
Dash wondered what she was doing, but more importantly, how the hay it was supposed to help.
Before Dash could fly over and tell off the witch for dilly-dallying, she saw Courtney spread her hooves, and the resulting smoke started taking a familiar image.
Quickly, Dash recognized the smokey image of Scootaloo, and saw how it was running somewhere. Sensing danger, Dash flew right in front of the witch. "That's Scootaloo! Where is she!?"
"If you'll stop flapping, I can find out," Courtney said, having difficulty maintaining the image with the wind from Dash's wings.
"I can't stop flapping! I fly when I'm freaking out," Dash rebutted.
"Get down, you fluttering ninny," Courtney said as she pulled Dash to the ground, the impact making the smoke disperse through the room.
"Listen, bright eyes: I haven't been a mom very long, but I know another parent when i see one. You don't have any foals, so you don't know how it feels when you lose one," Dash growled.
"Don't talk to me about losing a loved one! I know full well how much it hurts when a family member dies! And if I have anything to do with it, I'm going to spare you that horrible feeling," the witch answered.
From where Twilight stood, she could tell that both mares cared greatly for Scootaloo's safety, but their tempers kept one another from understanding that. But, before she could diffuse the situation, the dispersed smoke started taking on a more defined shape as well. "Everypony. You might want to see this," she said.
In only a few seconds, the smoke spread through the room and took on the shape of several trees where the smokey image of Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle could be seen running.
"Where is that," Courtney asked as she watched the expanded image.
"Sweet Apple Acres. It's not far from here," Twilight said, immediately recognizing the apple trees.
"That's what this one said about this place."
"You know something--"
"Dash! You can argue later! Right now, you need to find your filly," Twilight said.
Neither one of them argued that point. Dash immediately flew out ahead of the others to her next destination.
"No! Wait!" Courtney growled in frustration at being left behind. Without her, she knew the situation could very well go bad. "Do you know the way," she asked Twilight.
"Yes. Let's go. Spike, stay here and wait for Owloysius," Twilight said before she left with Courtney.
The two mares ran to their destination, Twilight all the while planning what questions she would ask the witch about her magic.



The scent of the pie on the porch wafted through the night air, catching the nose of many creatures of the night. Mice came to take crumbs off the edge, and owls came to peck at it. Soon, they were all driven away by something much larger that came from the darkest part of the orchard.
It stopped on the porch and sniffed the pie, taking in all of the ingredients that were used. All of them smelled so inviting, even if it couldn't place one or two, mostly due to the fact that it had an overpowering smell of cinnamon. Still, how bad could it be? The ponies living here obviously left it out for creatures like it. All inhibitions aside, it opened its mouth, and took a big bite of pie.
It was so good at first, until the overload of cinnamon finally hit it. Its nose started to twitch, then its eyes watered, then it started heaving and hacking as if its very innards had dried up and withered. Finally, it managed to swallow the bite of pie and licked its chops. "Stuff's the bee's knees," it gagged before it opened its mouth for another bite.
"Are ye th' one called Bruce?"
The werewolf looked up from the tin of pie to see a creature much like himself peering through the open top of a half door. Only much smaller, and with paws where its hands should have been. "'Oo's askin'?"
The dog stood tall and proud as she introduced herself. "Ah'm called Winona. Hoose pet ay th' Apple folk. An' when a lady asks yer name, it's proper tae present it."
The werewolf huffed at the other creature's old-fashioned sensibilities, but obliged her anyway. "Ya sound loike me granny. Yeh, I'm Bruce. 'Ow'd ya kna?"
"Ah was told aboot ye by the wee Apple that lives heer. She speaks highly fond ay ye an' yer kin."
"Too right. Wot's not ta loike abaht us?"
"Neerly naethin' from what Ah've bin told. Noo, what brings ye heer tae th' home ay th' Apples?"
Between the apple pie and talking to his host, Bruce had nearly forgotten what he was there for in the first place. Now, it came rushing back to him. "I'm 'ere ta see if li'l Apple Bloom's doin' alrigh', luv."
"Ah see," Winona said with a curious tilt of her head, "An' dae ye go aroon' peepin' at fillies in their beds all th' time?"
"Nah, nah. Yer got me all wrong. Me mistress wanted me ta check on 'er," Bruce explained.
"Yer mistress?"
"Yeh. The witch I serve."
"An' what sort ay lady is she?"
"Ya ask a lot a' questions, ya kna? She's the kinda lady 'oo's worried 'bout Apple Bloom's safety. Wants ta make sure she stays out 'a trubble."
"Is that so," Winona said contemplatively. She had already heard about Bruce's protective nature from Apple Bloom, how he saved them all from a disgusting rat monster. Now, she was hearing how the witch that Bruce was serving sent him to see if she was alright for her. "It soonds tae me like yer witch may have a soft spot for Apple Bloom."
"That she does. Knowin' 'er, though, she won't say a bloomin' word abaht it," Bruce chuckled.
"An' why woodnae she," Winona asked suspiciously.
"She just ain't the bleedin' type ta get all emotional. 'Cept when she reads them romance books. She cries like a pup then," Bruce said, earning a small smile from Winona. "Still, she means well, an' she really wants Apple Bloom ta be safe, much as meself."
Winona's smile grew at the sincerity of the werewolf's words. "That scruffy hide ay yoors belies yer gentlemanly manner. Yer gonnae make a lot ay friends aroond heer like that."
"Bluest blood there is, luv. Always 'ides where ya least expect it."
Bruce couldn't see it, but behind bottom half of the door, Winona's tail was wagging wildly. In the most unexpected way, at the most unexpected time, she made a new friend. One who she hoped would come by to help her with the chores and play fetch and tug-o-war with her. Then she realized that she never actually answered Bruce's question. "Before Ah fergit, Ah should tell ye that Apple Bloom's just fine. Ah saw her off tae th' orchard nae five minutes before ye arrived."
"Apple Bloom's outside," Bruce exclaimed through a mouthful of pie as he sprang to an upright posture. "Oh, Courtney ain't gonna be 'appy abaht this!"
It was bad enough that Apple Bloom was outside, but that wasn't the worst that could have happened. That occurred when Bruce caught a faint scent on the air. One that smelled like a mix of sulfur and burning twigs. Before he could even think about going for Courtney, he had to jump backwards to avoid another nasty surprise.
"Get the buck away from my dog," Applejack shouted as she burst out the door and swung a kitchen knife she held in her teeth at Bruce.
Applejack had awoken earlier before to see if Apple Bloom was awake, and apologize for the way she was behaving that day, only to find that Apple Bloom was missing from her room again. She stormed downstairs, and searched for her. But, by the time she reached the kitchen, and had a clear view of the front door, she saw her dog confronting a two-legged wolf monster. No time was wasted grabbing the kitchen knife to aid the rescue of her pet.
Now, she was on the front porch, slashing at the monster who growled ferociously as it backed away.
Winona barked loudly at Applejack, trying to stop her pony from attacking her new friend, even going so far as to run out the now open door and circle around her in an attempt to herd Applejack back to safety.
Applejack completely ignored her dog's attempt to dissuade her, and kept advancing on the werewolf. The only thought on her mind was to keep her family safe from this oversized monster.
Bruce knew that he couldn't attack Applejack, knowing Courtney would punish him if he did. Instead, he chose to drop to all fours and run into the fog.
Applejack gave chase, hoping she might be able to send the monster as far away as she could before she returned home. Instead, she stopped mid pursuit when she heard the sound of screaming in the distance. The werewolf ahead of her ran away and disappeared into the fog. Assuming the monster was retreating, Applejack ran in the direction of the screams, praying to Celestia that her sister was okay by the time she reached her.



The Cutie Mark Crusaders ran through the foggy orchard, barely ahead of the monster behind them. Whenever they looked back, they saw the amorphous shape of the light following them, and the vague outline of the thing in the fog.
They ran with all their might, slowly becoming disoriented in the mist. Even Apple Bloom began to lose her way, the orchard seeming to twist and distort itself to the whim of the monster behind her.
She could hear the heavy steps behind her, relentlessly charging until it caught her. Apple Bloom burst into a quick sprint, knowing that no matter what, she wouldn't be fast enough. But, to her relief, she heard the monster's steps becoming fainter and fainter. She quickly took cover behind a tree, and waited tensely.
Apple Bloom dreaded hearing the noise coming closer to her, but thankfully, the noise sounded like it was going away from her. "We made it. I think we're safe for now," Apple Bloom said to her friends, only to get no response. When she looked to her sides, she saw that both of her friends were gone, somehow separated from her during the chase.
The filly sat in worry, fearful of what may have happened to her friends. She would have shouted for them, if not for another noise of something approaching.
"Winona," she said when she saw it was her dog who arrived.
"Apple Bloom," said a voice the filly recognized. Through the fog came Applejack, with a knife clenched in her teeth. "Son of a biscuit, Apple Bloom," Applejack growled at her sister. "Don't ya realize the danger yer in!? There's a werewolf in the orchard!"
Apple Bloom wasn't worried about any werewolf, but it would be no use explaining that to Applejack. But, there would be no time to. Behind her sister, the filly could see a shapeless light in a giant shadow coming toward them.
Winona barked ferociously at the thing behind Applejack, prompting the farmpony to turn around just in time to see the creature as it was upon them. The thing assaulted the ponies' noses with its foul stink, and brought with it a dull heat that grew hotter as it came closer.
They saw some kind of appendage reaching for them, likely the arm of the thing, to take them and devour them. But, Applejack would not go so easily.
She swung her knife, nicking only the tip of the appendage, but it was enough to make the thing recoil. But, it was not enough to stop it.
The monster was too hungry to pass up such an available meal, even if one of them was quite small. And it would sate its hunger, no matter the cost. First, its middle began to light up, but quickly dimmed when something else caught its attention.
From out of the fog, a shadow, like some great flying creature, flapped about the head of the monster. Whatever it was, it had caught the attention of the thing, and began swinging at it. Its arm went right through the shadow, and from what Apple Bloom could see, it absorbed a small amount of the shadow, as the flying thing diminished slightly in size.
Soon, the shadow flew away toward the Everfree Forest, with the monster trailing behind it. The thing let out another howl that echoed throughout the orchard. Soon, the sound of its footsteps disappeared completely, but its horrible stench lingered behind.
"I told ya yer new friends were no good," Applejack finally said after the long silence of listening for the creature.
Apple Bloom knew her sister was wrong. She recognized the shadowy magic that was used to save them, but before she could say anything in Courtney's defense, they both heard approaching hooves.
Through the fog came the silhouetted forms of a pegasus and a unicorn, who both turned out to be Rainbow Dash and Twilight arriving at the orchard.
"Where's Scootaloo," was all Dash said when she stopped in front of the Apple sisters. "Where is she," she shouted impatiently before anypony could answer.
"Rainbow Dash! Give her time to answer," Twilight chided her friend.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Through the fog came three more shadows. Two were recognizable as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. But the third was much larger, almost seven hooves tall, and much bulkier, which Winona barked excitedly at. It stopped and stayed back while Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash flew toward one another and tightly embraced.
"How--? What did--? What happened," Dash asked, picking a question to ask.
"We were chased through the orchard by some big monster. We got lost, but Bruce found us and brought us to safety," Scootaloo explained.
Rainbow Dash remembered being told about Bruce. How he was a giant wolf monster with the personality of a lovable pup. She looked up to where she saw the giant shadow, only to see it was now gone. "You are in so much trouble right now," Dash said as she tightly held Scootaloo.
"How did you find us," Sweetie Belle asked, hoping she could at least spare Scootaloo a little bit of verbal punishment.
"A witch helped us here," Twilight explained. "She used some kind of magic that showed you here at Sweet Apple Acres and-- Hey! Where'd she go?"
The witch was with them the whole time, but now that the ordeal was over she disappeared.
Applejack didn't like the idea one bit of fillies associating with werewolves and her friends associating with witches. To her, the whole world was going crazy, and she wasn't going to stand for it. Without another word, she harshly nudged Apple Bloom forward, who started walking quickly ahead of her sister with Winona by her side.
"Come on. We should all get home now. Sweetie Belle, come with me. I'll take you home," Twilight said, taking Applejack's cue to leave.



Once they had gone inside the house, Applejack shoved her sister into her bedroom before giving her final word for the night. "Yer gonna stay in this room all weekend, Apple Bloom. An' I'm gonna sit outside yer door the whole time, if that's what it takes. Now, get to bed, before I come in there an' knock ya out!" And with that, shut her sister's door and returned to her room. Or she would have, if Winona hadn't trotted to Apple Bloom's bedside.
Applejack decided to leave Winona there, in case her sister tried anything funny again. Then, she left without a word.
Apple Bloom had never seen Applejack so mad. Sure, she had seen her mad before, but she never threatened violence, especially to a member of her own family.
The filly sulked in her bed, now doubting she would ever get through to Applejack. She never thought that such a thing as making a new friend would distance her so from her sister, who she loved over all other ponies.
Winona nudged her side, hoping to cheer her filly up, but it would not be so. The weight on Apple Bloom's mind was greater than any she ever felt before. But, as anguished as she was feeling, her troubles were not over for the night.
The dog jerked alert, and in the space before Apple Bloom, she saw the shadows in her room come alive and start melding together. As she watched, Apple Bloom pulled her covers over her face, leaving only her eyes peeking out to see what was happening while Winona cringed and whimpered at the foot of the bed.
"You didn't do as I said," the shadow said malevolently.
Apple Bloom recognized the voice that was talking to her, just as two glowing blue eyes appeared in its form, though nothing else but a vague outline could be seen.
"You've no idea the danger you just put yourselves in! No matter how I tried to look after you three, you show me that you cannot be trusted. I told you not to leave your homes at night because of the danger that comes with the darkness!" Courtney's voice said from the shadow.
"But I...I just wanted to learn stuff, like ya wanted," Apple Bloom meekly answered.
"I intended for you to learn about my world and my magic! Not to summon spirits or practice witchcraft! And now, because of your meddling, you've nearly gotten killed! And not just yourself! You put this entire town at risk, luring that demon here!"
Hearing the witch's harsh tone made Apple Bloom shrink into her covers, but more was the idea of what she had encountered in the orchard. But, it couldn't have been what she thought. Nopony had seen it in centuries, but she had a nagging curiosity to know. "It was The Wicker Man, wasn't it?"
The way Courtney paused made Apple Bloom think that she was going to dodge the question altogether, as she always did when she was forced to lie, but the answer shocked her. "Yes."
The idea that she had come face to face with the most horrible thing from the history of the dark world made the filly tremble in her sheets. She would have gasped, if not for being silenced by sheer terror.
"Had I not arrived to lure it away, it would have sucked the very magical essence out of you, and left your charred remains behind. As such, I must once again insist you stay indoors every night until the end of The Hallow."
"But then I won't get to see ya again," Apple Bloom pleaded.
Once again, the filly's words broke the witch's heart. But, she had to remain sensible about the situation. The shadow slowly approached Apple Bloom's bedside, lending itself to a slightly better visibility. Besides the eyes, Apple Bloom could see no other features on its face, and its body appeared to be nothing more than a shapeless mass of shadow.
"I'm sorry, Apple Bloom, but this is how things are. I can only stay as long as our worlds are connected, and it won't last forever. If not being able to see you means that you're safe from any danger, then it's exactly the way I'd prefer to keep it."
However much she wanted to protest, Apple Bloom knew the witch was right. She sulked as she laid down in her bed. "It's not fair," Apple Bloom mumbled. "I wanted to see more o' what's out there, an' learn more about yer kind. An' I really wanted to learn what it's really like to be a witch like you."
Though she didn't outright say it, Courtney understood the filly's message completely. "I'm sorry, but it can't be that way. As it was back then, I don't think this world is ready for a witch like me. Especially with The Wicker Man on the loose," she answered, emphasizing the last sentence.
Apple Bloom let out a disappointed moan as she buried her face in her pillow. Then, she felt something cold on the back of her head that made her mane stand on end. When she turned, she saw it was some extension of the shadow gently resting on the back of her head. Though unnerving, it was also somehow comforting to her.
"Don't despair. I'm sure there are plenty of flowers and acorns around here to last year round."
Hearing that lifted Apple Bloom's spirits slightly, knowing that she wouldn't be completely separated from her new friend, but was still saddened at not being able to visit her home again.
"I have to leave now. Remember: no more going out at night. And stay close to those who will protect you."
Winona's tail thumped up and down, readily taking the responsibility to look after her filly.
With those final words, the shadow spread out and dispersed through the room, each piece hiding in a different nook or cranny away from any light. All that remained were a pair of glowing eyes, which blinked out lastly, now leaving Apple Bloom and Winona alone.
Apple Bloom's heart sank. She was told to stay by those who would protect her, but after all the things that had happened, she felt safer with Courtney than she did with her own sister. She realized that the two were very alike, but also very different from one another. Both wanted to keep her safe from the dangers of the darkness, but while Applejack wanted to keep her away from it completely, Courtney welcomed her to learn more about it.
She thought back to the book she read, wondering if this is how ponies felt between the teachings of Goodchild and Ashmead, and what they may have chosen to do back then.
Her mind became a mix of doubt and confusion, which was noticed by Winona, who tried to alleviate the filly's mind by cuddling up next to her. The dog felt a twinge of success when she felt Apple Bloom's hooves wrap around her side, but knew she was coming up short. Nothing she could do would make the filly feel better, and soon, the two drifted into a restless sleep.
> Chapter 13: A Monster Like Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 13

A Monster Like Me


After nearly fainting, followed by awkward introductions, Fluttershy began to slightly warm up to the unusual newcomer, due to their mutual love of animals.
Over the course of the next couple of hours, Fluttershy was taught about the various strange animals that now resided in her home. Though her guest wasn't experienced in taking care of animals, she knew a great deal about each one's behaviors, habitats and diets.
"And what are these," Fluttershy asked as she and Molly approached a group of small, shadowy squirrel-like creatures which were frolicking with the familiar red squirrels.
"Those are called 'sceadugenga,'" Molly explained as she watched the tiny creatures play.
"Oh. Shay-uh..." Fluttershy said, trailing off on the pronunciation of the long, difficult word.
"They're mostly called 'scea' back home, because it's easier to say. They're also called 'shadow-goers' because they often live in dark trees where they blend in with shadows," Molly said trying not to squeal at the sight of the playing animals. "Just feed them some nuts, and they'll be fine."
"Do they prefer any particular nut?"
"Any kind will do: walnuts, acorns, but they especially love lost souls."
Fluttershy and Pinkie both tuned slightly pale at the idea that an animal ate souls, unaware that it was actually another type of nut, called so because of the markings on their shells looked like ghostly faces.
The same thing had been happening ever since Molly arrived, but through it all Fluttershy kept to her obligation to learn how to take care of the strange animals, and kept asking questions. Pinkie, however, remained silent the whole time.
Her entire life, she stood by the philosophy to laugh her fears away, but it was always applied to imaginary spooks. This walking shrubbery was as real as her sense of humor, but far from scary. If anything, she knew she should just get over it and throw her guest a welcome party. Or a welcome-slumber party, given the late hour. But, she hesitated as she waited for something to happen. For what? She didn't know.
"Oh my goodness! Look at these," Molly said as she discovered a new type of creature. Something that looked like a brownie, but with long ears and big feet.
"Those are some of my bunny friends. They can be very shy, but if you're gentle enough, they'll eventually trust you," Fluttershy explained as the rabbits hopped away from Molly before she could pet them. "Do you have anything like them at your home?"
"Nothing quite like them. We have fearies called leanhaum that look like these, but they're hardly this adorable."
"I'm sure there's something to like about them. How bad can they be?"
"Horrible. They can jump twenty feet to take the head off prey our size, often for no reason other than stepping too close to something they already decapitated."
Once again, both ponies were at a loss of something to say. There were predators in their world, but nothing so violent as the thing Molly was describing. While some creatures like the werecat looked scary, they turned out to be perfectly tame and sweet, others, they learned, were best left alone. It was like being in a scary petting zoo for them, where every turn revealed some new, terrifying animal. From the acid-spewing eachy, to the ambushing arunn wyrm, everything sent chills through them.
"Is there anything that dangerous here," Fluttershy meekly asked.
"Heavens no! Unless you're afraid to be cuddled to death by a cutie like that werecat."
It was a relief to hear that they were relatively safe, though they were still slightly uncomfortable. Despite her unease, Fluttershy was determined to see these creatures home safely.
"Are there more monsters like you where you're from," Pinkie finally said, when curiosity got the better of her.
Molly didn't answer right away. Hearing how Pinkie saw her was like a reminder of what Courtney was always talking about. How the light-dwellers only saw them as horrible things that were not welcome in their world. What was there that was so bad about them? "Um, yes. There are others like me."
"Are they all talking plants," Fluttershy asked.
"No. There are a lot of different creatures besides the ones like me and my family. My friend, for example, is a flesh and blood creature," Molly explained, her mind now going to feeding at he mention of her sustenance.
"What kind of monster is she," Pinkie asked.
Hearing that word again made Molly recoil inwardly. "She's not a monster. She's a pony, like you two," she answered, not wanting to tell either of them about her true form, in case they'd pass further judgement.
"Really? That's different," Pinkie said, suddenly back to her normally bubbly self. "I was afraid I wouldn't know how to throw a party for something like you. But if you're friends with a pony, how different can it be?"
Of all the odd things to do, Molly was not expecting a party for (as far as she could tell) simply arriving. But, it was such a lovely gesture that momentarily made her forget about being called a monster. "How different can throwing a party for anyone be. All you need are games, sweets and pastries."
"And lots of other ponies to meet!"
"And a stage for song and dance!"
"And a great big bowl of punch!"
"Oh no. I prefer blood."
As quickly as she felt welcomed, Molly suddenly felt a rush of unease as she watched both ponies turn pale as their faces changed to pure shock.
"What..." Pinkie said.
"I...drink blood. It's how I sustain myself," Molly awkwardly explained. Seeing how the sweet Fluttershy was on the verge of fainting, she felt she had better explain her nature. "But, I can eat just about anything. I only need blood to live, and I already fed last night."
That was doing no good, as Fluttershy and Pinkie both remained in a wide-eyed stupor.
"I mean, I don't feed on any old thing. My friend lets me take a few drops of blood from her every so often, so that I won't have to ensnare innocent bystanders..."
Still nothing. Fluttershy was frozen with fear. Growing up, one of her biggest fears was vampires, and now she was faced with a real live blood-sucking creature of the night.
For Pinkie, this was what she was waiting for to go wrong. This was the calamity she knew would happen with a strange monster like this one. Normally, she found it was fun to be scared, but facing a monster that could very well kill her was a soul shivering thought.
Molly wanted to shrivel into the ground and escape the judgmental stares of the ponies, but there was nowhere to escape to. Wherever she would run, there would only be more ponies like these, who would likely treat her worse than these two. Also, what would she tell Courtney after she ran out on her responsibility?
Before anything more was said or done, a thread of light flew over all of their heads. A familiar light to Molly, but she couldn't be sure why she was seeing it here of all places, where the moon shone brightly through the fog.
Soon, it was followed by others flying quickly behind it, and others still that flew from Fluttershy's house. Fluttershy and Pinkie both dropped to the ground, fearful to get near the lights, for some imagined terror. Molly stood and watched in awe, for such a thing was a rare sight even in her own world. But, her wonder quickly became concern.
The more she watched them, the more she began to feel that there was an urgency in the way the lights flew. The way that they crossed the moonlit sky from one shadow to another was something she personally had never heard happening. To her, it seemed the spirits were growing restless and afraid.
The wind blew, guiding the wayward lights on its breeze to the shadows of the forest beyond the cottage, where they were sheltered in the darkness, and soon disappeared. Once deep in the shadows, lights began to dim and fade, as though to bring others like them to their spectral gathering.
Pinkie and Fluttershy watched as a gigantic shadow stepped through the fog next to Molly, revealing the werewolf from earlier.
"Did you see that too," Molly asked.
Bruce made no noise.
"What made them so scared?"
There was no way she would get an answer from Bruce, but he was the only one who she could talk to at the moment.
As if by some silent signal, the dark animals on the property began raising a hushed din. Squeaks, hisses, chatters and wails carried eerily through the property. Above them all, the yowling of the werecat sounded as if to lead the symphony of the night.
"We should get these animals home," Molly said, sensing their fear and anguish.
With a grunt, Bruce retreated back into the mist to the edge of the property.
"What are you doing? Stop this! I'm not some plaything for you to push around," said a new voice.
The two ponies watched as a new shadow came through the fog, about as big as Mr. Fluff-and-Stuff, Fluttershy noted, but shaped differently. It was as if he had suddenly grown extra limbs after he ran into the fog. Once he was closer, she could see that there was another strange mare being pushed forward by the werewolf.
Both stopped in the yard in front of Molly, where Courtney dusted herself off. "Pushing me toward light-dwellers? Some familiar you are," the witch grumbled before she turned to look at her friend. "Hello, Molly. Enjoying time with your new friends?"
"Yes. Mostly," was all Molly said.
Hearing how Molly answered made Pinkie feel like she made their guest think she was unwelcome. Even though she was scary, she was also nice to Fluttershy and herself. And she was still a pony who deserved to be treated as such. Well, she was a lot like a pony, at the very least.
Bruce nudged Courtney with his snout.
"Alright. They've lingered here long enough. It's time for them to go home," Courtney said, as a pocket of shadows appeared beside her.
Pinkie nor Fluttershy saw what exactly the newcomer was doing. Where they laid, it looked like she was sprinkling some kind of powder on the ground in a large circle.
"Pardon me," Courtney said as she came closer to the two prostrate ponies, who both scooted out of the way as she sprinkled more of the powder.
Upon investigation, it was discovered to be chalk. Pinkie wondered why somepony would sprinkle chalk like that, when arts and crafts were more of a daytime thing.
They both watched as the mare moved inside the circle, sprinkling more of her chalk around, creating some design that was just out of sight of the two ponies. Slowly, they both stood up and peered at the circle. Though the mist kept them from seeing it clearly, they found a design unknown to either of them. The only art they knew that was this ornate was the imagery they found in Canterot palace.
Unlike the stained glass windows and murals of the palace, which filled them with reassurance and warmth, this symbol carried an unusual sense of foreboding and caution. A feeling both ponies heeded, making them move away from the outer edge of the circle.
Fluttershy gasped as one of the monsters on the property passed by her, and stopped at the edge of the chalk symbol. It was joined by many others, all gathered by the werewolf, who circled the yard seeking out the dark creatures from their various hiding spots.
Seeing how many there were, Fluttershy had no idea that so many were at her house. It was almost as if some of them had been there the whole time, which made the pegasus shudder.
The preparations were complete. Courtney was ready to work her magic. With a wary glance to the light-dwellers, she started by summoning the shadows around her into the circle.
As they passed around her, Pinkie and Fluttershy saw the witch's eyes light up for a brief moment, until the shadows passed, and her eyes returned to normal in the moonlight.
The shadows swirled in the circle like a puddle of water that had been stirred, until the shadows rose to a great height and took the form of a ghastly, old, dead tree. Though seemingly made of shadows, the tree made an eerie creaking noise as its trunk opened up, revealing the swirling darkness inside of it.
With a twitch of his head, Bruce signaled all of the creatures to shuffle into the shadowy door, all of them disappearing one by one through the veil between the worlds.
Once they had all passed, Molly went next, followed by Bruce. Courtney gave one last glance to the two light dwellers, pondering what she would do with them. She still had a bag of memory erasing powder at her disposal, that had yet to be used. All it would take was a word from these two, and the whole town would be up in arms, making it more difficult to return again.
However, a certain fancy struck the witch. The two ponies she met, and even the tiny dragon, though afraid of her, were willing to cooperate with her in order to rescue a filly in danger, which was likely why she found she hadn't erased their memories earlier. She decided to simply put her trust in light-dwellers she had met thus far, and stepped through the portal without a word, before the shadowy doorway disappeared, melding into the night around it.
Despite her fear, Fluttershy stood up and approached the symbol on the ground. Before she could even start looking it over, the wind blew it away, carrying every spec of chalk across the darkened land.
"Well, thank Celestia that's over," Pinkie said as she stood up on shaking knees.
Both mares heard a quiet scratching noise. Looking to its source, they were both faced by another strange creature. One they recognized from earlier that night: a little bird with a blue head, aptly named a bluecap.
A splash sounded in the river, where was discovered what looked like a demonic goat with a woolly coat that looked like seashells. Another splash, and the goat creature was joined by what Fluttershy swore looked like another werewolf, though it was much smaller, and darker in color.
This much was perfectly apparent: their ordeal was far from over.



A pillar of shadow swirled in the library of Courtney's home in Macabria, and out the witch stepped, glad to be back in her home. "It's so strange to not be naked after passing between worlds," she noted as she fixed her dress, which she was now wearing once the magic of the other world stopped affecting her. "That's not to say it isn't strange finding yourself naked once you've turned into a pony. Let alone becoming a pony in the first place."
With a flick of her finger, Courtney sent an ember into the fireplace, where it simply spread into a roaring fire, as she was too tired to work her theatrics.
Now that there was light, she looked down on the floor, and saw the chalk symbol drawn there was beginning to fade away. This could very well become a problem, since if it became smudged or faded, it wouldn't work anymore. But, it was an easy fix that only required a fresh coat of chalk. "I'll fix it in the morning," Courtney thought to herself.
"Well, my night was pleasant. After it turns out Scootaloo's been meddling with spirits, she goes missing. Then her nag of a mother finds out, and I have to follow her hither and thither across who knows how many different parts of town. Finally, she leads me to more light-dwellers, who act like I'm going to chop down their little tree house when they see me. But, good news at last, I found Scootaloo. It turns out that she ran off to Apple Bloom's house with Sweetie Belle, where they were hunted and almost killed by the time Bruce and I found them! But, enough of my griping. How was your night? Pleasant?"
When Courtney was finished venting, she finally realized that Molly wasn't paying any attention to her. Instead, she found her leafy friend sulking in her armchair, idly scratching Bruce's head as it rested on her knee.
"Is everything alright," Courtney asked as she approached Molly.
Molly was despondent, but Courtney allowed her to collect herself before she would answer. With a heavy sigh, Molly divulged what was on her mind. "Courtney, when you first met the fillies, how did they look at you?"
"What do you mean?"
"When I tried talking to the ponies you left me with, they looked at me like I was some kind of monster. No matter how much Fluttershy and I talked and related, she was always standing at least two meters from me. And Pinkie didn't even say anything, until she called me a monster."
"You didn't feed in front of them, did you?"
"No! I...may have mentioned that I drink blood, but she called me a monster even before that! She just looked at me, and saw something that wasn't like herself!" Courtney remained silent as she watched her friend shudder while she tried to hold back tears, though one leaked out and rolled down her face. "Did you feel like that was what the fillies thought when they met you? Or me?"
Bruce kept his head on Molly's knee, though his eyes glanced at Courtney, goading her to say something that would comfort her friend. He offered his help by extending his tongue, and gently licking her hand.
Lying to make her friend feel better would do no good. Not that she ever had any luck with deceit her entire life, and even attempting it now would, she would probably say something that would make Molly feel worse about herself. She would have to go with the truth, as much as divulging it may hurt them both. "Yes. When I first approached them in their forest, I'll admit that I was a bit unsettled by how they screamed and ran from me. And later, when I actually talked to them, they acted like I was going to turn them into animals. But, after spending time with them, and being able to talk face to face, I feel that their attitude toward us may have changed since then. In fact, I'm sure that your new friends at the cottage would like to see you again to learn more about the animals that will be arriving there. And I know that Sweetie Belle would like to see you again to learn how to master that trampy walk of yours."
It was a slight comfort for Molly to know that she would simply have to spend a little more time with the light-dwellers before being accepted ever so gradually. And the idea of mentoring Sweetie Belle in her art of showmanship would have made her giddy, if not for the weight on her heart. Still, she did giggle slightly at the idea, before standing up to hug her friend.
"How do you always know what to say," she asked.
"I don't. I just do the right thing, and tell the truth. Or, at least the truth as I know it."
"Because you stink at lying."
"We've already established that."
Both women grunted as Bruce invited himself to join the hug, and squeezed them both in his giant, powerful arms.
"Down, boy," Courtney said with a giggle as she was almost lifted off the ground.
Bruce obeyed, and put them both down, tail wagging wildly as he received the customary praise and attention for following commands.
"Did you see the spirits tonight," Molly asked, once she was back on the ground.
"I did. I also saw how they crossed from light to shadow when they were migrating," Courtney answered.
"What made them so scared that they'd do that?"
Courtney knew the answer to that question, and the look on Molly's face told her that she knew the answer as well. Though she didn't want to frighten Molly with the truth, no one knew about her inability to lie better than her best friend. "It was The Wicker Man. I saw it tonight at Apple Bloom's house."
Molly nearly fainted when she hear the answer, but kept herself together to ask another question, "Did it get anyone? Did it...get the fillies?"
"No. I got there before it attacked any of them. I lured it to back to the forest, where it will hopefully stay until I get rid of it."
She knew this was only a temporary fix. Even though the magic she used to lure the monster from civilization was powerful, it would only last so long before it was absorbed. Then, it would continue to feed on any magical creatures it found in the forest, until it inevitably found its way back to a populated area.
"Until we get rid of it. I told you before that I'm not going to let you go it alone. And Bruce isn't either. Whether you want it or not, we're staying with you there until The Hallow ends."
As it was before, Courtney knew that she couldn't say 'no' to her friends. Of all the people (and animals) she could have met in the world, she knew that she was lucky enough to have found two that were willing to follow her into danger, despite any attempted pleas to stay. "Oh, Molly," Courtney said, as she hugged her friend once more.
Bruce simply bumped the two of them with his head.
"Come on. I'll see you to the door," Courtney said as she walked to the door to see her friend off. "WHOOP--!!! What the blood-gushing hell happened!!?"
As soon as she stepped into her hallway, before she knew what was happening, she tripped and fell over something before she was stampeded by several tiny feet.
Molly backed away in awe of what happened, trying not to laugh at her friend's predicament.
Apparently, Courtney had forgotten that there was only one exit point for the portals from Equestria to Macabria, and it deposited a whole gaggle of animals into her home, each one desperate to get outside.
Bruce plowed into the crowd, and pulled Courtney to her feet. Now that she was upright, and not being trampled, she was able to concentrate her magic on opening the front door.
The latch was undone, and all of the animals rushed outside as fast as they could, almost knocking Courtney down again in the process. All but the werecat, who stayed behind to rub its sides against Molly's waist.
"Okay. The door's clear. Do you think you can take care of the werecat until we find who it belongs to," Courtney said after the charge ended.
"Yes," Molly said giddily. She would have to get some accommodations for it, but she had a werecat when she was a seedling, and knew how to take care of them well enough. Luckily for her, the animal was wearing a tag on its collar, which would greatly facilitate finding its family, so it wouldn't have to stay with her for too long. Still, as long as it would be living with her, it would help her to temporarily forget her trouble in Equestria. "Come on, kitty. Let's go to my place. Good night, Courtney."
"Good night."
Molly made her way home with her furry, affectionate companion, with Courtney watching her until she disappeared around the corner. Once Courtney was sure Molly would be alright, she and Bruce reentered their home, and bolted the door behind them.
Finally, her night was over. Bruce guided Courtney to her bedroom, where she changed into her nightgown before flopping listlessly onto her bed.
Ever since she began visiting Equestria, it was one disaster after another: being seen by light-dwellers, light-dwellers visiting her world, Apple Bloom practicing witchcraft, Scootaloo tampering with spirits, being seen by more light-dwellers; and to top it all off, The Wicker Man crawled out of whatever dark corner it was banished to and was now rampaging around Equestria, and would have to be banished again before The Hallow, else it would stay there.
Bruce curled up on the floor beside the bed, while Courtney slowly drifted to sleep, positive that the worst was yet to come.
> Chapter 14: A World Gone Crazy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 14

A World Gone Crazy


When morning came in Ponyville, Applejack was outside at the first light to get her work started, as was her usual. After the animals were fed, she went out to the orchard to begin the season's harvest.
Nightmare Night was always a time when her orchard's apples were in demand. Apple pie made was a favorite autumn treat around those parts, and ponies always clamored to be the next in line when it was her apples that were being bobbed for. Because of this, she prepared a portion of the harvest to be used for the festivities before the real harvest began. Except, today, she found that she would have to delay that portion of work.
As soon as she entered the dew-soaked orchard, she found that the trees that were attacked were now nearly back to their former, healthy state, and even a few were bearing fruit.
Whatever miracle fixed her trees, she wasn't going to question it. She was about to go about her business when she saw several new, nearly full-grown trees among the others. Applejack realized that these were all in the same place that she had found the sprouts that were growing earlier.
She knew before that they weren't apple trees, but now she saw that they were like no other tree she had ever seen. The branches were curled and twisted, and the flowers on them were completely foreign to her. Certainly not from any fruit she knew. Unlike the pink or white flowers she as familiar with, these had deep red petals with long, spindly, black protrusions that looked like spider legs.
Applejack didn't know what it was, but if it was any more Nightmare Night shenanigans, she was going to stop it before it began.
For the entire morning, she sawed down each one of the trees, and hauled them away to the edge of the property to be mulched. There were more of these trees than she expected, having found them from the area where the trees were attacked some nights ago, to the edge closest to the front gate. However they got there, she was going to be sure that she got them all.
She took a quick breather midway through sawing one of the trees and looked ahead at the work she had yet to do. So far, in the hours she spent getting rid of the new trees, she had taken down at least five or so, from what she estimated. Around her, she could count at least four more, counting the one she was working on at the moment. She sighed, knowing she still had a long way to go before she could get to the work she needed done.
As luck would have it, Big Macintosh was already ahead of her on that project, as he came by hauling a cart full of apples behind him. "Hey! Big Mac," she called to her brother. "When yer done with them apples, can ya help me tear out these tree stumps?"
Big Macintosh observed how his sister was busy sawing a tree that he didn't recognize. Even though he too saw them earlier, he didn't see any reason to cut them down. But, as long as Applejack was getting rid of them, he figured that he may as well help her. If not for one small, yet crucial, factor. "What tree stumps?"
"The ones over--thattaway..." She had spent all morning cutting down trees, and now, when she looked behind herself, she saw a whole row of half-grown saplings, each one larger and more mature the further back they went. As if by some kind of magic, the strange trees had restored themselves back to their former health.
"Ya feelin' alright," Big Macintosh asked when he saw Applejack's surprised face.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit shocked is all."
"Well, snap out of it, sis. We still got apples to buck, an' we ain't gonna get anywhere if ya don't saw those trees faster."
Applejack was able to handle nearly any stressful situation. It was just one of the reasons that her friends relied on her so much to help them through difficult times. But, with everything that had been happening lately, it was becoming too much for her to handle. She would need some help if she was going to get rid of these trees. "I gotta go into town fer a bit."
"Need somethin'?"
"Just gotta see Twilight fer some help." She then turned her attention to the second story window of her house. "An' you stay in yer room 'til I get back, ya hear!"
Along with Winona, Apple Bloom had been watching Applejack cut down the trees for some time, and only realized what she was doing when she saw the trees slowly growing back as the hours passed. The filly said nothing to affirm Applejack's command, but gave her the hoof when she had her back turned. An action that earned a disapproving scowl from Big Macintosh.
Not that Apple Bloom actually cared what her brother thought. Not even bothering with him, she decided to take matters into her own hooves. "Stay in my room? Ferget it," she said to Winona, "Come on, girl. Let's go make another pie."
To Winona, making a pie meant that Bruce would come to visit again, and she could learn more about her new friend over a game of fetch, provided that Applejack didn't find out. With a wag of her tail, she hurried to the door as Apple Bloom packed up her books to read while she readied the pie.



Applejack walked through town, all the way to the Golden Oaks Library. She figured that if there was anypony who knew what could be done about these strange happenings, it would be Twilight. Nopony else had such a vast collection of knowledge at their disposal, and may very well be able to help her with her problems.
Feeling slightly hopeful, she entered the library. "Hey, Twi! I gotta talk to ya," she called.
"I'm up here. And no yelling in the library," Twilight answered with a hushed shout as she peeked her head out from the now curtained upstairs area.
"Sorry," Applejack apologized, "I just need a favor is all."
"Alright. But, I want to finish up here first. Can you wait?"
"Sure. What for?"
"I'm working on a new project up here. And I think I'm near a breakthrough." Twilight returned behind the curtains. "Spike, do you have those new acorns yet?"
Whatever was happening, it was sounding seriously strange to Applejack. She climbed the stairs to investigate what was happening, and found herself in the darkened upper level. She had seen the curtains hanging there, but only now did she see what a difference they made.
There was barely enough light to see her hoof in front of her face, if not for the candle Twilight and Spike had burning on a small table. Set near the candle was a small bowl full of flowers and acorns
"Okay," Twilight psyched herself up, "I think by now, we can safely say that using shadows to move things is out of the question. But, I still have a good feeling about this new smoke experiment."
"And we know how that's been going so far. Up in smoke," Spike answered.
"Every great success is preceded by several failures, Spike," Twilight chided her number one assistant. "We just need to figure out how she got that image last night. Ready with the fire?"
"As usual."
The tiny dragon welled up a few embers before he spewed a small stream of fire into the bowl, singing the plants inside. First, they smoldered, until they burst into flame and created a cloud of smoke that filled the dark room, making all of the occupants within cough loudly.
"I told you, it's no good doing this without that witch," Spike said as he opened a window, and set to work pulling down the curtains that were blocking all of the light.
"We can do this without her. We just need to figure out what she did that we're not doing," Twilight answered.
"Yeah, because it's always as easy as just watching somepony else do it," Spike said as he fanned the smoke out the window with the curtains.
"We're going to have to analyze these in the basement. Sorry, Applejack, but this is going to take a lot of my energy. If you can just tell me what you need, I can help you out later," Twilight said, now magically holding her to-do list and a quill.
All of a sudden, with no warning at all, Applejack's friends were practicing witch magic. Whatever they were getting into, she wanted no part of it. "Uh...That's alright, Twi. I think I'll try somewhere else," she said as she hastily left. "Good luck with the research," she said, more out of formality than genuine well-wishing.
She left the library, feeling like she just avoided an oncoming train. She decided that she had better try another friend, even though she felt bad about not staying to talk Twilight out of trying her new magic. Then again, Twilight was the smartest mare she knew, so she would likely figure out what a bad idea it was in a matter of hours. With that in mind, she went to find another friend to help her.



Applejack walked inside Sugarcube Corner with the hope that maybe Pinkie knew something about what was happening with that crazy Pinkie Sense of her's.
Inside, it was strangely barren. No treats were placed on display and nopony was at the cash register. If not for the noise in the kitchen, she would have thought the place was abandoned.
"Pinkie? Ya back there," Applejack asked as she slowly approached the kitchen door.
"Huh? Whuzzat...?" came the dazed reply from the back room.
It may have been Pinkie's voice that called, but it still didn't sound anything like her. No unnecessary excitement, no overblown enthusiasm, no zipping out to the front area to greet the arriving customer. It made Applejack think that there may have been something wrong.
"Everything okay, Pinkie," she said as she entered the kitchen.
Once through the door, she found Pinkie busy at work creating all kinds of pastries. Cookies, brownies, cupcakes were all set out, and she was currently at work mixing a big bowl of strawberry sauce. "Uh-huh...all fine. Just setting up a party is all..." Pinkie answered.
"Ya expectin' a bunch o' ponies, or somethin'," Applejack asked as she looked over the great number of pastries.
"No...Just one. I said some things to her that really made her sad. So I'm going to...going to...going...to..." Pinkie swooned briefly before resuming her speech, "I have to make up for being such a meanie..."
"Ya must've said somethin' real bad to go all out like this," Applejack noted as she looked at more plates of treats she didn't notice when she walked in. That, and she noticed that one of Pinkie's hooves was bandaged, and figured that it had something to do with Pinkie and this strange new mare.
"Yeah...But I hope this makes it better...I made her some extra fudgy brownies...My chock-full-of-chocolate-chocolate-chip-cookies...My own specialty, signature cupcakes...And specially for her:... a great, big bowl of...blood pudding... Made with my very own, super-sweet blood..."
Applejack's jaw dropped as her head whipped between the bandage on Pinkie's hoof and the bowl of what she originally thought was strawberry sauce. "What the--!! What the buck are you doin'," Applejack said as she backed away from the bowl of red liquid.
"I guess my party guest likes bloodstuff...So I'm going to show her how sorry I am by making as much as I can without passing out...I think I'm almost done ...Unless you have some blood you can spare?..."
Hearing that sent a shock through Applejack's entire nerves. "No thanks. I'm savin' mine fer later. Have fun bein' crazy," she said as she quickly backed out of the kitchen, then ran out the door.
She stopped to collect herself once she was outside, and wondered what the buck Pinkie was doing to herself. In any case, she figured that this would only be a one-time thing, and Pinkie wouldn't inflict any more harm on herself once her party was over. Once she reasoned that much with herself, she went on to try getting help somewhere else.



"Rainbow Dash!"
After the first two failures, Applejack decided that Rainbow Dash was her best bet. Sure, she wasn't always around, and she almost never showed up on time, but she was dependable when it mattered the most.
She doubted that Rainbow Dash would know much about these monsters, but she would likely be as eager to learn a way to stop them as she was herself.
Applejack scanned the skies, looking for a misplaced, low-hanging cloud that was sure to be Dash's napping spot. Finally, near the middle of town, she found what she was looking for.
"Rainbow Dash! I got somethin' I wanna ask ya," Applejack called to the cloud.
"Just a sec', AJ. I want to finish this page," Dash answered from her cloudy perch.
"Whatcha readin' up there? Another Derrin' Do book?"
"We're reading about ghosts," Scootaloo answered as she poked her head over the edge of the cloud.
"Ain't ya supposed to be grounded," Applejack asked the filly.
"Yeah, she's grounded," Dash answered. "After what she did last night, I told her she's not leaving my sight for the next week. So, here she is," Dash said, ruffling her filly's mane.
To Applejack, it looked like she was being way too lenient with her foal. If it was herself in that situation, she would have had Scootaloo confined to her room just like she had done with her own sister.
Then, it occurred to her what they were reading. They had said that their book was about ghosts, so maybe they were looking for ways to get rid of them before she arrived. "So, that book up there? What're ya readin' about?"
"We already told you: ghosts," Dash answered as she and Scootaloo flapped to the ground.
"I got that. I mean, what about ghosts are ya readin'?"
"We're trying to find safer ways to call them to our house," Scootaloo answered.
"What!?"
"Yeah, and it's really cool stuff too," Dash continued, misinterpreting Applejack's surprise for enthusiasm. "There are all these different ways to summon different kinds of ghosts. But, we're looking for a better way to call them without making any mistakes again."
"Ya done this before," Applejack said with wide-eyed horror.
"That's kind of a story for another time," Scootaloo interjected.
"Oh, right. Don't want to scare AJ away," Dash chuckled, before looking back to her friend and seeing she was gone.
"I think we're one step ahead of that, mom."



Everything was going all to pieces. Applejack came to town, looking for her friend's help to get rid of whatever was happening at her orchard, and now it turns out that they were all getting involved in the strange happenings. There had to be some escape from this craziness, and Applejack knew just where to find it.
Of all the ponies who would not associate themselves with something horrifying and repulsive, she knew that Rarity was the mare to go to. So, her next stop became Carousel Boutique. Granted, she didn't expect Rarity to know a thing about these monsters, but it would be nice to get away from her problems for a little while.
She entered the boutique, feeling a wash of relief at the sight of the frilly, pink interior. Nothing in the entire place had a trace of a feeling of Nightmare Night within. Knowing Rarity, it was because such things were 'improper' and 'unladylike.'
"Coming," came Rarity's voice from the back after the bell above the door rang.
Hearing that familiar musical trill of a voice made her worries ebb slightly as Rarity came out to the fitting area. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique. Where everything is--" She cut her usual greeting short when she saw who had arrived. "Oh, hello, Applejack. Have you come to acquire some new farm gear?"
"Naw. Just wanted to stop by is all," Applejack answered.
"But, as long as you're here, I must insist that you take this," Rarity said as she magically retrieved a new article of clothing.
When Applejack received it, she found it to be a sleeveless, brown gown; sturdy, yet ventilated; and with enough coverage to protect the wearer from the sun, perfect for outdoor labor. "Thanks, Rarity. Ya just made this fer me today?"
"Oh, no, no, no. Part of it was made last night. Though not by myself."
"Really? So, who made it? Sweetie Belle?"
"It wasn't me. It was a bunch of brownies," Sweetie Belle answered as she came out of the back room with a book on her back.
"Sounds like they had too much sugar in 'em if they could make somethin' like this," Applejack joked.
"No, not 'brownies.' Brownies. See," Sweetie Belle explained as she opened the book she had to the page pertaining to the small, rodent-like creatures.
"Is that a rat wearin' a jacket?"
"It's far from being an ordinary rat," Rarity said to Applejack. "It's a helpful little dark creature, which overnight washed my dishes, polished my jewels and made that gown you're holding."
Applejack was surprised to hear that she was holding something that was made by some monster. Enough to make her drop it as she jumped.
"The best part is that most ponies have them living in their house, and don't even know it. I bet if you left out some cream for them, you wouldn't have to do so much work in the mornings," Sweetie Belle said.
"They just live in ponies houses," Applejack said, trying not to shout.
"Yep. You probably have some living right under your floorboards. I bet you're even standing near some right now."
Applejack looked all around herself, imagining all kinds of monsters that may have been hiding within every fold of fabric and tiny crevice that she could see.
"As a matter of fact, my sister and I were just reading to see if there were any more friendly, helpful creatures to invite to our home," Rarity added.
"Yer invitin' these things inside," Applejack said, now on the verge of shouting.
"Uh-huh," Sweetie affirmed. "And, as long as you're here, can I ask you something? See, I have this new friend who I'd really like to see again, and I want her to feel welcome here. So, if it's not too much trouble: can I borrow some of your blood? Rarity won't give me any of her's"
"Sweetie Belle, we've already been through this. If you want any blood, you must use your own."
"WHAT THE BUCK IS GOIN' ON AROUND HERE," Applejack finally snapped, shocking the other two ponies. "All day, I been runnin' into trees growin' back from stumps, ponies practicin' witch magic, ponies callin' ghosts, ponies lettin' monsters into their houses, an' ponies bleedin' themselves dry! HAS THE WHOLE DANG TOWN GONE NUTS!!!? AM I THE ONLY PONY STANDIN' BETWEEN DECENCY AN' A NIGHTMARE!!!?"
"Well...no. Night mares are pretty skittish, and they don't come near ponies between anything," Sweetie said to calm the farmpony's nerves.
Her effort was in vain, since Applejack bolted out the door faster than either sister could blink.



After striking out so many times, she finally decided that she should see Fluttershy for help. Normally, she wouldn't bother, since Fluttershy was definitely doing her best to avoid being anywhere near anything scary. All Applejack needed now was somepony who could offer her some much-needed counseling, and there was nopony better than Fluttershy for exactly that.
Her heart fluttered at the wholesome sight of Fluttershy's cottage, knowing for certain that this was going to be her safe haven from whatever horrors her friends were involving themselves with. With a budding merriment, she trotted across the bridge to have a heart-to-heart with her friend.
Once she was halfway across the bridge, she heard a mighty splash as something jumped high out of the water in front of her. At first, she thought it may have been a sea or an otter. When the creature reared up in front of her, she saw herself confronted by another wolf creature.
Unlike the giant, gray monster she fought off last night, this one was much shorter and slimmer, with dark green fur. What really drew her attention were its clawed hands, which she saw were slightly webbed, and the large stick it held in its teeth.
It took a step toward Applejack on a pair of long, powerful-looking legs, which made the farmpony think it could bound toward her as quickly as it leapt out of the water. She prepared herself to buck that thing in the face on a snap notice, until she heard a familiar voice call it away.
"Flipper. Come back, please."
Turning to the source of the voice, the monster jumped high into the air, off of the bridge to the ground near Fluttershy's house, where it ran on all fours across the yard to the waiting pegasus. "Good boy," Fluttershy said as she took the stick from the monster. "Do you want to fetch again?"
The werewolf answered by barking and jumping excessively. Through her time with the dark creatures, Fluttershy was beginning to gradually understand them, and the werewolf sounded like it was saying it would love to fetch again.
"Alright. Here you go," Fluttershy said as she took the stick in her own teeth and wound up for a throw.
The werewolf ran back and forth until the stick was thrown into the river again, where it passed Applejack before it jumped into the water and paddled after the stick.
As the werewolf swam, another noise was heard. One that sounded like a mix of a bleating goat and a bugling elk. Next, a creature like a goat draped in seashells came in and splashed excessively as it brandished its horns to the werewolf.
"Billy. Be nice. Flipper is only playing a game. If you want, you can play too," Fluttershy gently admonished.
The goat creature snorted at Fluttershy, before unleashing a headbutt that sent her and the werewolf flying away from the river.
"That creature is awfully territorial, isn't it," Fluttershy asked her new canine friend after they landed.
The werewolf answered by shaking its fur dry all over Fluttershy, who cringed under the sudden shower.
"Why don't we go play in another part of the river," Fluttershy offered.
The werewolf huffed.
"Let's go over here, where Billy won't get us."
The werewolf barked in Applejack's direction, bringing Fluttershy's attention to her friend.
"Oh! Hello, Applejack," the yellow pegasus greeted her friend. "Did you come by to say hello to my new friends?"
It was frightening enough to see Fluttershy standing with a monster, but then she saw as what looked like hundreds of monsters crawling out of every shadow on the property. Each one crowded around the pegasus, like a horrible entourage. Soon, she was surrounded by a whole throng of monsters, each one staring at Applejack. Even in the shadows where the monsters came from, Applejack could see more eyes peering out at her.
Her heart began to race, and her nerves bristled under her skin. Once she locked eyes with the werewolf, she let out a blood-curdling shout that resonated far into the distance. Ponies in town were given a jolt by the noise, ruining their current activities. Babies were awoken from their naps, and cried profusely. Glass rattled. The pious prayed to Celestia to save them from the demon making that doom noise.
Deep in the Everfree Forest, animals ran for cover. A hydra heard the shout and sank deep into its mud puddle to escape the horrible sound. A pack of timber wolves began howling in concert with Applejack's shout.
Once her throat had begun to hurt (but mostly because she finally ran out of air) Applejack stopped yelling and stormed off the property back to her home.
All of the dark creatures on the property had covered their ears, dug underground or dove underwater to escape the noise, but the green werewolf covered Fluttershy's ears to spare her the horrible noise.
Fluttershy trembled with her eyes wide open. "Dih...Dih...Dih...Dih...Dih..." Fluttershy stammered, until the werewolf shook more water out of its fur, showering her once more.
"Dih...D-Did I say something wrong, Applejack," Fluttershy asked, once she was snapped out of her borderline catatonia, and realized that Applejack was nowhere in sight. "Applejack?... Oh my. I think I have to lie down..." She then staggered a few steps, before falling, and being caught by Flipper, who then carried into the house by the scruff of her neck.



"I got a good feelin' this pie's gonna be even better than the last one," Apple Bloom said to Winona as she worked on the nearly finished pie.
Using what she learned from Granny the last time (and after several botched attempts), she had a feeling that this one was going to come out better, both in taste and appearance.
She paid attention to exactly how much of each ingredient she was putting into the pie filling, (especially the cinnamon), and even added a few ingredients of her own. Everything, but the secret ingredient that only Granny knew. But she made up for it with presentation.
The crust of the pie had been pressed and scalloped to perfection, and she was working on slicing the shapes of tiny flowers into the top crust.
"Gotta be real careful on this part, Winona. We need this to be just right," Apple Bloom said as she focused her concentration on making a precise cut. Except, she focused too much and nearly fell forward and ruined the pie, if not for Winona catching her. "Thanks, girl," she said as she finished up cutting a design into the crust.
"What's this ya got goin' on," Granny asked as she hobbled into the room.
"I'm makin' another pie fer my friends," Apple Bloom proudly proclaimed, "An' I did it by myself."
Winona made a noise that sounded like a mix of a whimper and a growl.
"Well, Winona helped little."
"Ar-roo-rooooo."
"Fine! She helped a bunch."
"Oof..."
"'Nother pie, huh," Granny asked, "So I guess yer friends liked the first one?"
"They must've. I found the empty tin outside with a bunch o' pawprints around it."
"Pawprints? Ya ain't bringin' timber wolves here, are ya?"
"No. I think Bruce'd scare away any timber wolves that tried to come," Apple Bloom explained as she put the pie in the oven.
"That one o' yer friends," Granny asked as while she set the time and temperature on the oven.
"Who?"
"This Bruce fella ya mentioned."
Apple Bloom didn't know how to answer that. Granny was open to many things in her old age (partly due to mild senility), but she didn't know how the old mare would handle something like a werewolf. "Yeah. He's a friend o' mine. I think ya'd like him if ya met him."
"Really? So, what kinda friend is he if he leaves pawprints where he walks?"
"Uh..." Once again, Apple Bloom had to pause to think about her answer. She had no idea how to gently break it to Granny, but she wouldn't have to.
Winona made a noise and brought Apple Bloom's attention to the door, where hooves could be heard walking on the porch.
"Oh, horseapples! I'm supposed to be in my room! Come on, girl," Apple Bloom said hastily as she and her dog rushed out of the kitchen and back upstairs, just as Applejack walked back inside.
"Hey, Granny," Applejack sighed as she walked in, and looked at the mess of ingredients that were out, "Just finished a pie, huh? Better make another one, 'cause I feel like I'm gonna need to binge a whole bunch o' pie after the mornin' I had."
"Rough day, youngun," Granny asked.
"I don't wanna talk about it." Applejack didn't want to pass any of her worries to her grandmother. Especially after she came home and found those strange trees had grown back completely, as if they had never been sawed down at all.
"Alright. But, when ya feel ready, ya can talk it out with ol' Granny," the old mare answered before she left the room. "Right now, I gotta get some more apples, since Apple Bloom used 'em all."
"Apple Bloom was out o' her room!? Son of a--" Applejack stopped herself from exploding again, and was about to look for Apple Bloom to give her sister an earful. Then, she stopped when she noticed something on the counter.
There was a book there. One of the ones that Apple Bloom said she got for Nightmare Night, she remembered. It was sprawled open, as if her sister was reading it before she hurried away to do something else.
The page it was opened to had pictures on it of bizarre symbols that Applejack had never seen or heard of before, but she had a feeling that it was about something about the magic her friends and family were getting involved with.
She was about to slam it shut, until she found something on the page that elaborated how to dispel the magic spells that were shown in the picture. Once she was finished there, she examined the cover of the book, and found the title to be A Practical Guide for Magical Defense.
Finally, a stroke of luck. This book was going to be the answer to Applejack's problems. Within the pages were the instructions to deter anymore unwanted visitors an evil magic.
Feeling a new sense of hope, she took the book outside with her when she decided to finish the day's work before she set about to reading how to keep her family safe.



Even on one of the busiest streets of Macabria, one building was always a draw for the public for the boisterous merriment that could be heard from across the street.
Inside, the assortment of weathered elders trying to recall their younger days, amicable bar hosts who gossiped with the rummies, sailors on shore leave, hopeless singles who tried to forget their lonely woes, unscrupulous businessmen, and the usual waiting staff all enjoyed themselves as the shows went on.
Today, the lovely Molly St. John was performing a new song and dance act where she played a maiden high in the verdant hills, with a rushing herd of night mares in the distance that seemed to move in perfect harmony with her steps.
Now that her bandages were off, she was able to wear a costume that was much more audience-pleasing, and earned a loud din of excited shouts when she revealed a single bare leg to the crowd.
The show carried on, until the finale where the herd of night mares came out of the background and rushed onto the stage, disappearing into nothingness once they jumped off. When they had all disappeared, where Molly once stood was a more stunning equine than the crowd had ever seen. The epitome of animal beauty, as if taken from a child's feary tale.
With a gust of wind, the night mare blew away to reveal Molly giving a curtsy to the audience before she stepped offstage.
"All done up there," she called to the catwalk over the stage.
"On my way," Courtney answered as she walked down the steps of the first flight of stairs. Once she reached the landing she jumped onto the rail of the second flight and slid down to the ground.
Both women were happy their work day was over. Now, they had the rest of the day to themselves, until they began their night job. "So, what's your plan for tonight," Courtney asked her friend.
"Can we talk about it while I get changed?"
"Of course," Courtney answered, also eager to leave work.
The witch curled her lip to let out a short whistle. In less than a second, Bruce dropped from above with a ground shaking thud, ready to follow Courtney wherever she needed to go next.
They arrived at Molly's dressing room, and while she changed, Courtney waited outside with Bruce.
"So, aside from the obvious, what are we doing tonight," Courtney asked from the hallway through the cracked door.
"Oh, I don't know. I think I may try to go back to Fluttershy's house, in case she needs any more help with those animals," Molly sighed, clearly not enthused to be returning.
"If you want, you could come with me and Bruce to check on the spirits. Provided the..." Courtney paused, mindful not to mention The Wicker Man while others were around. "You-know-what isn't around."
"Don't say things like that! Just the idea of that thing romping to Fluttershy's house is enough to make me whither!"
"Didn't her friend call you a monster?"
"Like I needed to be reminded of that. I know I wasn't exactly treated like a guest of honor, but Fluttershy was such a sweetheart. Even if she thought I was a monster too, she was still so kind, and willing to look after all the animals she knew nothing about."
"She does sound like quite the Samaritan," Courtney muttered, glad to at least hear one of the light-dweller's was nice to her friend. "What about you Bruce? Planning the usual rounds about town?"
Bruce grunted in response.
"There's never an end to those ponies' troubles, is there? And as luck would have it, there aren't enough people like us to solve them."
Molly came out of her dressing room, now wearing her usual red dress, and stopped in the doorway. Courtney and Bruce both recognized the look on her face as the one she always made when an idea entered her mind.
"What are you thinking," Courtney asked.
"What if the light-dwellers had someone who could take care of their problems year round? You know? A full-time resident witch," Molly said suggestively.
"Good grief, I wouldn't be able to live there! Not with all those panicking ponies!"
"Not quite what I meant," Molly said with a shake of her head. "I'm talking about one of them learning witchcraft. Someone who has already clearly shown an interest, and an aptitude for magic."
Nerves snapped and connected in Courtney's brain as she comprehended what her friend was getting at. Admittedly, the thought occurred to her in passing, but she never thought about it seriously. Not even when Apple Bloom said she wanted to be a witch.
"I can't do that! The ponies would chase her out of town if they knew what she was doing!"
"Not the ones I met. And especially not her family, as you already know."
Courtney bit her lip, as she knew what Molly said was true.
"And still, wouldn't it be nice if they did have someone who could help them with their otherworldly problems the year round? It would eliminate the need for people like us. And, in the long run, it may get around that the people like us aren't the monsters they make us out to be."
Bruce grunted as he nudged Courtney's arm with his snout.
There was nothing that could be said to change Courtney's mind about her decisions, but Molly and Bruce both had strong points to make. She clenched her fist as it felt like her stomach was going to explode. "Mother's going to kill me..." she groaned through her clenched teeth.
Both her friend's smiled at her decision, sure that only good was to come for their future.
> Chapter 15: First Steps Taken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 15

First Steps Taken


In the stillness of the night, Fluttershy's house sat silently. Not a single animal stirred, no grass or flowers were roused by a breeze, not even the regular sounds of the night were heard there. To anyone who was walking  by, it would have seemed like time itself had stopped on the property.
From the Everfree Forest, a shadow drifted to the house, and took notice of the abnormal state of affairs. Nothing was as it should have been since the last time it visited. The ominous silence permeated the conscience of the visitor, who began to grow wary of the atmosphere.
It was almost like she had come to a different house than the one last night. This was not the cheery, gentle place where animals abounded, but a dreary, dark place that looked like it had been abandoned.
Sensing that something was amiss, the visitor hurried to the front door. Halfway down the walk, the door began to open on its own, and another shadow ran out to greet the first.
"Molly," came the familiar voice of the tiny silhouette.
"Sweetie Belle," the visitor said, "What are you doing here? You should be at home."
"Come on! Everypony's waiting for you inside!"
"Am I expected for something?"
"You'll see when we get there! Let's go!" The filly excitedly pulled on the leafy mare's hoof and led her through the front door.
Inside, it was even darker than the yard, further lending to the feeling that something was amiss. Suddenly, with no warning at all, the lights turned on to reveal Fluttershy in the room, but she was not alone.
With her were all of the animals that Molly had expected to see when she arrived. Also there were the mares she had seen that night at Zecora's house. The pink one with the candy floss mane, however, was now bound to a wheelchair. Scootaloo was there as well, though Apple Bloom was noticeably absent, as was her older sister.
"SURpriiise..." Pinkie tried to shout as she stood up in her chair, only to be hit with a horrible vertigo that made her fall face first onto the floor.
"What's happening," Molly asked as her gaze went between each pony.
"It was supposed to be a surprise party," Rarity explained as she approached their arriving guest, "Until my sister decided it would be more prudent to greet you in the yard and tell you about it."
"A party? But, why?"
"I told you you'd get one last night, you silly filly..." Pinkie swooned as Fluttershy helped her back into her seat before she fell.
"But, we only just met. This is so..." Molly observed all of the baked goods and party props that had been set up as she thought of a word that Courtney would use, "Grandiose."
Pinkie tried to get up and explain again, only for Fluttershy to gently help her back into her seat when she started swaying.
"We wanted to make you feel more welcome than we did last time," Fluttershy explained. "We realized how much it must have hurt when we called you a monster, so this is Pinkie's way of making up for it."
"Since she wanted to make you feel like you were one of us, Pinkie invited all of us too. Actually, that was Scootaloo's idea," Rainbow Dash added as she ruffled her filly's mane.
"I'm one of you," Molly asked.
"Of course you are," Sweetie Belle said, "You might be from a different world, but you have everything that makes you a pony. You have friends that you care about, and you have a special talent that you use to make others happy."
"And my sister tells me that you're quite the showmare," Rarity added. "If it were ever at all possible, could you put on a show for us?Wearing one of my dresses, preferably?"
It was all so wonderful. Never before did Molly feel so welcomed or accepted by others. Only onstage did she feel like anyone desired to be around her, for whenever she was off, others avoided her or gave her strange looks. Now, in this little cottage, she was facing more friends than she ever had her entire life.
"Well, don't be a party pooper. Dig in..." Pinkie said as she indicated the treats that had been laid out, once she was rolled out of the way.
Once she was moved, Molly could now see a new treat that she hadn't noticed before, but immediately recognized. "Is that blood pudding," she gasped in quiet awe.
"Absitutely...Posilutely...Made by yours truly..." Pinkie said as she showed her bandaged hoof.
Blood pudding was Molly's favorite. It was rare that she ever came across it, as barely any shops made it. Now, here she was faced with the largest serving of the stuff she had ever seen.
With an excited shout, Molly rushed past any of the ponies and animals in her way, and stuffed her hooves in the bowl.
First, she lingered in the savory bliss of the dessert, before she began absorbing it through her skin. It was the purest rush of delight and ecstasy that she had ever felt. All over, her body tingled as she felt her fronds unconsciously ruffle ever so slightly atop her head.
The flavors of blood, onions, pepper, and just a hint of oats flooded her body from head to hoof. Next to becoming a performer, it was the greatest feeling in the world.
Sweetie Belle turned green as she buried her face in her sister's leg. Despite her nausea, she dared to peek out, and what she saw stunned her.
No doubt about it, Molly was a very beautiful mare. The kind who could stop a stallion cold with a single glance. But, as she drank the bloody treat, she underwent another physical transformation.
Before, she became more colorful and vibrant, and her withered skin turned green and healthy again. Now, her proportions began to change as well. Her legs, hips, waist, shoulders, chest, stomach, neck, face, everything, began to become somehow much more shapely with more curves than a normal pony had on their body. It also may have been the onlookers' imaginations, but the swore that her legs were becoming longer as well to match their more curvaceous look.
All the while, her skin gradually built up a glossy sheen until she practically glowed. All the mares in the room looked on with equal amounts of disgust and awe at the transformation she had undergone.
The bowl was emptied by the time Molly had finished. As satisfying as it was, she wished she had saved such a pleasure for last. "That was..." Molly let out a satisfied sigh, as no words she could think of could describe the experience. Instead, she simply let her emotions flow.
Her front legs extended unnaturally far to ensnare Pinkie, and pull her towards herself in a tight, enthusiastic hug. "You sugar-hearted, puppy-faced little angel," Molly giddily squealed before the force of Pinkie's momentum made them both fall to the floor.
Everypony present watched as their guest snuggled Pinkie like she was a kitten. Strange? Yes. A little scary? That too. But it was clear that she meant no harm to their pink friend. But, the party had to carry on, and that couldn't happen while their host was in a stranglehold of a hug.
"Hey, how about a game of pin the tail on the pony," Scootaloo suggested.
Molly let go of her newest friend when she heard that. There was a similar game she knew back home, where a tail was pinned on a night mare, but she hadn't played it since her sixth birthday. Reliving one of the few pleasant childhood memories she had may just have been better than the copious amount of blood she just drank. "Alright. So, which of you wants to go first," she asked.
"You, of course," Fluttershy said, reminding Molly who this party was for.
The next thing Molly knew, she was blindfolded and being spun around. She laughed merrily with the ponies around her, knowing now that her short time in this world had been completely worthwhile.



"Well, I'll be danged," Applejack muttered to herself as she flipped through the book. Once the day's work was over, and not a moment too soon, as the sun was just about to go under the horizon, Applejack went inside to the fire lit living room to read her newly discovered book.
As it was with Apple Bloom before her, everything from the opening page to the one she was on elucidated a whole new plethora of information that staved off the superstitions she clung to since her foalhood.
She read each page carefully, and discovered ways to protect herself from magical attacks. Many of them involved simple, everyday items that she had lying around the house, which bode well for her. However, some of them involved luring spirits and creatures to the area where any powder or herbs were spread. Applejack skipped over these, for fear of bringing unwanted monsters to the house, even though the book said they were protective, and generally welcomed. One page even informed her that if she was ever chased by an evil being, the safest place she could turn was a cemetery, where the good souls would protect her from evil. But, she had no desire to consort with ghosts, no matter how good they may be.
Some of the things, she could have done that very moment, as everything was ready at hoof, but they would not do her any good at the moment. Things like throwing rose water on a fire was only for curing magically-induced illness, and all she had recently was a sore throat.
But, what if that was cast on her by witchcraft? What if the illnesses that she and her family felt that time of year were always sent to them by some vengeful creature of the night, casting its evil magic on their unsuspecting heads!?
"Nah. Get a grip, Applejack. That's paranoia talkin'," Applejack thought to herself before she kept reading. Still, she was going to keep a bottle of rose water at the ready, just in case.
On and on she read the pages, finding only solutions to minor problems that she had around that time of year. Eventually, she began simply scanning the pages for a brief second before turning them to find something of substance. She was about to give up, until finally, Applejack had hit pay dirt. What she had found was a perfect solution to all of the family's problems.
According to the page she was on, if one wanted to protect themselves from nearly anything, be it a monster, a spirit, a magic spell, or simply an intruder in their home, nothing worked better than common, everyday iron.
"Iron," Applejack whispered to herself. That was how that stranger escaped from the creature he met, because the antiquated coin he carried was made of iron. It was the reason she was able to fight off the two monsters at her house: the knife she used was made of iron!
When she continued reading, she found the next few passages to be instructions to properly handle iron, as it was highly dangerous to the wielder, and may cause unwanted burns to themselves or their family.
That was a bit of an oddity. Everypony she knew was around iron all the time, and she herself used tools made from it daily. She looked at the cover of the book, to find out who could think of something that strange, and discovered the author's name to be Elias Parsifal.
It was a name that Applejack had never heard before. She wondered where the pony who wrote it could have been from to have a name like that. But, it occurred to her: what if it wasn't a pony who wrote the book? Maybe it had been written by one of the monsters she was trying to defend herself against!
She recalled how Apple Bloom said she had gotten them for Nightmare Night, but she never questioned who or where she had gotten them. The idea that Apple Bloom was borrowing these from some dark monster chilled her. Something was seriously going to have to be done about her sister consorting with demons like them, and she would begin first thing in the morning. However, her sister was now closer than she knew.
With nary a sound, Apple Bloom had sneaked out of her room with Winona, and were now making their way to the kitchen as quietly as they could.
Keeping low and always to the shadows, the two crept down the stairs, avoiding every spot that Apple Bloom knew squeaked when she stepped on it. Slowly, they descended with an eye ever turned to Applejack, who had only to turn her head to discover them.
As Apple Bloom crept, she felt as if the stairs had suddenly grown longer, like they were consciously trying to impede her progress to the kitchen and allow her to be caught by her sister.
She bit her lip as she watched Applejack shift slightly in her seat. Then, she felt Winona's muzzle placed under her leg before she could place her hoof on the next step.
Looking down, Apple Bloom saw that she was about to step on a part of the stairs that wasn't properly nailed down, and would have created a horrible creaking noise if she had applied the slightest pressure in that spot. She would have thanked Winona, if not for the objective to stay quiet, and finally made it to the bottom of the stairs to the open downstairs area.
There was an outcropping of wall at the bottom of stairs that was able to hide the two prowlers. Applejack wouldn't be able to see them where they were now, but as soon as they went into the kitchen they would be back in Applejack's range of vision, and ran the risk of being caught once more.
With a quiet breath, Apple Bloom and Winona both crawled across the floor, gliding like a pair of errant shadows run free from what was casting them.
In the kitchen was the objective of their mission. The pie that Apple Bloom had made earlier was resting atop the counter, ready to be placed on the front porch for any of her nighttime friends to enjoy.
She was only just tall enough to peer over the edge of the counter, but she could see that the pie was well within her reach, and she wouldn't need to create any more noise by grabbing a stool.
Slowly, she reached her hooves over the edge of the counter and slid the pie toward herself, while Winona kept an eye on Applejack. The dog nudged Apple Bloom with her nose, cuing her to duck behind the counter as Applejack cracked her neck, turning it toward the kitchen as she did so.
Winona peeked out from around the counter, and saw that Applejack was once again absorbed in her book. She then nudged Apple Bloom back to a standing position to retrieve the pie.
It was close enough now for Apple Bloom to grab in her teeth, which she did so, and placed it on her back, before running back to the outcropping of wall where they could hide. Now, there was one last obstacle to pass.
In order to get to the front door, they would have to pass by Applejack and hope that she somehow wouldn't notice them. Apple Bloom peered around from the wall that hid her, and saw how Applejack was engrossed in her book. She thought that maybe if she went really fast and really quietly, she wouldn't be noticed. But, knowing her dumb luck, she would likely trip on something in the process. Still, it was a risk worth running.
She backed away from the edge of the wall, and psyched herself up for the mad dash she was about to make.
"Yer supposed to be in yer room," Applejack said, without even looking in her sister's direction.
Apple Bloom's heart raced as she shrank into the corner at the bottom of the stairs. She had spent so much time making that pie, and wanted her friends to have it. Anything that special had to be enjoyed. Now, of all the luck, her sister was going to prevent that.
Seeing her filly so distressed made Winona decide that she should do something about it, and walked ahead of the filly, and peered around the corner.
"Hey there, girl," Applejack greeted her dog. "Keepin' that troublemaker where she belongs?"
Now that she was taken away from her book, she became aware of the late hour, picked up her lantern, and decided to call it a night.
As she walked to the doorway, Apple Bloom's nerves sparked all at once, as the dread of being caught took a hold of her. Little did she know, Winona already had a plan to take care of everything.
The dog rushed ahead of Apple Bloom to the stairs, and folded her ears back as she flickered her tail.
Applejack recognized that look as the one she made when something was wrong. Sensing for certain that her sister was out of her room, Applejack burst into the hallway, unwary of anything else besides her objective.
Apple Bloom crouched low into the shadows as her sister ran past her, the dim light of her lantern barely illuminating her in her hiding spot. Seeing that Winona was luring Applejack upstairs, she took the window of opportunity to complete her own objective and put the pie on the front porch.
Once she was upstairs, Applejack had the worst feeling that she was going to find her sister's bed empty again, only to see her dog run past Apple Bloom's door to her own. In turn, Winona was able to make Applejack rush past her sister's door without realizing that it was open a crack.
When she arrived in her room, she found that the window was wide open, letting in a chill breeze that nipped her face. "Thanks fer showin' me this, Winona," Applejack thanked her dog as she shut the window.
During her reading, she learned that an open window at night was the worst thing one could do when they were trying to prevent evil spirits and creatures from wandering inside. Now, if there were any in the house, she was sure that Winona would be able to alert her. Since that was taken care of, she decided that she had better check on her sister, just in case.
Quietly, she went to Apple Bloom's door, and cracked it open. Inside, she saw her sister sleeping quietly in her bed. With a slow breath, the filly turned her back to Applejack, hiding the sly smile she had from getting away with breaking the rules.
Applejack was satisfied with how things were, and closed the door after Winona ran inside and hopped on Apple Bloom's bed.
"Mission accomplished, girl," Apple Bloom whispered as she scratched her dog's ears. She quietly got out of bed, and looked out her window to try and get a good view of any nighttime visitors that may come to take the pie.
"I know they're out there, Winona," Apple Bloom said as her dog took her place next to the window. "It's just a matter o' time 'til they come here fer their pie. But, I wish we were out there with 'em..."
Hearing how Apple Bloom sighed made Winona's ears droop. Of anyone living in the house, she was the only one who understood Apple Bloom's feelings of the dark world. She was the only one that the filly had spoken openly about her new friends, or the world she had visited, and saw the spark in her eyes whenever she did. Though it hurt her that she couldn't say anything back, she allowed Apple Bloom the pleasure of talking about it to her heart's content to the one creature who would listen, as a good dog should.
A glimmer of light caught the filly's eye. Looking to its source, she found her gaze drawn to the moon in the sky.
As she looked at the moon, she realized that she didn't think once about Princess Luna. Her mind went immediately to the blood red moon of the dark world, and its ever changing, amorphous surface. 
To her, the shapes that appeared to her on the dark moon were far more meaningful than the alicorn silhouette she saw now. Even though it was ever changing, the swirling shapes to her seemed to have taken the shapes of the ponies she held dear. Specifically, her family. As much as she appreciated the lunar princess for everything she did, she would never be as precious to her as Applejack, or Granny.
Deep in her thoughts, she barely noticed when the clouds passed over the moon, hiding it from view. But with the glow of the moon gone, a new light shone.
Once more, in the Everfree Forest, Apple Bloom saw lights dimming and fading in the very same spot she had seen them before. "The Wicker Man," she thought to herself, dreading the idea of the monster coming back to the property to finish her off.
The filly's eyes locked on the light, hoping it would stay in the forest where it couldn't get anypony. But, the longer she looked, the more she felt she may have been mistaken about its source.
The lights of The Wicker Man moved as its glowing body did, and remained lit, unless it was feeding. These lights remained in one singular area, and dimmed and brightened, lending to the idea that it may have been something else entirely. Still, Apple Bloom didn't feel any desire to go and investigate, though the idea they may be benign had settled firmly in her mind.
A gust of wind rustled the leaves below, and blew past the filly's face. "Apple Blooooooom..." she swore she heard the wind beckon as it blew past her.
This was an all too familiar call to her. Somewhere, out there in the dark forest, a witch was calling her to her side. Somewhere, there was the answer to her curiosities.
Winona watched ponderously as Apple Bloom fashioned a rope from her sheets and tossed it out her window to the ground below.
Her mind made up, Apple Bloom began climbing down. Tonight, she was going to find out what made those eerie lights.
Walking through the house would make too much noise, and likely alert Applejack. Rather than risk the long journey to the door, the filly chose the shorter, quieter, albeit more difficult route.
She began to slowly descend down to the ground, but looked up when she felt the rope above her jerk, and saw that Winona had somehow managed to clutch the blanket in her paws and teeth to slowly start climbing down.
They both moved slowly at first, until Winona started to slip.
"Hang on, girl," Apple Bloom whispered, "It's just a little further to the ground."
With a whimper, Winona slid down the makeshift rope, and her weight pushed Apple Bloom down to the ground.
"Okay, let's go," Apple Bloom said, undeterred by the setback.
She had no light to carry, and the moon was hidden above. The only thing that kept her from getting lost was that she memorized the layout of the apple orchard.
At the edge of the woods, she hesitated to enter. Without a light, she would be at the mercy of the nocturnal predators within the trees. But she couldn't stop here. She had to know what was making those lights. Far in the distance, she could barely see the lights through the trees, but they strengthened her resolve to see through her decision.
She exchanged a look with her dog, and steeled herself for what was to come.
Without even a thought, or a breath, they walked into the forest, and disappeared into the shadows.
> Chapter 16: The Witching Hour
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 16

The Witching Hour


There was no turning back now. Once she had walked for what seemed only a few steps, Apple Bloom looked behind herself to find the forest had somehow closed behind her, as if drawn shut by the darkness.
Winona whimpered in the shadows, wishing that she had stayed at home, safe in her bed. But, she knew that she couldn't, because then who would look after Apple Bloom. Keeping to her responsibility as a loyal dog, she remained by her filly's side until they were both out of any danger.
Keeping on the trail of the lights was easy enough. They never moved, and could be easily seen in the distance through the trees. As the two travelers grew closer, they began to hear a noise. Not the music she heard before, but some mix of several noises. Growls, hisses, moans and screeches came from the direction of the lights, making them hesitate going further.
Somewhere to the side a twig snapped, and the filly and dog turned to see the large shape of a furry, timber wolf-like creature walking toward her. "Bruce," Apple Bloom asked the shadow, glad that she now had a large, protective companion to accompany her. A glint of red appeared from the eyes of the silhouette, instead of the usual yellow. Winona whimpered as she saw that wasn't all that was different about it.
In the darkness, neither could make out the exact shape of the creature. Only that it was smaller than Bruce, and had shaggy, pitch black fur. The werewolf then reared up on two legs, and howled at the sky.
What followed was a rustling in the bushes, and the first werewolf was joined by another. The new one was larger than Bruce, and covered in what looked like short, reddish fur, with shining green eyes. It too approached Apple Bloom and Winona with predatory intent.
After them came another. And then another, until they were faced with a whole pack of the beasts in all shapes and sizes. Winona tried to bark at them to scare them away, but was unsuccessful in her endeavor. Not one of them was intimidated by her small stature or whimpering bark.
Apple Bloom knew that she shouldn't have gone into the forest at night again, and now she was going to meet her end there without ever learning the answers to her questions.
Once the werewolves had their quarry properly surrounded, they parted as if to allow Apple Bloom and Winona to walk free. Instead, another large shadow entered through the opening.
Cringing in the darkness, Apple Bloom couldn't see the creature looming over her. The figure dropped to all fours, as if to better examine the cowering filly as she fearfully as she clung to her dog. However, all of her fears subsided when Winona stood up and began licking the shadow's face.
The large shadow began licking back, and the two started circling each other as they sniffed one another's posteriors. Once the larger shadow passed by Apple Bloom, she saw a familiar glint of yellow.
Bruce finished greeting Winona and turned his attention to the other werewolves. With a low huff, all of the other animals dispersed into the woods, as if given some urgent order to attend to.
The filly clambered to her hooves, and quickly darted to Bruce's side. She felt Bruce lower himself to the ground, and in the darkness she thought she could see Bruce motioning to his back with his head. Wasting no time, both Apple Bloom and Winona crawled onto his back, hoping for a quick ride out of the woods. Against every hope they had, Bruce instead took them deeper into the woods, toward the direction of the lights.
The closer they came, the more clearly they could hear the noises from before. Finally, they found the source of these terrors.
In a clearing, standing on a small hill, was Courtney, her mane flowing, stirred by the gentle breeze around her and her eyes glowing their ghostly blue color, and surrounded on all sides by threads of ominous light.
The ghastly beautiful mare was looking at the lights that were swirling around her, seemingly unafraid of what they were. As the two light-dwellers watched the spectacle, they could see that each one of them took a more detailed, more corporeal form for only a second before they reverted to their misty state.
The forms each light took was different from the one before it, and more frightening than anything Apple Bloom had seen so far. Each one of the creatures was something she had never seen in any book that Twilight owned, or any that she borrowed from the witch. The creatures all had faces that looked like mixes of different animals. One particularly horrible one had a beastly face with a mouth full of fangs that jutted forward. Its clawed hands reached for Courtney, who didn't budge an inch at the sight. The thing let out a quiet growl just as Apple Bloom became aware of Bruce shifting his weight.
Slowly, she and Winona slid off his back to the ground, as the werewolf lumbered off into the woods. They watched as his silhouette disappeared into the shadows of the trees, debating if they should go with him to avoid the monstrous lights. Then again, Courtney was nearer, and she could just as easily protect them from any monsters, despite being surrounded by them.
It mad her wonder what about the witch made them not come after her? She had to know, and fighting every instinct she had to run home, she slowly stepped closer to the mare on the hill, with Winona following closely behind her.
As she came closer, she had to pass through the threads of light. One that passed by her face changed to reveal its form as a chain-clad, hollow-eyed thing with a jaw that opened down to its chest. It let out a quiet moan as it looked at Apple Bloom, making her and Winona hasten their pace to Courtney's side.
When they reached the older mare, Courtney made no indication that she knew anypony was there. She continued to stare at the creatures with her ghostly eyes. She did little to let on that they were out of harm's way, but with her, Apple Bloom felt safe.
The filly's eyes darted between each of the creatures, sometimes catching one as it lit up and revealed its form. "What are they," Apple Bloom fearfully whispered, afraid that if she made any noise, the things would come and get her.
"They're dark spirits, Apple Bloom," Courtney answered without turning her head, or even shifting her gaze, "Beings that dwell in the dark places of the world. They're not often seen, but you may have encountered one before and never knew it."
Courtney turned to look at the filly, and saw fear growing in her eyes.
"Have you ever gone into your cellar, or your attic and felt a feeling growing in the back of your mind as though something is about to reach out and grab you?"
Apple Bloom only nodded, the fact that she remained silent was testament to the fact that Courtney was failing to ease her fear.
"That's the dark spirits trying to talk to you."
"They can talk," Apple Bloom wondered, as she watched the creatures float around her, "Why don't they say anything?"
"They speak in a language that isn't entirely clear to most others. You see, they speak more through their emotions than anything else," Courtney explained.
To Apple Bloom, it sounded like what Fluttershy once told her about the language of animals. But these things didn't seem to have any readable body language or make any noises besides the quiet moans, growls and hisses.
"Aren't you afraid of 'em," Apple Bloom asked as she looked at the beastly one come into being once more. She had felt their presence before, but if she ever saw one, she would have run away screaming. She saw Courtney shake her head before she looked back at the beastly spirit before them.
"No. I see no reason to add to their troubles when they're already so sad," she answered.
Winona huddled slightly closer to her filly, as one of the creatures came too close for her comfort.
Apple Bloom watched as the spirits swirled around them, and she saw something she never noticed before. Their faces, and the sounds they made were all laced with a quiet sorrow. Seeing them in this light helped her fear to subside, but she still wasn't keen to walk up to one and introduce herself.
"What're they sad about," she asked, never knowing before that anything so scary could actually be sad about something.
"They are beings of pure darkness who cannot abide the light. Despite that the light hurts them so, they long for it, and the happiness that it brings," Courtney answered before she looked up, "Watch the moon."
Apple Bloom did as she was instructed and looked up to see the clouds above parting to reveal the moon, bathing the clearing in its light. As the light came, all of the spirits subsided back to the darkness under the cover of the trees, and Courtney's eyes ceased to glow. Seeing that her eyes were no longer illuminated with their ghostly light took some of the edge away when Courtney turned to face the filly.
"Do you know how a dark spirit is born?" Courtney asked
Apple Bloom shook her head, 'no.'
"They're born from strong feelings of sadness and loss. You may be responsible for some of them existing, if you've ever felt strongly enough about something."
Apple Bloom couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She thought back to the days when she was picked on for not having her cutie mark, and how bad she felt for letting all the bullying get to her. The thought that she may be the one responsible for making something that was always sad was a terrible thing to shoulder, and made her feel like she could make another one for the grief she felt.
She felt two things in that moment. One was Winona licking her hoof, and the other was Courtney's hoof touching her shoulder, and she looked up to the gently smiling face of the witch.
"I know. I felt the same way when I learned how they were born. The truth is that everyone makes at least one in their life. But if you feel so bad for them, you should take the time to be with them and alleviate their sadness. All they want is a little bit of light in their lives, if only from the idea of what if may be like."
This did help Apple Bloom to feel better as she saw the spirits come back into the clearing while the moonlight faded behind another cloud. Before the light completely faded, she noticed Bruce lumbering towards them on all fours. He laid down in the grass next to Courtney and joined them in watching the spirits as they drifted around.
Nopony said anything more after that, and for the next several minutes, Apple Bloom stayed with Courtney to try and ease the suffering and sorrow of the spirits.
As time went by, the filly thought she could feel something change in the spirits. She didn't know if she had helped them at all, but whatever it was, something about them was different than what she felt before. Something that made her feel unafraid. If she had to explain it, she may have thought that she was passing into the darkness around herself and gaining a greater understanding of what it was to be one of them. Soon, she began to feel drowsy and leaned against the leg of the older mare before she closed her eyes.
Courtney looked down at the sleepy filly, and decided that it was time for her night to end. "Bruce, take Apple Bloom and her friend home, please."
Bruce nodded and stood back up on all fours as Courtney picked up Apple Bloom with her magic and placed her on the werewolf's back, while Winona simply crawled on as she did before. Apple Bloom held tight to her furry mount, and laid down for the ride home.
But, once again, a strange kind of whimsy occurred to Courtney. Apple Bloom seemed to have enjoyed herself near the end, so what would happen if she were allowed more understandings of what happened as The Hallow neared.
"Second thought: take them around the forest for a little bit, then take them home." Courtney then got close to the werewolf's ear, and whispered so that only he could hear her, "And be on the lookout for the 'you-know-what."
And with a nod of his head, Bruce ran off into the forest.
Apple Bloom looked behind her, and saw Courtney growing smaller and smaller as she rode away on the back of the beast. She could see the witch's eyes watching her through the darkness, while the rest of her became a shadow that disappeared into the night, and the spirits continued their sorrowful wandering. As Bruce ran, Apple Bloom saw a thread of light pass above them and drift to Courtney's direction, another lost spirit finding its light.
With a grunt, Bruce's body tensed, making Apple Bloom tightly grip his fur as she suddenly felt the ground below them disappear. Looking down, she saw a river only a few feet below them, and in the water, she could see dark shapes moving, unlike any creature she ever knew.
Bruce continued to run through the woods, and looking around herself, Winona could see that they were now followed by a werewolf on either side of them.
The next thing either of them knew, Bruce was climbing some rocky structure, making them both hold tight as he ascended. Soon, they found themselves overlooking a cliff, where they could see a vast expanse of the forest before them. Bruce howled loudly, and a whole choir of howls responded. The werewolf looked in all directions the howls were coming from, until his eyes fixed on a distant light.
Somewhere in the distance, at the far side of a vast lake, was a tiny dot of light that neither Apple Bloom or Winona noticed suddenly grew brighter, until it dimmed again. Bruce had no questions about what made it, and began running full speed in the opposite direction of it, after making a note of its location to report to Courtney.
Onward Bruce ran, while Apple Bloom looked ahead, and saw them coming toward another ominous light in the woods. Closer still, and it was discovered to be a bonfire.
Though they only passed by a short time, Apple Bloom could see there were no ponies, or any dark kin. Rather, there were three birds gathering brush to throw on the flames. One, a crow who sat proudly on a rock after it had placed the largest piece of brush out of the three.
Another, a wizened old owl, who when it was finished looked in Apple Bloom's direction, its gaze piercing the youth of the filly.
The third, a dove of purest white, like a beam of light in a dark room. It flew alongside Apple Bloom, conveying its serenity to her with its kind, gentle face.
As quick as it came, the bird flew back to the bonfire, and watched the three travelers with the others, as Apple Bloom and Winona saw hooded figures came from the shadows beyond the flames and begin dancing around the fire. It almost seemed like they were celebrating something, but neither knew what.
Before anything more was seen, it was concealed by the trees as Bruce ran further away.
He ran further across the land, until he stopped to sniff the air. After a bit of sniffing, his head turned to one direction, as if he had found something that he was searching for.
The two passengers had to hold tight as Bruce quickly jerked his body in the new direction, wondering where he was taking them now.
There was another light in the forest, though it was much smaller than the one before. Once Bruce saw it, he quickened his speed to its location. When they arrived, there was a sight that awed Apple Bloom and Winona.
Sitting in a small cave by the light of the flame was another werewolf, though it was different than Bruce. It was shorter, and brown in color, but what stood out the most was that it was clothed as if it was like the other dark kin. However, its clothes were even more old-fashioned than those, consisting of a long robe with a simple sash around its waist. On its face, it wore a pair of half-moon spectacles.
Behind it, Apple Bloom could see a vast collection foods, as if it had been preparing for some gathering. Currently, it was eating the last piece of a loaf of bread, while animals from both the worlds of light and dark arrived with scraps of food to deliver for the cache, while they each took an identical loaf of some kind of bread once they had, and darted into the woods in all directions.
One, a creature that looked like a pitch black trickle of liquid with red eyes (though it may have been some kind of snake), arrived with a plate with a wedge of pie on its back. A closer look, and Apple Bloom could see that it was apple pie, and the top crust was decorated with the shapes of tiny flowers that had been sliced into it.
The werewolf observed the slice of pie that it had been given, and observed it thoughtfully as if appraising it. It sniffed the pie before it looked up in Apple Bloom's direction, making the filly flinch slightly.
From where she was, Apple Bloom thought she could see a small smile cross the werewolf's face, before it took a small loaf of bread from one of the departing animals and slowly stood up.
The filly thought that it must be quite elderly the way it wobbled as it rose. This was further indicated the way it picked up a long, gnarled walking stick before it started hobbling toward her.
Once it was close enough, it offered her the bread it held. In the light of the fire, Apple Bloom could see that it was baked with all manner of fruits in it: pears, blueberries, cherries, but mostly apples were visible in its surface. In the very center of the top, she could see something else that one didn't normally find in loaves like that: a gold ring.
Though curious as to why she was being given this strange loaf, she readily took it, not about to refute such a kind, harmless gesture. Once she retrieved it, she found that it smelled sweet, and had a spongy texture like cake. Whatever it was, she had a feeling she and her family were going to enjoy it. Until then, she gave it to Winona to hold for her.
The elderly werewolf reached out a hand, and scratched Winona behind her ears. Then, it opened its mouth and spoke to her in a low voice.
Whether it was only animal growls, or if it was actually speaking, Apple Bloom couldn't hear. Whatever it had said, Winona answered by perking her ears and wagging her tail. With a wave of its hand, it began to hobble back to its fire while Bruce ran off further into the darkness.
It had all been so wonderful for Apple Bloom. The things she had seen were nothing she would ever learn in school, or from any book. It had been the most enlightening experience for her ever since she visited Macabria. But, it was not over yet.
When they reached a small hilltop in a hollow, Bruce stopped, and huffed as he looked up. Apple Bloom looked to where he was looking, but saw nothing in the darkness.
After a few seconds, Apple Bloom gradually became aware that they were not alone on that hill. Near the tree branches, floating in the air above them was a pitch black figure, though no details could be seen of it in the darkness.
All around it, Apple Bloom could see leaves withering and flowers closing. The very warmth of the air began to drain, until a bitter cold struck them all. The creature above began to fly all around the hollow, spreading the decay of nature that came with the change of the seasons.
Soon, it stopped, and Apple Bloom felt as if it were looking right back at her. The filly felt as if she were looking straight back at the very embodiment of Nightmare Night. A terrifying, warm, gentle, mysterious, ever-changing being that ushered in the changes that came that time of year. With one last look, the figure quickly flew away from them, altering the world around it for the change that was to come.
Bruce felt that his friends had seen enough. He was about to take them both home, until something caught his eye.
A small ball of light passed by him, recognizing it as a fool's fire, and he was about to leave it be, until it was followed by another, and then another.
Seeing one fool's fire was nothing, so long as a person avoided them. Two in the same place was unusual. But three? Something was going on. Something that he knew his friends would never forget if they saw it.
Apple Bloom felt a twinge of fear when she realized that Bruce was following the ghost lights. After what happened to her classmate, she would have avoided them for the rest of her life. But atop Bruce's back, she had no choice but to follow them.
As they traveled through the woods, more fool's fires began to appear, all going to the same place as the ones they were following. Finally, they arrived in a large clearing of the woods, illuminated by the ghoulish lights above them.
Silently, they all sat in the clearing. Bruce shifted his body so that Apple Bloom and Winona could safely slide off of his back to the ground. Once they were off, Bruce laid down and waited.
The filly and dog took in their surroundings, seeing nothing particular of note. But then they heard something.
Far off in the distance, Apple Bloom heard the phantom music from before, and her wonder turned to fear. Despite her knowledge of the dark world, she knew that whatever made that music was unnatural and otherworldly, even by their standards.
The only escape was to run into the woods where the creatures lurked, so instead, she and Winona huddled close to Bruce's chest as the music steadily grew louder. In the protective arms of the werewolf, she felt safer, but the music was still sounding. Soon, it became loud enough that she could make out the tune of it.
No longer was the music the eerie, ambient tune she heard all those times before. It suddenly had a merrier, more lively beat to it, like an Apple Family Hoedown. Above, the fool's fires danced around one another in rhythm with the music, and what happened next stopped Apple Bloom's breath.
They didn't walk, fly, or even crawl from the ground, but arrived in a more unnatural fashion. All around, ponies faded into existence. As they appeared, they danced jovially, as though they had been there the whole time, unseen.
The ponies were unremarkable, other than the fact that Apple Bloom could see right through them. What was more astonishing was that she recognized a few of them as ponies she knew from around town. There was old Mrs. Rosebud, the florist who passed away last year. And the landscape painter who met an untimely end when he didn't listen when Applejack told him not to stand in the orchard during zap apple season.
At the edge of the clearing, giant casks of whiskey appeared from nothingness, along with patrons with full mugs in their hooves. They drank and fought with one another in a jolly fashion, relishing the celebration, whatever it was.
At another edge, a band of musicians appeared. For being dead, their performance was very lively. One took his drum in hand and danced a jig, which was followed by the fiddler and the piper. There were other instruments played, but Apple Bloom didn't recognize them, though she thoroughly enjoyed the music they made.
Bruce let out a small groan, almost sounding like he was humming quietly along with the tune, as if it was something he knew from his home. Looking up, Winona swore she could see his head bobbing with the beat. Seeing that filled her with glee, and made her want to get up and join the fun, if not for having as much fun by simply watching.
Apple Bloom watched the ghostly performance, almost wanting to join them in their fun. After a few minutes of watching, she saw two avian creatures arrive by the casks of whiskey. One of them she knew was Twilight's pet, Owloysius. The other one was like an owl, but unlike any animal she knew. Regardless of what it was, the owl trusted it, and went about enjoying drinks with his companion.
The larger bird held its mug in talons that were on the end of its wings, while Owloysius dunked his entire head into his mug. In less then a second, the little bird sucked down nearly the entire drink, letting out a small hiccup when he was done. Once the larger bird was finished, they both refilled their mugs and drank heavily once more.
As suddenly as it started, the music stopped, and changed its tune. A new instrument was played, which looked like a harp that was laid down flat, and played by drumming the strings with a pair of small, metal hammers. It was followed by an unusual set of pipes and the drum. And with the change in music, the style of dance changed as well. Now it was much more organized than before, and the ghosts all paired up with partners similar to a ballroom dance, but still with the liveliness of the hootenanny before. But in the crowd, there was one ghost who was without a partner.
Among the phantom dancers was a red pegasus colt around the age of Apple Bloom, who looked around for a partner, and froze when he saw the filly.
The two foals locked eyes, and Apple Bloom left Bruce's protective embrace to better examine the colt.
The ghostly colt may have had the same idea, since he drifted through the crowd and came to a stop right in front of her. There was no mistaking it now. She was standing face to face with the ghost of Red Sky.
She wanted to say something to him. Something that would be comforting to him now that he had passed away from the world of the living, but as it was before, no words came to her. As she remained silent, Red Sky continued to look at her the way that he had always done before, only this time Apple Bloom felt comforted, knowing that even in death he hadn't changed a bit.
The ghostly foal stepped closer to Apple Bloom, now only inches away from her. The filly's stomach churned at the fact that he was so close to her now and took a small step back.
Doing so made Red Sky's face change to a small, disappointed frown, and made him avert his eyes and scuff his hoof on the ground the very same way he did the last time Apple Bloom saw him alive.
It made the filly sad to see him that way, but why, she didn't know. Even still, she wanted to do something to make him feel better.
She heard a whimper to her side, and found Winona, still holding the cake she was given in her teeth. The dog placed it on the ground, revealing the gift that was left in the top of it.
Taking her dog's advice, Apple Bloom removed the gold ring from the loaf and took a step closer to Red Sky. His eyes were still to the ground, so he didn't see when Apple Bloom took his hoof and placed the ring on it.
The colt looked wide-eyed at the ring, then at Apple Bloom, who still held his hoof. A bright smile spread across his face, before he took to the air, flying loops around Apple Bloom, making her giggle gleefully at his aerial antics.
Bruce and Winona watched what was unfolding before them. They both knew that Apple Bloom was too young to understand what was happening that very second, but with a sly smile and an exchanged glance between them, they knew that she would figure it out one day when she was older.
After a few seconds, Red Sky landed back in front of her and stared at Apple Bloom again.
This time, the filly could see something different in his eyes. Something bold and determined that wasn't there before, and even though Apple Bloom didn't recognize what it was, she liked it more than his usual timid gaze. Then he suddenly moved forward.
It took Apple Bloom completely by surprise when it happened. She saw Red Sky's face rapidly come toward her's, his eyes close, and then she felt something cold and misty touch her lips.
As quickly as he came, Red Sky backed away, leaving Apple Bloom feeling a strange mix of surprise, fear and delight.
As she stared at him, Apple Bloom felt her body grow hot, and her heart race like a whole group of ponies were galloping in her chest. She didn't understand at all why she felt that way, or even what it was. It made her confused and afraid, but at the same time, somewhere in the back of her mind, she enjoyed it.
Red Sky backed away from Apple Bloom as suddenly as he had approached her. With a giggle, he drifted back into the crowd of dancers and disappeared among them.
As he faded, Apple Bloom watched him to the very last until he had gone from sight. Now, despite the joviality around her, the filly's heart grew heavy. She wondered what could have been between them had they been able to spend more time together. For many years, she had heard stories about ponies who were once friends, then spent the rest of their lives together. It was like something out of one of Courtney's romance books that she skimmed through when she was in the witch's library.
But, it would never be now. What happened just then, though, gave her something of an idea, which made her smile slightly.
All around, the festivities became more lively once more. The music became more upbeat, and the dance became more disorganized.
The two birds who were present put down their drinks, and began dancing as well, hopping on one foot, then hopping on the other. Then they took to the air and circled over the gathering. It would have been a graceful sight, had they not kept drunkenly bumping into one another.
After she retrieved the cake, Winona nudged Apple Bloom's leg and guided her filly back to Bruce.
The werewolf allowed his two passengers to climb on his back, and returned to the dark woods.
Once he had run very far, though it seemed only a short time to Apple Bloom, he arrived at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. It was then that she began to feel very tired once again. The thrills of her journey had worn off, and she was now ready to sleep.
They passed through the orchard, and when they arrived at the house, Apple Bloom could see the strange trees from before were now as large as the apple trees around it, and even bearing unripe fruits. Were she more alert, she would have been delighted to see they were the same fruits she so enjoyed back in the asylum in the dark world, but it would be a pleasure she would have for later.
Bruce left both Apple Bloom and Winona on the front porch. Apple Bloom was much too tired to do anything, so much as go inside, and began drifting to sleep right on the front porch.
A sudden chill in the air made Winona huddle closer to her to keep her filly warm, as the leaves on the nearby trees began to change colors.
Seeing they were safe made Bruce decide he could leave them. Looking down, he found another pie that was left out on the porch, though it already had a slice taken out of it. This was a pie he could tell was made with care, and decided that he would share it with his friends. He picked up the pie, tin and all, and disappeared back into the shadows.
All around Apple Bloom, shadows extended as if to reach out and swallow her, and the creatures within to approach her without fear. But, things would be different for the filly this time.
Under the chill protection of the darkness, Apple Bloom finally slept peacefully for the first time in several nights, undisturbed by nightmares or the anguish of the waking world. Tonight, she had delved into darkness and embraced it. She had devoured it whole, and allowed it in turn to consume and surround her, and like the old stallion in Granny's story, she had only to next become one with it, though she knew the ending to that story was wrong.
She would make her own ending. A better ending. One that would align with the truth of the darkness.
> Chapter 17: What's to Come
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 17

What's to Come


A shadow drifted through the deepest part of the Everfree Forest, its glowing blue eyes piercing the darkness for its quarry. She knew it was out there. Bruce had reported seeing The Wicker Man in that area when he took Apple Bloom and Winona for their ride through the woods.
The shadow drifted along the shoreline of the lake, always keeping an eye on any potential hiding spots. Not that it could hide very well with its great size and glowing body, but there was definitely the chance it could find some way to ambush her somehow.
All around was the evidence of the creatures presence. Singed wicker straws, scorched plants and landscape, and the lingering stench of sulfur. Then something caught the eye of the shadow.
On a small tombolo that jutted into the lake, there was a charred mass of something lying there.
The closer she came, the less she could recognize it. It may have been some kind of animal, but then again, it may have not been. She dreaded the thought that some pony may have wandered their way into the woods to be devoured by The Wicker Man, but there was no mistaking the equine face and the four hooves.
It was a heartbreaking find for the shadow. Whoever this pony was, it was a certainty their family would be destroyed by the loss of a loved one.
She tried not to think that it was someone that she knew. The corpse was far too large to be any fillies she knew, and the absence of wings or a horn didn't make her think it was related to Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo. The thought crossed her mind that it may have been Apple Bloom's sister, but then again, as a farmer, she would likely be asleep by this hour to begin the day's labor as early as possible.
Speaking of, the hour was growing early, and the sun would be up in a matter of minutes. No less than half an hour at least. In a burst of darkness, the shadow scattered to pieces and merged with the various shadows around it.



"The bad news keeps coming, Bruce," Courtney sighed once she was done channeling her shadow. "The Wicker Man's killed again."
"Ooo?"
"No. It was nobody that we know. But, whoever it was, we can offer no solace to their family. We can only hope the family of the departed finds some way to cope with their loss..."
Bruce could see tears welling up in Courtney's eyes. The witch rarely spoke of her father, for she very often ended up crying when she mentioned him. It was likely that she was now thinking of her beloved father, for her empathy with the family of the deceased. Bruce knew that he could never make that kind of hurt go away, but did what he could for Courtney.
The werewolf rubbed the top of his head against Courtney's shoulder before he rolled onto his back and exposed his belly. In no time at all, Courtney started smiling after she began rubbing his stomach with her hoof. He never knew what she liked so much about belly rubs, but he liked how it tickled, and it never failed to make Courtney happy.
"The Hallow is already upon us," Courtney said once she stopped her session of belly rubs. "We should go home and rest for a few hours before we hunt again. And this time, we must find The Wicker Man."
There was no more time for the witch. It would take all of her energy and magical skills to save Equestria from disaster. Stepping out from the shadow of the tree she was under, she began walking to her next destination.
From where she was, it wasn't all that far to Fluttershy's cottage. Less than a mile, actually. In no time at all, Bruce and Courtney found themselves back in front of the small dwelling, noticing the same changes as Molly had before.
"It's awfully quiet here," Courtney noted to herself. In the back of her mind, she may have thought The Wicker Man had come by there, but there was no evidence that it had. Not even the scent of sulfur was in the air.
Going closer to the house, the witch and the werewolf could hear some kind of noise coming from the front door, like some kind of happy chatter going on. Glad that it at least sounded like her friend was having a pleasant time.
Silently, she opened the door and peered inside to see six mares and two fillies with their backs turned to the door as they watched a leafy, green showmare strut her stuff for the audience. Seeing that all was well, she let herself inside, staying behind everyone else, while Bruce only poked his head in the open door.
"It's all only a basic routine, but it does drive audiences wild when you implement it properly," Molly explained as she finished up her dance moves.
"But, isn't it a bit...risque. What about the foals watching," Rarity asked after she thought of the proper word to use.
Courtney rolled her eyes at the unicorn's puritan sensibilities.
"But, all foals have to learn about that kind of thing at some point, don't they," Sweetie Belle asked. "If they didn't, don't you think they'd all end up as melodramatic as you?"
Everyone else in the room laughed heartily at Sweetie's observation, though Courtney tried to stifle her laughter, not yet ready to reveal herself to the crowd.
Rarity herself was flustered by both her friend's reactions and her sister's surprisingly mature statement. "Yes. I suppose so. But, not when they're so young."
"I'm not so sure of that," Molly said as she continued another basic dance routine, though it was much less racy than her first, yet still suggestive. "I learned when I was around Sweetie's age, and I feel that I turned out rather well adjusted." The leafy mare's performance became gradually more suggestive as she spoke, prompting Rainbow Dash and Rarity to cover their foal's eyes.
From the back, Courtney saw how her friend was showing off for the crowd. After all their time together, Courtney knew her role as the second half of the act was to add a special visual flair to the main show. That in mind, she decided to lend her talents to Molly's performance.
It began when Molly started to glow, then she was enveloped in flames that took the shape of the fiery ensemble Courtney had donned earlier. Only this time, it took a form more suited to Molly's revealing tastes.
With a final spin that created a flourish of sparks and embers, Molly showed off her performing prowess by striking a pose that showed off every endowment her body had.
Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, the audience all started clopping their hooves on the floor while Molly did a curtsy before her clothes fluttered off her body and fizzled out.
"That was breathtaking," Fluttershy exhaled as a smile crawled across her face.
"It was the greatest thing ever," Pinkie shouted, now able to stand, but not without a minor head rush.
Rainbow Dash slowly stopped clopping her hooves and began staring objectively at the guest of honor.
"You're thinking of ways you can show her up, aren't you," Scootaloo asked.
"I know I can do it without looking so frilly. But, how do I get hips like that?"
"It looks like drinking blood works," Sweetie Belle suggested, making Dash and Scootaloo both groan quietly.
Normally, Rarity would reprimand her sister for such a vulgar suggestion, but her mind was elsewhere at the moment. Ever since Nightmare Night came near, she had been struggling with what costume she wanted to wear, but now she had seen the inspiration she required. Somehow, someway, she was going to replicate Molly's dress and become the queen of Nightmare Night. All she had to do was find a way to safely ignite the dress without burning herself.
"You really know how to put on a show," Twilight complimented, before she magically retrieved some parchment and a quill. "Could you tell me more about that magic while I take notes? For scientific purposes, of course."
"You'll have to ask my performing partner about that," Molly said as she pointed to the back of the room.
Everypony looked, and the adults were shocked by the sight of a blue-eyed shadow and a monster that filled the doorway. The foals, however, were delighted by the familiar sight of their friends.
"Courtney," the fillies shouted as they rushed forward to hug the witch, whose eyes went wide when she was embraced.
"How odd. She usually scares children back home," Molly said to Pinkie, who started giggling with her new friend, though she wasn't quite sure what 'children' were.
Bruce groaned in the doorway, disappointed that he wasn't getting any attention from the fillies.
"Sorry, Bruce. We're happy to see you too," Sweetie Belle said as she and Scootaloo hugged his face and scratched his ears.
Once all the attention was on him, Bruce backed out of the doorway and into the yard where he could play with the fillies uninhibited. Soon after, they were joined by the green werewolf who had taken up residence in Fluttershy's house, who jumped high over Bruce's head in a playful fashion.
Everyone else had moved outside to watch as more of the animals joined the fun. From the doorway, and from the very shadows of the property, animals of light and dark frolicked with the others. Birds flitted about, rodents scurried back and forth, reptiles crawled and slithered this way and that, creating a sight that was unlike any the others had seen.
After she had slipped away from the crowd to sprinkle chalk on the ground, Courtney glanced over at Molly, who she knew was about to burst from the sight of all those animals playing with the fillies. Unfortunately, their night had to end soon. They would only be able to rest for a few hours before they returned to hunt down The Wicker Man once and for all.
As she sprinkled chalk, she stopped when she became aware of a pink light glowing next to her, finding it to be Twilight with a magically levitating quill and parchment.
"Hi. I don't know if you remember me, but we met at the library last night," she greeted the witch.
"I do remember," Courtney said as she resumed sprinkling chalk. "Twilight, yes?"
"Right. And you were..."
"Courtney."
"Oh. That's right," Twilight said, slightly embarrassed that she had forgotten the witch's unusual name. "So...Courtney?"
"Yes?"
"I can see you're busy right now, but do think you might be able to tell me a little bit about that magic you used?"
After she was done creating a perimeter for the gateway between their worlds, Courtney paused once more, unsure if she should divulge such information to a light-dweller she barely knew. Then again, she did nothing but break her mother's rules since she arrived in Equestria, so what difference would it make? "Of course. Ask away."
The way that Twilight giggled so giddily made the witch feel like she had made a mistake obliging the unicorn's request. But, she would simply have to endure it.
"So, the first thing I want to ask you about is that thing you did with those acorns. I've tried to replicate it, but I can't find any scientific basis for those components."
"And you won't. This is magic, not science."
"But, every spell I know has some connection to science. How else can ponies in your world use magic?"
There were two fundamental things wrong with what Twilight said. The first being that there were no ponies in her world. The only thing that came close were night mares. The other being this pony's idea that magic was somehow scientific. "Sorry to say, but it's not so simple a thing as studying it like some medicinal serum. It's more esoteric than that," the witch explained.
Twilight had only begun scribbling her notes when she stopped before the first word was finished. "Esoteric? How does that work," she asked. "If anypony wants to use magic around here, they need to have a firm grasp of the source and functions of magic in the world."
"That may work here, but if you don't change your mindset, you'll never be able to use witchcraft," Courtney explained as she started working on a second circle perimeter.
"Um... Okay. Can you give some kind of example how to start learning it," Twilight earnestly asked.
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you with that. If you truly want to understand witchcraft, you need to learn it on your own. You need to dedicate yourself to its study and meditate for hours on end what you've learned. Even a basic spell like the one you tried replicating takes a slight understanding of the nature of witchcraft," Courtney said, her mind then going to Apple Bloom, who had already cast such a spell.
Thinking of Apple Bloom made her wonder if the filly had already found her answer after the night's events. But, that was a longshot at best. Still, she would need to do something to encourage the filly, and sent a shadow slithering away into the night.
"Okay. Next question," Twilight said, too engrossed in what few notes she had taken to notice what had just happened. "What makes your eyes glow like that?"
"Darkness," was all Courtney said as she stepped under the shadow of a nearby tree so that her eyes illuminated.
"Uh, right," Twilight said, after slightly jumping from the sudden sight of the other mare's ghoulish eyes. "Care to elaborate on that?"
"That's it, plain and simple. In the absence of light, my eyes glow."
"Is it some kind of bioluminescence?"
"No. That would imply a chemical or biological reaction of some sort. It only happens when I'm standing in a shadow. Hence, darkness."
"But that isn't how things work," Twilight said, growing gradually more flustered as their conversation went on.
"Maybe your magic is based on science, reasoning and other rot, but mine is something that everyone must feel and experience for themselves before they ever understand it. It is not technology. It is not medicine. It's magic. Science has no part of it."
"So, how does somepony where you're from experience the first steps to understanding witchcraft," Twilight asked now ready to take some notes.
"Once more, everyone has their own way of discovering such a thing."
Twilight was about ready to put away her quill and paper.
"Or, you could do what I did."
"Which was?"
"Fast for a week, strip naked and run screaming into the moonlit forest like a dancing madwoman."
"Got it," Twilight said as she hastily reviewed her notes after writing them. "Fast for a week. Strip..." Twilight's face changed when she realized what she had written, "Strip naked and run screaming..."
"It worked for me. Who knows what it will do for you."
By then, Courtney was finished with both magic circles. It was late, and the sun would be up soon, but she still had a little energy left to put on a show for her new friends.
She put her magic to work, as a great mound rose from the middle of the first magic circle. Leaves carried by wind swirled around the mound while ghostly lights flashed like spectral lightning, and soon it reared up to reveal its form as the upper body of a massive werewolf that towered over the ponies. The beast howled loudly as if to proclaim its rule over the lycans, followed by a refrain from Bruce and Flipper.
The theatrics ended when the monstrous entity's body shrunk and morphed into a singular, disembodied werewolf head, which opened both its fierce yellow eyes and its gaping fanged maw.
The ponies all stood in awe of the sight before them, equally terrified and amazed by the sight before them. The adults all wondered what summoning that abhorrence was supposed to accomplish, but the fillies knew what it meant, and were enraptured by the idea that a gateway to the world they admired so was so close to them again.
"Alright. Any lost animals go through here," Courtney instructed, having learned from last time to have two gateways, with one leading to the wilderness beyond Macabria.
Bruce rounded up the animals, guiding them through the portal, and separating the wild ones from the domestics. However, there were no domestics this time.
From above, two more shadows flew in from above. "Owloysius," Twilight asked, recognizing the figures of her pet and the monster he left with.
The larger creature stood up and ruffled its feathers. With one last look to Owloysius, it hobbled toward the portal to return home, until next year when The Hallow neared.
"Wot 'bout you? Comin'," Bruce asked the green werewolf.
"Nah. Ah got no 'ome back theh. And this luverly little buhd-'orse's lettin' me stey long as Ah lahk," Flipper answered.
"Not a bad spot, either. Plenny o' room ta roam 'round, an' all the lupins ya can nosh."
"Bruce? Is that all of them?"
The others only heard Bruce groan, but it seemed like the witch could understand them. After seeing what happened with their new friend, their fillies playing with the animals, the horrifying magic the dark kin used, and all the other events leading up to where they were now had turned their previous beliefs on their head. Like the fillies before them, they had all clung to the stories they knew from their foalhood, which were now slowly ebbing away the more they saw.
Once all the animals left, the jaws of the shadowy werewolf head closed and the whole thing melted away. Now that her energy was spent, Courtney simply created a swirl of shadows for herself and Molly in the other circle. "Our night's over. Molly. Bruce. It's time to go home."
"But, you just got here," Scootaloo said, "Can't you stay any longer?"
"Please! I want to see you two do another show," Sweetie Belle begged.
"I'm sorry, but we can't do that," Molly explained to the fillies, which earned a raised eyebrow from Courtney. "Everyone has their home to return to at the end of the day. We have to go back to ours now, to prepare for our next visit. And I'm sure you need to go home to yours as well."
Neither filly wanted their friends to go, but they had a point. They were both beginning to feel tired, and realized that it was time for their night to end.
"Okay," Sweetie Belle conceded, "But you'll come back tomorrow night, won't you?"
"Of course we will. We still have time before our worlds separate again, and we'd never leave without saying goodbye to you," Courtney assured her, though she doubted her own words.
Courtney and Molly both hugged the fillies, firmly rooting their promise to come back to them.
Twilight had heard how the witch said their worlds would separate again, and was about to step forward to press her for more information about her magic. But then, she was pulled back by both Dash and Rarity, who didn't want their foal's moment interrupted by their nosy friend.
Bruce said his goodbyes next by licking both filly's faces, which earned him more scratching behind his ears. But soon, he left to the portal between worlds.
With one last look to their new friends, the two dark kin allowed the fillies to go back to their families and left for the portal next.
"We can't stay in Macabria long," Molly said to Courtney as they walked away.
"I know."
"We need to work fast to save them all from The Wicker Man."
"I know."
"How long can we take to prepare?"
"A few hours at most. Then we have to come back."
"Can we still come to see the fillies."
"I don't know."
And with that, they were swallowed by shadows and disappeared into darkness.
"Wow...I'm going to be up 'til morning after all that," Rainbow Dash said to nopony in particular.
"Actually..." Scootaloo answered as she pointed her hoof to the brightening horizon.



The sun peeked over the edge of the hills, driving away the darkness as it shined its light on Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom and Winona were both sleeping peacefully, until the gentle rays of the sun touched them and roused the filly.
With a quiet yawn, Apple Bloom raised her head and sleepily looked around the yard. She was almost sure that what had happened last night was too wonderful to have been real, but the missing pie and the massive paw prints in the ground led her to believe it was so.
Looking ahead, her heart fluttered when she recognized the new trees in the orchard. "Winona. Look," she said as she gently shook her still sleeping dog.
Winona woke up, and saw what her filly was pointing at. In the orchard were the trees she had noticed been growing dramatically day after day. Now, they looked fully grown, and almost ready to harvest. For Winona, it was something of a wonder, since ever since she was born she saw that trees took years to get as tall as herself. For Apple Bloom, it was exciting to see that she'd be able to enjoy the fruits she loved so from the dark world.
Behind them both, they heard the door open, finding Applejack in the doorway when they looked. The farmpony looked as scornful as ever when she found her sister out of her room again at such an odd hour, conveying the profound disappointment and disdain she felt for her sister that moment. Without a word, Applejack stepped onto the porch, and held the door open, never once taking her eyes from the filly.
Once again, Apple Bloom locked eyes with her sister, feeling abjectly at odds with her. She knew that Applejack would never understand a thing about the wonders she had seen or the things she had come to know, so she didn't even bother objecting or protesting. Instead, she simply walked inside.
Winona watched as her filly trudged inside, then looked to Applejack. After what she had done, she knew that Applejack would never trust her to look after Apple Bloom again. She had already allowed the filly to leave after hours twice, and hadn't alerted anypony in the house. It was against her very role as a dog to allow such transgressions to happen, no less two times in a row.
Applejack continued to stare at Winona waiting for her to go into the animal pens to help with the day's work. Instead, she was surprised to see the dog go inside and follow her sister.
"I was gonna let ya go to the Nightmare Night party tonight. But, ya just disobeyed yer way outta that," Applejack said.
With everything that had been happening the past few days, Apple Bloom had forgotten that the beloved holiday was so near, let alone upon her. But, even if she had been allowed to go, she would likely have declined. If she had gone, it was very likely that Applejack would do nothing but restrain her from having any fun, knowing how she had been acting lately.
She found it unnecessary to say anything to her sister, who would only assert that she was the only right in the world. Silently, Apple Bloom went upstairs to her room with Winona to find a way to pass the time before the day ended.
"Send Winona down in a few minutes. I'm gonna need some help here soon," Applejack called as her sister walked away from her.
Apple Bloom said nothing to Applejack. Only muttering under her breath to go buck herself across the yard.
"What was that," Applejack demanded to know.
Apple Bloom remained silent.
"I'm talkin' to ya, filly! What did ya say to me!?"
Apple Bloom disappeared upstairs, never once looking to her sister.
"Land sakes," Applejack huffed before she slammed the front door shut and stormed off to begin her work.
Upstairs, Apple Bloom was equally irritated. Ever since these events began on that fateful night, she had been drifting further and further from her sister. Once, they were so close, more than sisters. Applejack was the very image of everything Apple Bloom aspired to be when she was older: strong, brave, honest, determined and focused. Now, after nothing more than making a new friend that she didn't approve, the two were pushed away from one another.
Maybe it really would have been best if she never met Courtney. But, if she hadn't, she would never have realized there was truly nothing to be frightened of in the dark, and that there was a whole world that valued friendship the same as them on the other side of it.
She remembered being told that in Macabria they tried to make friends with the creatures that were turned away by others. She certainly felt that that was what was happening with her and Applejack. If anything, she felt like it was in Macabria that she belonged at that very moment.
Apple Bloom opened her bedroom door, ready to sit down and let the day pass by her. But, she was puzzled when Winona found something lying on her pillow.
When she investigated, she found it to be a pouch made of white paper, and when it was unfolded, she found it to be filled with acorns, flowers, and a small book of matches.
The filly looked at the components that had been given to her, debating whether or not she should use them. She became convinced when Winona shut the door to deter any onlookers or intruders.
Without any further doubts, Apple Bloom began arranging a portion of the components so that they'd burn quicker and brighter before she lit the match. She wasn't too sure about what she had done before to execute the spell, but conveying her will to speak to Courtney in the lit flame seemed to work.
Apple Bloom concentrated hard on the flame, picturing the bipedal creature from the dark world in the flickering match before she cast it onto the components.
There was a billow of smoke, and soon the image of Courtney appeared in the haze. She was lying in bed with her back turned to the filly, while at the bottom of the image was something large that rose and fell as if taking long, slow breaths.
The large mass shifted as its head rose into view, revealing Bruce's face. Looking toward Apple Bloom, the werewolf rose to his paws, and jostled Courtney awake.
"What is it," Courtney mumbled.
Bruce pointed toward Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom," Courtney said when she turned to face the filly, "What brings you here so early?"
"I just wanted to thank ya fer what ya did last night," Apple Bloom said after briefly thinking about her answer.
"It was nothing. I just thought you'd like to see what happens as The Hallow nears," Courtney said concisely, wanting to go back to sleep.
"But, it wasn't nothin' to me. I know to you it mighta just been some trip in the woods, but it was more than that fer me! I been learnin' so much from you since I met ya. An' last night, I think I learned somethin' ya wanted me to know."
"And what might that be," Courtney asked, now intrigued.
For a moment, Apple Bloom paused to think about her answer again. She wanted to find the right words to convey how she felt to her friend, and accurately tell her what she learned. "I...think I know what Nightmare Night's all about. Ever since I was born I thought it was about puttin' on some funny costume an' eatin' a bunch o' candy, but last night I saw it was more than that. It's about welcomin' change, an' acceptin' it. It's about appreciatin' life an' death so that ya can have the best o' both when ya cross from one to the next. An' it's about appreciatin' the spirits, an' showin' 'em ya care..."
Courtney saw how Apple Bloom's face changed when she said the last sentence. A face she had only read about in her romance novels, but knew it as when someone had fallen in love. More than that, she was surprised that Apple Bloom had given such a complete and thought out answer. "You must have seen something quite enlightening," she answered, not wanting to pry.
"Yeah...I really did," Apple Bloom trailed off. Last night, she didn't know what she expected to find. She knew the answers to her curiosities would be found if she stayed with Courtney, but never imagined they would lead to a drastic change in herself. And she certainly didn't think they would lead to her first kiss.
"Is that all you wanted to talk about," the witch asked.
Apple Bloom hesitantly nodded.
"Alright," Courtney yawned. "In which case, I'm going back to sleep. Good night." And she laid down with her back turned to Apple Bloom.
In truth, Apple Bloom had one more thing to say to Courtney, though she didn't know if now was an appropriate time to ask. She was about to dispel the smokey image, when she saw how Bruce was looking at her. Looking to her side, she saw Winona looking at her the very same way.
Both canines had a nagging look of persistence in their faces, making the filly realized that it was now or never. Without even inhaling, she quickly blurted out her thoughts.
"Courtney, I wanna be a witch!"
She thought that maybe Courtney had already fallen asleep, but then the witch rolled over to face her, now more alert than ever as she sat up straight with her arms folded atop her knees.
"Is that so," Courtney asked, as if she hadn't expected Apple Bloom to say so. "You know, it's not a simple task to accomplish. It takes vigorous studying to become as adept as I am. And even before, you must have some understanding of the nature of it. And that's beyond simply casting neophyte spells."
"But, that's exactly why I wanna do it. 'Cause I don't understand it. But, I feel like it's something I'm supposed to know. Like, an answer to a question that I never asked before. I know it sounds weird, but that's how it feels to me."
Whatever happened last night, Courtney could see that it had greatly affected her young friend. Whatever Apple Bloom felt, the witch could tell it was genuine. "I can see there's convincing you otherwise," Courtney said as a hint of a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "The first order of business: pick a familiar."
"A familiar?"
"Yes. An animal servant, if you will."
"Oh. Alright."
"And it can't be any old creature strutting around your property. A familiar is something that will be bonded to you for as long as you live, and there is no trading. You need to think carefully about what you choose. It will need to be something brave."
Winona presented herself tall and proud.
"Something dependable that you can rely on."
Winona lifted her head high.
"It also has to be loyal, and will never leave you behind."
Winona puffed out her chest.
"And it would help if it could defend you from danger."
Winona lost some of her composure.
"Or, in other cases, keep you from a path that leads to danger."
Winona returned to her impressive posture.
Apple Bloom thought briefly about what she would do for such a thing, but quickly realized the answer was right under her nose.
"I think that she found me," Apple Bloom said as she rubbed her dog's head.
"That's actually preferable in most cases," Courtney answered. "I'll come to your house tonight to begin the rites of bonding. In the meantime, I do need some sleep."
"Thanks! Should I do somethin' to get ready," Apple Bloom eagerly asked.
"Just be at your house when the sun goes down. And no leaving this time."
"Got it," was all Apple Bloom said before the smokey image dispersed.
A sudden wave of vertigo and excitement crashed over her. Over the course of a single night, her life was taking a direction she knew almost nothing about. Inside herself, she felt like she was about to burst from whatever it was she felt, and knew she had to let it out.
Hastily, she piled up two more tiny mounds of acorns and flowers before she lit a match for each, and applied what little magic she knew to conjure two separate images. In her excitement, she had trouble maintaining a clear vision, but soon the two smoking mounds bore images of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in their midst.
"Whoah," Sweetie Belle said with a jump after seeing the hazy image that appeared before her.
"What the hay is that," Scootaloo asked next.
"Everypony! Come to my house tonight," Apple Bloom excitedly announced.
"Huh?"
"Did something happen?"
"I'm gonna be a witch! Courtney's comin' here, an' she's gonna help me be a witch!"
"What?"
"Holy Celestia! How'd you get her to do that?"
"Just be here tonight when it happens! I'm gonna be a witch! I gotta get ready! I gotta start studyin'! Where'd I leave my books? I..."
As Apple Bloom's mind cleared, she saw the smokey image of her friends billow into nothingness. She stood perfectly rigid when she realized the impact of what was going to happen next. "I'm gonna be Equestria's first witch in over a thousand years..."
It was a precedent that was sure to alter the course of Equestrian history, and it was going to be the responsibility of a single filly to make sure things changed for the better.



"This is going to be the death of me," Courtney sighed as she stuffed her head under her pillow.
On her nightstand, the alarm clock began ringing, signalling the start of her day, making Bruce jump when he heard it.
With her fist clenched, and swirling with shadows, the ringing clock began to sputter, chug, then fall apart piece by piece.
"Bugger all..."
> Chapter 18: Darkness Calls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 18

Darkness Calls


The day had not been pleasant for the dark kin in Equestria. After nearly no sleep, and having so few resources that would be remotely useful against The Wicker Man, the three then had to endure the blindingly bright daytime hours of the light world.
Having eyes that were already built for low light conditions, Bruce was particularly sensitive to the intense light of Equestria, and had to rely on his nose and ears to follow his friends. That, and his magical bond to Courtney was a great help.
Courtney herself was having trouble seeing much anything without her teashades. She rarely wore them back home, only when the moon grew brighter once every month. Now, even when she was wearing them, she still had to squint to see much of anything. She had already bumped into three trees, and fallen in a river by this point, and was repeatedly cursing the wretched light.
Despite having had so much fun on her previous visits, even Molly was having a miserable time. The sun felt like it was baking her skin, and just after she had drank enough blood to look better than she had in her entire life. She was so looking forward to giving a performance that would win the hearts and minds of the crowd, and had picked an even more revealing costume for the show. Now, she thought that she was about to whither again in this horrible overexposure to searing light.
Their search began at the lake where Courtney found the charred pony corpse last night.
Bruce was asked to track the scent of the monster that killed the pony, and though Bruce admitted to being no hound, he was more than capable of following such a distinctive scent.
Their journey was interesting, to say the least. No matter how far they traveled, no matter where they searched, it seemed that The Wicker Man was always several steps ahead of them. Over the course of a single night, it must have covered half the forest, the way they were searching for so long.
The search led them to all manner of locales, each one once brimming with magical power, now with only faint traces of any magical presence. There was a ruined castle, which though it was in shambles still held the regal splendor of its salad days. Now, its stone walls had been charred, and its glorious red carpets had been burned.
There was a cave somewhere underground, where a pool of water had been blackened by smoldering ash. Whatever power this hidden place once held, it was now inert and barely detectable.
Yet, for all their efforts, they only found traces of the monster. And even at some points, its scent disappeared and reappeared in a completely different place. It wasn't as if it was jumping from one spot to the next. They'd found charred impressions from the places that it had, and the distances between the displaced scent trails were further than it could leap.
Finally, as the sun was setting, they came upon their most disturbing discovery yet.
Not one mile outside of Ponyville, there was a cemetery. Just beyond it was singed grass and charred stone walls. The inside, though was untouched. It was as if the monster had been circling the grave sites, searching for a way in to dig up the departed and sate its hunger.
Bruce sniffed the air again, trying to determine where it had gone next.
"Did you find anything, Bruce? Has it gone into town," Courtney asked, clearly distressed by the idea.
She waited tensely until the werewolf gave his answer.
"Oh, thank goodness," Courtney sighed.
"It's not in the town," Molly asked hopefully.
"No. Unfortunately, the scent stops here. And who knows where the next trail will present itself," Courtney said, on the brink of defeat. She looked up to they sky, and watched as the top of the wretched sphere of light went below the horizon. The witch took off her dark glasses and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light, which she found much more accommodating, now that it was dimmer.
The sky, in its current colorful state was a sight that was never seen in Macabria. The witch, the dancer and the werewolf all found themselves captivated by the warm spectrum of color in the sky, while below, the greens, blues and purples all created a gorgeous contrast that they never knew existed.
Welling up in the dark kin was the inspiration for a new act. One that utilized the scene before them to present something to their audience that was never heard of in their entire world. More so was a greater desire to protect what was becoming increasingly more precious to them.
Even though the world of light was not without its flaws, and was terrifyingly different from their home, they found that light-dwellers were far from how they were described all their years. And even the light of their world wasn't all bad. Even though it was blinding and hot, it was not without its beauty.
"It's almost dark, Courtney," Molly said, "Do you think we have time to keep your promise to Apple Bloom?"
For several seconds, Courtney said nothing. She continued to stare at the sky and landscape before her, thinking about all that she would be saving by ridding this world of its demon.
"Yes. I believe we do," Courtney affirmed.
Bruce happily wagged his tail at the idea of getting to see Apple Bloom again, and took the initiative to lead the way, hoping to be welcomed by another apple pie when he arrived.
At first, Courtney thought they should take the path that went around town. But, when she saw Bruce walking straight toward town. Any other time, she would have called him back to her, but now, after all they had seen and done, she saw no harm at all in the action.
When they arrived in the town's main street, ponies were all closing their shops for the night. Only a few were left on the street, and they all stopped to look at the strange newcomers.
The solid black and leafy earth ponies were something of an oddity, but most eye-catching of all was the two-legged wolf creature accompanying them.
The ponies all stared, unsure if they should be surprised or horrified by what was in their midst. Stranger still, it seemed like the black pony's eyes lit up whenever she passed through a shadow.
As Molly walked, a ball bounced up to her and gently bumped her leg. Looking to the direction it came from, she saw a colt staring wide-eyed at her as though he was afraid to retrieve his ball.
With a gentle smile, Molly picked up the ball and decided to ease the colt's nerves by putting on a show for him. Though she wasn't much of a juggler, she still managed to roll the ball from one arm to the next across her back. With that, she allowed the ball to bounce back to its owner.
The colt watched the leafy pony giggle like a filly before she continued walking. He knew that was the monster he had seen outside his window, but now, he was wondering if he truly had any reason to fear it.
From her desk, Twilight hear Owloysius give a small hoot. When she investigated, she found her bird looking out the very same window he had been when she first met his monster friend. Soon after, the dark kin were joined by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who were in turn joined by Rarity and Rainbow Dash. By Molly's side, Sweetie Belle once again tried to emulate the performer's distinctive walk.
Quickly, Twilight packed her quill, ink and parchment before she went downstairs. "Spike, look after things while I'm gone," Twilight said.
She had been doing this a lot lately, and Spike found it unnecessary to affirm it in any way, instead going about his work while Twilight went out the door to join her friends.
Once outside, she saw how the few ponies that were still on the streets were staring, and became even more dumbfounded when they saw familiar faces join the scary strangers.
"Where's everypony going," Twilight asked once she joined with the group.
"Sweet Apple Acres," Scootaloo answered, "We're going to see Apple Bloom."
"What for," Twilight asked.
"Apple Bloom's going to be a witch," Sweetie Belle helpfully answered.
"She's what!?"
Such a thing was mind blowing for Twilight. The scholastic potential almost made her head spin when she thought about what she may learn. She was about to run ahead to ask the witch about the process, but decided against it when she realized that she may very well get another answer she didn't understand. Instead, she decided to simply wait until she would be able to watch the secrets of a new magic unfold before her.



At the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, near the Everfree Forest, Applejack was busy at work reinforcing the wooden fence with iron bands across the planks.  She had just finished placing the next piece, then took a hammer off of her tool belt before she started pounding away, nailing piece by piece the barrier between her family and the monsters of the night.
The world around her was quickly darkening as the sun seemed to go down much faster than it should have been. And as the darkness came, Applejack swore she could see things from the dark forest beyond reaching over to grab her and spirit her away to their dark world. Then, once the things reached the iron reinforcements, they retracted quickly, as though from searing pain.
The farmpony's heart raced by what she had seen before her. Had it been real, or was it simply a vision created by the encroaching darkness? Whatever it was, she couldn't stop to think on it. Her shadow beneath her began to fade away among the darkness around it as the sun set, and she lit the lantern she had on the ground to stave off the oncoming night.



Apple Bloom had been waiting impatiently in her room for the night to come. By that point, the sky was darkened, and the only light was on the horizon.
"It won't be long now, girl," she said to Winona who was equally anxious for nighttime.
All day, the two of them had been anticipating nightfall wondering how they would go about the ritual that would make the two of them master and servant. Apple Bloom read the book of the history of witchcraft from front to back to see if she could find some clue about how what would happen and how to prepare for it.
There was nothing in the pages about what to do when bonding with a familiar. Instead, there were only details on when and why witches took familiars to begin with.
The lack of knowledge and preparation made this the single scariest step in Apple Bloom's life. With no way of knowing what she was in for, she was prepared to back out of her ordeal. "No. I came this far. I can't back out now," she chided herself.
Outside, the sky had completely darkened, and only the light of the moon and stars were present. The wind picked up and whistled through the trees, getting the filly's attention. This time, however, there was no message on the wind. No warnings, no comforts, nopony calling her name. Apple Bloom was about to back away from her window when she became aware of something else.
It was nothing that she heard or saw. Rather, it was something that she felt. The very same feeling she had in Macabria when she was looking into the darkness of the lower levels of Courtney's house. The same sinister force that made every hair on her body prickle that invited her to come delve into the darkness and never return. Before, she avoided it, afraid to discover what it was. Now, she was ready to face it and accept it.
"This is it, Winona," Apple Bloom said after exhaling deeply. "Let's go an' get this over with."
Slowly, the filly and the dog left her bedroom and went downstairs. Granny and Big Macintosh were both downstairs when they saw the youngest member of their family going toward the door with their dog.
"Where're you headin' out at this hour, youngun? It's almost story time," Granny said.
Apple Bloom acted like she hadn't heard Granny speak to her. Instead, she walked to the front door and slowly opened it, looking out into the darkness beyond.
"What's goin' on with ya? See somethin'," Granny asked, trying to make sense of her granddaughter's strange behavior.
Big Macintosh said nothing, but his eyes widened suddenly and he pointed toward something he saw coming in the darkness.
"Shee-oot! That's the biggest dog I ever saw," Granny said when she saw her grandson pointing at a gigantic two-legged canine creature.
"That's Bruce, Granny," Apple Bloom explained.
She was happy to see the werewolf, who had come to her porch alone for some reason. It was likely that he had come for more pie, but then again, it could be that he was sent to retrieve her and Winona.
"That's Bruce," Granny asked, "Well, that explains the paw prints."
Winona quickly darted forward, and crouched low to the ground as she circled the enormous creature, clearly trying to herd him. Bruce, however, wouldn't be intimidated so easily.
Instead, he lowered himself to all fours, and began to bump Winona with his head to throw her off balance.
Normally, animals listened to Winona whenever she gave them her authoritative eye. But this werewolf would require different tactics. Using a trick from a heeler she met once, the dog nipped at the werewolf's lower leg, which caused him to drop his body to the ground and expose his belly. Next, Winona put her jaws around Bruce's neck, claiming her victory for their game of picking the alpha among them.
"Looks like Winona showed him who's top dog," Apple Bloom said before she trotted out to greet her visitor.
"An' here I was thinkin' my granddaughter was gettin' mixed up with monsters," Granny said as she confidently strode off the porch to greet the large creature.
After Winona let Bruce alone, he rolled to his feet, and motioned with his head toward the orchard.
"What's that he's doin'" Granny asked.
"He wants us to follow him," Apple Bloom answered as she trailed after the werewolf.
On the porch, Big Macintosh watched his family walk into the shadows of the trees, before he followed after them.
Not far within, in a grove of the new trees that had been growing, Apple Bloom found Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo waiting for her, along with Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who were joined by all of their friends. Most of all, Courtney was there with Molly, standing before two small circles that were drawn on the ground with some kind of grey ash.
"Ah. Here's our guest of honor now. And are these your family members," Courtney said as she finished sprinkling the ash.
"Yep. This is my granny, Granny Smith. An' my big brother, Big Macintosh."
"A very big brother," Courtney noted, seeing that Apple Bloom's brother was larger than anyone present.
"Eeyup," was all the large stallion answered.
"Well, I'll be jiggered," Granny said as she looked over the two strangers. "Y'all ain't at all what I pictured. All I could think of was some kind o' beast, but all we got here's a blue-eyed shadow, an' a shrub with a figure that won't quit."
Courtney and Molly both let out a quiet groan as they exchanged a displeased glance.
"You gals remind me o' me at that age. So, on behalf o' the Apple family, I wanna welcome ya to Sweet Apple Acres."
Another glance, and the two dark kin only smirked as their opinion of Granny rose slightly.
"Pleasure. Courtney Belmont. I'll be assisting your granddaughter tonight. Over here, we have Molly St. John, who will be helping as well."
"What exactly are ya helpin' her with," Big Macintosh asked.
Neither Courtney nor Molly knew how to answer that question without scaring Apple Bloom's family. The witch decided to explain it to her gently. "It seems that Apple Bloom has taken an interest in a rather unusual kind of magic. A kind that you don't need a horn to use. As it so happens, I'm something of an expert in this field, and I'm going to facilitate your sister's pursuits."
Big Macintosh wanted to ask another question, given Courtney's strange answer. What magic did Apple Bloom want to learn, and how did she discover it? Most of all, he wanted to ask if these strange creatures really were the monsters from the stories of his foalhood. However, he decided to let his grandmother do the talking, as the head of the family.
Granny looked suspiciously at the witch, the markings on the ground, the trees around them, and then to Apple Bloom. She didn't know about what her granddaughter was getting involved with, which made her wary of what she may be doing. Then again, Apple Bloom always did have a strange kind of responsibility when it came to getting involved in things she knew nothing about. Her cutie mark crusading was testament to that. "Ya think yer ready for it, pipsqueak?"
"I think so," was all Apple Bloom answered.
"Is something wrong? You don't sound very excited," Sweetie Belle said.
"Yeah. You sounded like you were going to go crazy when you said you were going to be a witch," Scootaloo added.
"I know. But, what if I don't have what it takes. I don't even know how to start," Apple said.
"It's alright. We'll help you through it. But, in the end, it's all up to you whether or not we continue," Courtney said
"I...I'll do it," Apple Bloom answered. "But, what'll I do when it's done."
"Whatever you feel you must do," was all Courtney answered. "Shall we get started now?"
Apple Bloom nodded.
"Then let's begin," the witch said before she glanced over to Twilight. "Feel free to take all the notes you want."
Once more, Twilight giggled as she magically readied her quill and paper for her studies.
"I suppose I'm up," Molly said as she approached Apple Bloom and placed one hoof on the filly's chin. "Now, hold still while I work."
"What is it yer doin'," Apple Bloom asked when she saw the leafy mare open a small bottle of oil and rub it on her hooves.
"According to Courtney, essence of lavender mixed with the oils I secrete are good for attracting spirits. Personally, I'd prefer they attract willing blood donors," Molly said as she rubbed the mixture into the filly's mane.
"Dark spirits," Apple Bloom asked.
"Precisely," Courtney answered, while Molly moved on to rub the oils into Winona's fur.
"But I thought that dark spirits could only come when there's no light, and the moon's already out," Scootaloo pointed out.
Courtney smirked at the filly's observance. Clearly, she had been studying the book she borrowed from Apple Bloom, though her knowledge of such matters was only limited to the contents within those pages. "There are other ways, Scootaloo. Ways that would take too long to explain in depth. So, I'll just say that it's not a problem for someone like myself. Now, it's time to start."
"Hold it right there!"
Everyone present turned to see Applejack standing before them, with a lantern on one of her sides and a tool pouch on the other. "How the hay'd y'all get here," she asked the two dark kin.
"As it is with any guest, we walked through the front gate," Courtney calmly explained, "We apologize if our coming was unexpected, but we assumed that Apple Bloom would tell you we would be here."
"Ya let 'em in," Applejack shouted at her sister.
"Now, what's got yer tail in a tangle," Granny asked.
"That's the monster that tried to attack me an' Winona the other night," Applejack said as she pointed at Bruce.
Bruce slightly bared his teeth at the accusation. He had done no such thing, and it was she who attacked him!
"An' I'm bettin' they all had somethin' to do with destroyin' our orchard before!" Applejack continued.
"She's the one that saved our orchard," Apple Bloom rebutted.
"How the hay do you know that? What the hay do ya know about any o' this?"
"I know more than you ever will! I seen her use magic, an' it's exactly what's keepin' this orchard from losin' its trees! An' I'm gonna learn how to use it so I can finally do my fair share o' work 'round here!"
"Like Tartarus ya will," Applejack said before she pulled her hammer off her tool belt and brandished it at the dark kin.
Everypony but Apple Bloom backed away. They all knew better than to get near Applejack when she was agitated, especially when she was holding a weapon.
"Applejack, darling. Please be reasonable. Violence never solved anything," Rarity tried to reason.
"What have we done to deserve to be threatened," Molly asked as she slowly backed away.
"Applejack, stop that," Apple Bloom shouted as she tried to take her sister's hammer.
"Back off," Applejack said as she pushed the filly aside, "Long as I'm in charge, yer gonna do as I say!"
"You may be her sister, but you have no right to decide how Apple Bloom wants to live her life! So you can either accept it, or clear off," Courtney yelled as she cast her magic at Applejack.
Applejack braced herself as her hammer became shrouded with shadows. Her raced as she watched the witch's dark magic so near her, but it passed quickly when she saw the darkness melt away.
Though Courtney tried to relinquish the tool from Applejack with her magic, she found her effort useless. Whenever she tried to magically pull away the hammer, she found her pull weaken, and her magic disconnect. At first, she was simply worried that her magic wouldn't work on this volatile pony, but it soon turned to quiet terror when she watched Applejack's eyes turn to a beastly glare.
"Tell me to get off my own property, will ya," Applejack growled as she threateningly stepped closer.
"Oh shit..." Courtney shuddered under her breath as she took a small step backwards. "She's got iron," she quietly warned Molly.
"What's the matter? Scared," Applejack asked as she threateningly stepped closer.
"You keep that thing away from me," Courtney yelled as she stepped back.
When Applejack came closer, Bruce tried to grab the hammer from her, only to yelp loudly when his fingers curled around the metal head of the tool. When he backed away, he hobbled on three legs as a white burn mark could be seen on the palm of his hand.
Apple Bloom wouldn't stand for this kind of thing. Threatening her friends was one thing, but hurting them was completely unacceptable, especially when it was her own sister.
In a flash, Winona dashed forward and locked her jaws around Applejack's front leg. The sudden pain stopped Applejack in her tracks. Next, she found herself getting shoved backwards by Apple Bloom.
"Get the buck away from them," Apple Bloom shouted.
"Listen to me right now, filly--" Applejack said.
"No! You listen," Apple Bloom interjected, as she shoved her sister once more. "Ya just met 'em an' yer already treatin' 'em like monsters! It's because o' ponies like you that they're afraid of us, an' act like we're monsters instead! What reason do you have that yer so scared? 'Cause yer scared o' the dark?"
Everyone else present went dead silent when they heard what Apple Bloom had said. Only Applejack's family knew about her fear of the dark, but most of all, they were dumbfounded by the force of the filly's speech.
"It's just like what happened a thousand years ago when ponies got all hysterical 'cause o' some groundless fear! If ya really think they're so bad, you should take a look at yerself! Remember that thing that attacked us the other night? The one that stank like rotten eggs? It didn't come from the dark world! It was made here in Equestria by ponies like you, so it could kill the dark kin!"
"Then maybe ponies back then had the right idea," Applejack snapped.
Once again, the crowd was silent. Apple Bloom glared at her sister, wanting to burst out shouting, though she found her rage much too profound to raise her voice.
"I can't believe this," Apple Bloom said as she slowly stepped forward. "I can't buckin' believe this." The way she moved and spoke made Applejack uneasy, making the farmpony step backwards. "My whole life, I always thought you were the pony I wanted most to be like! But now, I don't know what I ever saw in you! Yer poison's what you are! I brought my friends here, 'cause I thought lettin' ya meet 'em would make ya stop bein' scared! Well, I was wrong thinkin' ya'd be such a big mare! Yer nothin' but a stubborn, bigoted coward who can't get past somethin' that didn't even happen to ya! The world doesn't need ponies like you in it! I don't need you! I'm becomin' a witch tonight, an' that's that!"
Applejack had backed up all the way past the treeline, and by that point she was too surprised to say anything to her sister. Every word bit into her, but the final statement was a blow to her very being. Unsure of what she was feeling that very moment, she sat silent and motionless as she watched Apple Bloom return to the witch's side.
"Sorry about my sister," Apple Bloom apologized.
"Maybe we shouldn't--" Courtney began.
"Let's get this over with," Apple Bloom interjected as she stepped into the ritual area. "What do I do first?"
"First, you stand in this circle," Courtney said, realizing she wouldn't be able to change Apple Bloom's mind.	
The filly stepped into a circle of ash, in the shadow of one of the dark trees.
"Then your familiar stands in the other circle."
Bruce guided Winona into the second circle across from Apple Bloom.
"Then what," Apple Bloom asked.
"Then, the show begins," Courtney said as the world around them all began to darken.
All around, Apple Bloom could see the dark trees start to bend and sway as if they truly had come alive. They reached higher and higher toward the moon, and their leaves and branches spread like gnarled appendages to claw the very light from the sky. Soon, Apple Bloom was surrounded by a fathomless darkness from with there was no escape.
"Somepony," she called into the dark. "Scootaloo!? Sweetie Belle!? Courtney!?"
"I'm here, Apple Bloom," came a voice from somewhere in the dark.
Looking around herself, Apple Bloom could see no trace of the witch, not even her ghoulish eyes shone in the dark. She tried walking toward the source of the voice.
"Stay where you are. The ritual has begun."
"Oh! So, what do I do now?"
"You need to establish your connection with your familiar now."
"But, how do I do that?"
"I'm afraid I can't help you with that. If you chose the correct familiar, you'll find that answer on your own."
"But, I don't know how!"
"Apple Bloom, you can't keep doubting yourself. After all you've done and learned, how can you believe that you have the capacity to fail? I've seen many hopeful witches come and go, and none of them have the determination that you just displayed. You've only to look within yourself to succeed."
"What's gonna happen when I do," Apple Bloom wondered. "Everything's gonna change when I become a witch. I know I was mad at my sister just now, but I didn't mean what I said. I don't wanna lose her 'cause o' this."
"You don't have to. Nothing has to change in the end. All you must do is choose what path you want to take when this is over."
With that, the witch's voice fell silent, leaving Apple Bloom completely alone. Unable to see even her hoof in front of her face, she began to doubt that she even still had a corporeal form. She shuddered when it felt as if she had somehow melded into the shadows that surrounded her. Then, she saw something.
Through the dark veil of shadows, she saw a dim light brighten then fade. Slowly, a thread of light drifted toward her. Once it was close enough, it brightened once more, revealing its hideous form to the filly.
Though horrifying and beastly, there was something familiar about the spirit before her. Something that she thought she could put her hoof on.
"I made you, didn't I," Apple Bloom asked the spirit. "You came here after Red Sky died, an' ya been here ever since."
The spirit said nothing, only letting out a low hiss. Though wordless, Apple Bloom felt as if it was affirming her question with its sorrowful gaze.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make ya hurt so much. I just..." Tears began to pour down her face as she quietly sobbed. "I wanted to see him again. It bugged me to death, but I wanted to see him starin' at me in class, an' catch him lookin' away when I turned to him. I wanted to find out what a nice colt he was, an' be his newest friend...I know I coulda saved him if I went with him to the woods. But I was too stupid, an' too scared to find out what would happen if I did."
The spirit only stared, though something now seemed sadder in its gaze.
"Please, say somethin'," Apple Bloom begged the spirit, "Tell me this is how much it hurts you by just existin'! I don't wanna know I'm alone fer this! Why won't ya talk to me! Please..."
Apple Bloom sobbed as she watched the spirit turn into a threadbare light, and disappear into the darkness. But soon, she began to feel a more familiar presence beside her. One that was warm and protective, like an old friend she knew from another life.
"Winona," she asked.
Even though the dog was somewhere across from her, she felt as if Winona was right beside her, and worrying sick for her filly's safety. Slowly, Apple Bloom's sobs quieted as a smile edged onto her face. But, it was not to last.
All around, the filly became aware of movement, as if the darkness around her had come alive and swirled about her. Fearfully, Apple Bloom crouched to the ground and covered her eyes, unwilling to face what horrors may next await her.
She began to feel a sensation within herself, as if the very light in her body was being purged by some otherworldly force, and pulling her to a dark place from where there was no return.
Soon, the feeling of motion stopped, and she could hear a new noise. Leaves were rustling, and crickets were singing somewhere, and soon, she heard hooves coming toward her.
"Apple Bloom," she heard Scootaloo's voice say.
"Are you alright," Sweetie Belle said next.
"Ye've naethin' tae feer, filly. Th' worst is done," an unfamiliar voice said.
However, Apple Bloom had the distinct feeling she knew who was speaking to her. Slowly, she looked up and opened her eyes to see the grove of trees had returned to their normal state, with the sky visible above. Directly to her front, Winona was standing protectively over her.
"Winona," Apple Bloom asked again, "But, that means--"
"Aye. Ye an' Ah're together forever noo."
"I got a familiar. I got a familiar! Everypony I-- What's everypony lookin' at?"
When she turned to her friends, she saw them all staring wide-eyed at her. Sweetie Belle facilitated the answer by reaching into Rarity's mane and producing a portable makeup kit. When she opened it, she revealed the mirror inside to show Apple Bloom her transformation.
Apple Bloom gasped when she saw what had happened to her. Nothing had physically changed, except now, her eyes were sending out orange lights like wisps of smoke.
"Courtney? What's this mean," Apple Bloom asked as she turned to the witch.
"It means that you've been realized as a practitioner of the dark arts. Congratulations. You've taken the first step to becoming a witch," Courtney answered with a smile.
"Ya mean I can be a witch now?" It was all too much for Apple Bloom to handle. With a yelp, she leaped forward and threw her hooves around the witch's neck.
"I suppose now you'll need someone to teach you how to use your new abilities," Molly suggested as she looked to Courtney.
"Can ya really," Apple Bloom said with a hopeful smile, which soon faded, "But, what would yer mom think if ya taught witchcraft to a light-dweller?"
Courtney exhaled slightly as she thought about her answer, before she answered with a smirk, "To hell with her."
When she heard that answer, Apple Bloom hugged her friend again, shuddering with excitement for what was to come.
"So, to begin, you'll need to pack your things," Courtney continued.
"Pack," Apple Bloom asked, "Why?"
"Well, I can't teach you much without the proper resources. And, while this world does have its share, it will be easier to teach you with what I'm familiar with and have ready at hand," the witch explained.
"Then that means..." Apple Bloom said, her eyes widening as a smile bloomed onto her face.
"Mm-hm," Courtney nodded, "You'll be coming with me, back to Macabria."
"You get to go back," Scootaloo said excitedly, "I wanna go to!"
"And me," Sweetie Belle chimed in.
"Now, hold on," Courtney said. "If anyone is going with me, it will have to be discussed with the families. So, first off: do you have any objections with Apple Bloom coming to live with me for a year in my home to learn about her new skills," she asked Granny Smith."
Granny thought carefully about her answer before she spoke. "I don't know all that much about ya, youngun. But, ya seen like the kinda mare I can trust with my family. Ya got a special kinda responsibility in them spooky eyes o' yers. Just the same as my granddaughter here. So, if'n y'all think ya can take care o' my filly, an' educate her 'bout that magic, y'all got my permission to take her with ya."
Apple Bloom smiled brightly as she ran toward her grandmother to hug her next. "Thank ya, Granny! Thank ya! Thank ya!"
"Quit thankin' me an' go pack up," Granny said as she hustled Apple Bloom along.
In the far back, Applejack had reached the front porch and walked inside her house. Hearing her sister's words before was hurtful enough, but Apple Bloom leaving to go live with the witch was the final blow. Feeling it unnecessary for herself to be present, she sulked back inside while everypony was talking, only a few seconds before Apple Bloom ran inside to start packing.
Once the filly was indoors, she watched Applejack take her seat in front of the fireplace when she listened to Granny's stories. Putting her sister out of her mind for a moment, Apple Bloom ran upstairs to begin packing her bags.
As she did, her mind kept running to Applejack downstairs. She didn't want to leave things between them as the were before she left, and decided to have one last talk with her.
When she finished packing, Apple Bloom quietly crept downstairs, and found Applejack still sitting by the fireplace with her head hung low.
Eyes glowing in the dark, Apple Bloom cautiously approached her sister, until she reached the dim glow of the dying fire and her eyes ceased to be illuminated. "Applejack," the filly quietly asked.
No response came from her sister.
"About what I said earlier. I...I didn't mean it. I know what I said was mean, but I still want ya to be my sister," Apple Bloom gently said.
Applejack was silent.
"Maybe you could come with me when I go? An' see me off when I go to Macabria?"
Applejack shifted her head slightly to look at her sister. To Apple Bloom, she looked the same way that the dark spirit did before, conveying a profound, unending sadness. With nary a sound, Applejack stood up and walked out of the room.
"Why bother," Applejack asked. "Ya got yer new friend. Ya don't need me to see ya off. Ya don't need me fer anything."
Apple Bloom heard how her sister's voice choked when she spoke the last sentence. The flames in the fireplace died, illuminating Apple Bloom's eyes as she watched Applejack disappear upstairs.
Silently, she sat down in her place by the fire, next to where Applejack sat, thinking about all that had led up to that very moment in her life. It had been a difficult journey for her, and it was quickly ending on a low note. Silently, she began to sniffle in the dark, which soon became quiet sobs as she longed for the embrace of her lost sibling.
Upstairs, Applejack sat on her bed, listening to her sister downstairs. Though barely audible, it was a noise that would stay with her forever. If only she could go downstairs, and tell her sister everything would be alright. If only she could say she was sorry, and hope for her sister's forgiveness. But, it wouldn't be. She knew she was beyond redemption, and remained confined to her room.
Minutes later, Applejack heard the front door open, and looked out the window to see an orange-eyed shadow join with a group of others. Next, they all moved to the shadows beyond the trees, toward the Everfree Forest.
In the shadows, a pair of orange eyes looked toward her bedroom window, before they continued away to the forest.
Applejack watched her sister go, until she disappeared, knowing for certain, that even if Apple Bloom returned, they would never be together again.
> Chapter 19: The Hallow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 19

The Hallow


For what felt like an eternity, Applejack remained in her room staring out her window. It had been some time since Apple Bloom and the others left, yet after so long she could still hear her sister crying by the fireplace.
Her time alone had been spent thinking about her behavior before. She thought back to when the orchard was attacked, which for days made her feel scared and isolated, which she thought in turn may have led to her behavior. She was always happy when she or her family made new friends, and thought that she may have accepted the dark kin otherwise.
She tried to convince herself that if none of the horrible things from before had happened, she would have never been at odds with her sister, and subsequently disowned. But, she knew this was not true.
Applejack knew that it was completely her own fault. Apple Bloom had been right. It was all because of some irrational fear of the dark and the monsters within, real or imagined, that she refused to put behind herself. It was what pushed away her sister and made hate consume her. Worst of all was when she threatened a defenseless mare, and hurt an animal with iron.
Applejack thought that if Apple Bloom hadn't intervened then, who knew what she would have done. Would she really have given in to her foalhood fears and become something she wasn't? Now that she thought about it, it was Apple Bloom who saved her from such a thing.
This wasn't how it was supposed to end. She knew the day would come when her sister would have the choice to leave Sweet Apple Acres and make her own way, but she never thought it would come so soon, and end so terribly.
For whatever reason, her mind wandered back to the day when Apple Bloom was born. How something changed within her when she saw her newborn sister's face, and when she held her for the first time. She had always had a strong sense of responsibility. Toward her work, toward her family, but Apple Bloom was different.
Here was a pony who she knew was going to look up to her. A pony who would be in need of guidance through the course of her life. They would be there for one another through the ups and downs, the twists and the turns, the good and the bad. Each obstacle was to make them grow, and to make a brighter future for the filly as grew up. But, that had all gone away from her, and once again Applejack knew that she was the one to blame.
Though she hated to think about it, she realized that maybe the path of dark magic was the one that was meant for her sister. Where she would grow as a pony, and realized who she truly was. But, time and time again, Applejack had prevented Apple Bloom from doing so.
"It can't end like this," Applejack thought to herself.
Though Apple Bloom had left some time ago, she thought there may still be time to find her, and tell her she was sorry. She wanted to find Apple Bloom, and wish her luck on her journey, and come back when she had grown up and discovered herself.
All hesitation had left her. She ran to her door, but was in such a rush that she knocked her lantern off its table, and to the floor where it broke.
Briefly stopping to look at her one defense against the darkness, Applejack put it out of her mind, knowing that ever second was critical to finding her sister.
She burst out the front door, and once outside saw Big Macintosh and Granny Smith walking toward her. Granny had one of her front legs draped around Big Macintosh's shoulders after her arthritis kicked in and prevented her from going any further, forcing Big Macintosh to take her back home at Apple Bloom's request.
"Applejack," Big Macintosh asked, surprised to see his sister outside after dark without a lantern.
"Where's Apple Bloom," Applejack asked.
"Why ain't ya inside, youngun," Granny asked, also curious.
"Dang it! Where's Apple Bloom?!"
"She's gone the Everfree. To Zecora's house," Big Macintosh explained. "Why're ya askin'?"
There was no time for words. Applejack ran into the orchard toward the direction of the forest.
Once within the trees, she could see all manner of creatures peering out at her from the shadows. Some in the branches with great red eyes like ripe apples, and other that slithered around the roots. Others peered out from around the trunks, while others still seemed to materialize from the shadows themselves. Applejack did her best to put them out of her mind, and convince herself they weren't real as she reached the fence on the edge of the property.
She hadn't finished her work on it, and knew the spots where there were no iron bands. Likely, that was where they passed through the fence. Or over it. Or under it. Or however that dark magic worked. Whatever it was, she had no such power, and the fence blocked her path. But, it would be no obstacle for her.
Applejack thrust her hooves at the fence, breaking it piece by piece with each impact. Finally, with one last buck, she broke one of the planks, and started pulling them loose from the fence.
As she worked, she could see more things in the spaces between the planks, daring her to come forth into their territory where they would mock and tease her before they hunted and killed her.
Shutting her eyes tightly, Applejack wriggled through the open space in the fence and charged into the forest. With her eyes shut, Applejack couldn't see the obstacles in her path. The tree that clipped her side and threw her off balance. The rock in her path that made her stumble and fall. And all around, she thought she could hear malicious laughter coming from the shadows.
Finally, she opened her eyes and faced the darkness, charging deeper into its gaping maw to oblivion, and completely unknowing of where she was. After running for what seemed forever, she found something that she knew she did not imagine.
A thread of light drifted through the trees toward her, stopping the farmpony in her tracks. Frozen with fear, Applejack watched as it came to a stop in front of her, and grow brighter as it took the form of an indescribably horrific monster. Despite her fear, she thought she could feel a connection with it. As if it had once been a part of herself.
"You...I-I know ya...don't I," Applejack asked, fighting against her choking fear.
The thing said nothing.
"I don't know who...or what ya are...B-But I know we're..." Applejack hesitated to speak her next words, and swallowed hard to release her voice, "W-We're con...connected somehow..."
Still, the thing was silent, though Applejack felt it was telling her 'yes.'
"I'm lookin' fer my sister. If ya know where she is, please tell me. I can't let her go without tellin' her I'm sorry. Please...I need my sister!"
The thing slowly lowered its head, before it became a thread of light and drifted away from the pony. Applejack had no way of knowing what the thing was up to, but hoped desperately that it would take her to her sister, wherever she was. Putting her trust in the mysterious being, she followed it in the direction it went. And it wouldn't matter what dark corner of the forest they would end up in. She was going to find her sister, darkness or not.



During the journey to Zecora's house, preparations were discussed between Courtney, Rarity and Rainbow Dash about Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo going with Apple Bloom to Macabria. To the delight of the fillies it sounded like they may well be allowed to go. Questions about Courtney's living situation and ability to support three fillies were met with answers that both mares greatly approved, and made them both feel they could trust the witch with their foals.
Despite that Apple Bloom knew she should have been happy that her friends were going with her, she did nothing but sulk for the entire walk.
"What's wrong, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle asked, "Aren't you happy we get to go with you?" Her train of thought was interrupted by Scootaloo bumping her side.
"I don't think that's what's on her mind," Scootaloo quietly admonished.
"Oh," Sweetie said, when it dawned on her how insensitive she had been.
Both wanted to say something that would comfort Apple Bloom, but didn't know what could be said in such a situation. Neither one could relate to their friend's dilemma, forcing them to leave her isolated in her sorrow. Still, that didn't stop them from trying.
"Um, you know, I bet Applejack feels really bad about what she did," Sweetie Belle said, before she looked to Bruce, who was now walking on two legs to keep off of his injured hand.
"Yeah. She's probably at home crying about it right now," Scootaloo added.
"Neither of ya knows what Applejack's like," Apple Bloom sighed. "She doesn't change her mind about anything. When we're gone, she's gonna go right back to puttin' up iron bands on the fence, an' choppin' down those magic trees. An' I know she ain't gonna be waitin' fer me to come home next year."
Sweetie nor Scootaloo knew which was more heartbreaking. The fact that Apple Bloom thought such things about her sister, or the fact that she may well be correct.
"It's got me thinkin' that I might not wanna go home when I'm done with my witch trainin'. In fact, I ain't plannin' on it."
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both gasped sharply at their friend's words.
"You're not serious, are you!?"
"How can you say that? You didn't even think about what you're leaving behind!"
"I done nothin' but think about that," Apple Bloom answered. "I know that you guys are gonna wanna come back here when we're all done. Ya got stuff ya wanna do here. An' friends an' family who'll wanna have ya around. After tonight, I ain't gonna have a family to go home to."
Apple Bloom's friends knew that this was untrue. She still had Granny and Big Macintosh, but the fact that she lost Applejack made them realize that her sister was once all the world to her. Without her, there was nothing for Apple Bloom.
Meanwhile, Courtney continued to discuss the living arrangements with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Questions were raised when they found out that the witch lived alone, but she assured them that Bruce and Molly would be around to help take care of the foals.
The would reach Zecora's house soon, and a new chapter would begin in the life of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But, if only anything was ever that simple.
A loud howl sounded somewhere in the distance, making the light-dweller's cringe under the eerie sound. Not the low howl of The Wicker Man, but one that Bruce recognized and made him howl in response.
After she heard Bruce, Courtney's eyes went wide.
"Molly. Take everyone to Zecora's house. And go as fast as you can," the witch said urgently.
"You've found it, haven't you? The Wicker Man," Molly asked, fearfully whispering the monster's name.
"Yes. And it's close by," Courtney answered.
The witch quickly approached Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom. I need you to listen carefully. When you reach Zecora's house, you must open the door between our worlds. You must stand before the symbol, and picture a door within the center. To do this effectively, you must imagine a third eye, as if it were your own, peering from the shadows of your mind and unlocking this door. Do you understand?"
"I think so," Apple Bloom said hesitantly. The urgency of the witch's request shook her slightly, and she wasn't sure if she really could do such a thing.
"You'll have time to practice while I'm gone. Just be sure to get everyone through safely. I'll be back before dawn."
With those final words, Bruce led Courtney away toward the shadows off the trail to finally find and eliminate the monster.
The witch and the werewolf cautiously stepped, ever aware of any noise, or a light in the distance. Every few steps, Courtney looked behind herself, hoping to see her friends progressing without any trouble. Instead, she could only see the foliage of the low-hanging branches and the trunks of the trees.
They had gone too far from their friends. Now, they were on their own, for there was no escape from what was before them.
Despite how Courtney tried to steel her nerves, she knew that she would be no match for the monster, equipped as she was. She has only a few items at her disposal that would likely only dampen its magic-consuming powers, if even that. Likely, she would only be feeding it.
The further she strayed from the path, the more she became aware of the familiar putrid smell of sulfur. Her steps slowed as she felt the air around her grow slightly warmer, indicating that she was growing ever closer to the demon. Her breath grew rapid, as she knew that soon she would be face to face with her worst fear. Then, the light shone.
Courtney and Bruce stopped when they saw it drifting through the treeline ahead of them, like some caged monster looking for a way to escape its confinement to devour anything on the outside. It then came closer.
On a reflex, Courtney reached into he pocket of shadows for anything she could use, not once thinking about what object or tool she was summoning. She cursed herself when she found it to be nothing more than the bag of memory powder she crafted some nights ago. Now, it was too late to do anything now that it was upon her.
Fighting the urge to scream, she was relieved to see that it was simply a dark spirit, which turned into a thread of light when it reached her, and disappeared into the shadows.
Footsteps were heard next, making the two wary as they watched Applejack round a tree trunk.
The beings of light and dark froze when they saw one another, trading emotions of fear and caution in their eyes.
"You've made a grave mistake coming here," Courtney warned as she slowly stepped back from the farmpony.
"I ain't got time fer yer threats. I'm lookin' fer my sister. Where is she," Applejack shakily demanded, ever cautious of the idea that perhaps the witch and werewolf were alone because they had abandoned the others.
"You're not going to take her back. Now leave, before The Wicker Man finds you."
"Y-You ain't gonna scare me like that. I know all about yer kind, an' what makes ya tick."
Bruce growled quietly as he gently flexed his injured hand."
"Then, if you're so smart, you should go now! Back to your home, where you're safe, and you won't cause your sister anymore grief!"
"I can't go back! Not until I see Apple Bloom again! I don't know if ya got any sisters, but this ain't the way things are supposed to be! I can't let her go now. Not like this."
Though suspicious of Applejack's intentions, Courtney could hear the earnestness in her words. Whatever possessed her at that moment, she felt she could trust Applejack. "She's on the path. Back that way. Go, before she leaves."
Cautiously, Applejack stepped forward. She was unwilling to pass by the two creatures she had slighted earlier, but any hesitation would allow Apple Bloom to get further away from her. She walked slowly, always keeping here eyes on Bruce, who returned the intense stare. With her eyes on them, Applejack felt as if either of them would attack her at any second as she slowly circled around them.
Above, the moon came out from behind the clouds, turning the dark kin into sinister shadows in its light.
As Applejack stepped slightly further from them, she looked where she was stepping, and gasped when she found her hoof only inches away from a swirling patch of shadows.
"What're ya tryin' to pull here," Applejack said.
"I've no idea what you mean," 
"Then, what the hay do ya call this?"
Applejack slightly recoiled when the dark kin quickly approached her. Both of them looked to where Applejack had been pointing, and saw the same swirl of shadows. Bruce sniffed it, and huffed quietly.
"So, that's it," Courtney said to herself. This explained how The Wicker Man's scent had been jumping from place to place. It had been passing through the barrier between the worlds. But, that still didn't explain how it kept appearing only in Ponyville and the Everfree Forest. Back home, she hadn't heard one report that it had been in her world.
Back the way Courtney and Bruce had come, they all heard another mournful howl. The hair on the back of Courtney's neck raised as her worst fear was realized. She hastily put her magic powder back into her pocket of shadows as she and Bruce ran back toward the trail. "This way," she called to Applejack, who hesitated briefly. "If you don't move, your sister's going to die! Hurry!"
Applejack wasn't ready to place her trust in the dark creatures, but the mere idea that her sister was in danger left her with little recourse. With all her might, she ran toward the trail, passing by both dark kin to reach her sister in time.



The ponies on the path all froze when they heard the eerie howl, now closer than it was before.
"What was that," Scootaloo asked, "Was it that thing again? The wen--"
"It wasn't that," Sweetie Belle said, making sure not to ever mention a wendigo again.
"It was The Wicker Man. An' it's close by," Apple Bloom explained.
"Courtney said something about a wicker man before," Twilight observed, "What is that, anyway."
"It's an undying monster that feeds on magical beings," Molly said. "Aside from myself, and you three unicorns, who here has any magic?"
"We all have a little bit of magic in us," Twilight said.
Fluttershy knew as much, but hearing it spoken aloud made her whimper and cringe to the ground.
"Oh, no. Fluttershy, don't worry. We'll find a way around it," Molly assured her friend. "Come on, stand up. Let's just try to keep our heads and figure out a plan."
It was then that Winona knew that she was to fulfill her duty as a witch's familiar. She was going to have to find a way to protect her filly, and all of her friends by figuring out the path that avoided danger.
The sound had come from somewhere ahead of them, making that the direction to avoid. However, it was the same direction that led to the safety of Zecora's house. She stopped to think of a plan, then huffed to Apple Bloom.
"Huh," the filly asked, still slightly surprised that she could now understand her dog.
Winona huffed again.
"Winona wants us to go this way," Apple Bloom said.
"We're gonna trust the dog to save us," Dash said incredulously. Despite the danger, she felt ready to face it if it meant protecting her friends and family.
"She says the scent's weakest this way. If we go here, we can avoid it," Apple Bloom explained.
That was all anypony needed to hear to start walking. The fillies went first, followed by Molly, Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who goaded Fluttershy into going with them. Shortly after, Pinkie followed them. Normally, there was nothing that her Pinkie sense didn't alert her to, but it hadn't been tuned to anything like this. With no other options, she decided to follow the others off the trail.
Twilight tried to get the others to come back and stay on the trail where she statistically believed they were the safest. Instead, they all ignored her, trusting Winona to help them. When she heard something moving on the trail ahead, she bolted off the path and followed the others.
Though she knew she was leading them from danger, Winona didn't know exactly where she was leading them to. She tried to keep to the direction they were heading in the first place, but wasn't sure whether or not the monster would move toward them.
"Sweet Celestia! That stinks," Pinkie said suddenly as she covered her nose.
All of a sudden, with no warning at all, the pungent smell of sulfur engulfed the group. It had come from nowhere, and Winona hadn't even had time to pick up a trace of the scent growing closer.
Fear welled up in Apple Bloom, as she realized that somehow the monster had come nearer to them in almost no time at all. She looked all around at every shadow, hoping she would not see its fiery lights.
"Stay together! Everyone, stay close," Molly instructed as she goaded her friends next to each other.
Everypony huddled together, not knowing what would become of them next. Rarity held her sister close. Dash protectively darted back and forth around her friends. And all the while, they tried not to imagine how close the monster was.
"What will we do? How can we stay safe," Rarity wondered aloud.
Twilight tried to think of a plan. There was always a way out of danger if they worked together, and it would be up to her to get the plan started. First, she decided to get a general idea of where the monster was coming from. It would help if she knew what it looked like, but she felt like she would be able to identify it based on any trace of its magical essence. Briefly, her horn lit up, but stopped when she noticed something.
Somewhere in the thicket, she thought she could see something moving. Not a creature of any kind, but rather some sort of shadow that wasn't cast by anything at all. Soon, the shadow faded, and all that remained was the view beyond the thicket. Nothing but a clump of leaves, twigs and shadows beyond. But, there was something strange about what she saw.
The twigs looked like they had somehow tangled together to form some aberrant shape. It may have been the wind that had done it, or maybe it was simply her imagination. But, there was no imagining those tiny lights that began to appear. At first, she thought they may have been fireflies or glowworms, but they simply appeared as if from nowhere. Then, they were joined by more lights.
As the lights appeared, Twilight could vaguely make out the contours of something among the thicket, as if some foul night sky dotted with demonic stars had taken the shape of some creature.
Whether it was the need to know if what she saw was real or not, or to see if it may have been the creature that they were trying to avoid, Twilight took a single step forward.
Molly had been looking around for any trace of the monster, and saw Twilight staring blankly ahead as she took another small step forward. Looking in the direction she was moving, she was horrified to see the hellish embers so near.
Wasting no time, her arms extended past the others and ensnared Twilight, who was dragged to safety just as a great hand reached out for her from the shadows.
With a frenzy of shrieks, the whole group of ponies backed away from the hand, which dragged its fingers through the dirt, leaving deep grooves in the soil.
Never before did any of the ponies feel the kind of fear they felt now as they watched a monstrous shape rise before them. First, came an even more overpowering stench of sulfur, followed by embers lighting up all over the creature's body.
No time was wasted before they all went running wildly into the woods while the beast followed after them. Though they tried to stay together, the clutching panic and surrounding darkness kept any of them from doing so. Soon, they all became separated, none of them knowing if the monster was trailing behind them.
Apple Bloom ran into the darkened woods, hoping desperately that she had managed to stay with one of her friends. Nothing could be seen in the darkness, mounting the fear that she was now alone in the dark.
She listened for the sound of footsteps behind herself, only hearing the padding of Winona's four legs behind herself. Feeling she was safe from the monster, she and Winona rounded a rock and hid behind it. When the filly looked around herself, she found it was only Winona with her, and in the distance, she could see the vague shapes of her friends being chased by a mass of embers.
There was no way that Apple Bloom would leave her friends to be devoured by a monster. She cursed herself for knowing any helpful spells, though she wasn't so sure if she did it would do any good against The Wicker Man. It would have to be handled some other way.
Winona was horrified to see her filly rush toward the monster, and charged after her to keep her from danger.
As Apple Bloom ran, she slipped on something, and fell to the ground. When she looked up, she saw that she had stepped on some fallen acorns. It was the only remotely magical thing she had at her disposal, and even though she didn't know what she would do with them she picked them up anyway, along with a few nearby flowers before she continued running toward her friends.
Apple Bloom's mind raced furiously for a way to save her friends. But, she didn't know what she could do against a creatures she knew almost nothing about. All she knew was that it fed on magical creatures, and that it was vulnerable to iron. Unfortunately, there were nine magical creatures present, and no iron.
Her best bet would be to somehow head off the monster, and distract it from chasing her friends. This would be easier said than done. She would need time to think of a plan. "Winona, find a way to distract that thing," she said.
Whatever the filly was planning, Winona didn't like it one bit. But, she trusted Apple Bloom knew what she was doing, and ran ahead toward the beast.
The Wicker Man stomped after Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, swinging its arms madly as it tried to grab the fillies. Its prey was more agile than it would have liked, as the fillies kept managing to stay one leap ahead of its gnarled fingers. Next, it found a small canine creature running in front of it. Though it had very little magical essence in it, it was quite annoying the way the creature was darting around it. The monster tried to keep its focus on the fillies, but the way Winona was darting back and forth in front of it kept distracting it.
Winona dashed to the side as it grabbed for her, and had to jump over its successive swing. Once it had turned away from its quarry, it was greeted by the sight of another filly, this one with glowing orange eyes, and seeping with magical essence.
Its mind changed to go for the nearer meal, it started lumbering toward Apple Bloom, who ran down the hillside she was on with Winona.
The filly could feel the heat of the monster's body behind her, spurring her to run faster to stay ahead of its long arms. Further down the hill, the filly and dog found themselves atop a talus of large rocks, where they hopped across one to the next, while the monster behind them stomped after them.
Apple Bloom felt The Wicker Man's hand rake behind her, and caused her to fall forward and land in a crevice between two of the larger rocks. Shortly after, Winona followed her and helped her to her hooves.
Above them, they could see a mass of embers peering in and reach for them in the crevice, just barely scraping Apple Bloom's mane with every attempt.
Ahead, Apple Bloom could see an opening big enough for herself and Winona to escape through. It would only be a matter of seconds before The Wicker Man noticed it as well, forcing the two to take the chance and run. Until they heard a new noise outside.
It sounded like a heavy thumping, but not like the steps of the monster. Like it was from something much heavier. Suddenly, with a sickening crunch, the mass of embers in the crevice above them jolted forward, and through the opening ahead Winona and Apple Bloom watched the monster and a large boulder go rolling down the hill ahead of them.
"Are you alright, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle asked as she and Scootaloo both appeared in the opening above them.
"Yeah. Let's get outta here," Apple Bloom said as she and Winona exited the crevice.
"HELP!!"
At the bottom of the hillside there was a deep gulch, and on an old dead tree overlooking it was Pinkie hanging helplessly from its furthest branch. However she got there, Molly was trying to reach for her with her long, elastic hooves, though she was coming up only inches short.
"You need to reach for me, Pinkie! Try to get closer," Molly shouted as she inched closer the the edge.
"I can't! The branch is going to break if I move," Pinkie yelled as the branch she was holding onto began to creak.
Nearby, the boulder went over the cliff, with The Wicker Man only barely clinging to the ledge with one hand. Once it began to pull itself up, it noticed the two mares nearby.
Molly and Pinkie became aware of a shuffling noise, looking to see The Wicker Man slowly shimmying along the edge of the gulch toward them.
"Come on! Just try something," Molly goaded Pinkie.
Pinkie couldn't think of anything to do. Any movement she tried, and the branch threatened to break. She looked over to see the monster shuffling closer to her and Molly, leaving her no choice but to take a chance.
She swung herself toward Molly's waiting hoof, only for the branch she held onto to break.
In less than a second, Molly jumped onto the overhanging tree trunk and grabbed Pinkie's hoof. However, the weight of two mares was more than the old tree could handle, and it fell loose of the soil around it, sending the two plummeting to the river below.
In an effort to protect one another, Pinkie and Molly tightly embraced in the air, hoping to protect each other from the impact. But, they would not need to.
Their shouts for help had been heard, and Rainbow Dash swooped in to grab the two out of the air. However, their combined weight forced her to land in the gulch.
Once they landed, Pinkie and Molly both clung to Dash as though they were still aloft.
"Have you seen the others," Dash asked.
"I didn't see anypony before I ended up on that tree," Pinkie said.
"I saw Fluttershy go flying into the woods that way," Molly answered.
"Alright. Let's go there," Dash said as she took to the air and turned around.
The had only taken a few steps when they saw a mass of embers splash into the water before them. There was no choice. They had to find a way past it if they were to find their friends.
Dash swerved around the monster's arm as it reached for her, while below, Molly and Pinkie ran past it.
The monster saw the two ponies at its feet, and turned its attention to them. Molly fell when it reached for her, splashing hard in the water when she did. Above her, The Wicker Man reached to pick her up.
She tried to crawl out of the way, but the monster still managed to grab her around her waist. Molly shouted for help as she was brought closer to an opening in The Wicker Man's chest, and to her horror watched as its innards ignited with hellish flames.
Rainbow Dash tried to swoop and dive bomb the creature's head, but it proved to be sturdier than she could have imagined. Though she hit with all her force, it only slightly recoiled under her blows.
Pinkie's mind raced frantically for a way to help her friend. Fortunately, there was a boulder nearby for her to work with. Before she could even think, her hooves connected with the boulder, sending it through the air toward The Wicker Man, impacting its head and making it fall into the river, where it sizzled and steamed as its flames were extinguished.
Molly was released from its grip, and scrambled to her hooves. She slipped and fell again, and became aware of the greatly raised temperature of the water around herself, spurring her to quickly extend a hoof to Pinkie, who took hold and watched as Molly reeled herself forward.
"Are you okay," Pinkie asked as she helped her friend up.
"I-I'm fine," Molly shuddered. Her nerves were shot from almost being consumed by a monster. But, even though she survived, she knew she was going to be covered in dry brown spots when this was over, which was almost unbearable if not for the living demise behind her. Putting vanity aside, she, Pinkie and Dash all ran through the gulch ahead of the monster before it recovered its footing.
High above, the Cutie Mark Crusaders watched as their friends ran for their lives with The Wicker Man close behind them. They knew they had to do something, but not much could be done against it. It proved that despite its flimsy, lightweight appearance, it was much sturdier than any basket made from the same material. And any magic they could muster would only serve to feed the monster. But, maybe that was it.
"What can we do now," Sweetie Belle wondered aloud.
"Gimme yer matches," Apple Bloom said.
"What!? Why!?"
"Just give 'em to me! I got an idea!"
Sweetie reached into her mane and produced the matches she had packed away since their first venture to the Everfree. Apple Bloom mounded up the flowers and acorns she collected earlier, struck a match and worked the magic she had used before. She didn't know if the white paper was essential, but this was the only idea she had.
In front of them, the smoke billowed and amassed, but took no discernible shape as it had done before. In the gulch below, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle watched as The Wicker Man stopped chasing the adults and start swatting at a mass of smoke that appeared before it. They could hear its howling from where it was, but not from the image before them, as if it had been disconnected.
Soon, the smoking image in the gulch was absorbed. The fillies expected the image before them to disappear as well. Instead, it took the form of the monster and started swinging its long arms at them all. They all shrieked as the smokey appendages struck them, only to see each strike pass through them as smoke naturally would. Now in relative safety, Apple Bloom was able to wonder how The Wicker Man was able to use that kind of magic.
Scootaloo had fallen so that her head peeked over the edge. Below, she watched as The Wicker Man stopped swinging at three smokey images, and disappeared into a nearby shadow in the gulch where not even its embers shone.
No time was needed to wonder where it had gone when it was heard rampaging out of the shadows up the hill toward them. Now their friends were safe, but they were in danger once more.
Winona dashed along the edge of the gulch, leading the fillies away from the beast. Down below, she could see the adults running toward the mouth of the gulch where they would all reunite by the river. However, she knew that leading the fillies there would also bring the monster with them. Instead, she barked loudly to get somepony's attention before she and the fillies veered off into the trees.
Through the trees they ran, until they came to a grove where the trees were all thin, pale and grown closely together. Apple Bloom knew what Winona was trying to do, and knew that such an obstacle would be no problem for her and her friends, but it would impede a monster the size of The Wicker Man.
All four quickly shuffled through the pale trees, weaving around the trunks and sometimes crawling under the spots where the branches twined and grew thick. Behind them, The Wicker Man struggled to get through. Its every step was hindered by the narrow passages it had to navigate, until it could pursue them no more. Instead, it retreated the way it had come and sheltered itself in the shadows.
Ahead of the fillies, they could see Winona leading them to an exit in the brambles, but stopped when they saw Winona shuffling back toward them.
In the opening, they could see an ember-speckled leg coming toward them from the shadows under the trees. Now that the moon had come out, they could see it in greater detail when it stopped and turned away toward something else.
In the light of the moon, up in one of the trees, the fillies could see a shape like a giant fly caught in a gigantic spider web that stretched from many trees. But a closer look proved it to not be so.
The web itself was not made of the silken threads so many ponies were familiar with. Instead, it looked to be made of some kind of thick ebony cord that waved and bulged like patterns of heat. And the fly itself didn't have the shape of any insect they ever saw. It didn't have enough legs, and its wings were feathered. Now that they thought about it, it had the exact shape of a pegasus.
"Somepony get me down," Fluttershy's voice called from the web. She mustered all of her strength to strain against the webbing that held her, but however gentle her struggling was it still managed to attract attention.
From the dark branches, she saw a shape like some long, spindly leg step onto the web, followed by another, and another, and too many more. What followed next was like a nightmare come alive.
Attached to those many legs was a form like a very large spider mottled with many blacks and whites. In the dim light, Fluttershy couldn't make out the exact shape of it. And its colors, which swam about its form like fish in a pond further lent it to some amorphous terror. But, she wasn't about to make any assumptions about the creature, given the sweet disposition of many spiders around her home.
"E-Excuse me," she stammered, "I don't mean to bother you...But, c-could you please pull me loose," she timidly pleaded.
In the dark world, an attercrop was considered a blessed thing with curative properties. Many witches allowed them in their homes, and killing one was considered to bring grave misfortune. But, such a thing only applied to the hand-sized males. And Fluttershy had no way of knowing that the pony-sized females of the species were considered a homicidal menace that was to be avoided at all costs.
Venom dripped from the attercrop's mandibles, making Fluttershy think that maybe asking this creature for help wasn't the best idea. She resumed struggling against the webbing, and screamed when the creature was upon her. Fluttershy closed her eyes in anticipation of feeling its fangs pierce her flesh, when she felt a sudden tremor in the web.
Looking down, she saw The Wicker Man had grabbed ahold of one corner of the sticky entrapment. Through something that she could only describe as magic, she watched as the monster began to absorb the very web itself.
In a matter of seconds, the web had disappeared, and she and the creature fell to the forest floor. The attercrop tried to advance on Fluttershy once more, only to be grabbed by The Wicker Man.
Too frightened to move, Fluttershy only watched in horror as The Wicker Man's body began to ignite with flames and spider-thing was placed inside an opening in its chest.
The fillies had run out of their hiding place, and tried to get Fluttershy to move, only to be equally enraptured by what was unfolding before them.
Before the attercrop could escape, the reeds that made The Wicker Man's body began to weave themselves shut, imprisoning the creature inside. A sickening crisp, churning noise was heard inside the monster's body, but only barely above the shrieks the arachnid was making. But, that wasn't what had Apple Bloom's attention.
As the magic was sucked from its prey, Apple Bloom watched as the monster's flaming body took a more detailed shape. The flames that sprouted from its body cloaked it from head to toe, and flames from its head first took the shape of a bitter old pony, then morphed to a creature's unrecognizable to anypony in Equestria. But to Apple Bloom, the demonic face and horns were all too recognizable.
The flames around the head reverted back to a pony's features, while the flames around the body began to die as the attercop's charred corpse was spat out. But, inside the torso, Apple Bloom could see two dark shapes within the fire. Things that she knew were watching her, wanting to catch her at all costs, but at the same time telling her to run for her life and never look back.
Winona snapped everypony out of their trance, and managed to make them all run once more. Further into the woods, they could see the figures of three ponies rushing some distance away from them.
"MOM," Scootaloo called to the figures, getting their attention.
That was all she needed. In seemingly no time at all, one of the figures flew up to Scootaloo and tightly embraced her, before it was joined by the others.
Now, Apple Bloom, Winona, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Molly, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had found one another. The next order was to find whoever else was nearby. And their search would be spurred on by the sound of The Wicker Man's footsteps.
"We need to get out of here," Dash said quickly.
"We need to find Courtney," Apple Bloom corrected. "She's the only one who'll know what to do against that thing!"
A scream sounded, and the ponies all looked to its direction. The Wicker Man was no longer in sight, and its footsteps could be heard in the direction the scream came from.
Though unspoken, everypony made the decision to investigate the scream. When they arrived, they found a clearing like a dried basin where Rarity was cornered by the monster.
"Stay away! Stay away from MEEEEEEEE," Rarity shrieked as she fired blue bolts of magic at the beast.
Her attacks did no good, and only served to feed the monster. The Wicker Man stepped closer to her, and its body began to ignite.
No thoughts passed through Apple Bloom's head when she did what she did next. Knowing that something had to be done, she jumped into the basin and circled around the monster's side.
"Ashmead!" she called to the monster.
To everypony's horror, the monster stopped and looked at Apple Bloom.
"I know yer still in there. You an' Atticus Goodchild. Ya got eaten by that monster, an' ya been there ever since."
Somehow, Apple Bloom seemed to have intrigued the monster, which only stared curiously at her. Rarity took the opportunity to quietly rush to her friends.
When Apple Bloom saw The Wicker Man looking at her, her blood ran cold and her hairs all stood on end. "Yeah. I...I know about ya. An' I know what ya did a long time ago. Ya tried to kill the dark kin, but ya killed a bunch o' ponies too. An' even though ya killed yer own kind, ya didn't care!"
The Wicker Man took a small step forward.
"All ya wanted was to get rid o' the creatures you knew nothin' about!"
The Wicker Man stepped closer.
"Fer what!? Some made up reason!? Foalhood superstitions!? Or maybe yer just afraid o' them like my no good sister!"
The Wicker Man stepped within arm's reach of Apple Bloom.
"Well, I ain't! Ya tried to spread as much fear as ya could back then, an' ya got more ponies to cling to some baseless hate! But, it ain't gonna get me like it got my sister! I'm gonna end it, even if I gotta get rid o' ya myself!"
The Wicker Man lowered its gaze to Apple Bloom's level, wordlessly responding to her. It had spent thousands of years in isolation until it  found a way to escape, and it would do it again. No matter how many times it was sent away, it would come back when the barrier between worlds waned. And it would do so year after year after year for as long as it existed.
Apple Bloom knew she was powerless against it, and knew her end was at hoof. Hopefully, her surviving friends would find a way to put a stop to the monster. The Wicker Man reached for her, just as she saw a glimmer of blue from the shadows.
In a second, a giant shadow leapt from the darkness, revealing Bruce's snarling form as he landed on The Wicker Man's leg and tore into its hip with his claws.
Flames flared on the monster's side, forcing Bruce to let go before he stood between it and Apple Bloom, and was quickly joined by Winona, who led Apple Bloom from danger.
The Wicker Man tried to lunge for Bruce, only for its leg to be ensnared by something. Looking down, it found its leg wrapped in a tree root that was swirling with shadows. It was followed by another, which grabbed its arm. Then another which pulled it to the ground. In seconds it was cocooned in shadow-swathed tree roots, until the magic was absorbed into its body. However, it was still lashed to the ground by the roots.
From the shadows, Courtney, Applejack and Twilight emerged and joined with their friends. Apple Bloom and Winona joined shortly after, and greeted the witch.
"Courtney," Apple Bloom yelled as she threw her weight onto the witch with a forceful hug.
Applejack watched the two, feeling now like she had been replaced, and that her journey to find her sister may have been a lost cause.
"How much did ya hear," Apple Bloom asked Courtney.
"Everything. We found you as soon as you called to it," Courtney said, "Are you sure it's Ashmead?!"
"Yeah! An' Goodchild! I saw The Wicker Man change into 'em earlier! I don't know how, but they're still a part of it!"
In all her life, Courtney never would have expected such a thing could ever have happened. Now that she knew, she felt they may have a shadow of a chance to stop the monster. Nearby, the roots that bound the monster began to snap.
"We need to go somewhere safe," Courtney said.
Unfortunately, in the Everfree Forest there was almost nowhere safe to go. Everypony wracked their brains for an idea, but nothing came.
"The graveyard," Applejack blurted out. "We can stay in the graveyard 'til we get rid o' this thing!"
"What in Celestia's name gave you that stupid idea," Dash snapped.
"Trust me. We'll be safe there!"
"But what about all the monsters there," Fluttershy squeaked out.
"There ain't any monsters! It's the safest place we can go!"
"Wait! Wait! Everypony stop," Twilight interjected, "Try to think this through!"
"Which way to the graveyard," Courtney said, stopping anymore comments.
In fact, she stopped anything else from being said, as not one of them knew the way to the graveyard from where they were. However, one of them had an idea.
"It's back towards town. That way, I think," Apple Bloom answered.
Winona had come across many scents in her life, and though she had never been to a graveyard herself, she knew the individual scents of decay, stale and loose earth, and granite, and now she had to find a place where the scents mixed. But, she would never find such a thing with that overpowering stink nearby.
No warning was given when the dog ran off into the woods. Before Apple Bloom had a chance to call her back, she realized what her dog was trying to do and followed after her.
"This way," Apple Bloom called to the others. "Winona's got a plan!"
Once again, nopony knew if they could trust the dog. But, the sound of another root snapping made up their minds to follow quickly. Except for Courtney and Bruce, who stayed behind with Molly.
"Molly! Your fronds," Courtney said, noticing the brown edges of her leaves and the brown spots on her body.
"Please. Don't. Not now," Molly answered, nearly on the verge of tears.
"Right," Courtney said, before they heard more roots snap.
Bruce indicated that The Wicker Man was nearly free now.
"Let's go!"
And they ran after their friends into the woods.
Winona tried to pinpoint the direction of the graveyard, but couldn't find anything that smelled similar. Wherever it was, it must have been to far away to catch a scent. Even then, she didn't know which was the way back to town, so he had to rely on her instincts to find the way.
The dog led the others through the labyrinthine twists of the forest, hoping she was going the right direction toward town. The smell of the monster was getting fainter, meaning she was escaping it, and subsequently making it easier to find her way back to town. Though she still didn't know where she was, she began to smell the familiar scents of herself and the others on the path they first took through the woods. If she could find that scent trail, getting home would be easy.
Suddenly, as the group was headed toward a narrow passage between two large rocks, she became aware of the smell of sulfur, and every one of the travelers came to a screeching halt when the shadows in the rocky passage before them produced the demonic mass of embers.
There was no way around the path they were on, and were all about to run, until another shadow flew in from behind them and started flitting about The Wicker Man's head, distracting its attention.
Courtney, Bruce and Molly joined the group from behind. Once everypony saw they were back together, they tried to run again, but hesitated when they saw the path would take them toward The Wicker Man. Courtney coursed her magic to the side, creating a small opening. One that they would have to take if they would reach the graveyard as quickly as possible.
Taking the initiative, Apple Bloom ran first, only to find herself stopped by her sister.
"We gotta go back," Applejack insisted.
"No! We gotta get to the graveyard fast as we can," Apple Bloom rebutted.
"I ain't gonna let ya get near that thing! Ya mean too much to me, an' I ain't gonna lose ya tonight!"
Hearing her sister's words momentarily weakened Apple Bloom's struggle. But, if she really meant what she had said they would have to keep moving forward.
In a sudden burst, she escaped her sister's grip and charged toward the passage, followed by Winona and Applejack. All three weaved between the legs of the monster.
Seeing the others move prompted the others to follow. As they ran, the magical distraction Courtney had set up was mostly absorbed when it noticed the magical creatures around its feet. Though the first few made it past The Wicker Man uninhibited, the others had to avoid its grasp.
Fluttershy and Pinkie were knocked over by one of its attacks, and had their hooves caught in its hand.
Molly had already run past, but stopped when she saw her friends in the clutches of the monster. It was time for her to pay back Pinkie for saving her earlier. Arms outstretched, she began to pull The Wicker Man's hands loose from her friends, burning herself in the process as the embers cooked her skin.
Courtney had stopped as well, wanting to help her friend, but knew she couldn't use her magic, else she would feed the beast. Instead, she rushed forward and began to pry The Wicker Man's hand loose.
With its free hand, the monster tried to grab for the witch, only to be stopped by Bruce, who firmly held its hand in place, even as the embers in its body grew hotter.
Molly wanted more than anything to let go and end the pain, but when she felt the monster's fingers pulling loose, she remained adamant.
Relief came when Rainbow Dash doubled back after noticing her friends were missing, swooping in to pull Fluttershy and Pinkie free, and run past the monster.
The Wicker Man swung its body to catch the fleeing ponies. Bruce let go of its arm, allowing it to swing wildly and hit the side of the rocky passage while he escaped.
The area all around them became more familiar as they neared town. They still had some distance to run, but they were now in the home stretch of their journey.
Rainbow Dash yelped as she suddenly had to take flight when the top half of the monster leapt from the shadows and grabbed at her, before it receded back. Next, Rarity had to dive forward and ruin her mane and coat when a monstrous, ember-covered arm reached for her next.
For as long as they had been eluding the beast, it had grown agitated by its increasing hunger, and failure to sate it. It would now get them at all costs.
The edge of the forest was in view, when the group was suddenly split in two by The Wicker Man diving from the shadows between them all. The ponies to its front were grabbed at with a fierce vigor. Some of them were caught, but quickly slipped out of its grasp and stumbled forward to join their friends. The monster reached again, making Applejack fall when its hand impacted the ground just behind her. Apple Bloom quickly helped her sister to her hooves, and led her from the danger.
Now, they were past the trees and in the open field beyond. Here there would be no place to hide from The Wicker Man once it sprang from the shadows again.
Sure enough, Bruce heard the gentle swirl of the shadows nearby. Quickly turning his head, he saw nothing, until he heard a quiet whooshing noise above himself. Looking up, he saw the moonlit silhouette of The Wicker Man falling through the sky toward him like some demonic patch of midnight.
The monster fell right on top of him, trying to push the werewolf into its open chest. Though he had only a little magic in him, he was well within its grasp.
As strong as Bruce was, he was struggling to keep the monster at bay with its full weight on top of him. He clawed at its midsection with his rear legs, tearing open its body, though it did nothing to deter The Wicker Man. 
Courtney was not about to let her beloved familiar become food for some monster, and stopped to save him. She tried to push the monster over, only to be pinned to the ground by one of its hands.
Molly assisted Courtney as she had done with her other friends, and started pulling The Wicker Man's hand loose. Her strength had waned since the last time, and prevented her from prying its fingers so effectively.
Afterward, every one of the others, mare, filly and dog came to their friends' rescue. All but Applejack.
The farmpony watched as the two dark kin struggled under the might of the monster, seeing firsthoof the horrors that befell the creatures of light and dark centuries ago.
The fear in the eyes of her friends, and the dark kin on the verge of destruction brought to mind what she had said to Apple Bloom earlier that night. She had heard how this monster was created to kill the dark kin, and she had no qualms about such a thing. Paralyzed by her own feelings of abject remorse, she watched as her friends all started pushing The Wicker Man ever so slightly.
"Applejack," Apple Bloom called to her, "Help! We need you!"
Applejack knew she would never be able to face her sister once the ordeal had passed, but if she did nothing, her sister would never forgive her. She sprinted toward The Wicker Man, and thrust her hooves into its side as if she were bucking the strongest apple tree there was. She didn't manage at all to topple the monster as she intended, but did make it recoil heavily under her blow.
It was all that Bruce needed to shove his predator upward and scramble out underneath before he assisted Molly in releasing Courtney from under its grip. Now bruised and bleeding, Courtney clambered to her hooves with Molly and Apple Bloom's help. Once she was free, Bruce was able to push the monster aside, and was able to keep it pushing it down every time it tried to get up.
"Are you hurt," Molly asked.
"I think so," Courtney said, before she shouted in pain after her first step.
"Courtney! Yer leg," Apple Bloom said as she pointed to her bleeding rear leg.
"Bruce," Courtney called.
As soon as she had, her familiar ran over to her and lowered himself to allow Courtney onto his back.
"Apple Bloom! Up here," Courtney said as she extended her hoof. There was no hesitation when Apple Bloom crawled on top of Bruce's back, taking her seat in front of Courtney, and they all continued to run. "Apple Bloom, I need your help for what we're about to do," Courtney said.
"Fer what?" the filly wondered.
"We're going to perform an exorcism."
"Ya mean we're gonna get rid of a ghost?"
"Yes. We're going to purge the spirits of Ashmead and Goodchild from The Wicker Man," Courtney explained, as she held onto the filly.
"But why?" Apple Bloom asked.
"It may be the only chance we have to be rid of it."
"But, I ain't good enough to do somethin' like that! How can I help?"
"Here," Courtney said as she produced another item from her pocket of shadows. She then hoofed Apple Bloom a rolled up tube of white paper, tied with black string on either end, which smelled strongly of savory herbs. "It's sage. I'm going to need to concentrate on drawing the spirits from the monster, and I need you to burn that when I say so. Do you know any fire conjuring spells?"
"I got matches," Apple Bloom answered, having still possessed Sweetie Belle's matches.
"Oh, you saintly little filly," Courtney said as she wrapped one hoof around Apple Bloom. "Now, after I bring the spirits out, I'm going to draw Ashmead toward us. That's when I need you to bind him with the smoke from that sage. Just command the smoke toward him and do your very best to imagine the smoke as binding chains, or ropes, or anything, so long as it will restrain him."
"What about Goodchild? He'll be caught too, won't he?"
"No. Him, we need. He sent The Wicker Man away once, he can do it again."
Once Apple Bloom comprehended the witch's plan, a smile spread across her face. However powerful this monster was, she was going to have a part in doing away with it, and save all of her friends.
The graveyard was in sight now, and the beast was never far behind them. The closer they came, the higher their hopes rose for salvation. Until they were close enough to see the gates locked tight for the night.
Rainbow Dash could have easily flown over to safety, but wasn't about to leave her friends behind. She rattle the locked gate, desperately trying to get inside, though the metal gate was too strong for her.
She stepped back when Bruce grasped the gate in his hands, bellowing in pain as he held the iron construct. As horrible as the pain was, he was able to rattle the gate loose from the stone walls. Once he had, Dash and Applejack both rammed the gate for all they were worth, knocking it loose from its hinges, allowing the company to enter.
Now inside, Courtney could put her plan into play. She tried to cast her magic at the approaching monster, sending arms of shadow reaching for it. However temporary, she had to find a way to restrain it, only to her magic quickly absorbed. There were no objects to manipulate here. Nothing would lash it to the ground as the tree roots had done earlier.
The Wicker Man approached closer, leaving no escape. Dash tried one more desperate attempt to attack the monster, only to be swatted aside and sprain her wing on the stone wall. Everypony could only watch in horror as their demise stepped ever closer to them.
In her final moments, Apple Bloom wanted to be with somepony she trusted. Even in the face of her death, she would go with somepony she loved. Slowly, she stepped by Applejack's side and held her hoof, conveying that she had not quite forgiven her sister's trespasses, she would always be her sister no matter what.
Applejack put her hoof around Apple Bloom, holding her closely to herself as The Wicker Man came. It was her who had suggested they escape to the graveyard, and now, because of her, they were trapped. There would be no spirits protecting them, and if they were it would only be too late when they came.
Everypony else took the Apple sisters' example, and held one another for their final moments. Then, salvation came.
It started as a mist rising from a single grave before them. Then it rose from another, and another, until every grave produced a ghastly fog. Each one took the shape of a pony, all recognized by at least one of the living as somepony who passed away before. The phantoms passed from behind them, and surrounded the ponies from all sides as they drifted by.
The Wicker Man grasped for each of the spirits, only for its hands to pass through them. Soon, it was overwhelmed, and bellowed loudly as it was pushed against the cemetery wall.
"What the hay are these things," Rainbow Dash asked as she watched the phantoms pass by.
"They look like..." Fluttershy swallowed hard before she squeaked out her next word, "Ghosts..."
"That's impossible! There's never been any documentation of a--" Twilight stopped herself there. After everything else that had been happening, she wasn't about to say that ghosts didn't exist. After all, she was standing next to a werewolf at that very moment.
Scootaloo gasped when she saw her mother and father pass by on either side of her. Neither one acted like they acknowledged her, and the filly wanted to go after them, only to by restrained by Rainbow Dash as her birth parents drifted toward The Wicker Man.
"It's time. Apple Bloom, we need to start now," Courtney said as she hesitantly limped the monster.
Apple Bloom stayed with her sister for only a moment longer. She knew that if she stepped forward, she would truly begin her first foray into becoming a witch. Once she had, she would cease to be the Apple Bloom her sister loved. After lingering with her sister, she gently removed Applejack's hooves from around herself. "Watch Applejack fer a bit," she said to Winona before she joined Courtney's side.
Even though The Wicker man was restrained, there was still one problem that needed to be solved. "How are we gonna stop it? It just absorbs any magic ya have, an' it only stops when it's feedin'?"
The look on Courtney's face told Apple Bloom that the witch had forgotten that fact. After so long, after so much tribulation, their effort was for naught. Then, a smile crawled onto her face as she realized she had just the thing to best the monster.
Reaching into her pocket of shadows, Apple Bloom watched Courtney retrieve a white bag. Though she had no idea what was inside, Courtney had finally found a use for her memory powder.
The bag levitated in the air, held aloft by the shadowy magic of the witch before it shot forward into the opening in the monster's chest. In a matter of seconds, flames sprouted from within The Wicker Man as it absorbed any magic the powder had. Now, the witches' work could begin.
"Atticus Goodchild! Ashmead! I call you forth from your prison of reeds and fire! In the name of all the dark kin and light-dwellers who had lost their lives those centuries ago, I command you to reveal yourselves!"
The Wicker Man howled loudly as the same spectral mist from before seeped out of its face. Before the eyes of all present, it took the shape of a demonic pony. The the others, it was the most evil-looking creature they had ever seen, but for Apple Bloom and any one of the dark kin, it was to be their salvation. However, though Goodchild had come willingly, the spirit of Ashmead remained obstinate.
"You will not be allowed to remain! You will exit your vessel and face those you have wronged!"
As Apple Bloom listened, she recalled everything she knew about Ashmead, the single most despicable pony she had ever read about since Nightmare Moon. In fact, Ashmead was worse that her. Nightmare Moon never killed anypony ever. Ashmead had killed several, and would have continued to do so. Perhaps even create more monsters to carry out his will. It was all the filly could take before she burst forth.
"Ashmead! Ya get yer sorry flank out here NOW," she shouted to the spirit. "After all ya did to those creatures, yer gonna finally own up fer yer crimes! Ya can't hide in that monster forever, 'cause I got half a mind to get in there an' kick ya out myself!"
More mist came from the monster, taking the barely recognizable shape of a pony.
"Get out here! I ain't gonna let this go on anymore! I'm gonna get ya outta there, an' end any memory o' you I can!"
The mist took the shape of Ashmead while Apple Bloom readied a match.
"Get outta there," Apple Bloom forcefully commanded.
Ashmead looked at Apple Bloom.
"I SAID GET OUT!!"
Ashmead shot right toward the filly, stopping Courtney's heart by the sight.
Applejack rushed forward and put her hooves around her sister to pull her from danger, just as the match was struck and the sage was ignited.
Smoke from the herbs protectively swirled around the Apple sisters, stopping Ashmead's spirit in its tracks. Apple Bloom was shocked by what she had just accomplished, but couldn't stare. She still had work to do. She did as Courtney instructed her, and cast the smoke forth as chains to bind a beast. Ashmead was overwhelmed, but Apple Bloom still wasn't finished. Before she could start, she watched something else happen.
A thread of light came from Goodchild's spirit, taking the form of a creature more sorrowful and lingering with regrets than Apple Bloom had ever seen. It then shot itself into The Wicker Man's chest, right through the closed reeds. For anypony watching, one could imagine its face twisting in agony and fear if it had any discernible features, as though the entirety of Goodchild's woes had been transferred to its very being.
"Fer as long as you exist, nopony's gonna see yer face again! Yer gonna be nothin' but a distant memory, like a speck o' dust flyin' on the wind higher than any creature can see ya! You'll have no comforts from the cold an' loneliness batterin' ya like the kind ya tried spreadin' from yer own beatin' heart! An' the only way folk'll remember ya is when they hear yer distant screamin' from the roof o' the sky!"
A strong wind blew through the graveyard, threatening to blow away anypony lighter than the smallest foal. Whoever he could hold, Bruce clasped anypony he could in his massive arms breadth. Everypony else simply clung to his sides as the wind blew around them all.
Ashmead's spirit tried to resist the wind, but the smoke that bound him was snuffed out, and he was sent screaming high into the atmosphere until he was completely out of sight, though his agonized scream lingered on until it was drowned out by another noise.
The Wicker Man let out one last mournful howl when the flames and embers that dotted its body were snuffed out, and the dark magic that gave it life was purged from its being, sending shadows slithering over headstones and ponies alike, until they scattered about the land, never to reunite.
Soon, The Wicker Man's cry stopped, and it let out one last pitiful noise like a whimper as it fell to the ground. Its body began to crumble as it sent one last reproachful look to Apple Bloom.
The filly wasn't intimidated in the least. Her glowing orange eyes sent back a stare that told The Wicker Man that it had been defeated, and would never come back to haunt the worlds of light or dark ever again. And she conveyed her victory until the monster was reduced to a pile of ash.
With a shudder, Apple Bloom realized what she had done and fell into her sister's embrace. Winona followed next, checking if Apple Bloom was hurt, and licking her face when she found her filly to be perfectly fine. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and everypony else rushed to Apple Bloom's side, while Molly and Bruce went to Courtney.
"What--the bloody hell--just happened," Molly said, breathing deeply between each sentence.
"Apple Bloom. She...She did that," Courtney answered, at a loss for words. There were no novels or poetry in her library that she could reference for anything similar that had ever happened in any one of them. Seeing Apple Bloom call forth an evil spirit and cast it away with such a powerful curse beat every one of them.
Apple Bloom received all manner of congratulations from her friends and sister, but it all ceased when Apple Bloom put everypony's attention the ghosts of the graveyard.
One by one, each one disappeared to continue their eternal rest. Once all the others had gone, the only two left were Scootaloo's birth parents, smiling warmly at their daughter and the mare who took her in, conveying their eternal love for their filly before they too returned to their graves. After them, there was one last spirit.
Red Sky remained, staring at Apple Bloom as he always did before. However, he did not look away this time when he saw Apple Bloom staring back at him. Instead, he drifted toward her and stopped closely in front of his former classmate as he had done before. Then, he lifted his hoof to show something to Apple Bloom.
On his hoof remained the golden ring Apple Bloom gave him last night. Apple Bloom knew what he meant by showing her. Even though the two would be separated by life and death, and even time itself, he would never stop loving her and would rest peacefully knowing this.
Apple Bloom knew what would happen next, and was both terrified and excited for what was to come. She saw Red Sky close his eyes, and felt him gently press his cold, misty lips against her cheek.
Despite the disgusted groans of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle for kissing a colt, Apple Bloom didn't care. She had found her first love, and would carry it with her for all her days.
Though the kiss lasted less then a second, it seemed a blissful eternity. Red sky faded from existence back to his resting place, leaving Apple Bloom with nothing more than his memory.
It was too much for Courtney to bear. With a quiet swoon, she rested her head on Molly's shoulder and hugged her friend. Such a thing as a child coming to know their first love was wonderful to read about, but to see it for herself was truly wondrous. That is, before Courtney sharply gasped. "The Hallow!!"
"What did you say," Sweetie Belle asked.
"It's what they call Nightmare Night where they're from," Apple Bloom explained.
"Yes! And it's almost over," Courtney said as she pointed her hoof to the gradually brightening horizon.
"Oh dear! Oh no! I can't stay in this light for a whole year," Molly said, nearly in a panic, "How would a face my public if I--" She then realized how much she had already withered and burned.
"It's alright! When we get home, you can have all the blood you want from me," Courtney said as she hastily sprinkled chalk on the ground.
"Can I really," Molly asked unsurely.
"You can bleed me dry if you must."
"And can we make it into blood pudding?"
"Yes! Anything you want."
Molly squealed giddily at the idea of getting more of her favorite treat while her friend quickly finished the magic symbol.
Though she was much more deliberate when doing such a thing, time was of the essence, and Courtney couldn't afford to waste a second. In record time, she finished the symbol, and conjured a doorway between the worlds.
"Oh, thank goodness," the witch sighed, having slightly doubted she would be able to go home now that The Hallow had nearly ended. "Anyone going to Macabria must go now. Otherwise, you'll be stuck here for the next year."
The urgency of Courtney's voice slightly put the ponies on edge, but the truth in her words spurred them forward. With a quick goodbye, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were helped toward the doorway by their respective guardians, though Rarity quickly backed away when she got too close. After the fillies Molly followed, shortly by Bruce who allowed Winona to join him. The dog stopped for a brief moment to look at Apple Bloom, but was assured by her werewolf friend that she would be along before they both passed through the darkness.
Now, the only ones left to depart were Courtney and Apple Bloom. Despite the urgency, the witch allowed her young friend to say what she needed to her sister before she left.
"Apple Bloom," Applejack began. "I'm sorry. Fer everything. Please, don't go thinkin' o me as some kind o' monster that tried to stop ya from takin' the path ya want. I...I want ya to go to yer witch friend's home an' learn about yer new magic. An' I want ya to make as many friends as ya can. An' please, no matter how long yer gone, don't change at all."
"It's alright, Applejack," the filly said. "Nothin's ever gonna change between us. No matter what, yer always gonna be my big sis." The two sisters held one another reaffirming the bond between them that could never be broken. Apple Bloom reached into her mane, untied her bow and placed it in Applejack's hooves. "I want ya to have this before I go. Just so I'll always kinda be around home when I'm gone."
When she was given the ribbon, Applejack briefly held her sister's hooves before she began walking toward the doorway between worlds. Applejack's lip trembled as she held her sister's bow, the only part of Apple Bloom that would be around Sweet Apple Acres anymore.
"NO," Applejack shouted as she charged forward and embraced the filly.
Apple Bloom was taken completely by surprise when she felt her sister's hooves wrap tightly around her, and felt the tears streaming down her face.
"Don't go, Apple Bloom! Yer my whole world! Yer everything that keeps me goin'! An' ya make everything better when things're at their worst! I don't wanna live my life without ya! Please, stay here! Don't leave me alone like this!"
Apple Bloom put her hooves around her sister's shoulders, and allowed her time to cry some more. She had never seen Applejack so vulnerable before, and almost didn't know what to say to her. But, taking the lessons she had learned from her since she was born, she decided simply to tell the truth.
"I ain't leavin' ya, Applejack. You'll see me again. Next Nightmare Night."
The words resonated in Applejack's mind, and hesitantly, she released her sister and allowed her to approach the shadowy gateway.
Once Apple Bloom reached the door between the worlds of light and dark, she stopped to look once more at her sister.
When Applejack locked her gaze on the glowing orange eyes before her, she felt something that was broken become restored. Locking eyes with her sister, she felt all the previous disappointment and disdain replaced by pride and sadness. A feeling which lingered on long after Courtney guided Apple Bloom through the doorway which sealed itself as the barrier between worlds grew stronger.
Once her sister had left, Applejack sat in grass among the tombstones, wishing that she could have held Apple Bloom for just a second longer before she left. She removed her hat, allowing her mane to flow in the breeze as she ran her sister's ribbon through her hooves and ruminated about what she would now do without Apple Bloom in her life.
After several seconds of silence, she saw a pair of pink hooves embrace her from behind, followed by a yellow pair. Soon, all of her friends had gathered around her to offer their comforts.
High above the cemetery, a dark figure watched them all. The old seasons were done away with, and a new future awaited Equestria. It's work now complete, it faded away with the darkness as the sun rose over the horizon.
> Epilogue: A World United
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Epilogue

A World United


A year had passed since Apple Bloom had gone to Macabria, and much had changed since then. Now that the year had gone, Applejack had been busily preparing for her sister's return. And, with her costume on, she was ready to greet her when she arrived.
Since Apple Bloom had been gone, the two sisters had been communicating through smoke channeling. The first time it happened, Applejack was startled to see the smokey image of a slender-legged, pointed faced filly, but more so at the upright, bipedal postures of Courtney and Molly.
Through their regular contact, Applejack learned much about the dark world and the ways of its inhabitants. And about the flora and the fauna there until she no longer feared them. At least, the ones she learned were nothing to be afraid of. Male attercrops were fine, females were dangerous. Bluecaps were friendly, and redcaps were to be avoided. And don't ever, ever say the word 'wendigo' aloud.
Merrily, Applejack placed a saucer of cream in the corner of the living room before she trotted out the door, whistling all the while, and without her lantern. Outside, Applejack went to the orchard, but not before she placed the apple pie she carried on the front porch.
She met up with Big Macintosh in the grove of dark trees, which had grown red, ripe fruits since last years harvest. He had already packed up the cart with buckets full of fruit ready to be sold for Nightmare Night, and prepared the apple stand for his sister. "Howdy, Big Mac," Applejack greeted her brother, "Ya got them essen fruits packed up?"
"Eeyup," he answered. Though he sounded the same as ever, his face conveyed the excitement he felt to see his youngest sister again that night. He had planned to surprise her with his costume as well.
"What about Granny? Ya got her too?"
"Loaded up, an' ready to go," Granny called from the back of the cart. She planned on surprising not just her youngest granddaughter, but the whole town as well. When she saw the smokey image of Molly, and the dress she wore, Granny knew exactly what she was going to wear for Nightmare Night. Her family found the revealing dress nauseating, but Granny felt like wearing it made her think she was a young mare once more.
"Alright, let's go! We got us a witch to greet," Applejack said as she hitched herself to the apple stand and trotted off with a spring in her step.
The trip to Ponyville was shorter than it normally took. When they arrived, the whole town had changed for the festival.  All the decorations were up, and ponies were dressed in their costumes. From the shadows, Applejack thought she could see more of the creatures of the darkness peering at her. However, she paid them no mind, and simply walked by as she had done in the weeks leading up to Nightmare Night.
The stall was set up, the fruits were put on display, and the Apple family was ready to receive whoever may come to them. First customers of the night, two young colts.
"Well, hey there, boys," Applejack greeted. "Didn't I see ya here last year?"
"You bet you did," one of the foals answered, "And we're here for more of those caramel apples you had last year. Got any?"
"Here ya go, fellas," Applejack answered as she produced two caramel apples for the foals, "Ya'll remember the price?"
"Yup. Two bits each," the other foal said as he and his friend both paid their fee.
"An' how about I throw a couple o' these in. Free o' charge," Applejack said as she tossed each foal an essen fruit.
"What's this? Some kind of peach apple?"
"That there's a special apple I grew just fer Nightmare Night," Applejack answered, "Nutritious as they ever were, dang tasty, an' there's a special surprise after the first bite."
"I gotta try one of these," the first colt said, before he and his friend left. "Thanks."
Applejack watched the foals go, eagerly awaiting their shocked reaction after the first bite.
"I ain't so sure about this," Big Macintosh said.
"Aw, come on. It's just a bit o' fun. I remember when you younguns took a bite o' those fruits last year. Ya almost jumped through the ceilin' when ya saw 'em gushin' that red juice," Granny chuckled before the all heard the foal's frightened shrieks down the road.
"Applejack! Applejack! Are they here yet!"
Rainbow Dash came flying in from they sky, and landed hard on the ground in her Nightmare Night costume.
"Dang! Y'all look awfully...feminine this year," Applejack observed.
"Yeah, I've been working on it all year! Where's Scootaloo," Dash excitedly asked.
"She ain't here yet."
"What!? But we talked about this! We agreed to meet here in the market square at the apple stand!"
"We never picked a time," Applejack said, matter of factly.
"Yes we did," Dash rebutted.
"Nope. We just said here at the apple stand on Nightmare Night."
"That's not what we said! We said it would be here in town square, at the stand on Nightmare Ni-- Aw crud! We didn't pick a time," Dash finally realized.
"Am I late! Did I miss my sister's arrival," Rarity said as she uncharacteristically galloped to the apple stand.
"Nope. We still got time to wait for 'em," Applejack said. "Heck of a costume ya got there."
"Do you like it," Rarity said as she showed off her costume for the festival. It had taken her much trial and error, but finally, she replicated the fiery dress that she had seen Molly wear the year before. She didn't manage to actually fashion it out of flames, but she replicated it in a way that made it appear so. Though now, the gown was made to appeal more to her own glamorous tastes. "I see that you've picked a similar costume," Rarity noticed Dash wearing her own version of the gown.
"Yeah! This is a gown that I can wear," Dash said.
"That is not a gown at all," Rarity remarked. "Observe. A gown has two key features: a tight fitting bodice, and a flared, billowing lower section," Rarity said as she showed the example on herself. She also took the time to show off her accessories as well. Her jeweled rings, bracelets, earrings and tiara all glimmered like firelight on her body, and matched wonderfully with the arm length gloves and stockings she wore.
"You, on the other hoof," Rarity continued, "Have made a bodysuit. A full bodied, one-pieced outfit meant to cover everything from the neck down. Though, I must say, you've done well to accessorize." Rarity stepped back to notice the flame pattern that covered the whole suit that gave the illusion of rolling flames when Dash moved. That, along with the wonderfully color coordinated thigh-high stiletto heeled boots and goggles made her a sight to behold. "Though I must ask: how did you manage to get that figure in only a week?"
None of Dash's friend's had seen her all week. Dash said that she had to get in shape if she was going to show up Molly for who looked better in their fiery outfit. Now that she had reappeared, Dash suddenly looked much more shapely and toned.
Applejack was doubtful that such a thing was real, and decided to investigate.
"Hey! What the buck are you doing," Dash said as she felt Applejack's hoof prodding her leg.
"I thought so. Foam implants under the suit so ya get those nice toned legs," Applejack said.
"Oh, I see," Rarity said next, "And is this a corset I feel under here?"
"Ya also stuffed the chest area."
"And you're using those high heels to appear taller."
"An' don't think I didn't notice yer wearin' makeup an' mane product."
"And is this another foam implant in your flank?"
"Alright already," Dash yelled as she pushed her friends away, having had enough of being poked and prodded. "So what if I did a little modification. Just don't tell anypony about the flank implants."
"Folks ain't gonna need us to tell 'em," Applejack said.
"Applejack!"
From somewhere down the road, Applejack heard a familiar voice call to her that made her heart flutter. Looking to its source, she saw an orange-eyed shadow in the darkness down the road running toward her.
With a bright smile, Applejack abandoned her post at the apple stand and ran to greet her sister, and the two received each other with the warmest hug either one ever gave.
"I'm back! An' I got so much to show ya! An' Granny! An' Big Macintosh," Apple Bloom said, as she tried greet her other family members, only to find herself caught in her sister's embrace.
"Well, come on, youngun. The rest of us wanna see our baby filly," Granny chuckled.
"Ee-Yup," Big Macintosh said, much more enthusiastically.
"Sorry. Here ya go," Applejack conceded.
Now that she had, she regretted not holding onto her sister, the very same way she had one year ago that night. However, her feelings subsided slightly when Winona heartily greeted her by viciously licking her face.
"Alright! Alright! I'm happy to see ya too," Applejack said as she greeted her overjoyed pet.
"She missed you every day since she left," said another familiar voice. Looking up, Applejack was greeted by the blue-eyed silhouette of her sister's teacher and caretaker. "Hello, Applejack. I'm sure it's nice to see you again."
"Hey there, Courtney," Applejack greeted. "How ya been?"
"Since we spoke the other day about meeting here: only as well as I can."
"What's that mean?"
"Only that ever since our worlds started crossing the fillies have been bounding off the walls to get back here," Molly explained.
Since they returned to Macabria, Molly's burns and dry spots had been healed, and her shapely figure had been maintained by regular bloodletting. Now, she was back to her glorious splendor that Pinkie helped her attain.
While Courtney and Molly maintained an armslength relation with Applejack, and offered their best greetings, Bruce stayed back and glared at the farmpony.
"Yer pet's still sore 'bout his hand, huh," Applejack asked.
"You might say that. More precisely, you could say he's only not going to your home and tearing your mattress to shreds is because Winona asked him to behave," Courtney answered.
With a low, throaty growl, Bruce slightly bared his teeth, until Winona let out a short, yet authoritative bark, making the larger canine take a small step back.
The situation was diffused by a sudden, "Wah ha hah!" When everypony looked, they all saw Rarity and Sweetie Belle bouncing up and down. Nopony knew what for, until they saw Sweetie Belle's flank adorned with a mark of a magical seal with a shadow of some indistinguishable beast in front of it.
"I got it for learning about the creatures from the dark world. Molly taught me everything she knows about them, and then we learned even more about them from all kinds of experts. She even taught me a few performing tricks. Watch this," Sweetie Belle said before she beckoned Bruce over to her.
Quickly, she hopped onto Bruce's back when he offered her his hand, and readied her trick. Bruce lowered himself, and jumped as high as he could and executed a somersault which ended with him landing on all fours. All the while, Sweetie Belle was walking forward so that it was as if she wasn't moving as all, and remained in the very same spot as when she started.
All around, ponies watched in awe of the spectacle and approached the two to examine the strange creature, some recognizing Bruce from when they saw him last year.
"Scoots! You got a cutie mark too," Dash noted, "What's this for?"
"I got mine for seances and clairvoyance," Scootaloo said as she showed off her picture of a crystal ball surrounded by mist.
"Who the hay taught you that," Dash asked, brimming with pride for her filly.
"Courtney's mom taught me. She's here in Ponyville somewhere, but Twilight caught us to ask about witch magic, so Courtney left her to answer a whole list of questions," Scootaloo answered.
"You should have seen the vein bulging in her forehead," Molly chuckled.
"Had I an instrument, I could have kept rhythm by its throbbing," Courtney added.
"Ya brought yer mom here," Applejack asked.
"I convinced her to come see the world of light. More, Molly, Bruce and I had to shove her through the portal. Of course, some of our other friends came as well after we told them about this place," Courtney said.
Hearing that made Applejack take a look around herself, and made her wonder if maybe the ponies around her may actually be the dark kin in absolutely no costumes.
"This looks like a good spot," said a pony who looked like he was made of wood with hinged joints. He was accompanied by a griffin with a wickedly curved beak who carried a clarinet, and what looked like four disembodied hooves carrying an upright bass. All three set up at the fountain across from the apple stand. "You ladies don't mind if we play here," the wooden pony asked.
"Play all ya want. I can't hear much anythin' these days, so be as loud as ya want," Granny answered.
"Right," the griffin said as they all started playing.
"Courtney," said a shadowy, amorphous pony-shaped creature that mysteriously appeared from the nearby shadows, "Your mother has sent me to tell you that one Twilight Sparkle is driving her mad. She demands that you separate the two."
"Tell mother to go to the Golden Oaks Library. That should prove helpful," Courtney answered.
And with that, the shadowy shape disappeared into the darkness.
"Well, woodja take a look at that, girl," said a pony who appeared to be made of shadows, and wearing a heavy coat and wide hat. He was leading around a pony with a mane that drifted about and solid white eyes. "It's like we wandered inna yeer home."
Across the square were a whole family of ponies. The mother looked around as if she had rediscovered something precious that she had lost. Though her words conveyed broken thoughts, she seemed as though she were happier now than she had ever been with her husband and children.
"Zachary, dear, you must not look so blue," Zecora said as she led around another zebra who was trying not to make eye contact with anypony, "The ponies here would never harm you."
Slowly, Zachary lifted his head, and his gaze was matched by the gentle stare of Fluttershy, who for the first time in years left her house on Nightmare Night, and was wearing a bunny costume. To her side, she was accompanied by her werewolf friend.
"Fluttershy! How good to see you around," Zecora greeted.
"Hello, Zecora. Um, who's this with you," the pegasus asked.
"This is my brother, Zachary. He is new in town."
"Your face..." Zachary began, "Yours is the gentlest I have ever seen. So innocent and pure, as a morning's dewy sheen."
"Oh! Um, thank you," Fluttershy said as she hid behind her mane. "Um...I think I want to be with my friends now."
"Very well. Then we shall leave you be. I'm sure there is more my brother would like to see."
The two zebras left, though Zachary looked over his shoulder at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy flushed red and continued toward her friends with Flipper by her side.
"Fluttershy! Darling, you've actually come," Rarity greeted.
"O-Of course," Fluttershy answered. "I would never miss your sister coming home. Did you learn anything new while you were away?"
"You bet we did," Scootaloo said as she, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom all showed off their cutie marks.
Applejack was awed by the sight of her sister's cutie mark, which she hadn't seen yet. It was the most glorious sight of a sapling growing from a mound of soil with a magical sigil drawn underneath it. "How come ya didn't tell us about this before," Applejack asked.
"We wanted to surprise y'all," Apple Bloom answered as she showed off her mark. "I got mine 'cause o' how much I learned about witchcraft, an' usin' it fer agriculture. Now I can help out in the orchard like the rest o' ya! By the way, just since I'm back: can I have my bow back?"
"Ya mean this," Applejack asked as she lifted up her hat to reveal the pink bow tied in her mane, "Come an' get it."
The Apple sisters had greatly missed roughhousing with one another. Both sisters laughed merrily every time that Apple Bloom missed reaching for her bow every time Applejack stepped out of her reach. Finally, Apple Bloom charged forward and tried to grapple with her sister.
"Hey! Easy on the costume," Applejack said.
Apple Bloom honored her sister's wish, and stepped back, but she wasn't about to let her bow get away. Using what she had learned, she surrounded the pink bow with shadowy magic and untied it from her sister's mane, levitated it over to her own, and magically tied it.
"Can't keep a good witch down," Apple Bloom said. "Say, that's a pretty snazzy costume, sis."
"I know. I saw Rarity makin' somethin' like this, an' asked her to make on fer me," Applejack said.
It came to everypony's attention that Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were all wearing quite similar costumes. Rarity's looked like a formal gown, Dash's looked like sportswear, but Applejack had chosen a more rustic look with what looked more like a cowmare's outfit, complete with a fiery vest and trousers.
"I got me one too," Dash said as she showed off her figure to Molly. "So, what do you say? Can I pull this off, or what?"
Molly glanced to Courtney, and exchanged a smirk. Both had heard much of Dash's competitive nature and assumed that this behavior had something to do with it. However, they both had an idea to make their own versions of said costume.
With a sudden burst of coordinated steps, Molly danced about while Courtney worked her theatrical magic. Both mares stopped back to back with their hooves on each other's hips, showing their cutie marks for the first time. Courtney's was a spotlight with a five pointed star in its beam, while Molly's was a spotlight shining on two masks, one smiling and the other frowning.
Both were engulfed in flames, which when they died, both were dressed in flaming clothes. Courtney had donned a similar outfit to what she conjured in Dash's house, only she removed the sleeves and put a slit in one of the legs. Molly's had taken an even more revealing appearance, now becoming a two piece outfit that barely covered anything on her, complete with the flaming accessories that matched Courtney's.
"Keep trying," both mares said together.
All around, hooves clopped on the ground in a round of applause at the spectacle.
"Thank you! We'll be here all night," Courtney said, earning a chuckle from Molly. "What?"
"Who says that anymore?"
"Oh, bugger off."
"Hey, why don't y'all perform? There's a stage thattaway, an' I bet Mayor Mare won't mind ya usin' it when she's done givin' her speech," Apple Bloom suggested.
"That sounds absolutely lovely," Courtney said.
Molly only giggled and trembled at the idea of performing for a whole crowd of the adorable equines.
"Would you like to come with us," Courtney asked the fillies.
"Yeah--" Apple Bloom stopped herself. "Actually, I think I wanna stay with my family fer now."
After a year had gone, Courtney had gotten used to spending time with her young friend. Now, they were all reunited with their families, and choosing to stay with them. Though it hurt her slightly, she completely understood their decision.
"I see. Molly, shall we be off?"
"Yes!"
With that one word, Molly grabbed Courtney's hoof and pulled her away toward the direction the stage was indicated. Before they left, however, Courtney stopped to ask Bruce to look after Apple Bloom until she returned. With a thump of his tail, the werewolf went about playing with Winona and Flipper in the fountain square.
"This is going to be the biggest step of our career: performing for an entire crowd from another world," Molly said excitedly.
"Yes, yes. One small step to send us hurtling forward to the glitz and glamour of cross-world adulation," Courtney answered.
"I'm sorry, are you jealous?"
"Of what?"
"Of Applejack. Apple Bloom chose to stay with her sister, and now you're going to spend the rest of the night sulking about it."
Courtney said nothing.
"Now, Courtney. You may have spent the year teaching her how to be a witch, but it was her sister who made her the pony she is today. You heard the stories about Applejack and how they spent so much time together. With a bond like that, of course she'd choose her sister over you."
Courtney smiled at the truth in her friend's words.
"It won't be so bad at all. We can perform for the public, maybe do an encore or two, and if we have time, why don't we visit Pinkie Pie to see if she has any--"
"--Blood pudding," Pinkie offered as she appeared in front of Molly wearing her lollipop costume. In her bandaged hoof she held a small bowl of the savory treat.
"YES," Molly shouted as she reached out and embraced Pinkie. Courtney used her magic to pull the bowl out of danger and allowed her friend to express her appreciation.
High above the celebration, highter than any bird, pegasus, or speck of dust could fly a faint noise sounded, like a distant screaming. Though nopony heard it. And to those who did, they would only forget it as soon as they had, leaving the owner forgotten to the winds above.