“You do not seem surprised to see me here, young magus.” Grandmother Carrot fixed me with a mocking smile, seemingly unconcerned that I held her with my shadows.

She now appeared different from when I had last seen her. While already a venerable mare, she appeared a century older. Any substance of flesh had long since withered away, leaving a husk with naught but sinew hanging off her bones. Her mane had done no better by her transformation; bald spots dotted her coat, and all that remained of her mane and tail were a few scraggly strands. Even her cutie mark, a black cauldron, now looked as though it had rusted. Had the Dreamscape’s magic and my exorcism not revealed that this was indeed Grandmother Carrot, I may not have recognized her. Whatever glamour of transformation she had been using had managed to hide the true from that now stood before me.

“Neigh, I am not." I tightened the hold of my shadows and frost started creeping onto her skin. "Though thou dost not appear as I last remember."

"Ah suppose not." She looked at one of her cracked hooves in a dismissive manner. "Though Ah admit, sometimes even Ah forget this is how Ah really look. When one uses magic to hide one’s appearance all the time, it becomes easy to forget what is under it all. Oh, Ah do miss being young. To be so young, so bold, so confident in oneself. To be filled with vim and vinegar. Those were the days."

"Aye, I see that has long since changed.” I looked her wizened and frail form up and down. “I have seen corpses more comely than thee.”

"Watch yer tongue," she snapped at me. "Did yer mother never teach you to respect yer elders?"

I glanced over at Carrot Root and noted that at least his screaming had stopped, and that his eyes were now shut. Maybe if there was some justice in the world, he could at least be asleep in this nightmare. "My elders? Aye. Warlocks and monsters on the other hoof? Neigh. Thou shalt receive nothing but my scorn and enmity."

Grandmother Carrot sneered. "A monster, am I? That is a harsh thing to level against a pony."

“I think not.” I let out a long breath, which misted in the cold air. “Not when one considers thy true nature.”

One of her eyebrows raised. “Oh, is that so? Pray tell, what is my true nature then?”

I drew upon a lifetime of reading, of all the times where my mother had made me read monster tomes front to back and then question me on their contents; there are near innumerable creatures out there to study, but being able to identify them from memory was important to a magus’ very survival. I took in all the facts I had about the magics I had seen thus far and of the form of the Carrot matriarch. Something in the Dreamscape and of the magic of the exorcism beckoned to my thoughts. I had revealed Grandmother Carrot, pulled her into the moonlight to let me see her for what she truly was. A spark of inspiration lit, and I stared at her squarely.

“Thou art a foul creature known as hag,” I declared. “Either born naturally from another hag or the result of making vile pacts with creatures of evil and power. They are known for their dark magics, their decrepit forms, and the evil which goes to the very pit of their souls. All of those seem to fit thee quite well. They also possess some sort of transformation or veil to hide their true forms. There is also the fact they tend to form covens, usually of three, which allow them to make their third eye, a gem with considerable power that allows them to use even greater magics.” I could not help but smile triumphantly. “Doth that sound right to thee?” (1)

1. All of this is supposition even today. Being prone to hide their presence and keeping their secrets, not much is known with absolute certainty about hags.

The humor in Grandmother Carrot evaporated and was replaced with a deep frown. “My, you think you are a clever filly, do you not?”

Her sour look confirmed to me that I was right in my declaration. “A life of study was no small help,” I said with a shrug. “Thou being a hag would explain much of what I have seen and heard. That would help explain how thou wast able to murder thy victims with none being the wiser. As the town herbalist, ‘twould not have been difficult to get ponies to trust thee. Add the aid of mind spells and other subtle magics, and ‘twould be a simple affair to make ponies seem to have disappeared. Such things have been done in the past.”

Grandmother Carrot snorted derisively. “You are a smug one. Ah should have expected as much from a magus. Figure out all of this on yer own?”

‘Twould seem that the elderly Carrot was becoming irritated by how close I was to the truth. That was good; were I off the mark, she would not react so. Well, there was the possibility she was an exceptional liar in that way, but that struck me as unlikely. I decided it was best to keep pressing to see what else I could discover.

“‘Tis not too difficult to figure out once the evidence and the right pieces to the puzzles have been put together.” As my control over this part of the Dreamscape increased, ice began crawling up the tree that held Carrot Root in place. “Especially when one has read about warlocks and their methods. For instance, one of the things which caused me to grow suspicious of thee was that thou wert in a position of prominence in Appleton, but I could never recall thee ever doing any work.”

I rubbed my chin, thinking over every instance when I had seen the hag. “Always thou art relaxing about the magnate’s farm and letting one of thine apprentices toil for thee. Even when I spoke with the mayor, thou didst not offer a word of real advice despite thy supposed wisdom and experience. I am sure thou hast used the excuse of thine age with thy fellow townsfolk, but that from what I have seen of other elderly ponies on farms, they still do something to help the farm. Either watching the younger children, or doing some simple craft to bring some income. Even proper healers are usually going about the town aiding with one malady or another.”

She scoffed at that. “Says the filly who does not look like she has done an honest day’s work in her entire life.”

“My life has been one of study, not out working in the field,” I retorted. “Besides, I think I would make for a poor farmer. But let us return to my real point: in general, warlocks turn to the dark arts for an advantage that no other means could give them.” I waved dismissively. “Power, prestige, wealth, revenge, it is always for one reason or another. For thee, I would say thou hast settled for a long life of comfort. It lacks in ambition compared to most warlocks, but some will abuse their power to carve a niche for themselves.” (2)

2. For clarification, hags are a species while warlock refers to anyone who uses dark magic. Midnight tends to use the terms interchangeably for the purposes of this incident from this point forward.

I did not know why, but the warlock’s frown turned back into a smile. “That is correct. I have always enjoyed being a big fish in a small pond. It was comfortable to me. I got to live in the magnate’s home, rarely did any real work, and lived a fine life.” She gestured at the ruined mirror of Mayor Casserole’s house. “A fine home to live out one’s life in. Many a decade I have lived better than anypony in Appleton.”

I considered what she had said ere asking, “So that is why thou didst turn to black magic? To live in a pleasant home?”

Grandmother Carrot shook her head. “Neigh, ‘tis not quite as simple as that. Though I grew up in the home of a sharecropper, poverty was not what pulled at my heart. I did not become ... this for that reason.”

I tilted my head. “Neigh?”

“Neigh.” She chuckled to herself. “If Ah am to be honest, ‘twas a silly reason. ‘Twas all over a colt. We often do foolish things when we are young. Things we only realize were foolish to do after the fact. Grandmother Carrot was not my first name of course. Neigh, Ah was named Bubbling Cauldron. But anyways, Ah had fallen in love with the son and heir of Appleton’s magnate. Casserole’s great-grandfather, if you must know.”

“I take it there were complications with the daughter of a sharecropper seeking the hoof of a magnate’s son?” I had to remind myself that, while we were having a conversation, not to allow my hold on the monstrous mare to weaken. Being lulled into a false sense of security could easily be fatal.

“Indeed.” She squirmed some more against her bonds, but to no avail. “His father disapproved, of course, and instead found his son a pretty young daughter of a magnate from another town. The son was always dutiful to his father, and so consented to his wishes to marry the filly. Ah was most heartbroken. Ah thought it was the end of the world.”

“Naturally it was not,” I said, encouraging her to speak. Every piece of information I could gather might be of use in my fight against her. Knowledge was power, and knowledge of one’s enemies all the more important.

“Neigh, but the passions of a young mare can make it seem so,” she said casually. “Ah thought Ah should just crawl into a hole and die. But then a curious thing happened: an elderly mare, a healer, herbalist, soothsayer, what have you, had come into town. She found me and my sisters, who each had their own grievances, and offered us our hearts’ desires. That one had a clever tongue, and soon we fell under her spell and honeyed words filled with promises.”

Seeing the course this conversation was going, I waved for her to continue. “Naturally nothing comes for free.”

“Of course not.” There came to be a distant look in Grandmother Carrot’s eyes. “Growing up an earth pony, Ah should have known better. Every magic has its price. But me and mah sisters went along with her plans, seeing only the prize but not the work that needed to be done. It came quite to our surprise when the wisemare led us into forest to a spot where she had my beloved’s bride-to-be tied down.” She chuckled to herself. “‘Tis strange, saying it out loud makes it seem so cut and dry to you, neigh? Ah suppose ‘tis one of those things where one had to be there to really understand.”

I readily divined where this talk was leading, and I felt my blood run cold. Indeed, the room became more frigid and the whole room was now covered with frost and ice. Icicles clung to the branches of the tree. “Thou didst murder that mare to fuel some evil ritual?”

Grandmother Carrot gave me a smile that revealed no guilt over her actions. “Ah am that transparent, am Ah? Aye, we were drawn to do that ritual. Ah carved out the mare’s heart myself. Once one gets started in such things...” She shook her head. “It does not really matter anymore. The act was done, and with the power of the ritual and some of my beloved’s blood, Ah was able to bind him to me. His love was mine and mine alone. Of course his father did not approve of the affair, but he was dealt with in the same way his chosen daughter-in-law was. Oh, it was quite a simple task to comfort my beloved after two so recent losses in his life. With the power of my newly begotten magic and his moment of weakness, he was like putty in my hooves, and we were wed ere the year was out.”

“Magic does not work that way,” I said levelly. “One cannot simply force one to love another. To make a pony act in a way unnatural to them, to bind the actions of a creature of free will, is terribly harmful to them. He could not really have been in love with thee, only made to act like he did.” I looked up to the pitiful form of Carrot Root and felt sympathy for the colt. A solid layer of ice now covered the tree but stopped just short of Root’s flesh. I had to wonder how many ponies had suffered their wills violated by this creature before me.

Who knew what damage had been done to him by the possession or if he would ever be able to recover from the utter violation. Grandmother Carrot must have used her blood relation with the colt to do this thing. I had to wonder what type of person could ever think doing such a thing to one's blood was acceptable.

“Sadly true,” she admitted in a casual manner. “All I had really done was bind his will to mine. I could hardly tell at the time. Ah am afraid my poor husband died young, the pressures of the magic being too hard on his mind. But as Ah have said, Ah was so very young and naive.” She rubbed at her face. “Though Ah did not appear so young once the ritual was complete. Neigh, Ah appeared much as Ah do before thee now. My sisters’ appearances had changed in much the same manner. Quite the shock it was, let me tell you.”

“Ah, the ritual also gave the power to fuel thy transformation into a hag?” I had read that such things could be done. By turning oneself into a hag through one method or another, one could gain great and terrible power. If one was willing to pay the cost of one’s appearance and soul, that is. They could, of course, appear as a pony and act like us, but they were no longer ponies. Not really. Ponies that had turned themselves into hags had crossed a line that could not be uncrossed. Such as Bubbling Cauldron had.

“Aye, ‘tis so.” She looked out the collapsed hole in the wall to see the starry sky. “We were most upset by what had happened to us, but there was nothing to be done about it by that point. Well, that is not quite true. Later we came to kill our master when we had learned enough to do the deed and not feel we were doing ourselves a disservice by doing so.”

That was often the way with evil. True evil, that is. Instead of harmony, true evil often seeks to dominate others, to control, to shape the world to its will. Thus as so often happened with practitioners of the dark arts, the apprentices had turned on their master once they believed they had grown strong enough.

“And what of thy sisters?” I asked. “Didst thou turn on them too in time?”

Grandmother Carrot let out a hearty laugh. “You know me too well, Magus. Aye, while we worked together for a time, eventually we grew distant and suspicious of one another. We each had our own goals and desires, and eventually we came into discord.” A pleased smile worked its way onto her lips. “It was quite the battle ‘tween us. Ah remember it fondly. One has not truly lived until one has given battle and left one’s broken enemies ‘pon the field. There is no taste sweeter than sucking the marrow from another's bones. Oh, and my younger sister’s marrow was the sweetest of all. I can still remember the taste of it, even after all these years. And my powers doubled after 'twas done.”

My stomach threatened to revolt at the thought of her consuming her own sisters. “Aye, eating ponies is yet another of thy crimes.” I remembered the piles of bones that had been hidden within the blighted clearing’s pond. Was there no depravity below this thing before me?

Her smile took on a menacing edge. “Oh, do not judge until you have tried it. There are so many delicacies one can partake of with an open mind. Ah especially like the heart. It's a natural focus on magical energy, and if you cook it properly and slice it thin enough, it makes an excellent sandwich. And I made the loveliest sausages using the lining of the stomach and intestines. It goes so well with eggs and flapjacks for breakfast.” She licked her lips and rubbed at her belly. “And it makes some use out of mah kin that get out of hoof.”

“Thou art a wretched being,” I declared. “There is nothing but evil in thy heart.”

“Your hooves are not so clean, Magus.” Grandmother Carrot looked me up and down before settling to looking me in the eyes. “Ah know a killer when Ah see one.”

“Thou art a murderer and a kinslayer,” I told her levelly. “Thou hast partaken of the dark arts, violated the Laws of Magic by killing and dominating the wills of others—even that of thine own blood. We are nothing alike, fiend."

She seemed to consider my words carefully before speaking. "You say that now, with all the certainty and clarity of purpose of youth, but Ah wonder if you will be able to speak with such conviction ten or twenty years from now. Trust me, age has a way of changing ponies. And you stand in the shadow of beings greater than Ah think you realize."

"Who, then?" I made a cutting motion with a hoof. "Either name them or cease thy cryptic riddle. I have neither time nor patience for that type of foolishness.” I so hated when ponies spoke cryptically and thought themselves clever for withholding information. ‘Twas an annoying habit of Princess Celestia’s that I would prefer she would do without.

Grandmother Carrot shook her head. "Ah think not." She looked back out to the starry sky and up to the moon. "Ah think some of those beings would become quite displeased with me if Ah did so."

"Then cease thy prattle so that we may return to productive matters." A strong bitter wind blew through the room, and for a moment I thought I had heard a whisper, but I dismissed it as part of the strangeness of the Dreamscape. "I know there are still more hags within thy coven. No doubt other members of thy bloodline. Thou clearly hast little regard for their wellbeing if thy sisters and grandchild are any indication."

“Such harsh words,” she chided.

“But true, nonetheless.” I drew my cloak closer as I felt the bite of the wind. “Thou wilt have to forgive me if I am not being generous to thee. I tend to not look favorably ‘pon those who attempt to kill me. Thy blighted tree was a nasty surprise, I must say.”

The hag casually shrugged. “You seemed to have survived it just fine. Really, that would not have happened if you had not gone snooping where you did not belong.”

“Aye, no doubt not going into the forest would have prevented thine apprentice from attempting to poison me,” I said sarcastically.

The hag grinned at that. “After Ah had made thee sick in the first place. Ah had hoped that you would have been forced to rest, but it seems Ah underestimated the vigor of youth.”

I felt my choler rise. It was perhaps a bit petty of me to let that of all things upset me on top of all of her far greater crimes, but I had been feeling wretched since I had come down with sickness. I did not even wish to speak of the vileness which had been coming out of my nose.

I growled. “And no doubt thou didst send Root and the other child into my room to destroy my things?”

“Of course,” she admitted. “Ah could not risk you befouling my ritual. Not after all the work Ah had put into it.”

I had to resist the temptation to kick myself for talking too freely about my intention to disrupt the warlock’s ritual through the Dreamscape. A great deal of trouble might have been prevented if I had simply kept silent about my plans. I had even spoken of them with Carrot Root and Carrot Slice, what with the latter likely being the most junior of the conspirators.

I bit back my frustrations to continue probing the warlock for information. “Then there was thine attempt to have a mob lynch me. Looking back to my previous encounters with the Apple Clan, I suspect thou and thy coven manipulated the mob with words and spells to make them do as you bid. Considering how long thou hast lived, ‘tis probable that one of thy kin has been long been implanted within that family.”

She rolled her eyes. “One of the things about a small town like Appleton is that you figure out that everypony is related to just about everypony else in one way or another. Apple, Carrot, whatever—we’re all linked by blood if you go back far enough. Why, this silly feud between the clans is a bunch of hooey if you ask me.”

“That did not keep thee from taking advantage of the discord,” I said. “Thou used’st the feud to hide thy murders while fueling their paranoia. Everypony became suspicious of one another. Neigh, except the elderly herbalist who would not harm a soul.”

She gave another one of those nearly toothless smiles of hers. “Nopony tends to suspect the kindly old grandmother who merely wishes to take some of the aches and pains out of their lives. A bunch of fools they are. They mill about their lives, tilling the land and breeding like cattle, and then they eventually break themselves and slowly rot away. They farm, they work, they feud, they live, they die, and all for nothing in the end. Over and over Ah have seen the cycle, and Ah have grown bored with it.”

I stroked one of my cheeks as I considered the situation. “And now thou dost plan on changing everything?

The hag let out an irritated sigh. “Aye, Ah had hoped my work would be done by the time anypony would do anything major about it. Ah should have put a stronger spell on that Casserole when Ah had the chance. Then you would not have come. But neigh, Ah had thought nopony all the way off in Canterlot would have cared about what happened in our little town of Appleton. Never really had before until it comes time to collect taxes. Ah certainly did not see them sending some young, cocky magus who would be nothing but trouble. But here you are.”

“Here I am,” I said with a nod. “Still, ‘tis curious. After maintaining a life of comfort, now thou art throwing it all away. For what purpose?”

She tisked. “Now Ah am not telling you that. You think Ah would tell you something that important?”

I frowned at the rejection. It had been my hope that Grandmother Carrot would divulge her intentions after becoming comfortable with me after a lengthy conversation. “That was my hope. Though it seems I will be disappointed.”

“Oh, Ah think you are due for more than just disappointment,” she said.

“Then I will find another means to discover what I wish to know.” I lifted her off the ground with my shadows. “I hold the power here, and I think ‘twould be best to destroy thee before thou canst cause more harm.” It seemed I had confirmed all that I could. ‘Twas more than enough to continue with my investigation. Aye, if all went well this could be finished before the rise of the dawn.

Despite the tightening of the dark tendrils, she kept that crooked smile of hers. “You think it will be that easy, filly? Aye, your power is greater than mine here, but Ah knew you would come to this place to fight me. You are so predictable. Of course you would come to save the child when it was in your power to do so. Who would not save such a sweet and innocent child as this? So Ah came prepared.”

I felt my morale waver at the sight of Grandmother Carrot’s confidence. Was there something I was overlooking, or was she bluffing? “What art thou speaking of?”

She closed her eyes and drew in a long breath. “You are not as clever as you think you are, filly. Aye, you are more clever than I originally thought, but not enough to make a difference.”

I felt the current of power growing within the warlock. Seeing the danger, I bid my shadows to squeeze her to death. When they attempted to do so, she exploded into a swarm of pale moths which scattered about the room.The bitter wind became a gale that blew snow into the destroyed room. The branches of the tree holding Root groaned in protest, and a couple snapped off and fell to the floor.

A whisper came to me on the wind’s currents. “‘Tis a trap. Leave this place, now.” The words struck at the very depths of my soul and reverberated within me. Where had they come from? Some part of my subconscious, or mayhaps some echo from the Dreamscape? I had heard the voice before, but from where?

The hag’s voice now came with a harsh edge and echoed about the room. “Ah figured that you would be able to expel me from Root and guessed how you would do so. Youth is predictable that way. Always playing to yer strengths. But even strengths can be undermined if you knows the way.”

“Enough!” I lashed out with a harsh blast of frigid wind. Wooden floorings cracked in splinters, split by the ice that had formed. The moths froze mid-flight and shattered as they struck the floor.

“So predictable,” Grandmother Carrot said, her voice continuing to echo about the room, completely unfazed by my attack. “You fight me in this place, but you do not realize its dangers. At least not the one danger that will be your doom.”

I did not understand. What was it about the Dreamscape that I had overlooked? I was more than capable with oneiromancy, and I was certain I could beat her in open battle here. Even with all her advantages as the possessor. Neigh, she was not referring to our personal contest. ‘Twas something else. Where was the trap?

“Time!” the voice echoed within me again.

Then I knew where I had made my folly. Realization made my heart clench and the whole world seemed to fall away. I had been in such a rush after all that had happened. After dealing with the mob, I had jumped right into trying to save Root. There within was my folly. Grandmother Carrot had provoked me in such a way that I could not easily ignore. Using a child to seize my attention at a critical moment. Aye, all that she had done was to delay me. Between making me sick, the mob, and Root’s possession, she had whittled away the time left to me.

Worse still, she had drawn me to a place where ‘twas difficult to judge the passage of time unless one was careful, and in my haste I had not. Neigh, all my attention had been focused on freeing Root. That was a problem in this place. Like any dream, the Dreamscape had its own sense of time; a minute in the material world could be an hour in the Dreamscape, or the other way around. ‘Twas even possible that Grandmother Carrot used her subtle magics to tilt the scale against me without my knowledge. I had a terrible sense that I had lost far too much time.

I needed to end this, and quickly.

I held up a hoof and my magic flew forth with my words, causing a winter storm to gather around me. “Grandmother Carrot! I banish thee from Carrot Root! Thou hold’st no power here! Begone and never return!”

Grandmother Carrot’s laughter echoed all about me. “Very well then, foolish magus. Have yer prize. You will not enjoy it for long.”

With that, I felt her presence leave. There was a relief of pressure about the room as her presence left with barely a whisper. I scanned quickly with my magical senses to confirm that she was indeed gone. When I was reasonably sure she had not fooled me, I turned to Carrot Root. With an effort of will, the frozen branches cracked and broke off and great slabs of the tree fell away. Eventually the ice-covered tree grew so brittle that it collapsed completely. I caught Root with my magic ere he fell too far. Carefully and slowly, I levitated him into my embrace.

He felt fevered to the touch, and he groaned in pain as I held him. Still, he was safe now and free of his traitorous kin’s grasp. Confirming he was well, I concentrated to try and end the oneiromancy as quickly as I could.

I was seized by a violent jerking motion and found myself within my body once again. It ached and groaned from all the injuries I had suffered over the last couple of days, from sickness, and from lying still for the ritual.

“Milady?” Stalwart said, barely above a whisper. “Art thou well? Is it over?”

I drew in a deep breath as I tried to steady myself, a hundred thoughts fought one another for my attention. “Aye, ‘tis over. I think.”

I looked to him, fighting against the nausea I felt as the whole world seemed to tilt sidewards on me. Going to the Dreamscape was always a taxing thing. Much more so when one did so to do battle as I just had. I noticed the room was now in a shambles. Everything about the room from picture frames to the furniture had been cast about as though at random. The damage seemed hauntingly familiar to what had happened in the Dreamscape.

Stalwart looked none the better. He had a pale look about him, and I could see the white of his eyes. His helmet had been dented above his right eyebrow, and a stream of blood trickled down from his brow.

“And how art thou?” I asked, though I could gather that the exorcism had not been kind to him.

He spoke with a reluctance. “I am well, milady. ‘Tis just ... I saw ... things.”

I could hazard a guess of some of the things he had experienced. I had been to couple of exorcisms myself and read no small amount on the subject. No doubt it had been a harrowing affair.

"How long has it been?" I asked.

He swallowed and glanced out the window to the dark outdoors. "Four hours, I think."

Too much time then. It had felt like I had been in the Dreamscape for no more than half an hour but already we were well into the night. I needed to find Grandmother Carrot before she could finish her ritual, and quickly.

I was about to ask about his condition when Carrot Root started crying. It was a pitiful and desperate thing. One intended to call for help from somepony, anypony.

I felt something within me stir. I fought through my own pains and discomforts to stand and stagger to the bed. Having no patience dealing with knots, I picked up my mother’s enchanted dagger from the floor and cut the ropes that held Root down. He looked up to me, tears running down his cheeks and his crying continued unabated. On instinct, I picked him up and hugged him to my breast. He wailed into my shoulder without restraint.

How much did he remember from his terrible experience, I wondered. Would he ever be able to recover from the violations that had been inflicted upon him by his own trusted kin? ‘Twas not something I had an easy answer for. The psychic trauma somepony could suffer from something like this could be severe. The only respite from the evil affair was that it had been a short one. Still, there was at least some comfort I could give to the child.

I gently shushed him. “Be still, child, ‘tis all over. That I promise.” My horn lit, and I cast a gentle sleep spell upon him. “Sleep now. ‘Twill be better in the morning. I so give my word.”

His sobbing gradually slowed as my spell took effect. He had little fight in him after all he had been subjected to. His shuddering gasps turned into the rhythmic breaths of sleep and his face became more peaceful as the strain left it. I cast another spell to guarantee him the sweet dreams he deserved. At least his sleep would be peaceful, even if all the world around him was going mad. It felt far too little, but ‘twas all I could do for now.

“Shall I fetch his mothers?” Stalwart said from behind me. I had been so wrapped up in comforting the colt that I had all but forgotten him. Foolish of me. There was work to be done. Aiding Root was necessary, but... I was not entirely sure at that moment what to do. It seemed cruel not to do all I could for the child, but I knew there was little time to deal with the warlocks. Both tasks were worthy of my time, but time was something preciously short supply.

I glanced about the room and saw the shambles it was in. “Neigh, we will take him to them.” I stood and carefully levitated the colt to place him on my back.

"Magus, allow me." The sergeant positioned himself so that I could place the child on his back instead. "I can better carry him."

I was tempted to be stubborn and continue carrying the colt, but in my heart I knew he was right. Even standing there reminded me of every ache and pain I was suffering from, and the knee that had been dislocated throbbed.

"Very well," I said. Though it hurt my pride to give the colt over to Stalwart, 'twould have been far worse for my legs to give out and for me to drop Root. "Now let us take the child to his parents."

“Aye, milady.” He followed me out of the bedroom and out into the living room.

There sat Carrot Casserole and Celery Stalk on the couch and were holding one another for comfort. I could only imagine their anxiety in the past few hours. Surely, the racket during the exorcism could not have helped. Though either through their own discipline or Gale and Stalwart watching over the event, they had thankfully not disrupted the exorcism. Gale was standing watch by the front door while Red Steel was sitting on a cushion with her eyes closed.

Upon seeing us, Celery lept from the couch. "Root!" She hurried over to examine her child. "Is my son alright?"

I nodded. "As well as could be expected. I have put him under a sleep spell for now to let him rest after everything he has been through, but he is no longer possessed."

Celery let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness." After receiving a nod from Stalwart, she picked up her youngest son to hug him close to her chest.

Casserole was not long after her to hug them both. "Our thanks, Magus. I cannot express how much it means to us for our son to be safe."

"Of course, 'twas my duty to do so." Though I could not help but feel guilt over the fact that Root most likely would not have been possessed in the first place if I had not come to Appleton. Part of me knew it was foolish to feel so. How could I have known that Grandmother Carrot would be so vile as to possess her own blood? Responsibility is a queer thing. All of our actions have consequences, anticipated or not.

"Still, you have our thanks," Celery said, nuzzling her child.

I nodded. "We will leave you to attend to your son."

With parents now reunited with their son, I waved for Gale, Stalwart, and Red to follow me into the dining room.

Gale looked up at where the blood had caked Stalwart’s scalp as we entered the kitchen, and said, “Art thou well, Sergeant? Thou hast been injured.”

He touched his forehead where he had been wounded. “‘Tis a minor injury, I think. I will survive.”

Gale opened her saddlebags to pull out her medical supplies. “Aye, but let me put a bandage on it all the same.”

Red Steel nodded in agreement. “Best to make sure it does not become infected.”

“Very well, milady.” Stalwart removed his helmet for Gale. At a glance, the wound did not look bad. Head wounds have a way of bleeding profusely, but I still agreed that taking precautions was best.

I cast a privacy spell over the room as Gale aided Stalwart. Now that I knew the extent of Grandmother Carrot’s crimes, I had a better idea of how to ward myself against her. ‘Twas not hard to imagine that Casserole and her family had probably been repeated victims of her mind spells. Thus, I could not say with certainty that ‘twas safe to speak before any of them anymore. ‘Twas possible that Casserole and Celery were hags themselves, though I thought it unlikely considering they would have had an ideal opportunity to slay me while I was distracted by the exorcism. The elderly hag could possibly have moved to possessing those to attack me, and unlike the young colt, a fully-grown earth pony could very well kill or very badly injure me with a well-placed buck. So it seemed appropriate to speak only with the ponies I trusted most in Appleton at the moment.

“We have much to discuss,” I said, “and little time, so I will be brief. Grandmother Carrot is the pony behind all the trouble in Appleton. She is in fact not a pony, at least not anymore, but is a creature known as a hag. She uses magic to appear like anypony else, but do not be fooled. She is dangerous practitioner of the dark arts and leads a coven of hags at least three strong.”

Gale frowned at the news. “Thou art certain of this?”

“The old healer?” Red Steel asked incredulously. “She seems like she would have trouble killing a fly, much less a pony.”

I looked Red in the eyes to help show my sincerity. “Aye, I know this for certain. She was the one who possessed Carrot Root, and while thou mightest scoff at her vulnerable state, her dark magic is a real and dangerous thing. She and her coven have used their magics to lure a number of ponies to their deaths, and have been doing so for decades.”

Red crossed her forelegs over her chest. “But surely somepony would have noticed if so many were being murdered? This is not a large town. Ponies notice when others suddenly die or go missing.”

I waved her argument aside. “Neigh, but there are ways to do so without being noticed. Especially if one is willing to be patient and spread your misdeeds over a long period of time. Remember how I said I could murder Apple Butter and make it seem like a fire had done her in? The hags could easily use their mind magics to lure ponies away to slay them. I am sure thou dost remember the blighted tree that nearly slew us out in the forest? Or they could inflict a sickness on a pony to kill them that way. ‘Tis all the more easy when Grandmother Carrot and her apprentices are the healers of the town. Aye, by collecting somepony’s hair or blood, one could potentially use something like an entropy curse to inflict such misfortune on a pony that their death would look like a horrible accident.” The bout of talking caused my throat to feel dry and I let out a series of harsh coughs. “Grandmother Carrot herself admitted to making me sick, and Carrot Juice attempted to poison me while pretending to give me a cure. The ponies of the town only became suspicious when they murdered multiple ponies in a very short period of time.”

Red frowned as she thought over what I had told her. “If that is the case, then we are dealing with very dangerous ponies.”

“Ponies no more,” I warned her. “They have made dark pacts and have been transformed by the experience to beings of wicked evil. Do not forget that. They can use spells as readily as any unicorn.”

Gale’s wings twitched at my assessment. “How do we slay them?”

I recalled what information I could from my readings on hags, though ‘twas difficult due to my weariness and sickness. It felt as though I could go to bed and sleep a week. “Effectively the same as one would slay a warlock. Their magic is formidable, but they die as any pony would. If they have any special weakness, then ‘tis a secret to me.”

“There is one thing I do not understand,” Red said. “Why after so long being hidden have they now decided to act so openly. Mayhaps a death here and there could be overlooked, but over half a dozen ponies have gone missing recently. That does not fit their previous methods.”

I considered the question before answering. “It think ‘tis related to their ritual, though I am not sure to what end. But I fear they have nearly completed it. So we need to find the coven quickly to stop them.”

“Hast thou discovered what the ritual will do?” Stalwart asked.

I shook my head. “Neigh, and ‘twould be best if we stopped her before—”

I stopped speaking when the ravens on the roof started raising a great ruckus. On instinct, I began probing with my magical senses. It was not long before I felt ... something. It was as though there was some great release of magical pressure in the air. I glanced about as I tried to figure out what was happening. A growing sense of dread fell upon me as I started to put together the pieces of what I knew and what I was feeling.

Seeing my reaction, Gale looked around warily. “Midnight, what is it?”

“A moment of peace, please." Closing my eyes, concentrating on my magical senses. "Something queer is happening." There were magical currents now moving. The energies were massive and moving in a large wave of magic that seemed to wish to draw me in as it approached, bidding me to fall into it in a sleepless daze. I had to mentally shake myself not to just stare at it. I wished to sleep so badly, to lie down and let whatever come, but I knew that I could not. Once I had gauged the enormous amounts of magical energies involved, I realized with horror that Grandmother Carrot had finished her dark ritual. I could feel the bulk of those energies quickly approaching the magnate’s home, and I knew I needed to act quickly.

I turned to my friend and pointed out the door. “Gale, draw a circle around the house, now!”

Gale raised an eyebrow at the demand. “To what purpose?”

“No time!” I got behind her and started pushing her towards the door. “I bid thee, do it!” I was not nearly as fast as my friend, and time was crucial. ‘Twould not be long before the power of the ritual was upon us, and I could think of one defense that might keep us all safe on such short notice.

Finally catching onto my urgency, Gale ran out the door. Once outside, she stretched a wing so that a wingblade touched the ground. She then started running around the house, creating a furrow as she went.

I trotted out to the circle as Gale drew it. With my dagger, I nicked my leg and bled onto the edge of the circle. My horn glowed as I called upon my magic. Gale came back around the house and finished the perimeter.

“Make sure the circle has no interruptions,” I told Gale and Stalwart. They did not question my instructions, and I returned to concentrating on the circle. I pictured the circle within my mind, binding my blood to it, and poured my magic within it to give it power and strength.

Magic circles are important constructs for using magic. They can be used to contain, concentrate, or repel magical energies. Of course a unicorn could use magic with only their horn, but a circle, as well as other devices or items, could allow for greater feats of magic. A line dug into the dirt was not much in the way of a construct, nothing like the magic circles we had back at home, but it would have to be enough.

Red looked about, probably to try and figure out what I was doing. “What is going on?”

I continued to pour magic into the magic circle as I answered her. “The hags have activated their ritual. ‘Twill not be long before ‘tis upon us.”

“Something is coming.” Stalwart pointed off towards the horizon. “I can feel a fogbank coming.”

Gale stepped next to me as we stared out and ears twitched. "Aye, and there is something unnatural about that fog."

Red Steel gave a small nod of agreement. “It feels ... wrong somehow.”

I looked up from the circle but only saw darkness. ‘Twas now too late in the night for me to see much in detail, even with the aid of magic. At least where seeing fog was concerned. I wondered if my companions' natural ability with weather magic made them more sensitive to the foul nature of what was coming. As pegasi, they would be the ones to best know if unnatural weather was about, so I trusted their instincts on the matter.

"Stay inside the circle everypony!" I instructed. "'Twill be our only defense!" I could not help but feel a little bit absurd telling everypony to hide from a fogbank behind a line carved into the dirt. Though there we were, and ‘twould be far from the most absurd thing I had seen in my life thus far. Still, everypony did as I instructed.

“But what about everypony outside of the circle?” Red motioned towards the village. “What will become of them? Is there anything that can be done?”

I shook my head. “There is no time. Soon the magic will—”

And just like that, without further warning or preamble, a wall of fog slammed into the magic circle. It rolled right over and around the magic circle and looked as though it was swallowing everything around us like the Smooze of old. Only that which was within the circle was not consumed by the impenetrable fog. The ravens about the farm continued cawing their chorus, and all my companions reflexively took steps away from the edge of the circle.

The weight of the fog’s magical energies pressed upon the circle, and I was forced to brace my will against it. I could feel the presence of the fog just outside of the circle. It called to me with a mysterious allure. Beckoned me to let down the circle and go where it wished. It promised sweet, restful sleep if I would but let it embrace me. I shook my head, clearing its effects, and redoubled my efforts to make sure the circle held.

It was while I resisted the power of the ritual that I realized I recognized this magic. Its allure felt all too familiar. I had felt this siren’s call before in the Dreamscape when I had attempted to disperse the power of the ritual. There I had been caught unaware, but now I was wary of the danger.

The fog continued to press against the circle, trying to break or pop it, but the power of the circle held. Slowly, very slowly, the pressure started to lift and, while still there, was not nearly so heavy. Even where the fog had been a solid wall, it now lost some of its density. Allowing us to see at least a little distance beyond the edge of the ring.

Gale must have noticed some change, for she soon after placed a hoof on my back. “Is it safe?”

I let out a breath I had not realized I was holding. “Safe enough as long as we remain in the circle.”

“What happened?” Red Steel head rotated as she watched carefully for any movement. “I have never seen a fog descend so quickly.”

“That is the magic of the ritual.” I reached out with my senses and was careful not to be drawn in by the fog’s mind magic. “I think ‘tis some sort of mind fog. ‘Tis a type of spell where the mind is befuddled, though this one seems to be drawing its victims to a location.”

“To what purpose?” Stalwart asked.

“Nothing good.” I pulled back with my magical senses. “If I had to harbor a guess, the main reason a coven of warlocks would wish to gather a whole town’s population in one place under such a spell would be for ... some sort of sacrifice.”

Red’s eyes widened. “T-They would .. everypony? Then the town is...”

I felt a terrible weight fall upon me as the magnitude of my failure fell upon me. “Aye. The town has been Lost.”

Author's Notes:

I would like to thank Chengar Qordath, Comma-Kazie, and JakeTheGinger for all their help in editing Midnight's Shadow.
Then I would also like to thank all my great prereaders Web of Hope, Swiftest Shadow, Infinion, Rodinga, 621Chopsuey, Novus Draconis, and Incidental Pegasus No. 5.