The moon was bright, but the forest seemed to block out most of it with its thick trees. There were patches where the trees provided an opening for the light to shine through which made eerie puddles of white on the forest floor. There were no animals, or even insects in the forest. Spike was genuinely spooked, camcorder trembling as he held it. There was almost nothing to record for the time being except for the silence of the Mare Forest.

“And where are we headed exactly?” Rarity asked. “We’ve been walking for the past half hour.”

“We have to find the Mare Witches lair.” Twilight said. “Nobody’s ever been there before so we’ll be the first, but it’s harder to navigate than I thought. Let’s take a break here. I’ll need time to look at the map.”

Twilight unpacked her bag under a patch of moonlight and began to study the map of Mare Forest along with the old book. Without the sound of hoofsteps the forest fell silent. It was an uncomfortable silence, one that would press against a pony’s eardrums. Even the occasional flip of Twilight’s book were loud.

“Why is it so quiet in this forest?” Rarity asked. “Is there not one creature living in these woods? Some noise would be less daunting than complete and utter silence.”

“Speaking of noise…” Spike said. “I haven’t heard Pinkie Pie for quite a while now.”

“Where’s Pinkie Pie?” Twilight suddenly asked lifting her head and turning around.

“I have no idea.” Rarity replied. “I could have sworn she was walking behind us just before. I heard her footsteps following me. I did find it strange that she wasn’t uttering a word, but I was sure she was there!”

“I-it’s the Mare Witch!” Spike groaned in despair. “She’s taken Pinkie Pie!”

“No it can’t be.” Twilight said. “She probably just went home when we entered the forest.”

“But the footsteps!” Rarity said. “I heard her!”

The three looked at each other for a moment, each with varying degrees of fear in their faces.

“It’s alright.” Twilight said hastily returning to her map and toying around with a compass. “She can take care of herself. Besides, if worse comes to worst, we’ll just search for her in the morning. With Rainbow Dash’s help we’ll find her in no time! Right guys?”

Twilight got her stuff back together and was ready to continue into the forest.

“My compass tells me to keep heading northwest.”

Rarity and Spike kept each other close while Twilight stopped occasionally to check her map. Nobody said anything to lift the mood. It was as if the forest was keeping them from doing so. Not only that, it suddenly began to get very chilly. It was unnatural for it to be this cold this time of season.

Giggle

“W-what was that?” Rarity and Spike said at the same time.

“It’s… Pinkie Pie.” Twilight said. “I think…”

Giggle

The noises continued this time from the opposite direction. The three turned right around expecting to see Pinkie Pie. Instead they were looking into further darkness.

Giggle

“I don’t think that’s Pinkie Pie.” Spike muttered.

The group had no choice but to continue on. They were trying their best not to let the giggling bother them. It came from all directions, varying in distance and volume each time. It would be unnoticeable one time and right behind them the next.

“Argh!” Rarity cried. “It’s in my ears! Why is it so cold?! I can’t take this anymore! Twilight, get us out of here this instant!”

Twilight stopped under a large patch of light and checked her map reluctantly unable to decide if it was best to turn back or not. It would have been great if she had a choice. However…

“I was sure we were going in the right direction all this time.” Twilight said sitting in the middle of a patch of light squinting at the map. “I’m not sure where we are any more. Not when I can’t even check the map when I need to, it’s too dark and there isn’t enough moon light.”

“We’re…” Rarity began tears welling up in her eyes.

“Don’t say it!” Twilight said covering her head with her hoofs.

“Lost!” Rarity cried. “We’re lost I tell you! We’ve been going in one direction all night and still haven’t come across anything! Pinkie Pie is missing and probably just as lost as we are! We’re going to freeze to death in this forsaken forest! And worst of all…”

“The Mare Witch is going to kill us!” Spike cried.

“This is the end of Fashion Designer Actress Rarity…” Rarity said softly. “It’s the end of my career! Out of all the things that could happen, this is THE! WORST! POSSIBLE! THING!”

She paused and looked to her side for a moment before continuing, her horn was glowing which meant magic was being used. There were rustling sounds that were getting closer and closer. Finally Rarity’s red sofa burst through the trees and halted in front of her.

Rarity threw herself on her sofa bench and began to wail.

“Why?!” she cried. “Oh goodness, why?!”

“That’s just unbelievable.” Twilight said. “Which direction did that sofa come from?”

“Well it came from that direction.” Rarity said in the middle of her sobs.

“Then you might find your way back if you go that way.” Spike suggested. “That’s from your house isn’t it?”

“Why of course!” Rarity said. “Let’s go then!”

Twilight returned a look of uncertainly.

“I can’t.” Twilight said. “I have to finish it. I’m sorry you got dragged into all this, but I won’t stop now.”

“Then I’ll just go ahead myself then.” Rarity said.

“Wait!” Spike said. “What if you get lost?! I’ll go with you!”

Twilight stopped her assistant from running off.

“You’re my cameradragon remember?” Twilight said. “And she’ll be just fine if she walks in a straight line. Do you think you can do it?”

“I think I am very confident in my navigation ability thank you very much.” Rarity said boastfully. “This horn in not a decoration, mind you.”

Anypony would wonder why they were lost with two unicorns in the group in the first place.

“Then I will see you tomorrow.” Rarity said taking her sofa with her in the direction it came from. She vanished into the darkness and was out of sight. Spike couldn’t get the look of worry off his face.

“At least the giggling stopped.” Twilight said optimistically tapping her compass. “According to the map, we should be able to find the Mare Witch’s lair if we just go that way.”

Spike followed Twilight and the two continued into the forest. Spike however, wasn’t feeling so sure that Twilight knew where she was headed. She continued to check her map and compass, but never did it feel as if she knew where she was going.

“Admit it Twilight.” Spike said. “We’re lost. I thought you were good at reading maps.”

“I’m doing my best, but it’s strange.” Twilight said. “We keep going in weird directions. I could have sworn we were moving in a straight line but my compass tells me otherwise. I tracked down where we were several times, but it’s just no use. We should have reached the lair ages ago. It’s as if the forest is moving…”

There was an unmistakable sound of a scream far in front of them. Spikes eyes were wide open as his camcorder arm swung limp at his side.

“Rarity!” Spike yelled and began running towards the scream.

“Spike wait!” Twilight called as she chased Spike to the source of the noise.

They came out into a clearing and were bathed in moon light. In the middle of the clearing was a hat. Spike recognized it immediately. He run up to it and picked it up, holding it up to Twilight.

“It’s Rarity’s hat…” He said.

“What happened?” Twilight asked. “We just heard Rarity… She couldn’t have gone far…”

“It’s the Mare Witch…” Spike said hugging rarity’s hat. “I know it is. First Pinkie Pie and now Rarity.”

Spike put the hat over himself and hid under it.

“We’re next!” He said.

“Rarity!” Twilight called. “Answer us!”

“It’s no use Twilight, we’re goners!” Spike said from under the hat.

Twilight thought deeply. As scared as she was, she wasn’t going to let it get in the way of her thinking. She emptied her bag once more, the map, compass, and book spilled on to the dried leaves of the forest floor.

“You’re doing that again?” Spike asked leaving the camcorder next to the hat.

Twilight first spent a few minutes looking through her book, then took out a quill and marked some points on the map.

“If the Mare Witch really did take Pinkie Pie and Rarity… we’ll find them at her lair.” Twilight said.

“How can you be so sure about that?” Spike asked.

“It said in the book that the Mare Witch would conduct experiments on her captive ponies in her lair… Two at a time…” Twilight said in gloom.

“Give me that map!” Spike said picking up the map and examining it. His eyes stopped at a picture of a cave with the caption ‘Mare Witch’s Lair’ under it. “This dot means were right here, am I right?”

“Yeah.” Twilight answered impressed with Spike’s sudden attitude of leadership.

“We’re really close! So if we head straight that way, we’ll reach her lair!” Spike said. “I’ll save you Rarity!”

“It is strange though.” Twilight said. “We’ve walked all this time and we’ve only gotten this close to the-“

A very strong gust of icy cold wind blew through the clearing it wasn’t a natural breeze.

“Ah—ahcoo!” Spike sneezed blowing a burst of green flame onto the map burning it completely.

Twilight, who was looking the other way and was now shielding herself from the gale heard the unmistakable sound of roasting paper. She looked up slowly and saw ashes riding the wind into the forest.

“S-Spike… you…” Twilight muttered.

“I… I…” Spike had a look of utter shock on his face. “I’m sorry…”

“Great…” Twilight sighed. “We have no map… and this compass is useless.”

The two sat silently trying to come to terms with the fact that they’re stranded in the forest.

“Come on.” Twilight gulped picking up her stuff. “We have to hurry if we’re to save Rarity and Pinkie Pie. At least we know which way the lair is…”

“Yeah…” Spike said picking himself and the camera up, wearing Rarity’s hat.

They left the clearing, once again surrounded by trees. This part of the forest was different than the other parts. There appeared to be a clear path unlike what they’ve walked through until now.

“What do you think the Mare Witch does to her victims?” Spike asked.

“There’s nothing specific in the book.” Twilight replied grimly. “I don’t even want to think about it…”

Twilight gradually walked at a slower and slower pace. There were inaudible whispering sounds coming from the trees. The cold forest air was thick with a sinister atmosphere. Spike and Twilight were both dreading what they might see at the lair.

“What are the chances of us getting them back without getting caught ourselves? We’re practically walking right into her hooves…”

“We have no choice.” Twilight said weakly. “We have to save our friends.”

At that moment they arrived at a rock face. At the base was a cave.

“Is this it?” Spike asked. “It looks just like an ordinary cave.”

The strange markings on walls beside the cave told a different story. Twilight recognized them as some sort of magic symbols.

“I think this is it.” Twilight said comparing them with the ones shown in the old book.

The two looked into the cave. Spike used the camcorder which was still recording and peered deep into the depths hoping to see something with the night vision.

Twilight put one trembling hoof forward into the cave.

“It’s… to quiet…” Spike said.

“Are we too late?” Twilight asked.

“No!” Spike said. “We can’t be! I’m coming guys!”

Spike ran into the cave.

“W-wait for me Spike!” Twilight said shutting her eyes tight and rushing in after him.

Twilight came to her senses a few hours later, her head was throbbing. The last thing she remembered was running into the cave to chase Spike. She felt a cool breeze as sunlight shined softly on her face. She opened her eyes as looked around. She was outside the cave. She looked around for Spike and saw him lying in the grass, sleeping soundly. The forest looked completely different than it did last night. It was the most beautiful forest Twilight had ever seen. It was even better than the garden of the Grand Galloping Gala.

She checked herself for any traces of dark magic that might have been done to her. From what she could tell there wasn’t anything wrong. She checked Spike too, he was just fine. She wondered though. How did she end up outside the cave? Weren’t they supposed to be victims of the Mare Witch?

“So you are awake.” Twilight heard a gentle voice from within the woods. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Princess Celestia stood before her.